Being Black and studying in Asia never seemed weird to me until other people told me it was. Growing up in Maryland, I had a lot of classmates who were of Asian descent. More specifically, I had a lot of
Why I Joined NABEA – Shahn Savino
I never wanted to learn Mandarin. It was my school’s first year offering the language and I had no interest in it. As a proud Haitian-American, I wanted to learn French. It would help me with Creole and I could
Why I Joined NABEA – Branden Turnbough
To understand why I joined the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia, I will start with what sparked my interest in Asia in general. I grew up in Houston Texas in a southwestern part of town, called Bellaire. Houston
Why I Joined NABEA – Leslie Nguyen-Okwu
Sirens pierce the air. Cars screech to a halt. Phones buzz with mass Red Alerts — seek shelter, immediately. This ballistic missile drill is a sobering reminder that the threat of conflict is never far from people’s minds. As a
Why I Joined NABEA – Tabatha Anderson
When I was 12 years old, I was presented with the opportunity to be one of the first students in my suburban school to begin studying Chinese as part of a brand new county-wide foreign language curriculum. What began as