In this inspiring episode of Conversations with Big Rich, Sue Lee Bun shares her remarkable journey from fleeing Laos as a young child to building a life rooted in family, resilience, and the off-road community.
Sue discusses growing up in a large Hmong family, adapting to life in America, overcoming bullying, and balancing cultural traditions with American life. She explains how she and her husband, Chai, discovered off-roading, raised their sons on the trails, and launched Bunn Welders after fellow off-roaders began relying on their trail-side welding expertise.
Sue also opens up about her stage-four lung cancer diagnosis and the overwhelming support she received from the off-road community. That experience inspired the creation of the Hugaroc Foundation, which supports off-road families affected by cancer and plans activities for children and teenagers facing illness.
Learn about Hugaroc’s upcoming fundraisers, community events, children’s initiatives, and ways to get involved.
Visit hugaroc.org and follow Hugaroc on Facebook and Instagram.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:13.880] – Big Rich Klein
My guest this week is a lady whose family escaped Laos to come to the U.S. when she was just 2 years old. Being the second oldest of 11 kids, she has a strong sense of family. She now has an even larger family as a member of the off-road community. Good morning, Sue Lee Bunn. It’s so good to have you on the podcast. I’m looking forward to this conversation.
[00:01:41.300] – Sue Lee Bun
Good morning, Big Rich. Thank you so much. I am so honored to be on here with you today.
[00:01:47.460] – Big Rich Klein
Well, it’s, uh, it’s, it’s an honor to have you on here, and I’m glad that we’re able to have this conversation. There’s a lot to talk about. Not only with your history and the business, but also what you have just started as far as the foundation. And we’ll get into all of that. But the first question I’m going to ask you is, where were you born and raised?
[00:02:10.900] – Sue Lee Bun
Um, I was born in Sayaburi, Laos.
[00:02:14.860] – Big Rich Klein
Okay.
[00:02:15.390] – Sue Lee Bun
Um, I was there for, I think, not even 2 years. Then we had to leave And flee to Thailand to the refugee camp shortly after the Vietnam War had gone down.
[00:02:30.440] – Big Rich Klein
Right, right. And that, that, that’s understandable. Um, that was quite the conflict, but you were just a, just a baby at that point.
[00:02:40.390] – Sue Lee Bun
Yes, just a baby. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember how it looks like. I don’t remember where I live. I think that’s just It must have been pretty horrific for me to just completely block it out.
[00:02:54.370] – Big Rich Klein
Right.
[00:02:55.360] – Sue Lee Bun
I cannot, like, search memory of anything from back then that I can remember.
[00:03:00.550] – Big Rich Klein
Okay. I’m really glad that your parents or, you know, the family was able to get out. And with that said, how long did you spend in Thailand then as a refugee?
[00:03:15.830] – Sue Lee Bun
Same with refugee camp. I don’t remember a single thing, but I know we weren’t there for very long according to the stories my father Um, had told over the years. Um, we were there not too long, then we were sponsored to Hawaii. So we were there right around like the end of ’77. And we lived there for a couple of years. I— and then I do remember going to preschool. I do remember walking to school with my grandmother. She would— we’d go down the big tall buildings, down the elevators, across the beachfronts, and she’d walk me to preschool. So it’s just kind of strange that, you know, within that year of leaving Laos, fleeing to Thailand, and then getting to Hawaii, I can remember quite a few, you know, some of the interesting things about Hawaii, but yet I don’t remember anything about Thailand or Laos. Okay. READ MORE
