Men's tennis player Phasu Sirinit attended Thai school at a very young age. Rich Kim from Sports Performance went to Korean school from first grade until fifth grade.
Men's golfer Perry Chong remembers vividly the long family trips back to China where he would explore his ancestral homeland and learn about its traditions and cultures.
Bob Sakamoto of Athletics Communications remembers growing up as a straight-A student at Lincoln Elementary School on Kemper Place but being instructed by his traditional Japanese father not to raise his hand when a teacher posed a question because Japanese people do not call attention to themselves.
As she has gotten older, volleyball player Phoenix Lee finds herself wanting to learn more about her Chinese heritage.
Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States commemorates the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843 and marks the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants---upwards of 20,000.
It recognizes the 22.2 million Asians and 1.6 million Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities in the United States.
As we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month amidst a nationwide #StopAsianHate campaign, it's a perfect time to reflect on and appreciate the traditions and customs of this time-honored culture.
At its very core, a powerful belief in the strength and sanctity of family is a foundational cornerstone of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Sakamoto was raised to always uphold your family honor. Committing a crime would bring shame and dishonor to the individual and also leave an indelible black mark on the family name.
It was that sense of shame that for decades prohibited Sakamoto's mom, grandmother, aunts and uncles from talking about their upheaval during World War II. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 uprooting about 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent from their homes and herding them into detention camps.
Honorable Japanese people can sometimes be loyal and obedient to a fault. During the internment, some believed they must have done something wrong for the government to treat them this way.
After being forced to sell their thriving grocery store in Seattle for pennies on the dollar, Sakamoto's mom who was 12 years old at the time along with her mother, father, two older brothers and two older sisters were shipped to the Minidoka Camp in Idaho where they survived for three years in barebones' uninsulated, temporary barracks complete with barbed wire and armed guards instructed to shoot anyone attempting to leave the compound.
At the same time, Sakamoto's father in Hawaii and a large number of his closest friends enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight for America. Their kamikaze-like zeal to prove their loyalty brought unprecedented military honors to the 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team and inspired Hollywood to produce a movie about their World War II exploits called "Go For Broke," which was the unit's motto.
They became the most decorated unit in the history of the U.S. Army with more than 18,000 medals while also suffering the highest casualty rate. Their successful suicide mission in southeastern France rescuing "The Lost Battalion" from Texas earned the 442nd the nickname "Purple Heart Battalion." They saved 211 Texans while sustaining more than 800 casualties. The U.S. Army lists the rescue as one of the 10 most significant battles in its history.
Wayne Sakamoto told his son that when no other unit volunteered for the hazardous mission, the 442nd stepped forward. He rarely spoke about his war-time experience as the savagery, brutality and cruelty of watching his close friends die right before his eyes scarred him with nightmarish memories.
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Chong, Lee, Uy, Kim and Sirinit also grew up immersed in a strong family bond.
"My parents and grandparents raised awareness of my culture," Chong said. "Growing up, I would always hide my culture because I wanted to fit in.
"But as I grew older, my family made me realize that my culture makes up who I am, and I wouldn't be who I am without it."
Uy has come to the same realization.
"Family means the world to me," Uy said. "I am very lucky to have loving and supportive parents and an older sister that I can talk to about anything. It may sound simple, but when I was growing up, it was almost a requirement that we had at least one sit-down meal together every day. We also attended mass as a family every weekend.
"Even now that we are all working and living in three different states, we still find time to get together and plan at least one family trip a year. We have extended family members overseas that we stay connected to through family visits, whether they travel to the United States or we go overseas, and there's also a large family group chat. We always have the best time and do not skip a beat. Family is an essential part of who I am, and I would not be where I am today without them."
In his first year at DePaul, Sirinit made history playing on the first men's tennis team to win a BIG EAST title and earn an NCAA Championship bid. It resulted in a memorable celebration and an experience Sirinit gladly shared with his family.
"Our close-knit family structure means the world to me," Sirinit said. "I feel so unbelievably close with my family, and they are my greatest support system. All the fun activities such as camping, hiking, vacation and especially board games have created amazing memories.
"My family really wanted to make sure that I stayed in touch with our Thai heritage. At a very young age, I was enrolled in Thai School. There I was surrounded by a loving community of Thais. I grew up learning how to speak Thai and was in Thai cultural dance. That community raised me and molded me into the person I am today."
Lee is enjoying the process of self-discovery.
"As I have gotten older, I have slowly started to raise my appreciation for my culture and heritage," Lee said. "Where I grew up, I was never really surrounded by people of similar background so it was hard for me to learn about my culture.
"Unfortunately, I cannot speak Cantonese so I can't have conversations with people like my grandma to learn more about her past. Nowadays, I rely on my mom to tell me more about things like her childhood and traditional Chinese customs.
"One of my favorite things about my cultural heritage is Chinese New Year celebrations. Since I was a young girl we would celebrate this every year with my extended family and eat tons of traditional Chinese dishes. On top of that, the iconic Lion Dance with the big drums would always be super exciting."
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Consuming generous portions of scrumptious ethnic cuisine is a common trait for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
"I like to think of myself as a foodie, so one of my favorite things about my culture has to be the food," Uy said. "I moved to Chicago a little over five years ago and quickly realized that the selection of Chinese food here is endless.
"The diversity in food choices is amazing with dim sum (Cantonese small dishes), hot pot (Chinese fondue) and bubble tea, just to name a few. Also, how lucky are we that Wintrust Arena is less than one mile away from Chinatown where you can find authentic Chinese cuisine at all times of the day and night. I find myself visiting Chinatown much more frequently now."
When asked about a favorite Asian custom, Kim was quick to reply.
"Korean New Year's was definitely my favorite tradition to celebrate growing up," he said. "It's tradition that you eat Dduk gook which is a rice cake soup that I absolutely loved.
"Another reason why I loved Korean New Year's as a child is because it's a custom that young children 'sebae' or bow to elders to pay respects and wish them good health. In return children usually get gifts afterwards."
Every day was a veritable feast for Sirinit growing up.
"I absolutely love my culture's food," Sirinit said. "Pad See Ew (Thai stir-fried rice noodles), Pad Thai, Massamun curry and chicken satay are all my favorites. I could eat Thai food all day and at all times. Growing up with my mother being the best Thai cook of all time was such a blessing."
Rice is pretty much a staple across all Asian cultures, and to go without it for any length of time can trigger symptoms of withdrawal. Just listen to Uy's story.
"When I was in college, I went one month without eating any rice," Uy said. "This made me feel really weird and a little off.
"One day, I simply drove to the nearest Chinese restaurant, which also happened to have a drive-thru, and ordered a combination dinner. I craved rice so badly that I ate my meal right there in the parking lot."
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Sirinit, Lee and Kim said they have not encountered any Asian hate, prejudice or bigotry. Chong has developed a method to deal with it.
"I would say that I have not experienced hate, prejudice or bigotry recently," Chong said. "No one close to me has said anything recently as well.
"I have experienced anti-Asian hate, prejudice and bigotry in the past, but I have become so numb to all the 'jokes,' comments and slurs that I think nothing of it when it does happen."
Uy will never forget an incident that happened in the summer of 2013 at his hometown in Kentucky.
"While pumping gas, I noticed a lady on the other side of the pump was staring at me and she said "I am watching you!" Uy said. "I did not understand her at first, so I said 'huh?' She said it again and pointed at me. This gave me a very uneasy feeling that she was coming at me, so I left the gas station in a hurry. She continued to stare at me as I drove away.
"I spoke to my mom right after about the incident and she told me the same thing had happened to her at the same gas station. As a recent college graduate who had not experienced something like this before, it definitely caught me off-guard."
Lee's self-discovery includes becoming more aware of anti-Asian attacks and hate crimes.
"I personally have not experienced anything nor has anyone close to me," she said. "However, it truly breaks my heart to learn about the increased anti-Asian situations.
"Throughout my life, diversity has been a critical value at all the schools, clubs, programs and organizations that I have attended or joined. I want our people and our culture to be appreciated just like any other."
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