Being celebrated for who you are: Ngoc-Hân on embracing her Canadian-Vietnamese identity
26 May, 2023
My bà ngoại (maternal grandmother) played a huge role in my childhood. She used to care for my siblings and me while our parents were at work. After school, she showed her love and affection for us by preparing delicious Vietnamese dishes while we watched dubbed Hong Kong shows from HKTV. My bà ngoại created a very loving environment, teaching us to embrace our own culture and accept others for who they are.
As the child of immigrants, I’m proud to be Canadian, but I also try to incorporate traditional Vietnamese culture into my daily life through cooking, reading and practicing Vietnamese. It’s my goal to speak Vietnamese and Mandarin fluently one day.
Just like my bà ngoại taught me, I believe it’s important to be recognized and celebrated for who you are. I joined PwC Canada a year and a half ago, and I’ve felt welcomed since my first day. Unfortunately, that hasn’t always been the case in other environments, where I’ve sometimes felt alone and uncomfortable, experienced racism or been treated differently.
It’s meant a lot to come into PwC Canada and see the firm’s commitment to inclusion and diversity and celebration of what makes each of us unique.
I’m passionate about my work as a senior associate on the US tax team. I love tax, and I’m part of an amazing team. I also love being part of our internal Association of East and South East Asians Inclusion Network (AESEA). It’s an inclusive group in which I can celebrate my Canadian-Vietnamese identity and the identities of those around me. We’re strong in Asian representation, and we have strength in allies as well.
Being part of this network has increased my sense of belonging at the firm and helped me deepen my connections with colleagues across the business.
May is Asian Heritage Month. In addition to attending some of the amazing events AESEA is hosting, I plan on visiting some of my favourite local Asian businesses I love to support. And later this year, I’ll be traveling to Vietnam to visit my bà ngoại. I’m so excited to see her and show her all the ways I’ve embraced our heritage.
Ngoc-Hân is a senior associate on the US tax team based in Montréal, Québec. She loves streetwear and is a self-proclaimed sneakerhead. She’s also a hip-hop dancer!
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