You can't run from it

I haven’t tapped into Ancestry.com or anything like that…

but I know that I’m an eighth genetically aboriginal Taiwanese.

Following the end of WWII, my fraternal grandparents fled with Chiang Kai Shek to establish the exiled democratic government of China after it was deposed by Mao’s Communist Party.

My maternal grandparents had suffered through Japanese occupation during the war as they resided on the island during that time.

Since they weren’t really bound to the limitations of Mao’s or Deng’s views of the mainland, both sides were free to have many children.

• My dad is the youngest of three girls and three boys.

• My mom is the oldest of three girls and one boy.

My brother and I first visited Taiwan in the late 80s as children.

Throughout our lives, we would visit every few years for a month or a few weeks at a time.

As adults, we would live there for a bit as well.

• My brother spent a summer there for his college degree.

• I spent a few years there working as an engineer and had my first child there as well.

Had history been any different, or if my dad had decided not to be the “maverick” and come to the US for graduate school and have me by accident, things would be very different today.

Your past matters. You can’t escape it.

Your starting zone is heavily influenced by the choices your ancestors made.

Your roots run deeper than you think

Your identity is defined by your personal history.

Your core values, your mission statement, your digital footprint and online presence, these things all are shaped by your internal and external experiences in your lifetime.

But what about your roots and your heritage?

What about your cultural history?

• You might trace your roots back to slave owners or slaves if your roots run deep in the American dynasty.

• You might be like me and be a first generation descendent of immigrants from other countries.

• You might be reading this in another part of the world entirely and have roots that are completely different.

As an Asian American, I share this from my own perspective.

I’m part of what you may refer to as a “secondary class” when it comes to the race discussion in the US.

The majority of American history taught in schools mainly focus on how blacks and whites shaped the nation.

Latinos, Asians, and Middle Easterners haven’t had as much focus until the past few decades, but we are every bit as essential.

Regardless, the role of heritage in shaping your core values, traditions, and identity aren’t small.

• I’ve always observed and celebrated the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, and Children’s Day in addition to the US holidays.

• I’m a lifelong practitioner of the martial arts and have taught Tai Chi.

• I currently teach Chinese every Sunday at the locally-supported community school.

Of course, your cultural heritage and background are completely up to you to explore.

You define how much of your story is influenced by your cultural roots and heritage.

I went through a stage of rebellion as a teenager due to the pressures of wanting to fit in here in the Deep South.

I’ve experienced racism, bigotry, and hostility from others throughout my life, both here and abroad.

• too different from white and black kids here in the US

• too foreign and American on the other side of the world

For most of my life, I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.

So I made my own path and decided to be all of the positive stereotypes…

• got a PhD

• practiced martial arts

• played the piano and the violin

Then, I went off-road…

• dance team in college

• competed in swing dance

• acted and choregraphed for theater productions

Now, I’m father to two mixed-race boys.

I didn’t realize just how much of my parents style I picked up until I had a family of my own.

Now I’m here.

It’s definitely not what I expected, but I’m also consciously making an effort to define my own style…

You have a choice, but your roots are there whether you like it or not.

It’s analog, not digital

Take some time to reflect on your heritage.

• What do you know about your roots?

• What have your parents told you about your family tree?

• What traditions and cultural events do you observe and celebrate?

Once you’ve jotted a few of these things down, think about where you are now and what you’d like to explore further when it comes to shaping your identity further.

Your digital heirloom is unique.

Exploring these aspects add flavor to your story.

That’s what this week is all about.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!