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Both & Neither
As a mixed race person, my experience with understanding my own racial identity has forced me to uncomfortably exist between two sides. When interacting with either side of my heritage, it’s hard to not feel like an illegitimate misfit. Even now as I write this...
What is Your Name and How Do You Pronounce It?
Being Asian American in the United States, I often get asked these questions: “Where are you from?”, “Are you Chinese?”, and “What is your name and how do you pronounce it?” My usual reply is that I am ethnically Hmong while being born and raised in Milwaukee,...
Cultural Clashes, Air Fryers, and How to Celebrate the Beauty of God’s People
In the trailer of Crazy Rich Asians, the two leading co-stars, Rachel and Nick, have been dating and are about to travel to Singapore to meet Nick’s family. When they get to the airport, Rachel is surprised by the first-class treatment and is shocked to find out that...
How Do We Worship on Easter?
In less than a month, we will be celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I didn’t grow up with a strong Christian foundation. I’d overhear comments at church about special days, services, terms, and theology and wonder about their significance. What is Lent? Or Ash...
The Last of Us & Fearful Fathering
This article originally appeared on redtreegrace.com. Red Tree is a multi-church ministry effort started by Hope Community Church in order to connect the clarity of God's grace to our otherwise confusing lives and attempts at reading the Bible. We’re living in the...
Rhythm
Rhythm. As a musician, I hear rhythm everywhere I go. Rhythm is found as I practice songs for Sunday services on my guitar, the oscillating sound of the blinker in my car when I turn left or right, the song of the birds returning to sing in spring time, and even in...
Better Wine
You may know the first miracle Jesus performs publicly is at a wedding when he turns water into wine. What’s less talked about is why it matters today. The passage is John 2:1-12, and to really understand what it has to say, it’s helpful to first take an inventory on...
The Dragon Boat Festival
Growing up Asian-American, I celebrated both American holidays and traditional Chinese holidays. One of these Chinese holidays was Dragon Boat Festival (Duānwǔjié), which occurs in May or June, depending on the lunar year. This was an interesting holiday to grow up...
God Through an Asian American Lens
We Should be Unified, Right? “So you’ll be working with Epic this school year!” My heart sank when I heard that - I was a first-year intern with Cru at the University of Minnesota and we were discussing assignments for which ministries we would be involved in besides...
The Asian American Identity
Identity is something I have struggled with my entire life. I am a Japanese-American born in the United States to immigrant parents. My first language is not English and growing up I considered Japan my second home. I have had the opportunity to spend portions of...
Gushers & Assimilation
You look at the table during snack time at the many different snacks all around you. Your mom of course packed you your favorite crustacean flavored chips. As each of the snacks are taken out, goldfish crackers, fruit by the foot, and a wide assortment of treats from...
Breaking Shame Narratives
Shame. It’s a heavy word. One, when spoken out loud you can feel that “shame-like” feeling wash over you. It’s a feeling many have experienced and wish they hadn’t. Shame is a feeling that we, as God’s image bearers, weren’t meant to experience. Yet, because of the...