Thursday, July 9, 2015

[It's the Interns] Meet Leslie Wang

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!
Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!


·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hi! My name is Leslie (Linghan) Wang. I am from Beijing, China. I came to the United States to attend college three years ago. I am a rising senior at Emory University, and I study Economics and Sociology. I got to know Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta and its dedicated staffs by volunteering at several of its events.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

As an international student, I have heard so many tales about the United States being an almost perfect society where people are living amazing lives, free from inequalities and discrimination. However, the education that I attain in the U.S. offers me a different picture that this is a country where inequalities persist and discriminately deprive the promised rights of its people. Only then did I realize how much help is needed to the disadvantaged group, who did not enjoy the so-called “trickled-down” privileges brought by the wealth of the country as a whole. What made me apply for this internship is not just that there are people who needs help, but also seeing the courage of normal Americans to face the facts. So rather than saying that I decide to apply, it is more accurate to say that this internship found me. It found me in a state ready to give my hands to people in need and to challenge myself with facts and tasks that I have never thought of before.

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

Knowing that there is a larger disadvantaged, more diverse group than I imagined, I wanted to see with my own eyes how they live and what are the real help that they need. It is one thing to learn from reading about the history and the social, economic conditions of the minority groups in America. It is another to witness their everyday lives and apply the theories in the practices of providing help. Comprehending the lives of the minorities is a crucial step to understanding their difficulties and concerns, and a prerequisite to providing the meaningful help to them.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

For the three years that I have spent in the United States as an international student, I have never seen myself as an Asian. I thought that I am Chinese and when I thought of the word Asian, it refers to Asian Americans, which means that a person is first an American then an Asian. I then still think that I am Chinese when I realize that Asian is a race, like White, Black, Latino, etc., instead of mere nationality. Personally, I feel more accurate in identifying myself as Chinese but not Asian because I know that I always have a home country where I can find my culture, language, history, and roots. Even in a foreign country by myself, I always know I can return, and there will be someone waiting for me. But being Asian Americans means, not limited to, English, American football, and immigration.  It means an American identity cultivating an Asian cultural background. 

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

As an observer of the history and struggles of Asian Americans, I wanted to be a storyteller who can share the things that I have seen in the United States. I want to share it with those who may be the future immigrants, in my country of origin. Knowing the frustrations and obstacles that may lay before immigrating to the United States may help them realize that all the difficulties people face might not be individuals problem. So whenever these future immigrants leave their homeland and go to a place where they hope to attain a better life, they would be ready to ask for help.
    With the past three years as an international student in college, I have never stopped learning and shared my experience with my Asian American friends, especially my Chinese-American friends. Even though we were raised in radically different environments, part of us still answers to the cultural calling that has bred our ancestors. It is both constructive to my understanding of their lives in America and to their knowing of their roots and self identities.

·    What is your song of the year?

A Cantonese song originally produced in 1988 and became popular again in China last year because of a song competition. It is called Affection for you (Xi Huan Ni, in Mandarin), by G.E.M.. Forgive me that I did know how to spell that in Cantonese. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ1g8ShGaVU

·    Any Last words???

I wish I come in to this office as a learner that I first learn from the staffs about their motivations and experience in working with the local communities. I hope that I learn from the other interns about their perspectives and concerns. The most important wish is that I could learn from the people that I help, because what makes them in a disadvantaged position may be something that I did not know or understand and can provide future insight in helping other people.






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