Hi! My name is Neeya Kato. I live in West Bloomfield, Michigan. I am attending Wayne State University this fall, majoring in social work. Hopefully, through my practice, I can uplift the younger generation and help guide a path to a brighter future. I love to create art with a pencil or a paintbrush in my free time. I love singing, playing with my dogs, and hanging out with friends and family.

 

The reason why I am passionate about building power for Asian American families is because of my personal experience as one. I am a Japanese American born and raised in Michigan. For a short period in my life, I lived in a small town in Ohio that no one had heard of called Bellefontaine. I was the only Asian kid in my school, often an easy target. My mother and I were the only Asians in the whole town. We were looked down upon, stripped of respect and equality. As I grew older, I started to gain confidence in who I was in my culture. My past is a reflection of my future. I want the next generation not to fight for equality but to guarantee it. During the summer of 2022, I decided to join a group called Rising Voices in hopes of protecting voter's rights and getting in touch with my Asian American community. This website is dedicated to the thoughts and progress made throughout the duration of the program. 

My mother is a first-generation immigrant from Japan. Growing up in a small, predominately white town, I have experienced racism, discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice when being addressed for a long time. I believed this was okay due to the lack of knowledge about my heritage; I tried to be someone I'm not fit in. Uplifting Asian American families means everything to me. I want a community where growing Asian child feels comfortable in their skin. I want those families to feel secure and proud of who they are. Building power for Asian American families would help me give them something I wish I had growing up.