At the age of 9 years old, my father, his mother and his three siblings, moved from Vietnam to seek freedom and in hope to find a better life in America. The boat they took over here was hijacked by pirates for over six months before they made it safely to the United States. My dad’s mom, although we call her bà noi, which is Vietnamese for grandma, raised all four of the kids on her own while also being a chemistry professor. Being such a strong woman, she was able to teach my dad the importance of hard work. Growing up with English as his second language he faced many challenges such as bullying, academic language barriers, and struggled to find jobs to help support his mom and siblings. My dad fought and worked for everything he has ever had and because of this, he was able to give my siblings and I the life he never got growing up as a kid.
From a young age I had always felt a little bit different. Growing up in Ventura County, the schools I attended were predominantly white. I think subconsciously because of this I always tried to be and act like someone I wasn’t. I didn’t like that my eyes looked different or when people made fun of my last name calling me Lauren “thigh” instead of Thai. Along with this I experienced a lot of stereotypical and sometimes racist jokes that I often ignored. I always felt insecure as a kid because I looked different or because culturally my family differed in the foods we ate or the traditions we participated in.
My mother is Peruvian and Irish, and my father is Vietnamese. For a while I never fully understood or valued what being Vietnamese truly meant to me, but the older I got, the more I realized and appreciated how special being a part of a community like this truly is. I cherish the foods and traditions and family that comes along with my Vietnamese half and more importantly I have learned to accept it. Something so special to me is the way traditions are passed down through the family. Despite not being Asian, my mother, having grown up with my father and the rest of his side of our family since they were 13, has learned to make the best Vietnamese dishes such as Pho. This meal will always bring the family together whether it is during Christmas, Thanksgiving, or one of our birthdays. Now I have learned that being Vietnamese to me means so much more than just a title of my ethnicity. It is a testimony of hard work, determination, and grit that I have learned through the sacrifices that my parents went through for me.
AAPI Heritage Month is so important to me because it is a time to cherish, celebrate, and acknowledge all the amazing people who share similar experiences or feelings. As an Asian American female collegiate athlete I think it is so important to be a strong role model to all the young girls out there who are just like me. I hope to embody hard work, kindness, and most importantly be a good representation of how to love and embrace my culture.
