Athlete Spotlight: Josh Tam & Katie Keto
May was Asian Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, achievements, and contributions of Asian communities across Canada, and one of our athletes, Josh Tam, was featured by Huskie Athletics as part of that celebration.
Joshua Tam: “I am grateful for the foundation my ancestors have built”
You can read the full article by clicking HERE
In addition, STFC would also like to feature Katie Seto as part of our Asian Heritage Month celebration. Katie is a valued member of our track and field community, and we are excited to recognize her story, experiences, and contributions to our club.
What is your family heritage?
I am half Chinese and part German, Norwegian, and English, though my Chinese culture comes from my Dad’s side of the family. Both of my grandparents immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong together and my dad and his siblings were born in Canada.
When did your family come to Canada and why?
My Yeh Yeh (grandpa) and my Mah Mah (grandma) were married before they immigrated to Canada. In 1993 they came to Canada while my Mah Mah was very pregnant with my dad. The main reason why they moved here was to have more opportunities for a better life.
How do you celebrate your heritage?
My family and I celebrate our heritage in many ways. We celebrate it through gathering, holidays, items, and food. Each year we celebrate Chinese New Year in February, where my whole family comes together and we have an incredible meal featuring traditional food made by my grandparents. With this holiday my grandparents, my parents, aunts and uncles give us traditional red envelopes that have money inside of them that are not only handed out to us on Chinese New Year but also given to us on birthdays. This red envelope symbolizes good luck and fortune. In my family we were always told to take the red envelope, put it under our pillow and wait to open it. The longer you have it under your pillow the better your luck will be.
Before I moved back to Saskatoon it was always really hard to do these gatherings with my grandparents and celebrate the holiday with them. However my parents always did their best to keep our traditions alive and teach me and my three older siblings about our culture. These were through celebrations and food. Now that we have moved back, we occasionally go over to my Mah Mah and Yeh Yeh’s place for supper, where they make us the most delicious Chinese food. These things are not just about food or about what we get from our family, it is about coming together and being close to our loved ones. These little things we do are so important and I’ve never had the opportunity to share how meaningful my culture truly is to me.
How did your culture, heritage and upbringing shape you into who you are today?
I find that my culture has really shown me who my family is and why I should be proud to be a part of this family. They have shown me love and support no matter where they are and what they’re going through. I have learnt aspects of determination and resilience from both my family and culture. With that it has really helped me with my academics and athletics, pushing me to be a better athlete and person. Having this part of my heritage in my life has taught me that if you put your mind to something and work hard, you can do anything. That is because of me witnessing what my family has done and gone through. I strive to never lose this part of my life and carry on the traditions as I grow up no matter where life takes me.
