Mei Tran
Mei Tran, born September 22, 1984, was a Chinese-Vietnamese woman who lived in Tianjin, China. She was the mother of Minh Tran, whose father was her late husband, Bao Tran. Mei remained closely involved in Minh’s life after Minh moved to the United States with the Lee family.
Family Life
Mei and Bao raised Minh in Tianjin. Bao died in a 2023 traffic collision caused by a drunk driver when Minh was eight. Mei and Minh became especially close after his death.
When Minh later chose to move to Baltimore with the Lee family, Mei was saddened by the separation but not surprised by the decision. She had recognized the depth of Minh’s relationship with Minjae Lee before Minh described it as romantic. Mei continued supporting her daughter across the distance.
Mei maintained Chinese-Vietnamese family practices in her Tianjin home, and their regular conversations helped Minh carry that heritage into life in Baltimore. She respected her daughter’s judgment about education, partnership, and the life she wanted to build while remaining a source of cultural guidance and emotional support.
After Minh and Minjae became engaged, Mei celebrated with Minh over a video call from Tianjin. She greeted her daughter in Mandarin with “Aiya, my beautiful girl!”, asked to see the ring, and clapped when Minh showed it to her. Minh also told her that some relatives did not accept the relationship. Mei acknowledged the hurt without asking Minh to reconsider her choice: “They will, or they will not. What matters is that you see him. And that he sees you.” She reminded Minh that the couple had the support of the Lee household and friends who would fight dragons for them. Mei understood Joon-Ho’s many questions and rules as fear of losing what the couple had found, while she said the other relatives would have to learn or be left behind. When Minh imagined Bao meeting Joon-Ho, Mei joked that the two quiet, strong-willed men would sit together for hours without speaking and call it a conversation. She then asked Minh to show her Minjae asleep in the Lee house.
Mei flew from China for Minh and Minjae’s early-fall-2036 wedding and worked with Minh and Nari during Minjae’s reception care and bedtime routine.
Physical Characteristics and Presentation
Mei stood approximately 5‘3” and had a medium frame, dark brown eyes, and black hair threaded with subtle silver. She kept her hair neat and dressed in practical, comfortable clothing. When she saw Minh’s engagement ring over video, her smile spread so wide it nearly eclipsed her face.
Friendship with Nari Lee
Main article: Mei Tran and Nari Lee
Mei and Nari Lee were best friends from before either woman had children. Their friendship connected the Tran and Lee households throughout Minh and Minjae’s childhoods. The trust between them was part of the arrangement that allowed Minh to accompany the Lees when they relocated to Baltimore for Minjae’s medical care in early 2034.
After the move, Mei remained in Tianjin while Nari and Minh lived in Baltimore. The two women maintained their friendship through regular video calls across the distance and continued sharing concern for both families.