In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, we want to hear from YOU!
AA or NHPI PWAs, we invite you to share your experiences and how your heritage and albinism impact your life. Photos, videos, artwork, writing, or something else – we welcome anything you’d like to share with the community.
Please send submissions to eaubrey@albinism.org for the opportunity to be featured on NOAH social media and website throughout the month of May and beyond!
Sam P.
NOAH community member, Sam P., “proudly represents 🇨🇳 (Chinese flag), and states that her albinism makes her feel ‘Asian undercover.'”
Lindsey M.
My name is Lindsey, and I am a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) with Albinism (OCA2).
I love being Hawaiian. I dance hula. I speak ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (the native language of the Hawaiian people). Although I live on the continent/don’t live in Hawai’i, I advocate for mālama ‘āina (taking care of the land) and for the return of Hawaiian sovereignty. I am the second person in my family to have albinism, so I am not completely alone in the experience, but I would love to meet more Hawaiians with albinism to know how they live with the two identities. My low vision, sensitivity to light, and the amount of time my skin can take in the sun can make it difficult to be an “islander” that finds enjoyment, respite, and spiritual connection when being in nature. In hula, being lōkahi (moving in unison, oneness, and looking the same) is important, so standing out because of my albinism/how I look can feel like a negative thing, but I tell myself that being in hula/traditionally Hawaiian spaces exactly as I am starts conversations, brings awareness, and encourages acceptance of difference(s). I’m a Hawaiian with Albinism hula dancer, and that makes me really unique!
