Hi my name is Katelyn Suen.  I’m a 13 year old Chinese American, born and raised in California. Growing up, my parents always emphasized the importance of sticking to my roots and learning about my heritage.

Therefore, they encouraged me to be part of a public school dual immersion program, where Chinese language would occupy half of my school schedule.  Because Chinese culture was so tightly woven into my life, I felt very connected with my Chinese heritage, even if I do live in America. What motivated me to conduct my research were the recent covid-19 hate crimes targeted at the Chinese race. Although I have never been a victim of a hate crime, knowing that others experienced such inequality felt personal to me as well. I'm lucky to live in a more asian dominated area, walnut, so until recently I have never seen or heard of these heinous crimes being committed. But the realization that my people were experiencing this, popped this bubble that shielded me from an imperfect world. On a more positive note, I'm glad there are organizations like the Chinese American Federation that aim to help Chinese immigrants in need.