What Does APIA Mean to You?

APIA, to me, was just an identity. I would just say I was Cambodian/ Asian and leave it at that, but now, APIA is more of a community to me. It’s a community of people who share the same culture and traditions as me. It’s still an identity, but it’s an identity I share with a large diverse group.

Elyza Chhoeung

APIA refers to someone whose origin is from Asia/Pacific Islands and who understands their cultures and the struggles their ancestors went to, lives life in honor of them, and makes things better for those to come.

Lauren Ho

APIA means learning to embrace both my Sri Lankan heritage and the American culture in which I grew up. I used to feel out of place in both South Asian and American cultures, but the APIA orgs I’ve been involved with at Mizzou have helped me bridge the divide and develop my own unique sense of identity.

Sharanya Kumar

The phrase APIA represents a diverse community of cultures and experiences. To be part of the APIA community, it feels as though I am on the border of two cultures without ever fully stepping into either. I can’t be seen as fully American because of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, and I can’t fully be Chinese because culturally I am more American.

Jenny Lam

APIA means having a double identity. One in which I embrace my parents’ culture and traditions, and the other where I can experience American culture. Behind the word also contains the story and struggles my parents faced coming to America to find a better opportunity.

Tina Quach

We grow up with a body that feels like it doesn’t belong because it represents a culture so different from the West. At the same time, we resonate with the mythical American dream. To challenge that you’re more than the expectations set before you, to forge your heroic story, Asian Pacific Islander American means being culturally anchored but also being given the most freedom to explore who we are, and isn’t that the essence of being American?

Andrew Pham

APIA is a broad term that encompasses many ethnicities, but it’s also specific as many of us have lived through similar experiences. In this big world, our identities can sometimes become trivialized and forgotten, but having this community reminds us that we’re never truly alone. There will always be people there to support you.

Annie Le

APIA means a sense of community. It is a group that welcomes everyone and a place where we share stories good and bad. They are people you can turn to when you have a problem and also a place where you can teach. APIA means family.

Brian Tang

APIA means a community of people from a large variety of places. Yet even though they come from all different places, many of them share the same experiences and face similar struggles. Also, it means a middle ground between my Sri Lankan heritage and American culture. I never really completely fit in either, but the APIA community has given me a place to belong.

Isuru Gamlath

APIA is a community that includes many diverse cultures and identities here in the United States. The stories around APIA individuals involve long-lasting tradition, hardships, and vulnerability. APIA is an inclusive title that promotes unity and perseverance.

Michael Jobson

APIA has been a community that has welcomed me as an ally and has taught me a significant portion of my understanding of issues that affect underrepresented minority groups. Being able to support APIA efforts gives me an opportunity to learn more as well as be able to promote inclusive ideologies anywhere in my life. This has led me to seek international peace and advocacy opportunities in my peace studies degree.

Aidan Brooks

APIA means camaraderie. It was not until I joined AAA and was exposed to the issues of the APIA community that I realized the misgivings and insecurities I had formed in high school were not only mirrored in my peers but were also being addressed. Our continued discussion and the input of those around me helped bring those issues to light and helped me connect with my friends.

Matt Molayal