Culture Is a Superpower
How My Multicultural Roots Shape My Voice
I was born to Chinese and South African parents and raised on three continents. For a long time, I thought that meant choosing: which language to speak first, which holiday to celebrate “properly,” which version of me fit the room. Over time I learned something gentler—and far more powerful: culture isn’t a box to stand inside; it’s a bridge you can build.
My psychology studies back this up. Identity is layered. When we hold more than one cultural lens, we also hold more ways to listen, to interpret, and to respond. That flexibility is not confusion—it’s competence. It helps me read a room, catch nuance, and find shared values even when starting points are different.
Here are three ways I turn culture into a daily superpower:
1) Curiosity before certainty.
Instead of assuming, I ask: “How is this said where you’re from?” or “What does this symbol mean to you?” Those small questions open big doors. Curiosity lowers defenses and invites dignity. It says, “I see you as a full person.”
2) Story as a science-backed tool.
Stories change hearts—and our brains are wired for them. When I share what Lunar New Year smelled like in my grandmother’s kitchen or what Ubuntu means in South African philosophy, I’m not just being nostalgic. I’m creating empathy pathways. Stories make the unfamiliar feel close.
3) Translation as leadership.
Bridging worlds is practical: translating expectations, timelines, or etiquette across groups prevents misunderstandings that cost time and trust. Cultural fluency is a leadership skill—especially for women who navigate multiple spaces every day.
This is the heart of my platform: Global Sisterhood—women supporting women across borders, identities, and languages. If we can celebrate our roots and stay open to each other’s, we turn difference into momentum. That’s the energy I bring to the Miss Asia USA stage: poise that comes from belonging everywhere I’ve been and everyone I come from.
If your story spans countries, you’re not “too much.” You are a connector. Your cultures are not competing; they’re collaborating inside you. And when we let that synergy lead, we don’t just represent our communities—we reconnect them.