There’s always a bit of anticipation and apprehension in hero-meeting, but Yia Vang quells those feelings within moments. Direct, talented, capable and communicative, he is an anomaly in the hunting and cooking world, and utterly fascinating. His story — obviously recounted many times before — reflects a familial history fraught with sadness, violence, nurturing and success. His connections deepen our own; his story is just one of millions that should be regarded as a fundamental American story. His family fought communists and survived years in a refugee camp before moving to America, and excelled through grit and their wells of agricultural knowledge.
