Lybah Ali (12)
How do you represent your culture?
“I would say clothing and jewelry. Sometimes I wear bangles and earrings. There are cultural [Pakistani] earrings and that’s how I think I best represent my culture.”
What do you think is the most misunderstood about your culture?
“I’ve had people like ‘Oh my god, you’re not Asian’ when in reality there is [a wide] variety of Asian people.”
Are you proud of your culture? What makes you proud?
“Yes, I’m proud of my culture. What makes me proud is that it feels free and it feels like me. I love to dress up and my culture can get really fancy.”
What figure in your culture do you admire and look up to?
“Probably Bollywood actors because I grew up with them. Since I’m Muslim too, of course, that religious part of [who I admire] would be God.”
Danchau Le (11)
How do you represent your culture?
“I speak Vietnamese, whether to [other] Vietnamese [people] or my family. I practice speaking Vietnamese a lot to not lose it. Also, during cultural days like Lunar New Year’s, I love dressing in traditional clothes. It’s called ‘Ao Dai.’”
What do you think is the most misunderstood about your culture?
“There [are] certain [misunderstood behaviors of] Vietnamese people because a lot of them are immigrants coming to America. Culturally and socially, [Vietnamese immigrants] don’t really mix with American culture, so it can come off as weird, like for example, speaking loudly on the phone. This is just the norm for a lot of Vietnamese people, especially those from an older generation.”
Are you proud of your culture? What makes you proud?
“Of course, I’m proud of my culture! Learning more about my culture in school like [Vietnamese] history and the Vietnam War has further deepened my understanding of what my people went through. I’m definitely proud of it and I’m never scared to admit I’m Vietnamese because I’ve grown up embracing my culture.”
What figure in your culture do you admire and look up to?
“My grandparents because they’re the ones that took the steps and immigrated over, bringing my dad and then eventually my mom too. My grandparents were the ones who had to search for jobs and take the [ones] that no one was willing to work in just to make a living and provide a life for my dad. [They also worked to] get him to college, and that is why I’m here right now.”
Tashi Dhundup (9)
How do you represent your culture?
“I represent my culture by celebrating Losar, which is New Year’s for Tibetans and another [way is] me speaking Tibetan to my family so I don’t forget [the] Tibetan language.”
What do you think is the most misunderstood about your culture?
“I think what’s misunderstood about my culture is [our] religion and how our Buddhism is little different from others because [it’s] is influenced by Indian Buddhism and other [Asian religions] are [influenced] by Chinese Buddhism.”
Are you proud of your culture? What makes you proud?
“Of course I’m proud of my culture. I think it’s great and I love the holidays, dances and celebrations.”
What figure in your culture do you admire and look up to?
“I look up to my parents because they came all the way from India and Tibet to give me a better life and still teach me our culture.”
Elizabeth Vang (3)
How do you represent your culture?
“I do [this] by dressing up in Hmong outfits and we have an ‘Ua neeb khu’ [healing ceremony] in our house so we can have a blessed [home].”
What do you think is the most misunderstood about your culture?
“When people say that I’m Chinese, it makes me sad because I am actually Hmong – I don’t think that it’s okay to assume somebody’s race or anything.”
Are you proud of your culture? What makes you proud?
“Yes, I’m super proud! I’m happy to be Hmong because it makes me feel special, and I love the outfits. And I love going to the Hmong New Year every year.”
What figure in your culture do you admire and look up to?
“I look up to my grandpa [even though] he pass[ed] away. He was a general in the Vietnam War so he escaped and had my dad so I [could] be born.”
