| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience was a summer family trip to visit China. I remember it being a somewhat somber occasion because it was after my grandfather had passed away, so we visited his gravesite and paid our respects by ceremonially burning symbolic money in his honor. I also remember it being an especially eye-opening and wonderful trip because the culture, infrastructure, social cues, food, and overall pace of life is so different and fascinating in China. I always looked forward to going back ever since. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I most closely identify with my brother. He was born in China while I was born in the United States, but both of us are the first children in our family to be raised in America as first generation immigrants. We underwent many of the same cultural and emotional struggles of adapting to American society and values growing up while being exposed to a different set of traditions and values under our parents at home. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I most admire the willingness to grow and learn. We are all brought to different places by our upbringing and local cultures. Experiences all have validity but I respect the ability to critically analyze one's own experiences and existing beliefs. That self-critique and desire to grow in a direction of love/justice is what drives people's lives, communities, and politics in a better future direction. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I don't have a particularly funny life myself but I do observe happenings around me in an ironic or playful light. However, one incident from when I was a child sticks out. My family was having dinner when a telemarketer called our landline asking for me (to sign me up for a credit card or some other subscription they were selling). After listening, my mom replied "Sorry! He is only five years old!" It's been a running joke in my family since then. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to southern California. I value appreciating and immersing myself in my surroundings. I love the weather of California, the overall cultural acceptance compared to some more culturally closed off regions, the amazing food everywhere, and the beach. I envision taking a trip with some of my friends, sitting on the beach in the late afternoon and talking away the time while we watch the sun set over the horizon. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I will pass on to them their history (the story of me, my family, and my cultural heritage) as best as I can. I will hopefully pass on a passion for positive social change and an artistic appreciation for the beauty of life. Most of all, I hope to inspire my children (or really whoever I meet) with the idea that love should be at the center of our own lives and the relationships we build with others, as well as the world. |
