Celebrating My Japanese Roots

Hiro Kawashita, Director of Token Enrollment for Visa, discusses connecting to his Asian heritage and what we can all do to champion inclusion.

I joined Visa in 2011, and after exploring different teams in our Ashburn, VA office, found my way to the Global Specialized Support group. Our team assists Issuers in implementing the Visa Token Services.

Today, I am Director of Token Enrollment at Visa, but that's not all I am. I'm also proud to be of mixed Asian, European and South American descent. I'm fortunate that Visa encourages me to bring my whole self to work every day, and during the month of May, celebrates our Asian Pacific community during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

My Background

My father is 100% Japanese, and my mother is of Italian and Bolivian descent. Both of my parents were proactive about sharing their cultures with me - food, language and more. When I started elementary school, I actually only spoke Japanese and Spanish … however, my English has improved since then!

Growing Up Japanese

I had an amazing cultural upbringing, but it did come with challenges. I remember feeling different as a child, and wanting to feel "normal" like everyone else. My classmates packed PB&J sandwiches or pizza for lunch, while I had Onigiri (Japanese rice ball) stuffed with fish or pickled vegetables. But today, those Japanese foods remind me of how grateful I am for my diverse background. I meet up with my father and younger brother as often as possible to cook Japanese recipes, and I love having the opportunity to share traditional cuisine with my friends and teach them about my heritage.

Hiro Kawashita with a lion cub

Why I'm Proud of My Japanese Heritage

I love knowing that Japan has an incredibly rich history going back thousands of years, and when possible, I love taking the time to learn more about it. My Grandmother and Great Aunt taught Japanese calligraphy and dance, prepared Ikebana (the Art of Flower Arrangement) and performed Tea Ceremonies to preserve Japanese culture. I was very fortunate to able to experience many of these first hand.

Why Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Is So Important

There is such a broad scope of Asian culture and tradition out there, and I feel that many people have only been exposed to Japanese or Chinese traditions. This month is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the many other Asian cultures people are not as familiar with.

How We Can All Become More Inclusive

My advice to others is to look for commonality. There are so many similar shared traditions between every culture. We can easily find something we have in common, and from there can teach one another about our unique differences and move toward understanding and equality.

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