TWICE MINORITIES | 09
ONE DIVERSE VOICE & WHY IT'S IMPORTANT PRISCILLA CHAN, CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE
VICAN SUN, VIET HOA INTERNATIONAL FOODS
LISA & HAO LAM, BEST IN CLASS EDUCATION CENTER
I recognize the challenge here. And yet, to bring all Chinese Vietnamese Americans together is a dream worth striving for. After interviewing several Chinese Vietnamese Americans and collecting a small handful of prominent Chinese Vietnamese Americans, I can see the importance of a collective identity for our small and fragmented community. As each of us rise in our own careers and civic lives, our cultural identity is a key part of our narrative. For Chinese Vietnamese Americans, we could benefit from a common approach to how we relate to Chinese, Vietnamese, and American culture. For example, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg's spouse, has seen more than several online debates about her cultural affiliation. "Can we consider her Chinese? She's really Vietnamese though, isn't she?" Instead, we could pursue solidarity with other Chinese Vietnamese Americans, multiethnic Vietnamese Americans, multicultural Southeast Asians, and Asian Americans as a whole. Together, with one diverse voice, we could highlight the issues and policies that matter to our community and make an impact on civic and public affairs in the 21st century.