The author reflects on their Asian American upbringing in California's Bay Area, feeling disconnected from both Asian and American cultures. A trip to Richmond, British Columbia, highlighted a harmonious blend of these two identities, contrasting with southern California's less integrated cultural fabric. Revisiting Richmond during Lunar New Year in 2024, the author notes the city's high Asian population and its unique ability to merge diverse cultures, fostering acceptance and understanding that the author has continually sought in their life.
While southern California communities in the San Gabriel Valley also had that essence, it felt like two different worlds as soon as I drove back to my job in Burbank.
Richmond isn’t just a place with Asian enclaves here and there. Instead, it’s a city that developed encapsulating both worlds that I still struggle to bridge.
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