About
Proprietor Rotchana Sussman
With a focus on wellness and balance with whole food nutrition, Rotchana Sussman’s White Springs Vegan (a name that “was born from the heart,” as she describes), strives to use organic produce with a varying menu based on the seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables. “Since becoming a vegan, I had to teach myself how to create vegan versions of the traditional Thai, and other ethnic cuisines,” says Rotchana. “I enjoy experimenting and sharing my creations with family and friends. Now, I want to share them with everyone else. Born in northern Thailand, Rotchana came to the U.S. in the early 1990s, lured by what she thought would be a lucrative job opportunity in America to help support her children. But in reality she found herself forced to work in an El Monte sweatshop compound, sewing garments for virtually no pay in slave-like conditions with 71 other laborers, all held captive with no exposure to the outside world by their traffickers. A well-publicized government raid on the compound in August 1995 with the assistance of Thai CDC eventually emancipated the laborers and prosecuted their captors. Formerly a slave, and now a small business owner, Rotchana’s experience exemplifies the purpose and importance of the TTMP. “The Thai Town Marketplace is important to the community because it is a launchpad for individuals in the community to have an opportunity to improve their own financial well-being,” says Rotchana. “Equally important to me, TTMP allows the opportunity for individuals in the community to contribute to the local economy in a more profound way and allow for more opportunities to give back to the community. From a consumer standpoint, they can be confident they are supporting small businesses when they give their business to vendors at the TTMP.”