What makes you proud to be Asian American/Pacific Islander?

Individuals navigate a world plagued by prejudice, racism, and hate by remembering all that makes them proud of their culture. 

Taylor DeGuzman / Arts & Culture Editor / The USD Vista 

Somewhere out there, there is a young child who peers up at their television screen and sees themself — however, it is not in a way that empowers them, not in a way that makes them realize their dreams, but in a way that scares them, in a way that makes them confused about who they are. 

The younger Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) generation is learning to navigate a world plagued by racism and hate. Since the start of the pandemic last year, it is a world where hate is specifically targeting and alienating the AAPI community along with other marginalized communities. Hate crimes, violence, and unfortunately, even the killings of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have recently garnered national attention across television screens, news channels, and social media platforms for the past several weeks. 

Now more than ever, in an effort to combat the racism and hate in the world, we must turn to love, joy, and particularly pride. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders must reflect on the question: “What makes you proud to be Asian American or Pacific Islander?” 

“I’m most proud of my parent’s journey” 

USD junior, Tony Le, is Vietnamese American. His parents are both first-generation Vietnamese immigrants. Le explained that it wasn’t until this past year that he really had to ask himself: “Am I actually proud to be Asian American?” 

Le noted that going to USD made him look at himself and his culture in a new light. 

“Even going to USD, where sometimes people are so different from you, you tend to forget that you are different and that being different is special in and of itself,” Le said.   

Having grown up in Bay Area, California, an area that is pretty diverse, Le attended schools that were predominantly white, and most of his friends were white as well. 

“I was surrounded by people who were drastically different than me; they had different home lives and different cultures,” Le said. 

When thinking about what makes him most proud about being Asian American, his parents’ journey to America came to mind. Le’s parents’ journey is one that he spoke of with great pride and admiration. 

“My parents came at the end of the Vietnam War with nothing, and they went from nothing and were able to provide for me and my family,” Le said. “When my parents were going through the whole immigration process, they have never forgotten the people they interacted with, and so many people they met through the process are still a part of their lives. It encompasses that whole idea in Asian culture that family is much more than just blood.” 

Le’s biggest support system, his family, is something that he talked about with a beaming smile. It was more than apparent that the family that surrounded him during his childhood had a huge impact on who he is today. 

“When I was a kid growing up, when my grandparents were still alive, we would consistently do Saturday night potlucks at their house with a majority Vietnamese food; everyone came together, all my aunts and uncles too,” Le said. “It’s just one of those things that not a lot of my friends at school did — seeing your extended family every week.” 

“I am so proud to be of Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Portuguese descent” 

Kapri Tulang-De Silva, USD junior, is of Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Portuguese descent. Both Asian American and Pacific Islander, Tulang-De Silva is most proud of the cultural values and traditions that are instilled within her — they have been influential in both her upbringing and all that she stands for. 

Tulang-De Silva grew up in Hawai’i and comes from a family very immersed in Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino heritage as well as Hawaiian culture. Attending USD in the “continental United States” has helped her grow an appreciation for her culture. 

“My Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures are so important and have molded me into who I am today, they have laid the foundation of my path,” Tulang-De Silva said.  

Ever since she was a little girl, Tulang-De Silva dreamt of visiting the Philippines to experience the roots of where she came from, and meet the family she had only heard about and seen pictures of. The moment she visited the same exact house her great-great-grandfather lived in before migrating to Hawai’i, she was brought to tears. 

“The trip taught me so much about who I am as a Filipino and about where I come from; it also taught me about humility and sacrifice,” Tulang-De Silva said. “My great-great-grandfather made a hard decision to leave his home and everything he knew to move to Hawai’i for a better life for his family.”  

Tulang-De Silva speaks about her family and her culture with such overwhelming pride and joy, and it is no surprise that she has made and continues to make a huge impact on USD’s campus with her passion for social and cultural justice and community awareness. To describe her culture in one word, Tulang-De Silva used “resilient.” 

“As someone with a multiracial background, many of the cultures I identify with have endured major struggles or have been directly affected by colonialism,” Tulang-De Silva said. “Yet, they are still powerful. They are still present. They are thriving and surviving. And for that, I am so proud to be of Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Portuguese descent.” 

“I get to honor the sacrifices my parents and grandparents had to make…” 

“I’m proud to be Asian American because I get to honor the sacrifices my parents and grandparents had to make in order to live in the United States,” USD senior Nathan Chang said. 

Chang is Korean American, and growing up every Saturday night he enjoyed Korean BBQ with his dad’s extended side. 

“Every week, we would have cousins, aunts, and uncles come over to enjoy each other’s company. The lively dinner conversations often consisted of Korean, English, and ‘Konglish’ (English words appropriated into the Korean language),” Chang said. “The adults and grandparents would have their conversations in Korean while the kids would have theirs in English.” 

He painted the scene: while all of these conversations took place, family members would grill up meats while simultaneously cracking jokes and ensuring that everyone got their share of food. Afterward, all of the adults would sip on coffee and eat dessert, while the kids would watch TV and play games with each other. 

“We would spend hours with each other, creating memories that we would learn to cherish for the rest of our lives,” Chang said. 

For Chang, if one word could encapsulate Korean culture it would be “respect.” Chang explains that throughout the Korean culture, one can find many practices that serve the purpose of teaching one how to respect others. 

“For example, when having meals, elders would be seated first and given the first servings. Moreover, when greeting elders or strangers, you have to bow in order to show respect and gratitude towards them,” Chang said. “While these practices might seem excessive, I’m grateful for them due to the respect and manners they instilled in me from an early age.” 

“I can carry on their legacy as a first-generation Asian American”

“When I think of a time I felt extraordinarily proud to be Asian American, specifically Vietnamese American, I think back to my time as a receptionist at my mom’s nail salon. Every day was a rush, but I don’t mean that in terms of adrenaline,” USD junior Crystal Nguyen said. “Every day, I saw the workers rush up and down the salon, doing the things that nobody else wanted to do. Massages, foot scrubs, waxing, filing nails — they pretty much did it all.” 

Nguyen distinctly remembers every Friday afternoon shift at her mom’s nail salon. “It was so busy that no one got the chance to eat,” she said. She explained that even though she pushed for the workers to take their breaks, they would insist on helping ‘just one more client.’ After every Friday shift, Nguyen expected most of them to be as exhausted and unhappy as she was, but she was surprised that, despite the long 10-hour workday, “I witnessed them cracking jokes with each other as they cleaned their stations and I saw them reach into their untouched lunch bags and offer each other food to bring home to their own families.” 

As the days and weeks went on at the nail salon, Nguyen began to learn all of the nail technicians by their name and their story. She remembers the youngest technician, who was in her early 20s, had recently come over from Vietnam, looking to make enough money to bring her mother to America as well. 

“By the time I left for college, they were all my aunties and my family,” Nguyen said. 

As an Asian American, Nguyen explained that sometimes she’s overwhelmed by the amount of work she has to do in order to create a “spot for me at a table that does not invite me to sit.” However, when she considers giving up, she forces herself to think of a Friday shift at her mom’s nail salon. 

“The work ethic demonstrated by my Asian immigrant aunties is not one I can easily forget,” Nguyen said. “I can’t help but straighten my spine with pride and determination, knowing I can carry on their legacy as a first-generation Asian American.”

Crystal Nguyen is more than proud to be Asian American. Tony Le is more than proud to be Asian American. Nathan Chang is more than proud to be Asian American. Kapri Tulang-De Silva is more than proud to be Asian American and Pacific Islander. There is so much to be proud of within the Asian American Pacific Islander community, and with this pride and this much love, hate can be overcome.