Growing up as a first-generation Asian American, a sense of belonging was a long and desperate journey. Raised with traditions from another generation, I found myself time and time again saying and doing things just to fit in. I look back as I delicately straddled the line of being prideful of my culture, while also disassociating myself to assimilate. With the tragedies flooding the recent news, I now understand more than ever how important it is to take pride in my story as an Asian American, and I hope to share that with the world through my films.