APASA Spotlight: Michelle Phan

Why did you apply to APASA?

When I was living in Vegas, there wasn't that many Asians in my community. In my junior year of high school, I interned with the Asian Community Development Council and I remember learning so much about the APA community in Vegas and feeling so empowered giving back to the community. I thought as an Asian American raised in a traditionally Asian household, I knew all that it was to be Asian American. Although, I had barely scratched the surface as I learned more about Asian American adversity and other cultures as well. When I heard about APASA, I was drawn to its super cute lotus logo and the idea of being a part of the APA community at USC.

Favorite APASA memory so far:

When APASA went to Disneyland, that was honestly one of the best days of my life. I was surrounded by the most amazing, energetic, funny people at the happiest place on earth; how can it get any better than that!? It was amazing to get to know the new members of APASA better and spend more time with the people I already knew!

Another memory was at the end of the Night Market event, to really see months of planning come to fruition and see the immense turnout and positive feedback, I remember almost being brought to tears. Stacy, Richelle and I really took a look at our third (and last) Night Market together and were just in awe -- it's a feeling that's hard to describe but one that I will never forget.

A significant cultural milestone for you:

Not to be biased, but when Michelle Phan took a break from Youtube and the public eye in general to take care of her mental health and reevaluate her goals and what she wanted to do with her platform, I thought that was such a power move. She did what she needed to do and did what she thought was healthy for her even if it meant breaking brand deals, stepping away from the platform that made money to pay her bills, etc. Now, she's come back so incredibly strong and I think it's awesome to see her fans continue to be so supportive of her, her health journey, and new career direction despite her hiatus. Especially in the Asian American community, sacrificing stability and your career for your mental health is not very common at all. To see someone I admire do that and see the positive effects of it is really inspiring to me and encourages me to take care of my mental health also.

What does being APA mean to you?

To me, being APA means embracing my own cultures; sharing it with others through anecdotes, shared traditions, and food; and learning more about other people through their stories. Being Chinese and Vietnamese, I grew up really merging the two cultures to the point that I still find it difficult to differentiate what tradition goes with which culture LOL but I am so grateful to be so in tune with both sides! I think the coolest part about being APA is that everyone has their own story to share and that everyone has their own unique "Asian American" experience.

If you could plan any event at USC, what would it be?

I would really want to put together a nostalgia speaker series featuring all of the Asian Americans that I grew up watching, such as Ryan Higa, Michelle Phan, KevJumba, Wong Fu Productions, etc. It would be really cool to hear from them as they were basically the forefront of Asian Americans in media.

What is your long-term goal for APASA? 

One of my biggest goals when I was running for Executive Director was to build APASA's internal community to be strong, supportive, and a caring, safe space. I always thought that we needed APASA's community to be strong in order to work our best and give back all that we can to the greater USC and APA communities. I can only hope that APASA will continue to offer a community for not just APAs, but for all students and surrounding community members. APASA is my primary community and it's where I found the most passionate, kind people. It's helped me find my identity and I wish for it to be a space for everyone else to find community and comfort as well.

Thank you Michelle!