Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage

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  Interview with Mitchell Balingit

  Mitchell Balingit

  The interview was conducted by Bennit Miller, along with Victoria Isaev and Violet Cooney. The interview was about Mr. Balingit, a principal at Collins Elementary School, who shared his personal immigrant experience. Born in the Philippines in 1970, Mr. Balingit’s family moved to the United States in 1973 due to his grandfather's academic ties with the University of Washington and the family's desire for better healthcare and educational opportunities. They settled in Southern California, where Mr. Balingit grew up in a predominantly white school, often feeling pressured to conform to American norms to fit in. He recalls avoiding speaking his native language and cultural practices to blend in better with his peers, but over time, he grew more confident, especially during his college years at UC Berkeley.

  Despite facing some discrimination and cultural challenges, particularly around his identity as an Asian-American, he eventually embraced his heritage. He describes how being in a multicultural environment, especially in his role as a principal, has allowed him to appreciate diversity and encourage inclusivity in others. Moving to Michigan in 2001, he sought a place where his multiracial family would be accepted, and found East Grand Rapids to be a good fit.

  When reflecting on his family’s hopes when immigrating to America, Mr. Balingit emphasized the importance of financial and medical opportunities. He acknowledged that while the immigrant experience can be difficult, staying true to one's culture and values is key to overcoming challenges. Mr. Balingit’s advice to anyone considering immigration is to be authentic, proud of their culture, and to find the right community that supports their growth. He regrets not embracing his cultural identity fully as a child but now encourages others to celebrate their heritage.

  Overall, the interview highlighted the complexities of immigration, assimilation, and the importance of maintaining cultural pride in the face of societal pressures.

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  Interview with Christine Der Chamberlin

  Christine Der Chamberlin

  Christine Der Chamberlin grew up in Missouri as a second-generation Chinese American. Her mom came from Taiwan on an academic scholarship, and her dad was from Hong Kong, with a family history of moving around because of political issues. Her grandfather fought against communism and eventually came to the U.S. in the 1920s.

  As an only child, Christine didn’t celebrate many Chinese traditions because of her Christian faith, but her dad made Chinese food for church events. She didn’t see many Asians around her growing up, but when her family moved to California at age 11, things changed.

  Now, Christine is a teacher and makes sure to pass on her culture. Both of her kids speak Chinese, and she’s learned even more about her roots through the Chinese immersion program that helped her stay connected to her heritage.

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  Interview with David Du

  David Du

  Interview with David Du recorded on March 27, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Du is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Jagger Cooney and Colin Walzer as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Mr. Du discusses the following topics:

  • Moving from Beijing to the U.S. in 1998;
  • Missing home and his loved ones’ opinions of his move;
  • Consequences and hardships of immigrating and getting a green card;
  • Difficulties communicating with home during the early years;
  • Choosing to attend Kendall College to study art;
  • Funny stories about his first few years in the U.S.;
  • First impressions and misconceptions of U.S. culture;
  • How Beijing has changed since he moved away;
  • Why he chose to immigrate to the U.S. over another country;
  • Worrying about his immigration status for multiple years;
  • Missing his loved ones in China;
  • Troubles learning English;
  • The lifelong process of adjusting to a different culture;
  • His dreams and goals as a young man coming to the U.S.;
  • His current work mentoring Asian students studying in the U.S.;
  • His American parents and other mentors in the U.S.;
  • His pride in being American;
  • Advice for immigrants coming to the U.S.;
  • Things he wishes to see change in the U.S., and;
  • His opinions on on the U.S. school system.

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  Interview with Quan Gerville-Reache

  Quan Gerville-Reache

  Interview with Quan Gerville-Reache recorded on March 27, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Gerville-Reache is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Lucy Koops and Maille Lyon as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Gerville-Reache discusses the following topics:

  • Immigrating from Vietnam in 1978 as Chinese asylum seekers;
  • The process of escaping Vietnam and staying in a refugee camp in Malaysia;
  • Getting to visit the town that she was born in and meeting relatives for the first time;
  • Difficulties in the early days in the U.S. as poor, non-english speaking immigrants;
  • Reasons why her parents chose to immigrate;
  • The sacrifices that her parents made for their children's success and education;
  • Misconceptions about immigrants;
  • Belief in the American Dream;
  • Maintaining close relationships with her extended family;
  • How freedom and opportunity increase with each generation;
  • Comparing American and Chinese cultures;
  • Experiencing racism and discrimination;
  • The shock of how large and diverse the U.S. is;
  • The process of choosing Grand Rapids as a place to settle;
  • Becoming a Christian through her family’s sponsors when they came to the U.S.;
  • How her parents’ progressive mindset helped her achieve her academic and professional goals;
  • Advice to immigrants;
  • How her family has lost aspects of their Chinese culture over time;
  • How her children are building bridges with her family by learning Mandarin and French;
  • The opportunities that arise upon learning a new language; and
  • The joy of uncovering one’s history.

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  Interview with Shen Hui

  Shen Hui

  Interview with Shen Hui recorded on March 25, 2024 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Hui is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Rohan Bennett, Christian Granstrom, and Peyton Pascoe as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Hui discusses the following topics:

  • A brief overview of her immigration history;
  • Her English-learning journey;
  • Experiences in both Chinese and American education systems;
  • Coming to the U.S. without a plan and how she found her career path;
  • Being a professor at Van Andel;
  • The complications of coming and going to and from the U.S. on a student visa;
  • Experiences with prejudice against Chinese people and academics;
  • Encouraging students to come to the U.S. to study;
  • Differences between American and Chinese culture;
  • Reminiscing on her trips to Italy;
  • Hopes for better attitudes and ideologies toward Asians in America; and
  • Views on U.S.-China relations and ideologies.

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  Interview with Sumiye Jarreau-Horton

  Sumiye Jarreau-Horton

  Oral history interview with Sumiye Jarreau-Horton conducted by Max McGrath, Gabe Williams V, and Eddie Wuerthele on March 28, 2025. Jarreau-Horton was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her Great Grandmother was born in California. Due to racism in 20th century America, her great-grandparents were sent to an internment camp in Arizona, where her grandparents were born. Jarreau-Horton’s grandparents were “Americanized” and the culture continued to later generations. Neither her grandmother nor posterity learned Japanese. Her grandmother didn’t know she was born in an internment camp until taking a history class in highschool. Jarreau-Horton doesn’t know much else about her ancestors’ histories, as it is in Japanese culture not to talk about such matters. Despite not having all of the details, she still has multitudes of information to share about being a descendent of Japanese immigrants. In the interview, Jarreau-Horton discussed what she does know about her ancestors’ stories, how being of Japanese descent has impacted her daily life, the struggles she faces, and how she plans to preserve her family’s rich history.

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  Interview with Kierstin Kemp

  Kierstin Kemp

  Interview with Kierstin Kemp recorded on March 25, 2024 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Kemp is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Tanay Shenoy, Robert Langen, and Benjamin Pease as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Kemp discusses the following topics:

  • Moving from Taiwan to the U.S. to alleviate academic pressure;
  • Her parents’ work background;
  • Leaving her sister and mother in Taiwan;
  • The challenges of learning English and socializing in her early days in the U.S.;
  • Growing up with Chinese parents vs. being a Chinese parent herself;
  • Missing Chinese food and holidays;
  • Sharing her culture with her kids in a multicultural household;
  • Reflecting on the anti-Asian hate during the pandemic;
  • The path from leaving pharmacy to starting her own business;
  • Advice to immigrants;
  • Goals for her children academically and professionally;
  • Advocating for following your passion, and;
  • Asian American pride.

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  Interview with Priya Krishnan

  Priya Krishnan

  Interview with Priya Krishnan recorded on March 27, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Krishnan is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Violet Chamberlain and Chloe Ellis as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Krishnan discusses the following topics:

  • Immigrating from India to the U.S. right after 9/11;
  • The difficult feelings of missing and be able to see family;
  • Relative ease culturally assimilating in New York vs. the difficulties in other states;
  • The better opportunities that future immigrants have;
  • Love for Indian food and passing her culture on to her kids through food;
  • Viewing both India and the U.S. as home;
  • Difficulties forming community and being understood as an immigrant;
  • Accents do not impact or determine English fluency;
  • Differences between American and Indian education systems;
  • Getting into graduate school in the U.S.;
  • Differing ideas about sports and extracurriculars in the U.S. vs. India;
  • Attending a convent school in India; and
  • College preparation and admissions in India.

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  Interview with Ruijie Liu

  Ruijie Liu

  Interview with Ruijie Liu recorded on March 27, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Liu is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Andrew Conrad and Emmy Kamp as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Mr. Liu discusses the following topics:

  • Immigrating from China to the U.S. for graduate school;
  • Difficulties learning to speak English with natives;
  • Feeling academically, professionally, and personally successful in the U.S.;
  • Staying in the U.S. for a better educational environment for his kids;
  • Difficulties being separated from and visiting family;
  • Differences between American and Chinese culture;
  • Celebrating both American and Chinese holidays;
  • His perspective on the American Dream;
  • His personal experience of obtaining a green card;
  • Choosing a country to live in depending on one’s goals;
  • How his views about the U.S., and people in general, have changed over time;
  • Working in biomedical research at Grand Valley State University;
  • Bonding with international students that he teaches;
  • Moving to and loving Grand Rapids;
  • Advice to international students in the U.S.;
  • Differences in American and Chinese education systems;
  • Wishing his hometown could stay as it was when he was a child;
  • His upbringing and how he is raising his kids; and
  • Advice to immigrants coming to the U.S.

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  Interview with Yilin Liu

  Yilin Liu

  Interview with Yilin Liu recorded on March 25, 2024 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mrs. Liu is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Lucy Stegeman, Spencer Porter, and Giselle Wong as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Mrs. Liu discusses the following topics:

  • Her experiences of a Chinese immigrant from Anhui, China
  • Pursuing higher education in the United States
  • Challenges of immigration including racism and microaggressions
  • Complexities of maintaining cultural ties while adapting to a foreign environment
  • Relationship between people and food
  • Inter-generational transmission of cultural heritage
  • Immigrant support systems

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  Interview with Ruchi Manohar

  Ruchi Manohar

  Interview with Ruchi Manohar recorded on March 25, 2024 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Manohar is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Ella Shaarda, Lila Fus, and Reagan Kurt as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Manohar discusses the following topics:

  • Her dad wanting her to immigrate to the U.S. for her Master's;
  • Her positive perception of Americans and the U.S.;
  • Adjusting to a new English dialect;
  • Choosing to attend university in Texas;
  • Differences between Indian and American universities;
  • Her relative ease with adjusting to American culture;
  • Working as a software engineer;
  • Meeting her husband and moving from Florida to Michigan;
  • Differences in driving between the U.S. and India;
  • Celebrating Diwali in the U.S. and missing other celebrations and festivals in India;
  • Dietary changes she has made since moving to the U.S.;
  • Expectations vs. reality of the U.S.;
  • Missing the busy, crowded environment in India;
  • Feeling accepted and welcomed by Americans;
  • How her goals and ideas of success have changed since being in the U.S.;
  • Getting a green card and later choosing to become a U.S. citizen during the pandemic;
  • How she helps her children remain connected to their Indian roots;
  • How the exposure to new cultures in the U.S. has changed her as a person;
  • Advice for immigrants, and;
  • Difficulties building community in the U.S.

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  Interview with Jane Newton

  Jane Newton

  Oral history interview with Jane Newton was conducted by Kadence Koops, Willa Prinsen, and Elizabeth Foster on March 28, 2025. Interviewee Jane Newton was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she went to Wyoming Park High School and Michigan State University for her master's and bachelor's degrees. Jane and her siblings (one brother, and one sister) were raised by a Korean mother and a Cambodian father who immigrated to the United States. Although she spoke English at home, she grew up as a part of the Korean Church. As time went on, when Jane was in middle school she began to feel like an outsider, people not only made fun of the food she typically ate at lunch but also her first name. It was not until she was older that she had the opportunity to learn about her family's heritage. One Sunday she came in late to church, forcing her to sit in the front row. During the sermon, the guest pastor from Cambodia introduced a trip the church would take back to her dad's hometown. Jane ended up taking the opportunity to go but did not realize the true impact of what her parents went through until she toured the genocide museum. After taking this trip she asked her parents about their experience of immigrating. She learned that her mom immigrated during high school to live with her sister, whereas her dad came to the US to train as a helicopter pilot. Although she suspects that none of her father's family survived the genocide that happened during this time, causing many people to immigrate, most of her mother's family is still alive and she lives near them. As Jane surrounds herself with a Korean family she continues to carry out her culture for her kids. As a mother, she took on the role of exposing her children to her generational heritage by involving them in different school-related and outside activities. She and her family continue to embrace her heritage by honoring their ancestors and celebrating typical Korean traditions/holidays such as Hanbok and Jesa. Jane mentioned that her experience growing up was different but she is glad that she made a connection with her culture. She hopes to gain more courage to share her experience and advise young students and other immigrants to seek and explore opportunities to make intentional connections with their own culture.

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  Interview with Linda Rossetti

  Linda Rossetti

  This oral history interview with Linda Rossetti was conducted on March 31, 2025, by Kaitlyn Konyndyk, Harriet Ogilvie, and Jacob Zhang. The interview was written by Kaitlyn, Hattiet, and Jacob. Linda Rossetti was born in Lansing, Michigan and is the oldest of three. Her parents immigrated to America from China in the 1990s, shortly before she was born. Both her parents lived in Beijing before immigrating. At that time, her mother had just finished getting her MD PHD and her father was having difficulties finding work. In hopes of more opportunities for themselves and their children, Linda’s parents immigrated to America. Her mother was highly educated, but was stuck working odd jobs like washing dishes. Her parents had no other family here in America. It was difficult for them to get adjusted with finding a community, making friends, etc. Her parents didn’t know much English prior to immigrating, and her father’s English speaking abilities were better than her mother's. While Linda was growing up, her parents spoke Chinese to her and her siblings. She has a younger sister and a younger brother, who is biologically her cousin. Her aunt and uncle came to the US, and her brother was raised here. They couldn’t stay in the US but didn’t want to uproot him, so he grew up as her brother. While Linda was growing up, she struggled with her identity as a Chinese Immigrant. An especially difficult part was bringing snacks to school that were different from the other kids. Other kids were unfamiliar with the chinese food and snacks she’d bring, so she wanted to distance herself from her chinese culture, and blend in with the other kids. Her parents wanted their home life to be full of Chinese culture, believing that she’d get all the American culture she needed while at school. As an adult now, much of those chinese foods and snacks have become very mainstream. It wasn’t the food becoming popular that connected her back to her culture, but how when she moved out, she realized how comforting home was and how food was such a big part of that. As an adult she realized that her culture had “been cool all along.” Another challenge she faced was in the English language proficiency exams she was forced to take because English wasn't the primary language spoken in her home. She had to leave her AP English class to take a test she didn’t need to be taking. After the outrage she felt at this, her parents stopped saying that English wasn’t the primary language spoken at home for her younger siblings. In Chinese culture, family is very important. The rest of Linda’s family lived in China, so she spent many summers in China, becoming very close with her mom’s mom, who would come to live with them for part of the year. She could only talk to her Grandmother in Chinese, which is why she attributes her language skills to her. Being Chinese American has given her a broader perspective, allowing her to see both sides, Western vs Eastern. It helped her to see the importance of community and embracing your culture, embracing multiculturalism. Now, Linda lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband and children. It’s been hard for her to integrate her Chinese culture into her children's lives. She had hoped to speak Mandarin at home with them, but hasn’t yet. Her kids will be in Chinese immersion, which will help them to learn more. She elaborates on the struggles of incorporating Chinese culture and then more on her upbringing.

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  Interview with Anding Shen

  Anding Shen

  Interview with Anding Shen recorded on April 10, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anding Shen is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Aaron Chrenka, Summer Khan, and Violet Ottenwess as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Anding Shen discusses the following topics:

  • being an exchange student in the U.S. for her senior year of high school;
  • deciding to pursue her Ph.D.;
  • her struggle to assimilate to the life and culture of the U.S.;
  • experience with host families;
  • taking a job at Calvin College; and
  • pursuing citizenship.

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  Interview with Sandeep Shenoy

  Sandeep Shenoy

  Interview with Sandeep Shenoy recorded on March 27, 2023. Mr Shenoy is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Tess McGrath and Haley Cook as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Mr Shenoy discusses the following topics:

  • Brief personal and family background;
  • A typical day as a student in India;
  • Reflections on living in India;
  • Reasons for and process of immigrating from India to the US;
  • Missing India and how he maintains connections with his home;
  • Reflections on cultural differences between the US and India and how he adjusted to them;
  • How he maintains religious and cultural connections to India;
  • The norms for his life in the US;
  • Goals as a young man, the success he has found in his career, and the future that he dreams of for his children;
  • Advice for immigrants coming to the US;
  • Speculations on what his life would be like if he never immigrated;
  • Language education and abilities, and;
  • His current career as a manager in Pharmacy IT for Meijer.

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  Interview with Matt Wang

  Matt Wang

  Interview with Matt Wang recorded on March 27th, 2023 at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Matt Wang is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Julia Joo and Hrishikaa Bhargava as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Mr. Wang discusses the following topics:

  • coming to Michigan with his aunt at age 14;
  • attending school with classmates who had preconceived biases about Asians;
  • adjusting to life in the U.S.;
  • staying connected to Chinese culture through cooking and entertainment;
  • individualism in the US vs. collectivism in China; and
  • being a student at Calvin University.

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  Interview with Julia Yu

  Julia Yu

  Interview with Julia Yu recorded on March 25, 2024. Ms. Yu is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Kaleb Kemp, Alex Wong, and Tristan Gerville-Reache as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Yu discusses the following topics:

  • Growing up in Hong Kong;
  • The intensity of schooling in China;
  • Living in Australia for university and early adulthood;
  • Moving to the U.S. at age 30;
  • A typical day in her life currently;
  • Adjusting to living in the U.S.;
  • Her opinions on the U.S. social welfare system, eating habits, and sustainability;
  • Things that she misses about Hong Kong and Australia;
  • Opinions on Asian cuisine in Grand Rapids;
  • Differences between cultures in U.S. and Hong Kong;
  • Difficulties moving to the U.S.;
  • Her interest in news and politics;
  • Achieving her goals in the U.S.;
  • Family, community, and relationships as her biggest accomplishments;
  • Advice for immigrants coming to the U.S., and;
  • Her plans for the future.

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  Interview with Kent Yu

  Kent Yu

  Kent Yu is a first generation immigrant who came to the US for college. After his father came to the US many years ago to see what it is like, Kent wanted to live in the US with his wife and daughter. China was in the middle of a crisis at the time because of the instability caused by the cultural revolution. Kent was an engineer working in a Chinese factory, but felt as though despite his hard work, there wasn’t opportunity to further his career in China. In 1990, after China reopened its borders, Kent decided to immigrate to America and go to Mississippi State for thermodynamics before transferring to the University of Maryland. Immediately after moving to the US, there were a lot of financial issues for Kent because the money he made in China was of little worth here. When working as one of the top engineers in a Chinese factory his salary was around 50 RMB or about 20 USD per month, since everything in China is very inexpensive, living off of that meager income was doable, but outside of China, this money was simply not enough. The monthly salary at a Chinese factory was only about enough for a day's meal here in the US, let alone pay for his tuition, housing, bills, etc. In Kent’s eyes the number one success is to survive and keep the family well. This can be achieved when one realizes that everyone has their own potential, and everyone should all use that to their advantage. Kent came to Michigan after graduating from Maryland to start living with his family, and for job opportunities. He came to Greenville with his daughter and wife, but later moved to Forest Hills. He believes parents need to give kids guidelines and teach them right from wrong. Parents need to set boundaries and tell them how to behave. When his father came to the US for the first time, he told stories about people being strange around him. No one discriminated against Kent or his dad, but there were some times where there were weird moments with certain individuals. Kent firmly believes that most discrimination now in the US can be avoided if you prove you are hard working and valuable. We sincerely thank Mr. Kent for allowing us to spend some time interviewing his experience of immigrating here.

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  Interview with Stacy Zhao

  Stacy Zhao

  Interview with Stacy Zhao recorded on March 25, 2024. Ms. Zhao is interviewed by Forest Hills Northern High School students Ava Tuohy, Sophia Keeth, and Brooke Gordon as a part of WMU’s Telling Our Stories: A Video Collection Celebrating AAPI Heritage. During the interview Ms. Zhao discusses the following topics:

  • Origins in China and coming to the US;
  • Adapting to life in the US as a non-English speaker;
  • Disadvantages that she and her family faced in the US;
  • The similarities of humans across cultures;
  • Differences between Chinese moms and American moms;
  • The importance of being a well-rounded student;
  • The American dream;
  • Missing Chinese food;
  • Advice for immigrants to the US;
  • Advice to students wanting to learn about other cultures;
  • Gratitude for her American and Chinese influences.