Here are various members of Charlottesville’s vast Asian community. From students to professionals, artists to scientists, restaurateurs to stone masons, we’re everywhere and all here.
Toru Oba – Stone Mason
Toru Oba (@toruobasculptor) grew up in the countryside of Northern Japan. He was the youngest in the family and his father died when he was only 10 years old. While going to high-school in Tokyo he knew he had to do something with his life. He got up and moved to...
Sanjay Suchak
Sanjay Suchak (@sanjaysuchak) is an Indian American editorial, higher education, and music photographer. Born & raised in Buffalo, NY, Sanjay pursued photography in high school as a hobby. He later started his professional career after college, assisting a...
Sylvie Bowman
Sylvie Bowman (18) from this year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration earlier this month at @dairymarketcville I was raised equally Asian and white. I found value in working hard and excelling in my academics, and I cherished learning kung fu,...
Stephanie Soh
Stephanie Soh, born & raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the daughter of a Chinese father and Singaporean mother. When she was 8 years old, her family packed up as her father followed a job opportunity to China, where she went to International schools in southern...
Myo Quinn
Original post by @n.o.m.s.piration on Instagram Meet Myo, @myo.k.quinn , the co-creator of @pear_charlottesville Born to Korean immigrants, Myo was raised in Paraguay and first lived in the US while attending college. After graduating, she officially...
Ton Dinh – Saab Specialist
Ton Dinh, owner and operator of International Imports, a Saab repair and sales shop, has a long history of working on Saabs. He worked as a mechanic for BSR, Charlottesville’s original Saab franchise dealership. Following Brown’s purchase of the franchise, Ton opened...
Dr. Olivia Schenck – Dermatologist
Dr. Olivia Schenck practices at @uvahealth as a general dermatologist. After attending Princeton University, Olivia matriculated to @uvaschoolofmedicine. With the support of her mentors, she matched to Northwestern University for a dermatology...
Alley Naylor – Traveling Nurse
Alley Naylor is a traveling nurse who was born and raised in Columbia, MD and moved to Charlottesville, VA in 2012. Her mom, Jen (aka @themamabirdfarm aka Kimchi Queen) grew up in South Korea and would spend her summers on her grandma’s farm in the...
Dhara Goradia
Born & raised in Charlottesville, VA, Dhara Goradia (@d_goradia) paved her future with versatility while continuing to learn about her heritage. Her parents, Dhanvant & Devyani Goradia, (both from Mumbai, India) married in their 20’s after college. Soon...
Kit Ashi
Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand Kit Ashi had a strong affection for the culinary arts. While all of her childhood friends watched cartoons, Kit was watching cooking shows. Her mother also owned a restaurant so she spent much of her time around the food industry....
Toshi Sato
While we talked, Toshi wrapped endless pork dumplings, sitting on what used to be a chair to many customers when dining at Now & Zen. Originally from the city of Kesennuma in northern Japan, Toshi Sato learned to cook traditional Japanese cuisine after graduating...
Lu-Mei Chang
Cville’s restaurant scene would not be complete without mentioning Lu-Mei Chang. She was born & raised in Xiamen, Fujian, a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, China, beside the Taiwan Strait. Lu-Mei immigrated to NYC in 1980 with her parents when she was...
VeryAsian VA
Piggybacking off of the amazing @michellelitv‘s wild year of @theveryasianfoundation we’re working hard to have more representation of Very Asian VA folk. Tag your friends to follow and help us be more seen here in central VA and beyond.