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Celebrating the history, traditions, and culture of the AAPI community

May 24, 2023

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a special time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of those from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Omnitrans recognizes the success of the Agency is made possible because of the diverse cultures and identities of our staff.

We sat down with Weber, a Web Developer in the Information Technology Department to learn more about what he values when it comes to his own tradition and culture.

Tell us more about your background.

I was born in Tennessee and moved to Taiwan with my family when I was three years old. Even though I was born in the United States, I didn’t experience American culture until my early twenties when I returned to continue my education. I feel like it was so different when I first came here. The weather, the food, and the culture, I didn’t speak very good English, so it was difficult to communicate at first. I graduated from the University of Taiwan with a bachelor’s in business administration and then moved to California.

What was an important tradition for you growing up?

After I graduated from Taiwan, I moved to California and attended California State University, Fullerton for Computer Science. I decided to leave my education and move back to Taiwan to help and stay with my parents. In Taiwan, my family and I have a very close relationship. In traditional Chinese culture, we lived together until we must move out, my parents helped me a lot, and I didn’t have to worry too much financially while I was going to school. Traditional Chinese parents support their children as much as they can, and I appreciate everything my parents have done for me. I moved back to California in 2021. The main reason I decided to move back here is because I would like to raise my kids here with high-quality education, plus California has the best land and weather in the world.

How do the values you learned growing up influence you today?

I believe home education is so important for kids and that is something I want to pass down as part of my tradition. I teach my kids that the most important thing is to be a good person. My wife and I also educate our children to learn the Chinese language and characters after school.

What was your favorite thing to do while living in Taiwan?

I love to travel. I think it is important for everyone to go out and travel the world and see other cultures. While I was living in Taiwan, I would visit Japan almost three times a year! I love learning the Japanese culture, tradition, and history.

Does your culture and background influence your career or what you bring to your job?

As a Chinese American, I have always been taught the importance of hard work, discipline, and perseverance. These values contribute to a strong work ethic, which is highly valued in my career.

What do you appreciate most about your culture?

If there is anything I like most about Chinese culture it is our language and characters. It’s so different and I am proud to say I am a Chinese reader. This is why I want to teach my children this because It’s so important to understand and learn about the Chinese language. I know the language is so difficult to learn and I think everyone should learn something about the Chinese culture.

It is important we celebrate the accomplishments, contributions, and culture of the AAPI community every month! We respect the broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas represented by our employees and community.

AAPI HERITAGE MONTH FACT

The month of May was chosen to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month to:

• Commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in May of 1843
• Mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, where many workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.