My Story as an Asian American Woman
Gosh. Where do I even begin…
With the latest trend/movement, #StopAsianHate, it’s been a breathe of fresh air seeing Asian people in America get nationwide recognition for our struggles and hardships. It’s also made me face myself in ways I may have avoided in the past.
I grew up in a predominantly Chinese American community. I felt very comfortable in my own skin. My parents also regularly took me back to visit Hong Kong (where they grew up), so I felt really connected to my heritage and culture.
For the most part, I grew up in a really safe bubble. It’s as I started to grow older and move to different cities that I began to realize how “different” I seem to a lot of people in this country.
It’s hard realizing how ignorant a lot of people are to the Asian American community and experience. I want to point out that under the Asian umbrella is a plethora of many, many different ethnicities and cultures. We’re not all just “the same.” Even as a Chinese American woman, I am not intimately familiar with the struggles of the Vietnamese community. I want to learn more.
I feel like my parents sheltered me from a lot of the harsh realities of being an Asian American person in this country. I can no longer ignore the facts. We have been made invisible for too long. And now we’re finally getting nationwide attention when we’re getting killed left and right.
I love having a multicultural background. I feel blessed to have so many different cultural values and experiences to pull from. I feel like I overflow with the beautiful tapestry of my ancestral heritage. I love who I am.
I’m excited to see change in the US. I’m excited to hear Asian American voices heard and uplifted. Change can begin now. Thank you for reading this and opening yourself to my unique experience.
Love,
Samantha
