Conversation between two first-generation Asian American immigrants reveals insights on language, leadership
ADELPHI, Md. – Each May, the Department of Defense celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to the history, culture and success of the United States.
This year, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council chose “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation” as the theme for 2024.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory cultivates innovation in science and technology through its service to the warfighter, and seeks the impact of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in its mission.
Listen now: What We Learned Today Podcast
Considering this year’s theme, Steven Park from the laboratory’s Office of Strategic Communications spoke with Dr. Yun-Sheng “Jessie” C. Chen, the Army’s senior research scientist for Soldier Performance in Socio-Technical Systems, on the topics of innovation and leadership in the context of their respective cultural heritage.
“A great leader shows he or she cares not only about your work but also about you as a person,” Chen said. “A great leader tries to be transparent about his or her decision-making process, about the rationales behind the decisions and the projections of future outcomes so everyone is on the same page.”
Chen was born and raised in Taiwan, she pointed to Taiwanese-Americans in the global semiconductor industry as examples of leaders in innovation.
The conversation also touched on the significant cultural values that play a key role in shaping the life decisions of many members within the AANHPI community.
Chen explained that the childhood folk stories about the importance of education, work ethic, perseverance and teamwork had a profound influence on her upbringing as well as those of many others. Some of the Chinese fables that she grew up with include the story of Mother Meng, the story of Yugong and the Two Mountains and the story of the unbreakable bundle of chopsticks.
“These stories or similar stories are taught to young children in Asian societies to show them the value of these virtues,” Chen said. “I still benefit from those lessons I learned at a young age when growing up in Taiwan.”
During the conversation, the topic of struggles tied to race or ethnicity led to an excited discussion about language and how it can act both as a barrier that separates two communities and as a glue that binds a community together.
Chen remarked how the need to communicate in English can pose an incredible challenge for many first-generation immigrants in the United States, especially those who had started learning the language later in life. On the other hand, speaking a shared language enables many immigrants to form close bonds with those who have similar backgrounds or origins, resulting in the creation of tight-knit communities.
In both cases, the value of mastering a language became readily apparent, even if it meant overcoming the unique hurdles that each language entails.
“Languages have their unique…challenging parts,” Chen said. “For languages like Spanish or French, you have to remember…feminine or masculine [for] nouns. For Chinese, the grammar is very easy, very straightforward, but the tones and the characters [can be] very challenging.”
When asked what advice she would give her younger self, as well as those currently trying to find their place in the world, Chen highlighted the core values that still continue to influence her actions.
“Keep learning—take advantage of the great opportunities available and educate yourself,” Chen said. “Seek a mentor and be a mentor; everyone has something valuable that you can learn from. Be an active contributor to your organization and your community. Remember that chopsticks bundled together are unbreakable.”
Listen to the special ARL Podcast episode for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to hear the entire conversation between Park and Chen.
The What We Learned Today Podcast is hosted by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, known as DVIDS.
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As the Army's foundational research laboratory, ARL is operationalizing science to achieve transformational overmatch. Through collaboration across the command’s core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more successful at winning the nation’s wars and come home safely. DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of the Army Futures Command.
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