Asians Around Appalachia: Dylan Milla

Dylan Milla is a Filipino-American high school senior from Keyser, West Virginia. In school, he is both a varsity soccer and tennis player. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games.

Dylan Milla (pictured in the back left)

Interview

1. Have you ever felt out of place due to your identity? If so, where did you find a sense of community?

I have felt out of place regarding the lack of diversity in this state, but I found a sense of community with my small circle that I have consisting of 5 of us and all of us come from different ethnic backgrounds. Besides my circle and the lack of diversity I don't see a dividing line that prevents me from being extremely different from other people within my town. 

2. Can you tell us about one of your stories related to being an AppalAsian? (e.g. household traditions, bullying/harassment, family business, etc.) 

Being an AppalAsian I get treated pretty fairly compared to others that are different races besides mine and white. I do get some racist jokes about my race, but I don't take them to heart much and accept it.

3. What is one Appalachian / Asian American related policy issue that’s important to you and why? (e.g. lack of representation, barriers to education/healthcare, economic inequality, etc.)

One issue I do see with the state is the lack of representation that all Asian communities have. I don't find myself meeting or seeing many Asian people and when I do I usually talk to them to form a bond that I don't get to form much.

4. What is one piece of advice you would give to AppalAsians struggling to fit in

Find or make a small circle of people with different ethnicities that make you feel safe. You don't have to seek for a large community to fit in. Also don't self divide yourself from crowds explicitly due to your race. Many people don't really care about your race compared to you as a person.