The need to accomplish in order to feel enough still nags at me sometimes. 

Ever since I was a young girl, I was told that I would have to work three times harder than everyone else to have a chance at being offered a seat at the table. I am an immigrant, I look different, and will oftentimes be considered an outsider.  I would have to earn my place. 

“I think, therefore I am” then quickly became “I do, therefore I am”. Human-being quickly became human-doing. 

Most of my life has been fueled by a complex cocktail of my innate passion for serving others, and this attempt to earn my place through achievement. 

As AAPI hate is on the rise, I must find the answers to these all-too-familiar questions: 

When will I be American enough?  When will I truly belong? 

The Atlanta shooting that took 6 Asian women’s lives was a breaking point for many of us in the AAPI community. It helped me realize that a revolution towards a more tolerant world was dependent on my AAPI community and I declaring: 

We are American enough NOW. We belong here. NOW.  

Songwriting is my way of writing myself into existence, so I channelled this realization into my latest single  “I Belong”. The song declares that each of us not only inherently belongs here, but also to each other. 

I desire for everyone to feel their sense of belonging, no matter what their heritage, because the more enoughness we each believe we have, the kinder and more welcoming we can be to everybody else. 

It was healing to create this musical antidote of resilient joy. I hope it’s just as healing for those who listen to it.