2008 Woodie Awards
Asian Americans reflect this month
Aya Khalil
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
Litza Lee knows what it's like to be alienated for her Asian accent.
"I was working at Meijer for 11 years, and I see some people, especially elderly, they think we are here to take over their country," said Lee, business chairwoman of the Chinese Association of Greater Toledo. "Sometimes they are very rude because we speak with an accent. They act like they are better than us."
Lee, who came to the United States from Taiwan in 1993, doesn't let others' behavior get to her, though.
"I just look at them and move on," she said. "I don't want to argue with them, so I tell them 'God bless you' and 'have a nice day.'"
April is National Asian-American History Month, and part of celebrating it is sharing experiences like Lee's.
Some students said they faced challenges in America.
Maleigha Watts, from South Korea, graduated in May 2006 from UT as a pre-med student and is now a medical student at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz.
"I have faced challenges because of my ethnicity, but it's opened my eyes to the good and the bad that's out there," she said. "In the end, it's made me a much stronger person and has given me confidence in what I do each day."
"The culture is so much different, especially the language," she said. "Personally for me, it's a little difficult to communicate with people in this country."
Koji Nishimoto, a senior majoring in human resource management and who is half Japanese, agreed.
"I haven't had many challenges being an Asian American besides the prejudice and ignorance some have shown toward me throughout my life," he said. "It may have been somebody stretching their outer eyelid to make it slanted and chanting 'ching-chong.'"
He said that this does not bother him.
"I embrace my slanted eyes and wear them with pride," Khioukhom said.
"It's important to celebrate Asian-American History Month to learn about my culture and heritage," Khioukhom said. "It's awesome to see where you've come from, how your ancestors lived, and how your culture lives today."
"I was working at Meijer for 11 years, and I see some people, especially elderly, they think we are here to take over their country," said Lee, business chairwoman of the Chinese Association of Greater Toledo. "Sometimes they are very rude because we speak with an accent. They act like they are better than us."
Lee, who came to the United States from Taiwan in 1993, doesn't let others' behavior get to her, though.
"I just look at them and move on," she said. "I don't want to argue with them, so I tell them 'God bless you' and 'have a nice day.'"
April is National Asian-American History Month, and part of celebrating it is sharing experiences like Lee's.
Some students said they faced challenges in America.
Maleigha Watts, from South Korea, graduated in May 2006 from UT as a pre-med student and is now a medical student at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz.
"I have faced challenges because of my ethnicity, but it's opened my eyes to the good and the bad that's out there," she said. "In the end, it's made me a much stronger person and has given me confidence in what I do each day."
"The culture is so much different, especially the language," she said. "Personally for me, it's a little difficult to communicate with people in this country."
Koji Nishimoto, a senior majoring in human resource management and who is half Japanese, agreed.
"I haven't had many challenges being an Asian American besides the prejudice and ignorance some have shown toward me throughout my life," he said. "It may have been somebody stretching their outer eyelid to make it slanted and chanting 'ching-chong.'"
He said that this does not bother him.
"I embrace my slanted eyes and wear them with pride," Khioukhom said.
"It's important to celebrate Asian-American History Month to learn about my culture and heritage," Khioukhom said. "It's awesome to see where you've come from, how your ancestors lived, and how your culture lives today."
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