Story of Thu Pham, Senior Financial Analyst at Lionbridge 
 

Growing up Vietnamese American, there were differences in cultural values and upbringing that had a huge impact on my identity. I grew up in great confusion with a lot of self-doubt and limiting beliefs that I carried forward into my adult years. Early in life, I was deeply influenced by my parents since I was very close to them. With a huge age gap of nearly fifty years, they were very traditional and strict, so I grew up in great fear of them, and I made sure I always did as I was told. In school, I was encouraged to speak up, to raise questions, and to voice my opinions. At home, I was taught to know my place, to always obey and to never talk back. If I thought any differently, I would’ve felt disrespectful or that I was a bad daughter. I didn’t want to disappoint my folks and I wanted to make them happy – I wanted them to be proud of me. The need for approval became very apparent and eventually, that led into a fear of being judged by others. I lived a good part of my life unhappy because I was trying to live up to other people’s expectations. I wanted to feel accepted and I was afraid to be different, I was afraid to be myself.

My discovery of yoga in my early twenties led me to question who I was and what I wanted out of my friendships and relationships. As I progressed in my practice, I developed a deeper understanding of myself and my ways of thinking. My mat was home for me – it was where I could express myself without any judgement or fear, and it was where I found the strength to break free from hindering thoughts. Yoga was a place for growth, it was where I felt beautiful, alive, strong, and free. It was where I learned acceptance, compassion, and love for myself; and it’s those very lessons that I carry into my life this day.

Once I shed the layers, I’m at peace with who I am because I know it’s coming from a place of truth and I’m no longer fighting what’s inside. I no longer looked to another for validation and I can truly appreciate my whole being. It took me a very long time to understand that. I used to hate it when I heard comments like “You’re so weird”. Now, I can honestly laugh about it because I know there’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just a little different. It is our uniqueness that makes us strong and beautiful. My experiences have allowed me to have this understanding for myself, and it has helped me develop empathy for people who feel different. I hope it inspires others to do the same for themselves – to be true to yourself and to have the courage to live life on your own terms. 

Connect with Thu Pham on LinkedIn

Get your stories told and inspire other Asian in the US! Submit your stories to [email protected]

Get your stories told and inspire other Asian in the US! Submit your stories to [email protected]

Emily Hunter joined Manulife/John Hancock in 2013 as a customer service representative for the Annuity call center, where she worked for one year before transitioning to Workforce Management for the Shared Services Call center. Emily assisted the Annuity, Long Term Care and Life Insurance call centers in Workforce Management for three years before accepting a position as a manager in the Annuity call center in January 2017. Prior to joining John Hancock, Emily worked for five years as a manager in Salem, NH. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2010, and will receive a Master’s degree in Management this May from Southern New Hampshire University.
 

 Here's her story: 

  My twin sister and I were adopted from South Korea by our fully Caucasian mother and father when we were just 5 months old. Growing up in a strictly Caucasian town/state, we always knew we were different. Our classmates were always Caucasian; the food we ate was always American. My father is 100 percent Italian with dark skin, thick hair and a booming voice. My mother is a petite, tiny little French Canadian.

 My mother sent me to music camp to learn the violin, I was awful. In middle school and high I grew up defying all the stereotypes that were placed before me. school I struggled with math terribly. My parent's enlisted tutors, extra training sessions, prep classes; I barely scraped by with a C+. When I went off to college, I wrote my essay on how I was a "bad Asian." I could not seem to find my niche in the world. Throughout college I struggled to find my identity. I rolled my eyes each time I was the butt end of a joke for having an Italian American first and last name. I never told anyone my Korean middle name for fear of being made fun of. My name didn’t even know its identity! I avoided becoming friends with other Asian’s purely because I felt like I didn’t belong with them. 

  When I graduated college 4 years later, I felt I had finally found my sense of self.  My interest in my heritage had peaked. I studied Korean, became friends with some other Asian women who were also adopted and threw myself into learning how to make Korean food.   

  Years later, I married a wonderful man who embraced my Asian heritage and encouraged me to continue down my path of self-exploration. We even incorporated some Korean wedding  practices and traditions into our own. With his support I decided to embark on the journey of finding my biological parents, a Pandora’s Box I hadn’t ever been tempted to open. After 2 years, my adoption counselor called me on my birthday. They had found my biological mother and my foster parents. My mother was a young college student who became pregnant after a one night stand in college. She was 18 years old and decided to keep us and give us up for adoption. My foster mother was 95; she had fostered over 55 babies in South Korea. I wrote my biological mother many letters and enclosed photos of our lives over the years. To this day she is uncertain about meeting us but I’ve felt fully healed knowing she is out there and that she is happy of our well-being.

  Present day, I am a 28 year old manager for John Hancock. I had known deep in my heart at a young age I wanted to be a people leader and I worked for years to get to where I am now. We are expecting our first child and have given him a Korean middle name, Mari, which means mountaintop. The pride I feel to be an adopted Asian American is one I hold onto fiercely like a badge. When I sign my names in emails, on checks, in letters, I proudly use my full name, Emily Kim Ae Sun Hunter. 

Special thanks to our sponsor: 

Peter Ng (伍振中) was born in Hong Kong in 1952 and immigrated to United States in 1963. He graduated from United States Air Force Military School and The FAA Academy. Ng entered the federal service as the first Asian air traffic controller in the U.S. and served as the Communication Director for the Federal Aviation Administration. After 41 years of government service he retired and focus on the needs of the community organizations. Ng works predominantly in the medium of painting in watercolor, oil, acrylic, Chinese calligraphy and Chinese ink painting. Ng is a self-taught and is a member of the Boston Chinese Calligraphy Association; Artists Support and Promote Community. He is the creator of the Brushmagic Kids (神筆小孩) and The East Meet West (中西結合) product line. His artwork has been displayed in galleries around the world and sold through an agent in China, Singapore, Japan and United States.

Ng is an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and his goal is to give back to this great country by invest in the future of American youth and children around world. Proceeds from his artwork sales go towards funding scholarships for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, art, education and humanity.

Get your stories told and inspire other Asian in the US! Submit your stories to [email protected]