The vast majority of Asian Americans — and a growing number of Pacific Islanders — are descended from immigrants. From Vietnam to Nepal, and from Fiji to South Korea, our communities can trace our roots back to countries all over the world. And amid growing racist, anti-immigrant attacks against our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, it’s more important than ever to share the stories behind our immigrant heritage and affirm our collective right to call America home.
In commemoration of AAPI Heritage Month, we’re asking our communities to do just that. By sharing stories of what brought our families here, we can draw a line from past to present and see ourselves in the struggles of immigrants then and now — and remind each other what we’re fighting for.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Participation is simple. To share your immigrant roots with us, all you have to do is follow this three-step process:
1. DISCOVER YOUR IMMIGRANT ROOTS
Start by looking through old photo albums, searching the attic, or talking to your loved ones about your family’s journey to America. You might reflect on questions like:
- What motivated you to leave your home and come to the U.S.? Ask them about the process: what steps were involved, how long did it take, how were they feeling at the time?
- What memories do you have of living here as a new immigrant? You might ask about the challenges they faced or the biggest cultural differences to navigate?
- What dreams did you have for your children? How did their hopes for the next generation factor into their decision to immigrate to the United States?
By learning about our ancestors — their histories, their struggles, their personal triumphs — we can start to see the threads that tie their experiences to those of present-day immigrants.
2. REFLECT ON YOUR HERITAGE
Pick a photo or take a picture of something that represents and connects you to your immigrant roots. It could be a family portrait, an heirloom passed down over generations, or a landmark authentic to where you or your ancestors come from.
Write your story. You might describe the image you chose, how it makes you feel connected to your immigrant roots, or the history behind them. Write as much or as little as you want. A couple of sentences is more than enough, but if you feel like sharing more, that’s even better.
3. SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD
Once you’ve finished writing your story, your story should be read! Consider posting it to social media using the hashtag #MyImmigrantRoots or you can submit your story directly to us using this form. You just might see yourself — and your story — on our story wall, which we will update regularly in the weeks and months ahead.
Once you’ve shared your story, you can go to the #MyImmigrantRoots page to read stories from those who were inspired to share just like you were, follow us on social media @stopaapihate for updates about #MyImmigrantRoots, and learn more about our broader campaign to support immigrant rights, called Many Roots, One Home.
EXAMPLES OF STORIES TO SHARE
If you need inspiration on what you might consider sharing, here are some of the stories shared by our team at Stop AAPI Hate:
OUR IMMIGRANT ROOTS
Ly N.
When I look at my first name, “Ly Huong”, I am reminded of our family’s immigrant story. My name means leaving one’s homeland and holds a heavy sentiment. My parents fled after the Vietnam War while my mom was pregnant with me. They left without the chance of saying goodbye to their families to make the boat that would carry them to a refugee camp in Guam. It took 20 years until my mom saw her family again in Vietnam. Like many other Vietnamese refugees, we reflect on the resilience and courage of this time, but we still feel the loss and trauma in our souls.
Manjusha K.
My parents and I landed at the Mid-Continental Airport in Kansas City in December 1971. We carried with us a few suitcases and hopes for a promising future in the form of three green cards and offers for mom and dad to serve as residents at Trinity Lutheran Hospital.
Our flights from Mumbai, London, and New York were long but not difficult, and my parents looked forward to their jobs and the exciting adventures that came with our move to the U.S.
Annie L.
My mom left the Southern Chinese countryside (here’s a photo of her childhood home) and my dad left urban Shanghai to seek better opportunities in California. They arrived with little money, but they took on whatever manual labor jobs they could find. My sister and I were born in San Francisco, so we’re American citizens by birth.
My story is only possible in America. In a single generation, my family went from rice paddies in rural China to Harvard Law School. My parents don’t speak English, and I graduated from the ivory tower. My parents taught me courage when they left the lives they knew to start a new one here. Now it’s my turn to be courageous and fight for all immigrant communities across this country.
Rosario J.
This is an excerpt from a letter written by my Lola (grandmother). My family left the Philippines when I was really young, so my memories of my early life there grow weaker as I get older. But every summer, Lola would cross the ocean to be with us in the U.S. For those few weeks each year, she taught me to be proud of my immigrant roots, by teaching me the histories, traditions, and values of our culture.
No matter how far away I may be, my family and my Filipino heritage are “always in my heart.”
Yamuna H.
35 years ago, with a student visa in hand, my mom took a one-way flight from Taiwan to the U.S., where she had a scholarship to study computer science at Oregon State.
Her immigration story is also the story of how I came to be an American. And as this administration continues its anti-immigrant attacks, it’s worth remembering that most of us are descended from immigrants who came here in search of a better life — and we owe it to them to do what we can to ensure everyone has the same opportunities they did.
For more inspiration, check out other people’s stories on our Story Wall by going to stopaapihate.org/MyImmigrantRoots, and you’ll be able to read what community members have already shared with us.
TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS
- If you’re planning to post your immigrant root story on social media, any stories shared on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, or X will automatically be aggregated and considered to be featured on the story wall — so long as they include the hashtag #MyImmigrantRoots.
- If your social media accounts are private, your social media post will not be able to be featured on our story wall. But if you still want to share your story, you can always submit it using this form and our team will review and consider adding it to the social wall as soon as possible.
- If you want to tell your story, but don’t want to share personal information, you can submit your story directly and anonymously to us using this form. The only required fields are a name and your story, so you don’t worry about submitting an email or a photo.
- If you have follow-up questions, you can send your questions or comments to our communications team by using this form.
STAYING SAFE ONLINE
We understand that many immigrants and their loved ones are under threat and experiencing a lot of fear in the current political climate. Immigration authorities are increasingly weaponizing social media against immigrants and activists, using posts to justify the revocation of student visas, to block entry into the U.S. and even to deny green card and citizenship applications.
If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal information, but want to participate, you still can! Here are a few things to consider.
- Instead of a family portrait, share a photo of something else — e.g., a letter or journal entry from an immigrant relative or a recipe that reminds you of your immigrant heritage.
- When writing your story, avoid sharing sensitive information that you wouldn’t share with a stranger.
- Make an anonymous submission — free of identifiable information. When you use our story submission form, we don’t ask for an email address and you can share whatever name you feel comfortable with (real or otherwise). Each and every story will be reviewed by our team, and some of them will be shared to our #MyImmigrantRoots story wall.
At the end of the day, we want you to feel safe and comfortable with what you post online. If you decide against participating because of privacy concerns, we understand. See below for more on how you can support our fight for immigrant rights.
THE WORK OF BUILDING AND CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER.
We’re committed to making our communities feel seen and heard as Asians and Pacific Islanders, immigrants and citizens. But we can’t do it without your support. Consider making a gift to fund our ongoing fight for racial justice and immigrant rights.
This AAPI Heritage Month: Share Your Immigrant Roots
It’s more important than ever to celebrate our diverse heritages and make sure that immigrant experiences are seen, heard, and remembered.