Having
lived in a small, homogeneous town in the Midwest for six years before moving to
the East Coast, I am continuously surprised by not only the diversity of
Maryland residents, but also by the prominence of Asian Americans in the
community. While the small Asian population of Columbia, Missouri tends to fly
under the radar, in Maryland, the involvement of Asian Americans in every aspect
of political, social, and economic life is apparent. Thus, I naively thought
myself prepared for whatever was to come my way upon my arrival in Irvine,
California. Little did I know, little could I imagine, that what greeted me in
as innocuous a town as Irvine was the Asian equivalent of Wall Street and
Hollywood, merged into a delectable egg roll of business and culture.
Forced to arrive at Irvine on the day of the
Excellence Dinner due to prior commitments, I deeply regretted having missed the
opportunity to mingle with the distinguished guests. My curiosity regarding
these Asian business leaders soon turned into awe as, during the Excellence
Dinner, each of their achievements and triumphs became known to me. In
retrospect, the Excellence Dinner represents all that is commendable in both the
Asian business world and American businesses. As I panned the crowd that night,
I regarded the diversity of the group as a testament to how far the Asian
business community has gone, how well they have integrated into the larger world
of commerce. At the same time, the Asian heritage proudly displayed during the
dinner, through the music, the fashion show, and the spoken words, showed that
the Asian connection is still very much alive.
As an Asian
American looking forward to making my mark not only as an Asian, but as a leader
in my chosen field, such a display of homage to the old and celebration of the
new, a tasteful combination of Eastern tradition and Western modernity, gives me
hope and a glimpse into my future. After having met my fellow scholarship
recipients, I am sure that the future I was shown will most definitely include
them as well. However, as I celebrate Asian achievements and the promise of the
future, I am acutely conscious that, for me at least, the bar has been raised.
The standard of excellence has been set at a level that I must always keep
my eyes focused on. Those who came before me have reached incredible heights
and in the process, paved a promising, yet tortuous road. The scholarship I
received is an investment in me by the Asian community, one that I intend to
return with interest. As I reached out and grasped my award that night to the
applause of the room, a promise was made, a goal was set. Forty years from now,
when I am attending the 56th annual Asian American Business
Conference, I am certain that I, too, will be celebrating, rejoicing in the fact
that in the process of reaching my goals, I have both smoothed the existing path
and added another branch to the ever evolving road to success aspiring Asian
Americans take.
Having
lived in a small, homogeneous town in the Midwest for six years before moving to
the East Coast, I am continuously surprised by not only the diversity of
Maryland residents, but also by the prominence of Asian Americans in the
community. While the small Asian population of Columbia, Missouri tends to fly
under the radar, in Maryland, the involvement of Asian Americans in every aspect
of political, social, and economic life is apparent. Thus, I naively thought
myself prepared for whatever was to come my way upon my arrival in Irvine,
California. Little did I know, little could I imagine, that what greeted me in
as innocuous a town as Irvine was the Asian equivalent of Wall Street and
Hollywood, merged into a delectable egg roll of business and culture.