Amplified Voices | API Heritage Month
In celebration of API Heritage Month, we asked creative voices from across the country to define their legacy.
JANNEL THERESE VARONA | DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
Personally, I celebrate API Heritage Month by continuing to show up as I am in any room, in any interaction and in any work I do. I am Filipino-American but I am Filipino first. I value and celebrate that everyday, not just during the month of May. My drive to achieve and reach my goals is rooted in my API-ness. Growing up in America, without an API Heritage Month is eye-opening in that I always fought for a seat at the table. I’m so grateful for this dedicated month as it is a space to learn and examine the API culture within the American discourse.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
Being a leader to me means practicing what I preach. To be honest, I never saw myself as a leader within my own community. I never wanted to lead but I learned we are all influencers in our respective communities. I hope that people are inspired to live their life to the fullest, make choices that make them happy regardless of what anyone thinks or says. I hope to inspire people to lead their lives with authenticity and grace.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be empowering especially to other women in the API community.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My husband inspires me to live an authentic life. You wouldn't really understand unless you've met him but he is the kindest, most respectful and most authentic person I have ever met. He inspires me so much!
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by sharing my experiences and being vulnerable to people I care about with hopes to connect on a deeper level.
ALI HEISS | DESIGNER & ENTREPRENEUR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
I began celebrating API heritage month not just every month, but every day!
As a Korean adoptee, I wasn’t raised in Korean culture, as my parents were a different ethnicity from me. In my adulthood, I reconnected with my birth family and connected with other people like me, and that’s when API heritage month transformed into something special to me. I now appreciate on a deeper level the immigrant experience in the United States. I’ve learned that it’s something to be proud of, something I can bear witness to, but also be a part of. I celebrate my heritage daily through experiences, food, and learning, and I’m constantly learning more about my culture.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
My personal interpretation of leadership is being true to myself. I try to be open and honest, even if it means showing others a level of vulnerability. As a Korean adoptee, I’ve been inspired by other adoptees who have shown the leadership and courage to share their adoption stories. I’ve engaged with people who have inspired me, we share stories and have shared experiences, but it’s through the tough questions that I learn the most about myself. As an adoptee, it means you grow up feeling a little displaced, never quite Korean enough, and never quite American enough. But we deserve to be 100% American, and 100% Korean, one does not take away from the other, but adds depth to the person we were always meant to be. Through others’ leadership, their bravery, I was able to learn this about myself and I hope to share that with others.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
Some prominent figures in my life that inspire me to live authentically are my friends. They inspire me to be strong and soft, and they always lift me up to be genuine to myself. They remind me to treat myself like a friend.
How do you make your voice heard?
By listening to others and finding commonality in experiences, I find it really easy for others to listen to me.
JEFF YAMAZAKI | CONTENT CREATOR, MODEL, & ACTOR | HE/HIM
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
API Heritage Month is all about celebrating the culture and rich history of API communities so my favorite way is to first learn more about Japanese American history in the United States. I still have so much to learn about my own culture so I try my best to educate myself throughout API month and the rest of the year. On top of that, I love supporting API owned businesses through my social media channels as well as directly purchasing products at local stores, small businesses, and restaurants.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
Being a leader means to take responsibility for your actions and continually inspiring and supporting others towards a better future. I want to be someone who has the strength and courage to be able to reach out and become involved in the community and do my best to create a safe, healthy, and positive environment where everyone can strive for a better future for themselves and for the community.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to do my best in the work I do (creating content, modeling, acting) every single day, so that I can represent my Asian heritage proudly and help inspire the next generation of Asian Americans to do their best in whatever field they choose to do.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My dad is a prominent figure in my life that inspires me to live authentically every single day. He has shown me at a young age that it is important to give back to the community and being connected to a group of people with a common goal to help each other is incredibly important and something that has stuck with me for a very long time.
How do you make your voice heard?
I use my social media platform to make my voice heard and the longer I’m on these platforms, I'm starting to understand that it’s important to speak out about important topics/issues including, supporting local API businesses, spotlighting awareness of API issues, and promoting inclusivity and diversity.
Anything else that we didn’t cover that you’d like to share?
Although API month is only 1 month out of the year, I believe it’s important to continually support and celebrate API culture and heritage throughout the year. This is one of my goals that I hope to accomplish every year and continue to support the amazing API community in this country!
EILEEN NGUYEN | DIGITAL CREATOR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
I celebrate by being proud of who I am and appreciating everything that my family has done in order for me to have the life that I've been able to live. I also celebrate through supporting API businesses, big and small.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
To me, being a leader means being able to actively listen and take in what others are providing and making the effort to put those ideas into action in some way, shape, or form. I hope to impact that idea of leadership within my community by actively being that person who listens to others and really takes into consideration what others are saying/how they're feeling about certain things. In a way, just being empathetic and being someone that people can feel comfortable talking to.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I would like my legacy to be known as someone who works hard and genuinely just enjoys life, because I really do find pure joy in the smallest things and value the things I've done, the people I've connected with/made long lasting relationships with.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My parents, my friends, and my partner. My parents always try to put honesty first, especially my mother because she's someone who always speaks her mind. I say my friends because the friends that I have now are people that are truly honest and say things straight, which are people I like to surround myself with. I also say my partner because he's someone who's super authentic with his passions and what he likes, which inspires/encourages me to be my most authentic self with my passions as well.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by trying to be more outspoken whether it's with my family, my partner, my friends, or even with other people that I end up having conversations with. It's important to have certain kinds of conversations in order to gain perspective and understand others.
Anything else that we didn’t cover that you’d like to share?
Growing up it was a bit difficult for me to accept who I was and be comfortable in my own skin, the things I have passions for, and just trying to make genuine relationships. Although it took some time, I can proudly say that I'm comfortable with who I am and with what I like, and am so happy to be a Vietnamese American.
In celebration of API Heritage Month, we asked creative voices from across the country to define their legacy.
JANNEL THERESE VARONA | DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
Personally, I celebrate API Heritage Month by continuing to show up as I am in any room, in any interaction and in any work I do. I am Filipino-American but I am Filipino first. I value and celebrate that everyday, not just during the month of May. My drive to achieve and reach my goals is rooted in my API-ness. Growing up in America, without an API Heritage Month is eye-opening in that I always fought for a seat at the table. I’m so grateful for this dedicated month as it is a space to learn and examine the API culture within the American discourse.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
Being a leader to me means practicing what I preach. To be honest, I never saw myself as a leader within my own community. I never wanted to lead but I learned we are all influencers in our respective communities. I hope that people are inspired to live their life to the fullest, make choices that make them happy regardless of what anyone thinks or says. I hope to inspire people to lead their lives with authenticity and grace.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be empowering especially to other women in the API community.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My husband inspires me to live an authentic life. You wouldn't really understand unless you've met him but he is the kindest, most respectful and most authentic person I have ever met. He inspires me so much!
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by sharing my experiences and being vulnerable to people I care about with hopes to connect on a deeper level.
ALI HEISS | DESIGNER & ENTREPRENEUR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
I began celebrating API heritage month not just every month, but every day!
As a Korean adoptee, I wasn’t raised in Korean culture, as my parents were a different ethnicity from me. In my adulthood, I reconnected with my birth family and connected with other people like me, and that’s when API heritage month transformed into something special to me. I now appreciate on a deeper level the immigrant experience in the United States. I’ve learned that it’s something to be proud of, something I can bear witness to, but also be a part of. I celebrate my heritage daily through experiences, food, and learning, and I’m constantly learning more about my culture.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
My personal interpretation of leadership is being true to myself. I try to be open and honest, even if it means showing others a level of vulnerability. As a Korean adoptee, I’ve been inspired by other adoptees who have shown the leadership and courage to share their adoption stories. I’ve engaged with people who have inspired me, we share stories and have shared experiences, but it’s through the tough questions that I learn the most about myself. As an adoptee, it means you grow up feeling a little displaced, never quite Korean enough, and never quite American enough. But we deserve to be 100% American, and 100% Korean, one does not take away from the other, but adds depth to the person we were always meant to be. Through others’ leadership, their bravery, I was able to learn this about myself and I hope to share that with others.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
Some prominent figures in my life that inspire me to live authentically are my friends. They inspire me to be strong and soft, and they always lift me up to be genuine to myself. They remind me to treat myself like a friend.
How do you make your voice heard?
By listening to others and finding commonality in experiences, I find it really easy for others to listen to me.
JEFF YAMAZAKI | CONTENT CREATOR, MODEL, & ACTOR | HE/HIM
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
API Heritage Month is all about celebrating the culture and rich history of API communities so my favorite way is to first learn more about Japanese American history in the United States. I still have so much to learn about my own culture so I try my best to educate myself throughout API month and the rest of the year. On top of that, I love supporting API owned businesses through my social media channels as well as directly purchasing products at local stores, small businesses, and restaurants.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
Being a leader means to take responsibility for your actions and continually inspiring and supporting others towards a better future. I want to be someone who has the strength and courage to be able to reach out and become involved in the community and do my best to create a safe, healthy, and positive environment where everyone can strive for a better future for themselves and for the community.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to do my best in the work I do (creating content, modeling, acting) every single day, so that I can represent my Asian heritage proudly and help inspire the next generation of Asian Americans to do their best in whatever field they choose to do.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My dad is a prominent figure in my life that inspires me to live authentically every single day. He has shown me at a young age that it is important to give back to the community and being connected to a group of people with a common goal to help each other is incredibly important and something that has stuck with me for a very long time.
How do you make your voice heard?
I use my social media platform to make my voice heard and the longer I’m on these platforms, I'm starting to understand that it’s important to speak out about important topics/issues including, supporting local API businesses, spotlighting awareness of API issues, and promoting inclusivity and diversity.
Anything else that we didn’t cover that you’d like to share?
Although API month is only 1 month out of the year, I believe it’s important to continually support and celebrate API culture and heritage throughout the year. This is one of my goals that I hope to accomplish every year and continue to support the amazing API community in this country!
EILEEN NGUYEN | DIGITAL CREATOR | SHE/HER
How do you celebrate API Heritage Month?
I celebrate by being proud of who I am and appreciating everything that my family has done in order for me to have the life that I've been able to live. I also celebrate through supporting API businesses, big and small.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within your community?
To me, being a leader means being able to actively listen and take in what others are providing and making the effort to put those ideas into action in some way, shape, or form. I hope to impact that idea of leadership within my community by actively being that person who listens to others and really takes into consideration what others are saying/how they're feeling about certain things. In a way, just being empathetic and being someone that people can feel comfortable talking to.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I would like my legacy to be known as someone who works hard and genuinely just enjoys life, because I really do find pure joy in the smallest things and value the things I've done, the people I've connected with/made long lasting relationships with.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically?
My parents, my friends, and my partner. My parents always try to put honesty first, especially my mother because she's someone who always speaks her mind. I say my friends because the friends that I have now are people that are truly honest and say things straight, which are people I like to surround myself with. I also say my partner because he's someone who's super authentic with his passions and what he likes, which inspires/encourages me to be my most authentic self with my passions as well.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by trying to be more outspoken whether it's with my family, my partner, my friends, or even with other people that I end up having conversations with. It's important to have certain kinds of conversations in order to gain perspective and understand others.
Anything else that we didn’t cover that you’d like to share?
Growing up it was a bit difficult for me to accept who I was and be comfortable in my own skin, the things I have passions for, and just trying to make genuine relationships. Although it took some time, I can proudly say that I'm comfortable with who I am and with what I like, and am so happy to be a Vietnamese American.
