What I Learned About Being (Asian) American From Living In Europe
Europe made me massively rethink my experiences back in the US.
In honor of Asian Heritage Month, I wanted to share my experiences from traveling the world for the past three years in Europe and what it taught me about being… well… me.
Because admittedly, I’ve always been in a weird spot.
Growing up in Los Angeles, I didn’t grow up in a typically “Asian” area (like the San Gabriel Valley or Koreatown) so my friends were diverse. I had Asian friends as well as Latino, Jewish, Black, White, etc. from my earliest memories—so it was a big part of my upbringing.
But I always respected my culture and I never felt “ashamed” of being Asian or tried to hide my Asian-ness. If anything, I could give a crap less if someone dislikes me for my ethnicity.
The problem is that OTHER people have a problem with me being Asian.
But that leads me to another thing.
Notice how I wrote that I’m “Asian.”
But the only reason why I wrote that is because, in the United States, I’m forced to say that. You see, in the US, the unwritten rule is you must say you’re “Asian” or “Asian-American.”
