The published reflection piece can be found here.
For Asian Heritage Month, Civic Engagement Committee member Thuy Trang reflects on her experience as a Vietnamese American in Colorado, and also interviews her father about his experience. Snippets of the interview are included below:
Q: Haha, true… but I would like to hear your experience since you lived in Vietnam for the majority of your life and have now only lived in Colorado for two years.A: After moving here, I realized that I am more aware of being Asian and being Vietnamese. People always ask me, “what are you?” or, “where are you from?” It bothers me. I went from being a majority so coming here many people made me feel different or the other. I always answer with, I live in Colorado or I live in Aurora because that is a part of me too, not just being Vietnamese. It is not that I am ashamed to be Vietnamese, I just want people to see me beyond that. People recognize my accent and assume that I can’t speak English or don’t understand it without trying to speak to me first.Q: Even though you answer to people that you live in Colorado or Aurora, are you still proud to be Vietnamese?A: Yes, of course! I am proud to be Vietnamese even though there are so many things that I do not agree with back at home. I notice more now that Vietnamese people are very kind and polite. You don’t see that too much with Americans or Asian Americans. It is like a save yourself feeling here in America, but when I was in Vietnam, it was a community and people are very giving. Obviously, besides the corruption here and there, I am still proud to be Vietnamese. Oh, we have a strong sense of family in Vietnamese culture.