Photo by keico taguchi

By Jerrica KF Ching

If I am to be completely honest with myself, I only became passionately interested in the topic of ethnicity within the past seven years.  Although I am Chinese American, it did not click to me that I was an ethnic minority until I moved from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest. I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where I was surrounded with people who looked very similar to me. In school I was part of the majority ethnic population, and I never questioned anything about being an Asian American.

I have spoken about the cultural shock I experienced when moving to Oregon in 2011, and how I had anticipated being “different” than my other classmates.  What I had not anticipated was suddenly seeking out small moments throughout my daily life that would provide comfort and remind me of my Asian heritage. Although it had been frustrating for me to discover that the nearest Asian grocery store was 45 minutes away, it was even more frustrating trying to explain this to my White classmates. Most of my classmates dismissed my frustration and it irritated me that there wasn’t any acknowledgement of the frustration.

It is not as though I moved to Oregon expecting my lifestyle to be the same as it had been in Hawaii. I knew it was going to be different. I just wanted my classmates to acknowledge that there was a difference. Since then I been very much aware of how I am different in the eyes of others who have not had to make choices their everyday life based on the color of their skin. This awareness eventually led to a research paper being published, which highlights the racial ideology of colorblindness and how it can negatively impact those in the counseling profession.

I don’t think I would have been able to write the article if I had not been able to learn more about my own identity.  Sure, I had always accepted that I was Chinese American, but I had never fully appreciated it until I was away from my home.  God called me and placed me in an environment where I became uncomfortable sitting in my own skin, yet I gained an entirely new perspective and appreciation for the woman I am today.  God also allowed me to learn more about what it means to embrace ethnicity, and to share this with my peers and colleagues. Sometimes what seems like a struggle can evolve into an incredible journey of self-discovery and newfound gratitude.

Jerrica KF Ching lives in the beautiful state of Washington and works as a Mental Health Primary Care Provider serving children, adolescents, and their families at Columbia Wellness.  She graduated with an MA in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling from George Fox University and is working towards becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist. Her research on racial colorblindness has recently been published in The International Journal of Social Science Studies.