Intern Spotlight: Lily Perry

Name: Lily Perry

Year: Freshman

Major: Computer Science

Hometown: Kailua, Hawai’i

Ethnicity/Nationality: Chinese and white

Why I joined APASA: I joined APASA because I wanted to make a difference in a USC community that I care about and learn more about the ways being Asian shapes the American experience in mainland USA. I have grown to realize that many people have different experiences as Asian Americans depending on the communities where they come from. I went to a high school with 60% Asian, 8% Pacific Islander, and 15% mixed race demographics, so growing up, I never thought of people from APA backgrounds as minorities. Coming to USC, I realized that most APA students come from hometown communities very different from my own and that causes others to view their APA heritage in a different way from me. APASA educates students about APA issues and accurate APA representation to help fight APA stereotypes and share APA culture throughout the USC community. APASA helps me learn about the ways other APA students view their APA heritage and how their hometowns and outside communities have shaped that image.

Hobbies: hiking; reading sci-fi, dystopia, and mystery novels; finding new places to eat good food; shopping with friends; Netflix

Other Involvement: Volunteer Center (Special Events Intern), Hawai’i Club (E-Boarder), Klein Institute for Undergraduate Engineering Life (Freshman Officer), Society of Women Engineers (Ambassador)

Fun fact: I was expelled from preschool before the end of the first day.