2.5 generation ABC?

with some of the Great Lakes East staff 

at AASC in San Francisco, CA

If you're in the InterVarsity world you will hear the term "ethnic journey" used quite often. This is talking about an individual's discovery of their ethnic identity... in essence, a discovery of who God created them to be. Each person's journey starts and develops at different paces. I would say that mine didn't really start until after college. And throughout these past several years I seem to come in and out of actually facing my journey and reflecting on what God is teaching me.

Coming back from the Asian American Staff Conference, I am once again brought back to taking a few steps along my journey. And I think having spent 10 days in California, a place where to be Asian American is to be the majority, also affects how I think about my identity.

As an Asian American in the Midwest, it is hard to ignore the reality that you are not like everyone else. Further, among the few Chinese Americans there are around here, if your story isn't the typical "parents were born in Taiwan and came here for school" kind of story - you also don't seem to fit in. How can I expect non-Asian Americans to understand that I'm ABC (American-born Chinese), and yet my parents grew up in the Philippines, thus identifying much more strongly with Filipino culture than with Chinese culture - when other Asian Americans don't even get it? "Wait, so...what are you?" seems to be even more common than "So, where are you from?" Seeing how my experience further differs from Asian Americans in California was a time for more reflection.

There was a moment in one of the breakout sessions at the conference when we were asked to introduce ourselves and also tell what our ethnic background was. As the other staff went around the room, most were calling themselves "2nd generation Chinese- or Korean-American". I found myself conflicted because I don't actually know if I should call myself 2nd generation. For most of my life I have said "2nd" - but have always felt disconnected from other 2nd gen Asian American friends. What defines what number generation you are - is it the number since immigrating from your country of origin? Or is it the number since immigrating from Asia in general? I don't really know. If I'm 2nd generation that implies my parents are 1st. But neither of them have ever set foot in China. So... what does that mean?

I haven't quite resolved this yet, but I'm considering calling myself 2 1/2 generation ABC. Usually the "1/2" implies that your parents are different generations from each other. So, I'm not quite sure if that's quite right either. Perhaps I should say 2nd gen Asian American and 3rd gen Chinese American?

In any case, I am in the process of embracing the fact that my experience isn't the same as everyone else's, and that's okay. In one of the seminars, a leader in Asian American Christian history and research said that one of the greatest gifts the Asian American Church can give to the Global Church is to show that faith is embedded in culture, and is expressed in a wide diversity of ways. There is no one single Asian American experience, and that is what makes being Asian American so unique and interesting. And I love that I get to be a part of this community where I can learn how each expression of culture impacts how our faith is lived out. The next step for me is to figure out how my culture and background makes me especially gifted to express a part of the body of Christ that no one else can.

This is Our Story

This is Our Story  >> Check out some photos from Asian American Staff Conference!

Asian American Staff Conference

I'll be traveling for the 3rd time in four weeks - this time to California, where I'll attend the Asian American Staff Conference in San Mateo. I'm looking forward to a good time of training and relationship-building with fellow Asian American staff. Please pray that God will be speaking to us as a community as we think about the future of Asian American ministry in InterVarsity. (I'll also be making my debut as a narrator for one of the videos that 2100 produced for the conference!)

Additionally, I'll be spending time with several old friends in the Bay Area as well as down in LA. Please pray for safety in travels and that my time with friends will be re-energizing.

Veritas Forum Banners

Just wanted to show you a couple of banners I designed this week for a Veritas Forum happening at Florida State University. For more info about Veritas Forum, visit veritas.org.
 

 

a little late: Imago Dei

hello! i'm sorry for the lateness but i wanted to mention that i was at Imago Dei this past weekend in ohio! Imago Dei was Great Lakes East's first Asian American student leadership conference in 5 years! i was involved with the planning up until i left the region, and i was delighted that i was able to participate as a small group leader. i also helped with the print materials/graphics. :)

Asian American ministries in Great Lakes East has been growing in the past 5 years. back in 2005 when we had our last conference, there were only 2 Asian American specific chapters and a few full-time Asian American staff. now there are 5 chapters and about 8 staff! God has really been at work in building up this ministry.

the conference focused on leadership development, because the planning team had discerned that this was the greatest need for our students. we wanted to emphasize that as Asian Americans, we have unique gifts and opportunities to be leaders in our communities and in the world.

kathy khang, multiethnic ministries director of Great Lakes West, was our main speaker. we were also blessed to have james choung, newly appointed National Asian American Ministries director with us during the weekend to share and speak. along with about 20 staff and volunteers, there were over 100 students from Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

 

(Imago Dei staff and volunteers!)

this conference felt different than the many others i have been to. there was an energy of openness and enthusiasm that was perhaps generated from the group being predominantly Asian American. students were affirmed in their identity as Asian Americans and for some, it was the first time they had been told that their Asian American-ness is a reflection of God that is unique, purposeful, and very good. students spent time repenting and receiving healing prayer; they were challenged to make the choice to identify with Christ even while walking the line between differing cultural values.

overall, Imago Dei was a time to affirm who we are in Christ as Asian Americans, to celebrate God's gifts to us, and to decide to take the next step of using all that we are, including our ethnic identity, for the glory of God. i am overjoyed at what i saw God do in individuals and communities! praise God with me for changing lives and empowering students to be leaders. (a special praise for a new young sister in Christ from MSU!)

you can continue to pray for Asian American ministry in Great Lakes East. pray that students who attended Imago Dei would follow through in the decisions they made, and also that the chapters they represent would grow in their awareness of ethnic identity, resulting in further development as leaders and world-changers. and pray that new Asian American staff would be raised up from this generation of students!

Urbana 09 - a selection of photos

I've selected some photos from Urbana to highlight some of my work as well as to give you a glimpse of what happened. Much thanks to our extremely talented team of professional photographers who volunteered their time to take these beautiful photos!

Feel free to leave comments, & enjoy!

Urbana Stories

While visiting Ann Arbor on my week off after Urbana, I attended AIV’s large group. It was a great time to see my old students and colleagues, as well as hear some of their stories from Urbana. Here are a couple of the stories that were shared that night:

Dear Donor,

Thank you so much for providing generously to allow me to attend Urbana 09. For someone oriented toward scientific research and development, mission work was something that I did not really see myself pursuing. Once arriving at Urbana I realized that God had many good things in store for me. Surprisingly the things I learned related more towards my relationship with Jesus and with the world than my call to missions. Coming out of Urbana, I have a few major takeaways that I would like to share with you.

1. A vision of justice in the world. At Urbana, I learned about poverty, human trafficking, and injustice around the world. My learned response is to feel bad and be pressured into sending money, but at Urbana I learned that there is value in identifying with the people who suffer these injustices, that there is value in providing a voice to the voiceless, and that there is great power in prayer. I learned about a God who has come into the middle of history to redeem the world and make all things new. I learned about a God who hates injustice and I learned about some of the practical ways that injustice is being combated. Specifically, I learned about advocacy campaigns and the role of politics in bringing about God's work. It made me realize that I may not be William Wilberforce, come to set the slaves free through politics, but I might be someone who nudges a new Wilberforce to set the slaves of the world free. Practically, I'm hoping to help out with bringing the Human Wrong campaign to the University of Michigan campus, as well as get the ball rolling on a city-wide, week-long campaign to raise awareness, voice, and funds to help end human trafficking.

2. A new take on prayer. At Urbana I realized that my prayers often sound like they are being read off of a prayer request sheet. I've learned about praying like the Bible shows us, and I have learned the importance of the voice that I am given. The ability to communicate with a holy and powerful God never seemed real to me, but I have grown a great deal in this understanding.

3. A worldwide vision. At Urbana I was struck by the phrase, "get to know the world God so loved." In our fellowship's Large Group gatherings I have sensed that we have become ingrown. In response to this, I'm putting together a new segment titled "Get to Know the World God So Loved." We'll have testimonies from missionaries, send letters of support and encouragement, and pray for countries that we learn about. It is my hope that I can bring the world-wide vision of Urbana back to campus and enable others to explore their call to overseas missions.

4. Local mission. I was struck at Urbana, by the sheer number of people making commitments to long term missions, but I then realized that almost all of us had made that commitment when we chose to follow Jesus. I've realized that my apartment, my family, and my friends are all unreached populations who need Jesus, and I am positioned quite well to be a tool to allow that to happen. I hope to invite my family to church, invite my friend to study John 1-4 with me and to reach out to my apartment mate and bring him to an AIV small group.

Again, thank you so much for enabling me to attend this conference. I hope that you can now share in some of the wonderful and hopefully life changing experiences that I was able to be a part of.

Blessings,
Ryan


Jesus said that we are to love our enemies. I always thought, “Sure...I love my enemies - I don't really hate anybody.” But two speakers at Urbana09 opened my eyes to what Jesus spoke of. Both men began with their stories of pain and oppression by another group of humans - one as a Tutsi, the other as a Korean. Although they began in very different places, both of them ended up in the same place - realizing that the reconciliation that Jesus spoke of was hard but necessary. Although it was difficult, each man spoke about how reconciling with someone you hated (with cause) brings the only way to point to God together. I realized that I do have enemies that I hate: people who oppressed me, people who hated me, people that I thought I could hate because they did me wrong. But God said I was once alienated from God and was an enemy because of my evil behavior.

- Lily






As a senior about to graduate with a piano performance degree from the University of Michigan, I entered Urbana09 hopeful and expectant for God to reveal more of his plan for my life. He did not disappoint, although He responded in ways I didn’t expect. (Praise be to our surprising God!)

Instead of calling me forward into global missions work, He led me inward and homeward – back to the places I had come from. “Come and see,” He said to me. “You cannot carry the burdens of far-flung territories yet, for these places need you first.” At Urbana, God showed me that at least for the next few years, I must consider it my calling to be a cross-cultural missionary to the very culture I come from. Now equipped and immersed in the culture of our Lord Jesus Christ, I must learn and understand the deep-rooted brokenness that handicaps my family. Furthermore, I must discover creative and loving ways to demonstrate the holiness, truth, and love that Jesus proclaims.

His word never fails to be a light unto my path. Thank you for your contributions to the workings of God’s eternal kingdom. Peace be with you.

- Margaret