Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with Young Asian American Gen Zers

Horowitz Research Celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month with Asian American Gen Zers

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, an important moment to recognize the extraordinary achievements of Americans of Asian descent. In celebration of the heritage month, Horowitz is uplifting the voices of young Asian American Gen Zers, as they reflect on their diverse Asian cultures and what the monthlong tribute means to them.

Rebecca, 18

“As the daughter of someone who immigrated to America pretty late in her life, I’ve grown up with a lot of traditional Chinese values ingrained into my daily life. Probably the biggest difference I’ve seen between myself and other peers is the influence of Eastern customs like collectivism. Growing up in America, a country that celebrates individualism, I always found myself juggling with how the rest of Western society operates and the Asian values I was learning at home. While my American peers often adhered to ideals of individualism, self-expression, and independence, I was simultaneously immersed in traditional Chinese values emphasizing collectivism, filial piety, and tenacity. This unique perspective influences my approach to relationships, decision-making, and prioritization, often diverging from the mainstream American societal norms. I think there are a lot of benefits to both mindsets, and my Asian-American identity has enabled me to experience the best of both worlds. Growing up, I learned to reconcile the individualistic ideals of American society with the communal mindset instilled by my Chinese heritage, creating a unique balance between the two that set me apart from most of my peers.

“One cool aspect of my Asian culture that I'd love for other people to know about is the rich tradition of visual arts. I feel like Asian culture is typically celebrated for its music and cuisine, and because of that, its rich history in the visual arts often gets overshadowed. I’m currently studying art history in college, and I’ve just become fascinated by the intricacies of Asian artistic traditions like calligraphy, ancient bronze work, and jewelry. There’s so much to learn about East-Asian history and society by appreciating the culture’s artwork, and it’s definitely a part of my culture I would love to explore more.”

Sapthaka, 17

“[AANHPI Heritage Month] means representation. I feel like a lot of times Asian people are overlooked. As a South Indian, I do feel underrepresented in a lot of areas. But during this month, I feel better represented and educated, as I learn more about other cultures and am able to express my own. It resonates with me very deeply. I am very involved in my culture and seeing it in places more frequently makes me proud. All the festivals and events that happen in celebration of Asian culture are so amazing. The cultural aspect I enjoy the most is food. I love our traditional spices and seeing the way people are able to incorporate comforting flavors into a dish. Food becomes an easy way to add some of my culture into my daily life and it truly brings me a lot of happiness.”

Gia, 17

“To me, [AANHPI Heritage Month] is a recognition of all the contributions Asian Americans have made to this country. It also gives people a reason to learn more about how Asian people were treated in America, like the Japanese internment camps. As an Asian person, the heritage month resonates with me as an attempt to shine light on a minority group. My favorite parts about my culture are the holidays, most of which center around spending time with family and friends. I enjoy holidays because they provide activities like learning about the history behind each holiday, learning new recipes, and actually celebrating.”

Anonymous, 17

“Asian American Heritage Month is obviously very important and should be talked about more, but its lack of awareness takes away from the impact it has on my life. I think the month is very important. It is crucial to celebrate the rich and diverse Asian cultures. I am glad that there is a month that can showcase some aspects of such cultures. I appreciate the moral aspects of my culture the most. Normalities in my culture, such as being a vegetarian and trying hard in school, are all things I do in my life and make me the person I am today.”

Amna, 17

“One cool thing about my Asian culture is that Pakistani values put a lot of importance on hospitality. This is very prevalent in my everyday life because whenever we have guests over, everyone is warmly greeted, regardless of background, and are always offered refreshments as a sign of respect.”

Verónica, 17

“My parents are immigrants from China, and though they’ve gotten a lot better over the years, they’ve had some of that ‘tiger parenting’ stereotype. Chinese parents love showing off their children’s accomplishments in the countless parent WeChat groups they’re a part of, and it wasn’t too rare for my parents to ask me why I didn’t get this certain award like XYZ’s child. I’m lucky because my parents don’t do that as much anymore. They’ve realized the kind of pressure we face and have learned to show pride in us and be super supportive.

“With influences from Confucianism, China has a culture of valuing family. Therefore, it’s important to me to have a family dinner every night and show much respect for my parents. I think of my family first and try my best to contribute to chores and take care of my parents.

“I would love for people to learn about the diverse food of China that extends beyond the Americanized dishes like sesame chicken, orange chicken, and lo mein. Chinese food can be roughly divided into eight cuisines: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang. These cuisines vary a lot due to different geographical conditions and local preferences. Chinese people love to consume all parts of an animal as long as they’re edible, so that includes things like chicken feet, stomach lining, and duck neck. We like to take full advantage of resources, like the wild bamboo shoots, leeks, and mushrooms that my mom forages outdoors. (She checks that the mushrooms are not poisonous with an expert before eating.) Our food contains many unusual ingredients, but that’s what adds to the rich taste and texture and makes our food so special and delicious!”

Horowitz Research is a leading provider of consumer market research specializing in consumers and their relationships to media, content, and technology with a particular expertise in cultural insights among America’s Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and Gen Z audiences. The company offers a full suite of à la carte syndicated reports as well as custom quantitative and qualitative consumer research for companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500. Horowitz Research was recently acquired by M/A/R/C Research, a Texas-based research and insights firm. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.