Wednesday, May. 20, 2009

It's Asian American Heritage Month!

May is almost over and you know what that means? Well, yeah, that summer is here - but besides that. It means that Asian American Heritage Month is almost over, too.

At WSU we would celebrate it in April because school was out by May. It was sort of a drag because as much as you'd want to have fun with the month-long celebration, you still had to study for finals. A big thumbs-down.

Around here, I feel like this month doesn't get a lot of recognition. People are more enthusiastic about the Lunar New Year than Asian awareness month. That's a sad thing, because technically, this is our month to shine.

I haven't been as diligent in spreading Asian awareness, either. The closest I've come to celebrating was two weeks ago when I tried conning my grandma into cooking sweet & sour chicken and chow mein on Sunday. "Suuure, grandma, I'm paying attention to the recipe... Now when will you be finished? Okay, call me when it's done."

Fortunately, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Council is having an event on May 27 at the Federal Building in Richland from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. I'm hoping that a lot of people stop by and get a taste of what Asia is all about. Of course it's not all paper cranes and fan dances 24-7, but these things do play a part in our celebrations.

One of the hardest things about my Asian heritage is trying to incorporate it into my wedding. I am of Korean decent, raise in a Chinese family, marrying a Korean man, but still want that western wedding. Trying to find balance is like throwing red paint on a blank canvas, hoping that you won't cover the whole thing and there'll still be room for other colors.

I don't think finding my roots has been as difficult as other transracial adoptees. Embracing my heritage has been encouraged and I don't think I struggle with my identity. I've had the convenience of growing up in a multi-ethnic family where my mother (who is white) is the minority.

Still, when it comes to Asian heritage month, I feel like an anxious soccer mom on the sidelines who has to cheer for every player. I'm not just celebrating Korean culture, but also Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Cambodian, Thai, Indian, etc.

People can celebrate by educating themselves on a culture that they are unfamiliar with. Go to an event, mingle and learn. There's a lot of history behind Asian culture and it doesn't hurt to add another wrinkle to your brain.

A good note to end on is with upcoming artist Steve Lee. His music is a little crass, but he pokes light at the Asian stereotypes and pop culture out there with songs like "Kim Jong, you must be ill" and lyrics like "I don't eat dogs...unless it's hot."