Oracle Online

The richness and variety of Asian experiences are hidden when we listen only to “Asian” voices, rather than recognizing the nuances of Hmong, Tibetan, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Cambodian, Malaysian, and etc..

I am from an unknown and undocumented past, forgotten in the midst of war, purposely erased from our memories, forbidden to be spoken of. A legacy of Hmong warriors who sacrificed their lives to help their fellow Americans defend a country that did not belong to them. A shattered life fighting as American allies during the Vietnam War where young boys clutched m-16s defending the family to young girls forced into motherhood in their parents’ absence. For every American down pilot life saved, thirty Hmong lives were lost. I am the face of resilience and courage.

I am from spiritual ancestors who believe in the teachings of the Dalai Lama to sustain the integrity of our culture and traditions. A people who strongly worship and value His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso even after generations of persecution and exile. Now our race does not exist in our own homeland. Scattered throughout the world, we have no place to call home. Standing up for what is rightfully ours, we are unified to free Tibet. I don’t care if I grow old and lose my sight to see. I’ll wait until the day Tibet is free!

I am from ancestors who built the Transcontinental Railroad, yet our faces remain invisible in the pictures of history. My people have endured numerous exclusionary attempts from the United States Government such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. As laborers, we have contributed physically to the foundation of America’s economy and cease to be acknowledged. A people who began as sojourners to the United States, we have made our place in this society. Look at me and you will see that I make my own American Dream.

I am from the womb of a mother who walked the plains of the killing fields that still scar my country. Two million souls lost so that I can have a culture to call my own. Today I bathe in the rich traditions and culture of my ancestors. From the ancient temples of Angkor to the darkness of the Khmer Rouge, and now to the banyan trees that grow throughout Cambodia, my people have triumphed. To understand Cambodia in the present, it is necessary to understand Cambodia of the past. This is me today, a thousand intertwining branches, a thousand woven stories, a thousand waves of history swirling in different directions.

These stories do not reflect all of the experiences of Asian-Americans. Classifying all Asian ethnicities into one category limits our exposure to the uniqueness of the individual ethnic experiences.

Look around you to see beyond the Asian-American faces that have been lumped into one. Realize and acknowledge that they each have an extraordinary story to tell.