This month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, or AAPI month, and we’d like to highlight a student that fits into that category.

Katie “Kai” Vo, a freshman, is Vietnamese. She’s described that there’s always pieces of Vietnamese/Southeast Asian traditions that are sprinkled into her life. She’s also said she enjoys eating Vietnamese food, especially Bún Bò Huê, which is one of her favorites. 

Vo has visited Vietnam two times so far and is planning on going again in December. She stated one of her favorite memories was when “I went there the second time for my aunt’s wedding, and I also just loved eating the cuisine there and the bustling city life.”

Vo’s personal feelings about AAPI month is that “it’s incredibly important and a great way to appreciate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It’s a really important month to us.” 

As someone who is half Filipino and half American, the concept of AAPI month just generally is really interesting. It’s so easy for me to forget that there are other people who are also Asian American so it’s kind of like a nice reminder that I’m not alone.