"Growing Up Asian in America" contest helps Bay Area students

"GROWING UP ASIAN IN AMERICA" provides a unique platform for young people to creatively explore and celebrate being both Asian or Pacific Islander and American.

Every year, almost one thousand Bay Area students in grades kindergarten through 12 submit artwork, essays, poems and videos on a single theme, competing for over $20,000 in cash and prizes. The program was launched by the Asian Pacific Fund in 1995 as one of the largest youth celebrations of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the nation. It encourages young Asian Americans to take pride in their identities, and helps others understand the varied experiences of our youth growing up in the Bay Area’s diverse communities.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to see the 2015 awardees.

The mission of the Asian Pacific Fund is to strengthen the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the Bay Area by increasing philanthropy and supporting the organizations that serve the most vulnerable community members.

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For more news about Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Jeremy Lin: Fit in, or be true to yourself?

WITH THESE two videos from his Youtube channel, Jeremy Lin takes the look at the dilemma many of us have faced at some point in our lives: How far do you have to go to "fit in" and in doing so, at what point do you lose who you really are?

Fortunately, the guard for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets has a defense mechanism that allows him to  is laugh off the situations he finds himself in as one of only two players of Asian descent in a sport dominated by African/American athletes.

For many of us, the hurt and anguish caused by this common dilemma, is too great to be laughed off. 

RELATED: Jeremy Lin opens up about race

In interviews, Lin has acknowledged the difficulties he has had to face to overcome the stereotypical views some of his former teammates had for Asian/American athletes: Not fast, can't shoot, can't jump, not aggressive. 

As I watched the videos, I laughed because Jeremy is a funny guy; but it's also too easy to empathize because - to a lesser degree - I've experienced the duality that most of us "minorities" have had to endure. Then the long pause occurs ... personal memories flood back in.

Jeremy Lin: Laugh and the world laughs with you.

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