What Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Means to Me
A time for celebration and learning
Yinong Wang | Senior Academic Program Coordinator-Center for International Education/ NAU alumni
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
Chinese American
What does Asian-American or Pacific Islander mean to you?
Being an Asian-American Pacific Islander right now is to educate ourselves of our own history and rights. With the rise of violence against the AAPI community, we need to say no to all different forms of racism and discrimination.
As a faculty member who works directly with Asian students, my job is to protect them, make their voices be heard, and let them feel safe and happy when they are studying at NAU.
Can you share a favorite tradition from your culture(s)?
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, my families usually make dumplings together. Dumplings are pronounced as jiaozi in Chinese.
There is a saying “Chi jiaozi, Jiao Haoyun,” meaning eating dumplings gives you good luck. We usually place a coin in one of the dumplings, whoever gets the dumplings with the coin is considered the lucky one.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
Hot pot.
We have a saying in China: There isn’t a problem that can’t be solved in a hot pot.
If one hot pot can’t solve the problem, a second hotpot will. When people feel down, they usually eat hot pot. It is also a “dish “that people eat with family and friends.
How can people be better allies to the AAPI communities?
There are many traditions and cultures that are different to the western mainstream culture.
- First thing is to respect.
- Have an open mind about things that different from you.
- Make friends with AAPI communities and learn from them.
The fact that this country is a melting pot of cultures is what drew me to live here in the first place. Diversity is one of our greatest assets as Americans.
Maria Manibusan DeCabooter |Assistant Director | NAU Social Media
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
Chamorro, born and raised on Guam. Lucky to have lived in Hawaii too.
What does being an Asian-American Pacific Islander mean to you?
Being a Pacific Islander — Chamorro — in particular, means being forever tied to the land you came from and its people.
It means continuing on the traditions that came thousands of years before you. As a Chamorro, it means belonging to something bigger than yourself. Inafa’maolek — making things better — is one of the core values of our Chamoru culture. It means living harmoniously with each other, i tano (the land), i tasi (the ocean), and i gåga siha (the animals), and working together to make things right.
How do you celebrate AAPI month?
Now that I have a daughter I’m trying to cook recipes that were part of my life growing up. Here’s us trying to recreate a Chamorro desert — latiya.
Can you share a favorite tradition from your culture(s)?
Our fiestas — island parties. Everyone gathers and there’s so much food on the table that everyone has to bring a plate home with them.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
The fiesta plate —
Red rice, chicken kelaguen, finadenne, and cucumber salad.
How can people be better allies to the AAPI communities
Take time to learn and educate yourself on what our communities have been through. Think before you ask questions
Even better — do your research and then have an educated conversation.
What’s one misconception about being AAPI you’d like to clear up?
I went to college in Houston, Texas and when I would fly home for breaks I always got comments about how great my English was and was asked how I got to study in the U.S. I would politely explain that I was from Guam (not to be confused with Guatemala) and that I was a U.S. citizen so I didn’t need a visa to travel for my education.
I would just like to reinforce that people who live in the territories are U.S. citizens. Although we can’t vote in presidential elections — we are still citizens and are all Americans too.
Stayson Isobe | Associate Athletic Director/Communications
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
Asian American, Japanese American
What does being an Asian-American or Pacific Islander mean to you?
Honestly, it’s just a big source of pride for me.
Given how I was raised by my parents, my values and character are rooted deep in both the Asian and specifically Japanese cultures. It is who I am and who I will always be.
Can you share a favorite tradition from your culture(s)?
One of my favorite traditions growing up in Hawaii was the celebration of Boys’ Day. In Japan, Children’s Day is a national holiday which takes place every year on May 5. Prior to being known as Children’s Day, Boys’ Day and Girl’s Day (or as known in Japan, “Hinamatsuri”) were two separate celebrations. However, in Hawaii, it is still very common for those two days to be celebrated separately.
When I was younger, it was very customary for my parents to display the “koinobori,” which are carp streamers that “swim” in the tradewinds in front of homes.
The carp is a symbol for males in Japanese culture due to its qualities associated with strength, perseverance, and longevity. Seeing the streamers proudly displayed in front of my house is, and was, always fond memory.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
How can you go wrong with sushi, right? But some other traditional Japanese dishes that I enjoy are tempura — particularly shrimp tempura — and katsu.
How can people be better allies to the AAPI communities?
In my personal opinion, I don’t think it is any different than how we can all be better allies for different ethnic groups. I think it really comes down to having an open heart and open mind to listen to others. To learn about others’ cultures, beliefs, and opinions. To be more educated and supportive.
But as is the case in the current climate with the recent hate crimes against the AAPI community, if you see anti-Asian violence, speak out. It really boils down to being more educated though.
I think a lot of people don’t know the full history and the corresponding struggles that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have encountered, and myself included, we can all be more educated of others.
What’s one misconception about being AAPI you’d like to clear up?
On one hand, the stereotype with one swift brush that Asian Americans are universally successful or academically-inclined — otherwise known as the “model minority” generalization — may not seem like anything to get worked up about, it is one that I’ve always believed proves detrimental.
Because others may think that we have no reason to complain, or any reason to fight back, is frustrating because it leaves so many members of the AAPI community invisible to their socioeconomic struggles.
Precilla Comesario Cox| Academic Advisor, Sr. for the School of Hotel & Restaurant Management
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
Filipino, born & raised in Hawai’i
What does being an Asian-American Pacific Islander mean to you?
To me, being AAPI means having the opportunity to share and expose our culture to others- whether it be through food, song, dance, or history.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
Dinuguan 😉 aka Chocolate Meat
Holly Wheeler| Assistant Director, Education Abroad, Ph.D. Student in Applied Linguistics
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
I identify as biracial Chinese-American, my mother is an immigrant from China and my father is of Western European ancestry.
What does being an Asian-American or Pacific Islander mean to you?
For me, being Asian American means representing and finding connections cross-culturally in a rapidly changing world!
Navigating my identity as a Chinese American, I grew up confused about my identity due to expectations placed on me about my heritage that because I look Chinese, I should speak the language and only identify as Chinese.
I studied abroad during junior year of undergrad to China in search of what I felt was missing. When I returned home, and realized that there wasn’t anything missing, but rather I had a better understanding of my cultural heritage and how it makes me who I am today.
Here at NAU, now I help students study and intern abroad for their own transformational and life-changing experience, whether that be in search of their own family heritage or another culture they wish to learn more about.
Victor Vongpraseuth|Senior Videographer for University Marketing
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
Chinese/Laotian
What does being an Asian-American Pacific Islander mean to you?
My parents spoke Lao, Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Thai, and some French because of where they traveled and lived. I feel like that’s given me a lot of appreciation for other cultures and a passion for travel.
Can you share a favorite tradition from your culture(s)?
Setting off firecrackers for Chinese New Year was always fun.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
I would pay an absurd amount of money to someone who could make Laotian Nam Khao for me once a week.
How can people be better allies to the AAPI communities?
Stop being “casually” racist.
There’s a local video production company that I looked up and while going through their YouTube uploads, I found a parody, music video they had created where a white actor gave the most racist portrayal of an Asian person –complete with cooking and eating dog nonsense. This music video was over 3 minutes long. Someone at this company thought it was okay to write, film, edit, and then post this thing to the Internet in the 21st century
What’s one misconception about being AAPI you’d like to clear up?
I believe that the “model minority” stereotype makes people believe that being casually racist to Asians is fine and it discredits the struggles of poor Asian Americans and other minority groups.
Austin Young | Digital Communications Specialist | NAU Social
What culture(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you identify with?
I’ve always identified biracial as Filipino-German-American. My mom was born in the Philippines and my dad was born here in the United States.
What does Asian-American or Pacific Islander mean to you?
Being Asian-American to me means I am able to view and interpret the culture and traditions of the Philippines and decide how I want to incorporate it in my identity and life as someone born here in the States. This opportunity gives me a sense of pride and history in myself and where I stand in the world.
How do you celebrate AAPI month?
Reflection.
That means reflecting on the story of the people whom lead to the point where I was born as an Asian-American. The story of how my grandparents crossed the Pacific to seek opportunity and a new life for their family. How my mother, an immigrant at a young age, was shaped by the country she found to call home and how that factored in my upbringing and my connection to the mainland Filipino culture. A culture that in my household is also intertwined with the Filipino-American culture found here in the Southwestern states.
As I grew older, I wanted to learn more about the mainland culture of the Philippines which lead to me co-founding the very first Filipino club here at NAU — NAU FASA. This is where I understood that I only knew piece of what it means to be Asian-American and that by learning the stories and knowledge of others, I could slowly piece together an even bigger understanding.
AAPI month amplifies this by bringing fourth a much larger and more encompassing dialogue and sharing of the different cultures and narratives that make up AAPI people.
Can you share a favorite tradition from your culture(s)?
My favorite tradition has to be the “Boodle Fight” where large amounts of food are prepared and served on banana leaves across the table. There is an art or “fight” regarding how you grab the food from the table — typically only using your hands. It’s rather unforgettable and undoubtably fun experience as far as eating food is concerned. I enjoyed this tradition several times with friends at NAU.
What’s your favorite cultural dish?
My favorite Filipino dish is hands down pancit. This noodle dish is a culinary staple that can be found at almost every Filipino household, restaurant, and party. There are so many different variations I have had the pleasure of eating as Pancit can be comprised of different types of meats and chopped vegetables and served with a variety of dishes as a side.
How can people be better allies to the AAPI communities?
To not generalize or stereotype people whom belong to the AAPI communities.
To understand that we are each individually a different person independent of our ethnic groups or cultures.
That we may hold pride in where we came from but it doesn’t define our personas, aspirations, and life choices.
What’s one misconception about being AAPI you’d like to clear up?
How generalized AAPI people are. That instead we make up a plethora of different ethnic groups and cultures rather than just a few more commonly known ones.
Growing up I was often called or misidentified as an ethnic group I did not belong to both jokingly and sincerely. This lead to me being typecast to whatever ethnicities or stereotypes that people saw me as. This left me questioning my self identity and standing in the world.
I find that both AAPI month and increased education have helped break down this misconception.
Have a story to share? Send to social@nau.edu
