Although she was born in Singapore, on October 24, 1981, Tila Nguyen (aka Tila Tequila) is of Vietnamese heritage. Her parents left Vietnam just before Tila was born, and they stayed in Singapore for a couple of years before moving again, this time to Houston, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, the Nguyens settled into a Buddhist gated community, where Tila and her older sister and brother grew up in a strict, sheltered environment.