...in the shoes of an average asian....

first of all, she doesn't consider herself asian...she is what you call a misunderstood pacific islander. on occasions, she would be mistaken for being chinese, korean, vietnamese, guamese, and other sorts of asian flares. HOWEVER, these colorful people of the orient are very much distinguishable. eyes, nose, hair, height, skin tone, way of life...all different...agree...disagree...do all white people look alike??? yes? no? and the tally begins! do all "asians" look alike? yes? no? we were all created with distinct features and unique characteristics. what do you write down under nationality or ethnic groups and why??

secondly, her english?! unbelievable! she speaks english very fluently. [ok. let's take a look into her background. she was born in guam - a U.S. TERRITORY - official language: ENGLISH! and of course, chamorru {the native tongue in which jade did not learn so easily or is at any where near fluent}.] on the other hand, subjects, verbs, conjugates, nouns, pronouns, etc. all, she uses quite well. she often surprises other english speaking people as she is able to enunciate and articulate her words. shocking?! i say not...take a peek:

a glance into her family life - jade grew up in a very diverse home. her biological mother: chamorru (native of guam) her biological father: filipino (left during jade's early years of life) step father: japanese (married to her mother for 24 years) siblings: 1 half brother (1/2 filipino 1/2 chamorru -10 years older), 1 half sister ( 1/2 chamorru 1/2 filipino -5 years older), 1 step sister (full japanese - 6mos younger), 1 adopted brother (3/4 filipino 1/4 chamorru - 12 years younger)

math teachers, this would be an awesome story problem. a juicy can of worms. anyway, diversity, yes...it exists in many homes - almost considered normal. the common languange in this home: english. obviously, she did not come from a traditional oriental descent. non-tradition has been her motto of life. she has become the black sheep of the family.

she has definitely adopted the american way of life.

thirdly, schooling: learning did not come to her naturally. studying late into the night for a test or an exam did not guarantee an A+ or a 100%. but she had to diligently work at getting good grades, unlike the natural geniuses of the asian realm. book smart was not her forte. studying was more a chore than an enjoyment. most asians love to keep their nose in a book. not jade. reading was not a genuine hobby, just a necessity of life. thus the title: average asian.

so when people would question her "asian heritage",

she replies: "i am a disgrace to my race...."

"...and i'm okay with that."

...and the journey begins....

guam

the journey originated

from a little tiny island

in the pacific:

america's best keptsecret.

here, jade was born and raised.

(1981-1999)

unlike her siblings, she did not adopt the chamorru culture as easily as she should have. she became fascinated with american tradition and ways. nonetheless, she has become a disgrace to her race. YET still loved and not disowned by her family, she continued her path to fullfill the american dream. her mother and step-father pushed her constantly to do well in sports and school. they provided a tough-love support in order for her to succeed. she studied hard as she attended school from 3 years of age to 18 at Harvest Christian Academy. it was here where the american culture became an influence as many of the teachers came from different parts of the mainland [guam terminology for U.S.]. because the school was founded on baptist traditions, she found it difficult to attend mass, sunday school, morning and evening church all in the same day. jade comes from a strong catholic background...deep-rooted catholic practices. her mother and grandmother's dedication to their beliefs were phenomenal. her grandmother devoted every morning to pray and say the rosaries before starting her day. her mother passed on her beliefs to jade as she was required to attend chaticism and confirmation classes every saturday and at the same time be highly involved in youth activities and programs at school and church. though her family was strict, she was allowed to attend and participate in youth functions.

through church, school, and extracurricular activities in her sixth grade year, one of the american teachers became her mentor from junior high to high school. jade needed much direction as she was exposed to different teachings at school and in the home. the mentor provided much attention and compassion to a confused little girl. the relationship between them grew into a friendship that lasted a lifetime. at first, her mentor was not welcomed by jade's family because of her color. but through time, jade's family grew very fond of her as she quickly adopted the chamorru culture. soon afterwards, she became one of the beloved aunties to many neices and nephews in the family...invited to all family gatherings and fiestas. initiation was not a very pleasant thing to go through; however, it was worth it in the end.

junior high was full of immature boy dating and endless sports activities -- studying was not a high priority, yet still a priority. however, during this time, jade's uncle introduced her to slowpitch softball. she started playing for a family league and other village leagues. it was at this time, the passion for softball was born...and the love for sports grew. in the meantime, questions about God rose. since she was 3 years old, jade was taught the Bible every day; however, she did not understand what it meant to have God part of her life. during this crucial time, she had often questioned herself what would happen to her after her life on earth. like many young people, this was only a fleeting thought...and continued her activities of daily living...entering into high school.