Tell me about your early years and where you are from.

I was born and raised in the Bay Area, Cupertino, California to be exact. My entire family (including myself) works in tech which I guess makes us the Silicon Valley cookie cutter family. I have an older brother who is five years senior to me and now a wonderful sister in law! I love the California culture and am so grateful to have grown up in a city full of so much sunshine and nature.

Do you remember the first time you felt different or “other”? Walk me through that. 

Learning I was ‘other’ came later in my life. I grew up in the Bay Area where the population was almost 50% Asian and thankfully had never thought of myself differently. That was until I started my first job in sales. In an entire organization of 100+ people, I was the only Asian person. The team was predominantly white with about <10% of ‘others’. Someone told me I reminded them of Lucy Liu (which I would take as a compliment, but I seriously don’t look like that). I remember feeling a huge shift in how I was perceived. I was suddenly always talked over, I didn’t feel my opinions were valued equally to everyone else’s, and I felt stereotyped by people I had never even spoken to. That was the first time I felt my race and the way I looked could have a significant impact on my career. And I felt so angry that I had to prove myself against a stereotype in order to be successful - and mainly because I didn’t yet have the courage to do so.

What generation American are you, how has it influenced your life and how has it impacted how much you embrace your family culture? 

I’m a first generation American and it’s something I used to shy away from but now I strongly identify with. Growing up, I didn’t see many examples of Asian women in America. Embracing your ‘otherness’ was a brave thing to do as a kid and unfortunately it was something I didn’t have the courage to do. As I’ve gotten older, I realize the privilege of being a first generation American. I had the great fortune of being raised by loving parents who taught me true compassion and altruism. I have the utmost respect and admiration for my parents and their culture. In many ways I find it so much more beautiful than American culture. There are a few themes in Taiwanese culture that really move me: to work hard to afford opportunities for your family, to make sacrifices for those around you but never mention them, to perform acts of service out of love, and to take on a burden just to make another’s life a little easier. These are themes I strive to live by (while balancing with the individualist culture in America). They are themes I’m determined to hold onto dearly and instill in my future children. Taiwanese/my family’s culture makes me SO grateful and proud of my roots and the family of strong people I come from.

What would you like to make more time for in your life and why?

Ugh, so many things I’m overwhelmed even thinking about answering this question! Since we’ve been in quarantine, this has actually been a question I’ve been contemplating lately. I’m definitely a more visual/creative person so the first things that come to mind are art, music, and cooking. I’ve always been really interested in creating and learning about art. For the longest time, I grew up wanting to become a fashion designer and would draw hundreds of fashion sketches in my spare time. I also grew up painting with oils and acrylics and I remember it being one of those few activities where hours would just completely pass without my realizing. In my adult life, I definitely have gotten closer to music. I have a huge passion for watching live music of all genres and have wanted to get back into playing music or learning how to produce music. Cooking has always been very therapeutic for me but lately it’s become something that I like to turn to to challenge myself and learn more about my culture. I’ve been learning to cook a lot of the Chinese dishes my parents made when I was younger and it’s been such a fun and low-key emotional experience for me.

What song really gets you going?

Of all time, Touch the Sky by Kanye but lately everything by Burna Boy. Ooh and around Christmas time: Home for the Holidays by J. Cole!

How do you want to be seen? How do you want to be remembered? 

I just want to know that I’ve made a difference. It’s always surprising and interesting to me how many different answers people can give to this question. To me, it’s superbly important to be kind, a good friend, someone who left a positive impact on the world, and even if that means the smallest mark in my own community - I’ll take it! 

If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say?

You will have your entire life to be a grown up so really treasure the time that you have with your family because once you grow up, you can’t go back. Even though I love the freedom I have as an adult now, there are so many vivid memories I have from my childhood that are just filled with pure joy and light. I wish I had savored those moments a bit more. OH and stop worrying, your boobs will come in when you’re 20! 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

We need compassion today more than ever before. PLEASE VOTE, WEAR A MASK, BE NICE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND LIFT OTHER PEOPLE UP WHEN YOU CAN.