SINGAPORE – She loves local food like laksa and chicken rice, and speaks to her Singaporean maternal grandmother every day even though they live on opposite sides of the world.

American teenager Megan Skiendiel makes it a point to connect with her Singapore roots, just like how her Singaporean-Chinese mother – who is known only as Sylvia – remains close to her family here even after living in Honolulu, Hawaii, for almost two decades.