Q: Were you born in the U.S.? If not, where were you born?
A: No, I was born in Saigon, Vietnam
Q: What different cities, states, and/or countries have you lived in?
A: I’ve lived in Saigon, Vietnam until I was 5 years old. Then I lived in Ventura California until I was 11 years old, then moved to Vero Beach, FL and lived there until I was 18 years old. I then moved to Torrance until I was 21 years old and to San Francisco, California until now.
Q: Which do you consider your hometown (‘the place you most consider home’):
A: Vero Beach, FL
Q: Involvements in clubs or organizations (ethnic or non-ethnic apply):
A: None
Q: What gives purpose to your life?
A: At the moment, nothing.
Q: What relationships have been of major significance to you?
A: The relationship with my family is the most significant aspect of my life.
Q: What is the racial and ethnic background of your closest friends? If they are of multiple ethnic backgrounds feel free to indicate their backgrounds.
A: Mostly American of European descent, Chinese American and Pilipino American.
Q: When and how did you become aware of concepts of your race and/or ethnicity?
A: Living and going to Middle school to High School in Vero Beach, FL where I stood out because there were not many Asians living in that small town. I usually got a lot of stares everywhere I go.
Q: What language do your parents speak at home? What is their predominant language on an everyday basis?
A: My parents speak some English and Chinese but mostly Vietnamese. Vietnamese is predominant.
Q: What languages do you speak? What language do you speak most at home?
A: I speak English and Vietnamese and I speak them both almost the same amount at home.
Q: Do you feel like their expectations of gender roles are ‘traditional’?
A: Yes, moreso when I was younger, but a little less now that I’m an adult.
Q: Have they ever expressed career expectations for you? What were those expectations?
A: Yes, they wanted me to be a doctor or go into business, something with prestige and often times a higher income. When I expressed interest in art they wanted me to be in architecture; a more prestigious line of work in art.
Q: What is your educational status?
A: High School, AA, Bachelor’s degree (in progress).
Q: How do you define academic success?
A: Taking in, retaining, and applying what I’ve learned in my classes to the real world.
Q: How do you define success in general?
A: Success to me is having the freedom to live the way I want to live and having people who I love in my life. And also being able to be happy with myself, make the people around me happy, and having the means to give back to my family and the community in one way or another.
Q: Throughout your time in school, how often did you encounter people who assumed you were smart because you were Asian?
A: Almost all of the time, especially living in a southern town in Florida where there were maybe 10 Asian students at the whole school, half of which were international students. I got average grades As-Cs and graduated with a 2.9 GPA, but everyone always assumed I was getting all As or near there. The teachers were always very nice to me even if I didn’t do all my homework. In one class the teacher had everyone write descriptions or comments on each person, among the list of comments from each person there was the word “really smart” or “very intelligent” even the teacher wrote so and I think I got a B in her class.
Q: Have you visited the country or countries of your ethnic origin/s?
A: Yes, many times.
Q: How knowledgeable are you about the history of the country or countries?
A: I am ashamed to say I know very little about the history of my country of birth.
Q: Please list at least 3 feelings you had while visiting.
A: Connected, love, comfort, excited but also confused, naive, and sometimes a bit of shock.
Q: On average, how long did it take before you felt others knew you were American?
A: Usually right away, I dressed differently and plus I was not as tan or as skinny as most of the people there.
Q: Do you feel a sense of belonging when you are in the company of people, a majority who are of your ethnic group? How strongly do you feel this on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not at all, 5 being very strongly)?
A: 2, I don’t have any friends in my ethnic group or know any other Vietnamese people besides my family.
Q: Do you feel a sense of belonging when you are in the company of people, a majority who are Asian? How strongly do you feel this on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not at all, 5 being very strongly)?
A: 3, as I grew up with mostly American, African American, and Latin people, I only had one Asian friend and I was hardly ever around many Asian people until my adult years, but it’s getting easier.
Q: Do you listen to music, watch movies, eat the food of your ethnic country or countries? How often do you do these things on a regular basis on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not at all, 5 being very often)?
A: 2, I don’t always listen to Vietnamese music and I never watch Vietnamese movies, but a 4 for food because I usually eat Vietnamese food at home.
Q: Do you believe that one’s emotional needs are less important than fulfilling one’s responsibilities?
A: No, I believe, for me, that my emotional needs are more important if not on the same level as fulfilling my responsibilities, whatever these responsibilities may be.
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