Essay

Posted by Melda Research on May 17th, 2019

 During ASPIRE, I would like the discussion to touch on benefits of having students with unique and vibrant cultural backgrounds in the school environment, the impacts of misconceptions on students and how to cope with the issues.  There are various commonly-held assumptions about Asian-Americans. They are believed to be exotic, compliant, docile, nerdy and quiet. Due to the assumptions, there are many times that my Asian-American identity has been questioned. The most memorable one was when I attended an event.

My great-great-grandparents moved to Hawaii from Japan in the early 1900s, which is actually earlier than people can trace their stateside heritage back to. To put things in perspective, my family has been in the United States of America for more than a century. Being brought up in Hawaii, Japanese traditions and culture were as normal part of life. Though I did not realize it at that time, interacting with people from diverse cultures has helped me understand that I grew up in a true melting point of diverse cultures. As a result, I have an inherent understanding of values and traditions I grew up with. During my childhood, no one ever questioned my last name.

I had just moved to the mainland to an event when someone encapsulated my entire personhood into one word: Asian. I was sitting on the floor of a basketball court when a group of people engaged me in an awkward icebreaker exercise.  “Are you from Hawaii? Do you surf?” “No, I actually tried once and was terrible at it” “Well, do you live in a grass hut? Do you people have cell service back at home?” “We have houses with electricity and running water, Cell service too. Just like you.” “But you don’t look Hawaiian. Are you Japanese?”  “Yes.”  “So you’re Asian, then.

I expect to gain a lot from the program.  First, the lessons from the program will provide a foundation for my achievement of academic and career goals. Secondly, I expect the mentors to share their experiences.  I might as well identify some role models.

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