What it Means to Be an Asian-American

My father signed me up to start playing tee ball, and my mother signed me up for piano lessons. As a kid, these passions were merely extra-curricular activities. I enjoyed the process of learning the technique required to swing a baseball bat, and the dexterity to play a new piano piece. However, as I grew older, I realized these two passions were symbolic of both of my parents, and my Asian-American heritage.

Baseball reminds me of my father. Originally from New Jersey, he was the first person in his family to go to college. Baseball was always a passion in his life. He grew up a Yankee fan watching Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and passed that fandom on to me. I spent countless hours playing catch with him in the backyard, going to hitting lessons, and playing little league baseball.

Similarly, the piano reminds me of my mother. Both of her parents immigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the 1950’s, earned college and graduate level degrees, and had four daughters. Growing up, each of them developed a passion for music, and learned to play the piano. Like her, I spent hours on the piano when I was younger, as I learned to play with both of my hands in coordination – first learning measures and eventually entire pieces.

My childhood consisted of a balance between the arts and sports, each representing a piece of my parents' culture. When I was growing up, my mom and my dad made a deal. If I was going to play a sport, I was also going to play an instrument. As an Asian-American, I pride myself on being multi-faceted. My love for both baseball and the piano allowed me to learn about passion from my dad, and discipline from my mom. The combination of the two helped me establish a strong sense of identity, further symbolizing my Asian American heritage.

When reflecting as a college senior, I think about the things that prepared me the most for the life of a student-athlete. Without a doubt, I think about my Asian-American heritage. I think about how my experiences learning to play both baseball and the piano worked in harmony to teach me about patience, persistence, and effort, and prepare me for success, failure, and everything inbetween. Through both passions, I’ve found them to be strong symbols of my tradition and a representation of the ability to navigate the complexities that come with being a student-athlete.