Celebrating Asian American / Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Rowie Sou

While celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we spoke with one of Stride’s Cloud Platform Engineers, Rowie Sou, about her Vietnamese and Laotian heritage and how it has molded her as a parent in this present generation.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you ended up at Stride?

Before Stride, I was a DevOps apprentice for a few years while also juggling being a stay-at-home mom to two kids. I come from a Hospitality background, but that was not really my thing. I knew I always wanted to be in Tech because I was such a computer geek as a kid (this really blew up in Middle School). Once I’ve gathered enough courage to apply for some jobs, I surprisingly landed a few interviews and Stride was one of them. I felt a really good connection with everyone that interviewed me. The interview also gave me a positive sense that Stride’s culture is strong and greatly values integrity and teamwork. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I spend a lot of time with my family - two young kids (Reina 2 and Lucis 4) and my husband (James).  My siblings and their partners moved closer to us, so we spend a lot of time with them as well. We’re all big foodies so we always go out and try new restaurants (especially if it’s Japanese food). My family and I are adventurous explorers and enjoy traveling, discovering new places and experiencing different cultures. So far, outside of the US, we’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. I would love to visit more of Europe! We also like to attend local events (festivals, shows, concerts, exhibits) so living in Vegas, we’re never short on those. On a personal level however, I love anything that involves creativity, such as; photography, modern art, fashion and music.

In what way has your culture and heritage shaped your identity? 

My parents were immigrants who had escaped communism from their home country (Laos). My father’s family is actually Vietnamese and French (my Great-Grandfather was half French) but they lived in Laos. My mother is Laotian. They went through a lot of hardships to get here (dodging bullets, loss of a young sibling during the escape, harsh conditions in refugee camp, etc.), including having to rebuild from scratch in America (Canada and US). My parents had to work to get our family out of poverty. I remember they would put together massive amounts of fashion belts for a living, only making 10 cents per belt while also having to learn English and study for their college degree on top of having to care for 2 young children (my brother and me). They kept growing, and so I have experienced a series of life upgrades as they became more successful (also moved around a lot). Knowing the value of hard work from watching my parents has taught me to always do the same and not take anything for granted. They have always instilled this idea in us that we were born in a better position than them and that it should be easier for us to surpass their achievements. My mother also came from a very influential family back in her home country and that sort of carried over in the US within the Laotian community, so she was very strict especially when it came to family image. I’m also the oldest of four children, so as the oldest daughter, it was especially tough for me as I had to take on more responsibilities and act as a role model to the younger ones in the family. I became a rebellious teenager at one point, but once I became an adult I understood the importance of values and responsibilities. I did keep some of the cultural and traditional values that were taught, but I didn’t keep the ones that I felt were too extreme. I think it’s really important to find that balance and keep what makes sense to you.

Who (or what) were your biggest role models and influences growing up?

It’s very cliché to say this, but my father is my biggest influence and role model growing up. My father is the kind of person that people can really depend on. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is always so selfless, especially when it comes to his children. He loves to make others laugh, so his presence always lit up the room. He’s also very smart and knowledgeable in a lot of topics so he’s the one to go to for advice. By nature, he’s a very logical person so his judgments are always sound. This is kind of dark, but one of the remarks that he had made shortly after my grandfather’s funeral was that one day when it’s his turn, he half-jokingly said to just throw him in an IKEA box because he doesn’t want to burden his children with expensive funeral costs. That’s the type of father he is. To give and to expect nothing in return. I think the way he is as a father has greatly influenced the way I am as a parent. My mother was actually the one who made most of the strict house rules because my father was on the softer side. I’d say that my personality is very similar to his, except that he’s a lot more by-the-book than me.

What advice do you have for AAPI women looking to enter the engineering space? 

Oftentimes AAPI women grew up in the tiger parenting environment, so that usually results in them naturally being very hard on themselves and not giving themselves enough credit for their achievements. I’ve learned that the best mindset to adopt, especially in the Engineering world is the growth mindset. As long as you’ve grown from yesterday, that’s all that matters. Also the fact that you still have a lot to learn should be seen as a positive sign that your journey in the engineering field is even more exciting and fun. One motto I really stand behind is to do it because you love it and not because it’s going to make anybody else happy.

What makes you most proud to be a member of the AAPI community? 

The AAPI community has evolved a lot and the Asian influence has become more global. People from other communities have grown to embrace some of the stuff that we identify with such as; certain video games (final fantasy, fatal frame, street fighter, resident evil, persona), certain food (matcha, pandan, ube, curry, sushi, pho, ramen), certain cute characters (sanrio and san-x), certain music and entertainment (k-pop, j-rock, c-pop, k-drama, webtoons, manga & anime) and certain fashion style & looks (cosplay, harajuku, uljjang, douyin). It wasn’t considered “cool” to be Asian when I was younger and it was really hard to fit in at school because I felt very different from everybody else. Things have changed a lot since then. I’m so proud of how much the AAPI community has grown by creating awareness and I love everything about being a part of it.