About Helen

大家好! My name is Helen Leon, and I'm a rising senior at American University in Washington DC, pursuing a Bachelor's in Asia, Pacific, and Diaspora Studies. I am a second-generation Chinese American from Sherwood, Oregon who views the Asian American experience through the unique lens of being multiracial. My father was born in Nicaragua to Cantonese parents, causing a disconnect between my family and Chinese culture. However, as an adult, I'm is trying to reconnect with my roots.

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As a summer intern with the 1882 Foundation, I hope to promote that there is no one way to be Asian American, and that not speaking a language or not looking like a stereotype doesn't make you any less Asian.