Junior Vy Nguyen created The Asian Roots, which is designed to be a safe space for Asian American Youth online. But it’s also so much more than that.

Q: So what is The Asian Roots in your own words and what do you hope to achieve with it?

A: “TAR (The Asian Roots) is a website/literary journal — and in the future, there should be a podcast, as well. Our mission is empowering Asian American youth to be proud of their roots, raising awareness about API history, advocating for racial equity and amplifying the voices of those who need to be heard.”

Q: What do you hope to achieve with it?

A: In the future, I hope to turn TAR into a larger youth-led organization.

Q: Why the name “The Asian Roots?”

A: “I chose TAR because, during quarantine, I was afforded a lot of free time to just think. And I was thinking and reflecting on all the ways in which I struggled — and sometimes still struggle — with finding peace and pride with my Asian roots. So, I figured, why not use “The Asian Roots” as the actual name.

Q: How long has this been in development?

A: Three-ish months.

Q: How did you come up with TAR and how long have you wanted to do this?

A: “One of the things that stood out in my memory was a history project that I did for (National History Day). In middle school, I was kind of struggling to find my place in the world. I had classmates who told me I was too Asian and I had cousins who told me I was too white-washed. 

“I had no idea where I stood in the scheme of things, and it just made me want to do more exploring into who I am, where my parents came from, etc. That’s why I ended up doing my NHD project over Vietnamese boat people. And honestly, it was one of the first few moments where I started to feel more comfortable and proud of my heritage. 

“And flash forward to summer, I had this idea to start a website where I curate educational resources for API history. 

“But then, news of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd broke out in the summer, as well. It was the first time that I had ever opened my eyes to the specific racial injustice that, while similar in some aspects, is much different than the kind that Asian Americans face. I also started to be more politically engaged in the summer, which was something I had never done before. I actually paid attention to politics for once. So, that’s when I decided to create a platform where TAR can stand in solidarity with other BIPOC and advocate for racial equity in general.

Q: So what will be included in TAR?

A: “In the TAR website we have an Activism page, which is where we highlight other BIPOC voices, stand with the movement for Black Lives and challenge existing narratives about Asian people – so we can rewrite our stories our own way. 

Our History page is where we share stories of Asian American history and leaders/activists. From senseless tragedies and landmark legislation to activists and scientists, we curate educational resources that underscore the diversity of the Asian community and the historical and ongoing significance of events. Our “Youth Voices” platform is a literary journal where we strive to amplify the voices of Asian American youth and support them in their journey of finding peace and pride with their Asian roots.

Q: What Derby students are involved.

A: “There’s me, then (junior) Anna Lin, (sophomore) Lynn Tran, (junior) Kiara Kim, (junior) Alyssa Lai, (sophomore) Thu Le, (junior) Jennifer Chhim. 

Q: How did you pick your members and how many people are involved?

A: I chose people I knew and that I thought might be interested. And, I think 12.

Q: What do you hope to be the future of TAR?

A: I’m not sure. I think I just want to have a safe space of collective healing where people can challenge existing narratives and be inspired to learn/think differently about themselves and the world.

Although The Asian Roots has just begun, the website is still worth a look.

https://theasianroots.org/