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Growing up in Nepal with a traditional way of life and culture, as Lotus Leeventan did, she claims, was a blessing.
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"Being a woman, coming from a foreign country, not growing up here, and not knowing the culture is hard enough as it is," said Leeventan.
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Leeventan added, "It's so different from here; we grew up and went to school; Asian families grow up to be doctors or engineers.
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And it wasn't really the plan for Leeventan. She arrived in America on her own at the age of 17 with the intention of starting her own business.
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She set out on her own, choosing Las Vegas as her eventual destination. Her goal is to draw attention to her hometown.
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"Whether you're AAPI or not, you'll have support from the community when you do take that risk, when you do create your own business," she said.
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Her two popular coffee shops in Vegas, Coffee Religion, reflect her unique culinary perspective, which is heavily influenced by her culture.
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Since Nepal is a landlocked nation without its own ocean, it is heavily dependent on other larger nations, according to Leevanthan.
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As Nepal is sandwiched between India and China, its cuisine draws influences from both nations.
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