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Celebrate AAPI Month With SneakerHeadInTheBay, Alex Walter
May 1, 2023
As we honor AAPI month, it's important to amplify the voices of the community who represent their culture on the main stage, like Asian American Pacific Islander content creators Alex Walter, aka @SneakerHeadInTheBay!
Alex:Hi! My name is Alex Walter, and I am born and raised in San Jose, California. I am a content creator mainly focusing on the footwear industry, and I strive to create content that provides value to the viewer.
I originally started my YouTube channel teaching viewers how to restore their shoes. I first started making videos in 2008 purely because I saw there was a need for concise and helpful sneaker tutorial videos, and that is how I built my core audience.
I've expanded my YouTube channel and leveraged my following to start multiple businesses. I am forever grateful for social media and the doors it has opened for me along this journey.
Alex: Alex: I am connected to the AAPI community through my Vietnamese heritage. Growing up in San Jose has been a blessing simply due to the fact that San Jose is a hub for so many cultures and religions. Through my environment I've been able to learn more about my culture by meeting friends that had similar upbringings, as well as friends that had different upbringings. I am a firm believer that being open-minded contributes greatly to success, so being exposed to different beliefs, cultures, and ideas helps.
Alex: I've never had a set celebration style for AAPI heritage month, but when it does come around it makes me reflect on my heritage and how it has shaped me to be the person I am today. As a first-generation Asian American, most of our parents dealt with struggles of poverty and assimilation when arriving to the United States. My grandparents escaped Vietnam to provide a better life for their children and were forced to adapt and work extremely hard through tough situations. That grit and determination is something that I carry with me til this day, and I give my parents and my grandparents the credit they deserve for instilling that in me.
Alex:I enjoy celebrating outside of AAPI month by exploring and tasting different meals my parents grew up eating. Food is one of those things that brings people together through the feelings it provides. I also enjoy learning how to cook authentic Vietnamese cuisine in my free time.
Alex: As I mentioned previously, the AAPI community shares similar struggles that build our character and helps shape us to be the people we are today. Growing up I felt ashamed because the food I ate during lunch time was different from the common lunch foods, but over time I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. Now that I am grown I embrace my culture more than I did when I was younger.
Alex: I think it's important to amplify and raise awareness of AAPI voices because there are many places that rarely speak on AAPI cultures and beliefs. As I mentioned before, growing up in San Jose made it extremely easy for me to find groups that shared the same upbringing and cultures as me, but children in other states might not have the same experience due to lack of representation or knowledge of the AAPI community. As a society I feel like we are doing a great job with creating awareness for our communities, and I know it will only get better over time!
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