During May, we’re interviewing high school students from across Spokane Public Schools in recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. These students are members of multicultural clubs where they can connect with peers while sharing and celebrating their heritage with our community year-round.
Most students attend high school for four years, but senior David Doan has attended North Central High School for six , starting as a 7th grader in the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) middle school immersion program.
He’s been a member of SHADES, NC’s multicultural club, since his freshman year and is club president this year.
David has lived in Spokane his whole life; his parents immigrated from Vietnam.
“In a city that is predominately white, it’s really great to see that there’s this community at North Central where I can come to share my own culture while learning about others,” he said of his experience in the club.
“One of my favorite activities is our Diversity Con where we perform every year,” he said. “It’s usually in the spring, and we invite a bunch of performers and students to share their culture.”
Feather Auld, a senior and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians 2024-25 Miss Qlispé, performed a jingle dance this year, and Islander Club students have performed at past events as well.
“We always do a fashion show where students can display their different cultural attire and the flags from their countries,” David said.
The group also hosts events to highlight different cultures and community at their school. They recently invited the school to learn about Arab culture and traditions while eating traditional food. “We got to learn how to write our names in Arabic,” David said proudly.
He appreciates that AANHPI Heritage Month in May is opportunity for our community to learn about the many different cultures across the Asian continent.
“It’s not just one homogeneous identity; it’s such a wide region with so many cultures,” he said. “I don’t think people know how diverse it is. And even if we divide them up – Southeast Asia, East Asia, Western Asia – they’re all part of one continent, but that doesn’t mean they are all the same.”
Reflecting on his own heritage, David values the resilience of his predecessors. “The reason my family immigrated over was because of the Vietnam War,” he said. “My grandfather – my dad’s dad – fought for South Vietnam and the United States, which led to him immigrating here. It’s really powerful to understand how he’s gone through war, he’s gone through imprisonment, and he’s faced struggles in America while creating a life for himself and our family. His sacrifices were to make a better life for our family over here, and I’m really appreciative of that.”
As David’s time at North Central closes, he’s hopeful to see how student groups like SHADES will continue to celebrate students’ experiences and backgrounds.
“In my six years here, I really appreciate how there is a conscious effort to uplift diverse voices,” he said. “As SHADES president, I feel like I have put in some effort towards making that happen. It feels good to see that there has been change, and there continues to be change.”