AT 28, she has already co-authored a book called China Dolls. “Think Joy Luck Club meets Sex and the City,” said Michelle Yu about the novel that she wrote with her cousin Blossom Kan, released last year.
But perhaps more tellingly is the story of Yu, an Asian from the Bronx, reflecting yet another one of the 1,001 tales of the mixed pot that is New York City.
“I grew up in the Bronx in a predominately Caucasian neighbourhood. In grade school, I was the only Asian American in my classroom.
“There were times when I felt out of place especially during class discussions about white or black people because my race was never mentioned,” she said.
“However, the kids didn’t treat me differently. I had lots of friends. Later in high school, my classroom became more diverse,” said Yu, a sports reporter with NY1, a 24-hour news network owned by Time Warner Cable.
Still, it is sometimes an uphill battle to prove that she knows her stuff in the rough world of sports.
“When I go to the NBA locker room, for instance, automatically the rest of the media who are mostly Caucasian men would all look at me wondering: Is she here to do her job or to flirt with the players or is she a groupie?”
“That, unfortunately, is how they see me because I am female and Asian American.” Her solution? Always be “extra professional” in mannerism and attire.
She greatly admired her grandmother who came to the United States from Toishan, China, not knowing English but braving herself to make it in a new world.
“I realised how well I have had it, compared to those who came earlier, not speaking the language, not knowing the culture.”
The sweat of past generations is the sweet success of the present.
A college graduate, Yu is a poised young female today, addressing a crowd with confidence when she spoke on Tuesday about the influence of Asian American women in New York to mark the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
There are an estimated 13 million Asians in America, comprising 5% of the population.
According to the US Census Bureau, about two million people speak Chinese at home, making it the most widely spoken non-English language after Spanish.
Despite the staggering record, Yu felt there was still a desperate need for more Asian Americans to come forward and provide a stronger voice for the community.
“Our culture teaches us to not be flashy and to do well in life. Earn a living, have a family. However, I think sometimes this makes us suffer as a community.
“For example, among African Americans, there are vocal leaders like Al Sharpton who are always present when major issues confront them.
“Who do we have in the Asian community?” she asked.
“We need more voices in the media whether in politics or arts to represent us.”
As an Asian American, Yu felt that there were opportunities to help initiate change to her community.
“The downside of it is that it is sometimes still a battle, and it is up to us to start paving the way for the future.”
The foreigner syndrome, however, still persists.
“We have been here 150 years, yet Asian Americans are seen as can’t possibly be Americans. So we are always having a foreigner status,” said John Liu, a New York City councilman, the first Asian American elected to the post.
A Taiwan-born whose childhood began in Flushing, Queens, a neighbourhood often seen as the first stop for many immigrants from China and even Malaysia, the 40-year-old Liu recalled that there were few Asians during his early days here.
“When I was growing up in New York, there were not nearly as many Asian Americans. It was a very tiny community.
“Today, we are about 11% of the eight million population in New York City,” he added in an interview.
“So, you can see that the community has become more robust. They are everywhere, there are more choices now, more accents and flavours,” he added.
Liu, always outspoken against hate crimes, said it was still quite a problem here where youths were occasionally beaten up and deliverymen, most often Asians, abused.
“We have to be vigilant when something like this happens. We have to stay on top of it and demand and ensure that the government act forcefully and effectively,” he said.
The road to the best of both worlds is still rather winding.
