asian aMerican Pacific islander Honoring and Heritage

our PeoPle sHare tHeir stories in tHeir own voices

I’m the adopted son of a Japanese mother and a Chinese American father, who have both unfortunately passed away. During AAPI Heritage Month, I am honoring my heritage and looking back at the cultural traditions that my parents and I followed.

My family celebrated a blend of Japanese and Chinese traditions, like Chinese and Japanese New Year’s. Food was always a big part of those traditions, and we always made unique dishes just for the holidays. We only had those dishes once a year, so they always felt extra special. Another tradition was to deep clean the house and do all our laundry before the new year, to purify our home.

Senior

Since my parents loved to cook, two of my most treasured items are pieces of cooking equipment that my parents used: A cast iron skillet from my father and a bonito shaver from my mother.

I started working with Chartwells when I first came to San Jose State, and my first job here was as a donut and muffin maker at Spartan Shops. Then, I worked at several places across campus, from the Pub to Sbarros, all in food-service positions with Chartwells. Now I’m a senior cook, where I get to work with my fellow student employees and train them as best as I can.