Let’s Catch Up: Where I Went & Where I Am

Hello strangers (or am I the stranger?). It’s been a while – practically a year and half. Well, I’m back to make up for lost times. Let’s get back to posting at least once a week, shall we? This post is about my excuse for being absent and a sneak peak at what I have in store for The Inkformant (Hint Hint: I am in Malaysia).

Ready? Satu, Dua, Tiga… Jom! (Learning Bahasa Melayu)

Where I Went:

During the past year, I’ve been dedicating my time and heart to a group of incredible young people called, the Asian Immigrant & Refugee Youth Council (AIR-YC).

*Like AIR-YC on Facebook @airyc.irco | Follow AIR-YC on Instagram @airyc.irco*

Our origins story goes something like this: In February 2019, ten immigrant & refugee high school students began gathering in the same room to start something vague called a “youth council.” They were from different schools in Portland, Oregon and diverse Asian backgrounds, including Bhutanese, Burmese, Chinese, Hmong, Indonesian, Malaysian, Nepali, Thai, and Vietnamese communities.

All of us operated on volunteer and unpaid staff time. After discussing issues that we observed in the community, we decided that as a collective, our mission was “to elevate the communities that represented us: Asian, immigrant, refugee, and youth communities.” Alas, the Asian Immigrant & Refugee Youth Council (AIR-YC) was born. Not only did we establish the mission and structure of the council, but in the span of one year, we also led four major community service projects to serve our vision:

#UNISON: A Youth-Led Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration

*Our very first event to kick-off the council and celebrate our diverse cultures*

The Panels & Me Project: #DiscoverUnspokenStories by Immigrant & Refugee Kids

*Yes, you heard right! PAM is still alive and well. I will update the PAM homepage with AIR-YC’s PAM project soon.*

Asian Autumn Festival at Blue Lake (Sponsored by Metro)

*Photo Credit: Cristle Jose from Metro. We combined the Moon Festival and Diwali into one big Asian autumn celebration.*

… and Oh Brother, Mother!

Photo Credit: Anca from Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). Oh Brother, Mother! was a play that I wrote with AIR-YC about “bromance & strong women.” I think the process of writing this play deserves its own spot as a photo essay in The Inkformant Report. Will work on it soon!

Was it a big roller coaster ride this year? Absolutely. However, it was all worth it. I’m proud to say that beginning in 2020, AIR-YC will officially be funded by the Oregon Department of Education, via the Oregon Youth Development Council. Indeed, 2019 was a formative year – full of hard work, the support of our community members, and faith in each other to make it all happen.

Just as we hit this milestone though, I had to bid farewell…

I received a Fulbright Award to Malaysia (which is where I am now) and left the United States at the beginning of 2020 – literally; I resigned on December 31st, 2019 and hopped on a plane to Malaysia the very next day on January 1st, 2020.

Saying good-bye to AIR-YC and my immigrant & refugee community was one of the most difficult farewells that I had to make. As I boarded the plane though, I came to this important realization: No matter where I go, this is the community that gives me the strength to reach for the stars and keep going.

The resilience of immigrants and refugees is the story of America that I hope to present to the world. It’s my story, and the story of hundreds of our community members who have raised and inspired me.

Where I Am:

In a way, that story led me here – on a cultural exchange program between the United States and Malaysia. I won’t say any further, because believe me, there will be more to come as I immerse myself in Malaysia’s own story. For now, here’s a sneak peak of my life during the last two months:

Yes, Malaysia is my new home for 2020…