Asian Pacific-Islander American (APA) Awareness:
Growing up in San Francisco, CA, I have always been surrounded by a large Asian population. (San Francisco is home to the largest Chinese community outside of China.) My grandparents from both sides of my family moved here in hopes of earning money in the "Golden Mountain". They purchased illegal documents to enter the United States and were a part of the immigrant group known as the "Paper Sons and Daughters." They lived in a low-income housing project and worked in poor conditions in Chinatown. Through their diligence and determination, however, they were able to raise successful families and lift themselves out of poverty.
I have always heard many stories from my parents of the hardships my grandparents went through, and I have always used these stories as an inspiration to maintain a strong work ethic. I, however, have always felt a disconnect between these stories and my actual life because I have never witnesses or experienced these conditions for myself. I am the product of my grandparents diligence, so I could only imagine the cramped quarters of my grandparents' apartments or the long hours spent in the sweatshop factories my grandmother worked in.
It was not until I entered college and joined various Asian organizations that I realized that the experiences of my grandparents were not simply memories. They continue to happen today in communities of all different ethnicities throughout the U.S. What is most important is that I realized that people are still experiencing the same problems that my grandparents did, but they are not as fortunate in being able to escape from these conditions. From this, I have become extremely interested in learning more about issues these poor communities face and how we can help them. Additionally, I have become interested in learning a wide variety of APA topics including social, economic, political, and identity issues.
At Wellesley College, I became a member of the Asian Student Union (ASU). I was also appointed by the Multicultural Advisor for Students of Asian Descent to be the Logistics Chair for the 2005 Pan-Asian Cultural Show and the Co-Chair of the 2007 Asian Awareness Month.
In the role of Programming Co-Chair, I joined the planning board of the Boston Asian Students Intercollegiate Conference (BASIC) during the summer of 2005. BASIC's goal is to teach college students throughout the Boston/New England area about issues and problems local Asian communities face through a series of workshops and panel sessions. Throughout the summer, the board plans this one-day conference in hopes of encouraging students to become active volunteers and contributors to their surrounding neighborhoods.
The following year, I was BASIC's conference chair. The fourth annual meeting was held at Wellesley College on Saturday, October 21, 2006. If you are interest in learning more about BASIC, please send your inquiries to BostonBASIC2007[at]gmail[dot]com.
Volleyball:
It all started in the 4th grade when I would bump the ball in the school yard with my friends. Not only was I the shortest in my class, but I was also unbelievably uncoordinated. Yet, I still ended up joining the school team in the 6th grade, and somehow became at least somewhat decent. When I was in 8th grade, my father saw a flyer for a volleyball club outside of school and suggested that I go to tryouts. From there it all took off...
That year my 12-and-under team ended up qualifying for the Junior Olympics in Dallas, Texas. To be honest, the competition for that age level during that time was not all that great, but I would still like to consider it as an achievement. My 17-and-under team also qualified for the Junior Olympics, but my teammates opted out to go to a local tournament. Meanwhile, I continued playing for my high school team (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep), in which I was placed on the varsity team at the end of my sophomore season.
I thought I was going to stop playing volleyball in college because 7 years already seemed sufficient. I also realized that I was short - 5' 3-1/2" (or 5'4" according to my roster). I still sent my videotape to some coaches just for the hell of it. Low and behold, I ended up on the team at Wellesley College.
Sadly to say, my volleyball career ended unclimatically. After my junior year, however, I decided that I would "retire" due to a number of reasons, which included over-commitment and the need for better time management (a.k.a sleep).
While I was abroad in Melbourne, however, I did joined the University's volleyball club, the MU Renegades. It was a great opportunity for me to play recreationally and to finally have fun. If you play volleyball and end up in Melbourne for some extended time by chance, I highly recommend joining (you do not have to be a University of Melbourne student and there are no upper age limits). You'll enjoy wrapping up every tournament at the local Vietnamese restaurant with a scrumptious bowl duck soup.
Hip Hop:
I grew up on hip hop. Some of my favorite artists include Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, Tupac, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Kelis, Aaliyah, and Lauryn Hill. Hip hop music has played a huge influence on the youths in San Francisco. I feel that has its own subculture that has been adapted and reformatted trans-ethnically to be enjoyed by all.
Having always been a lover of dance, I joined Freestyle, Wellesley College's premiere hip hop troupe. The highlight of my so-called dance "career" when our troupe opened for rapper Lupe Fiasco who performed at our school for our spring concert.
Every spring, the group hosts a show called JOI (Jam On It) that raises money for the Boston City Lights, an inner-city performing arts school. Please contact me if you are in the Boston area and are interested in attending.
