Rocky Mountain Public Media , the home of Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO Jazz, and TheDrop303 has a partnership with Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange to launch this monthly essay series, as part of our vision to co-create a Colorado where everyone feels seen and heard. These stories are sourced from community members across the state—told in their own words and selected from our 64-county community ambassador program. They are not editorial products of our journalism team, but are first-person reflections on life in Colorado - building bridges through empathy. Learn more about all of our brands and content at www.rmpbs.org/about .

When people discover Boxtastic at Denver International Airport, they’re often drawn in by the bright displays, colorful characters, and the excitement of opening a “blind box.” Behind that experience is Michael Ye, quietly building and shaping the vision of Boxtastic alongside his wife, Mimi Luong Ye. While Mimi is often the face of the brand—connecting with the community, sharing stories, and bringing energy to events—Michael is the one carefully crafting what Boxtastic is becoming. In 2024, he noticed a growing trend while running their family gift shop, Truong An Gifts, in Denver. Labubu dolls made by Pop Mart, a Beijing-based toy company, had become an explosive fad. Pop Mart sells the line of various Labubus in a “collect them all” ethos of blind boxes, in which the exact item inside is a surprise until it’s open. Then consumers keep buying them to collect the other ones. Labubus became Pop Mart’s biggest worldwide hit. After Truong An’s Labubu popularity and long lines waiting outside their gift shop door caught the attention of Denver International Airport, the Ye’s came up with Boxtastic, which was more open-ended and not tied to just the Labubu fad. Like a spinoff for a hit television show, Boxtastic, is inspired by the blind boxes that generate repeat purchases.  “It’s kind of become the thing that I love,” Ye says of the Truong An-inspired world of retail. “And Boxtastic is just a version of that. It’s a spin-off.”

For Dr. Esther Park, the path to becoming a psychologist wasn’t linear—it was deeply personal. Like many children of immigrants, she grew up with a clear expectation: become a doctor or a lawyer. “For a while, I believed I would be a pediatrician,” she recalls. “But on the first day of organic chemistry in college, I quickly realized medical school wasn’t for me.” What followed was a quiet but powerful shift. Park gravitated toward psychology, initially without a clear end goal. “Looking back, I can see that I was drawn to it for deeply personal reasons,” she says. “There was something I wanted to understand about myself, my upbringing, and the dynamics that shaped me.” That curiosity eventually led her to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology and continue her training at the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis. Dr. Park describes her identity as a 1.5 generation Korean American as central to her work. “I understand, intimately, what it feels like to belong and to feel ‘other’—sometimes in the very same moment,” she explains. Holding both Western and Korean values has created what she calls a “dual identity,” shaped by autonomy and self-definition on one hand, and sacrifice, duty, and collective identity on the other. This duality brings both gratitude and grief. “I carry gratitude for the immense sacrifices my parents made… But I also carry a lot of grief. The grief of recognizing that my freedom is, in many ways, built on their limitation.” These layered emotions inform how she approaches her patients—with nuance, curiosity, and compassion. “I don’t see mental health symptoms in isolation. I see them within cultural systems, generational trauma, and the psychological weight of belonging.” Dr. Park emphasizes that many mental health challenges—like anxiety, depression, and perfectionism—are often rooted in intergenerational experiences. “We do not start from scratch,”she says. “We are shaped not only by our own experiences, but by the emotional histories of the generations before us.” In immigrant families, survival stories often translate into internal pressures: achieve, don’t fail, make it worth it. “These messages are often rooted in love,” she adds, “and yet, they can become internal pressures that shape identity in profound ways.” Starting her own private practice was another intentional step in reclaiming autonomy. “I wanted the freedom to build a practice that reflected my values,” Park says. “My parents immigrated to this country without the luxury of time…Because of that, I’ve come to see time as one of the most valuable forms of wealth.” Her work, grounded in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy, goes beyond symptom relief. It invites deeper self-exploration and lasting change. “Many of the individuals I work with are interested in understanding themselves at a deeper level—not only to improve their own lives, but to change patterns that may have existed across generations.” It gives Dr. Park hope that “more individuals are beginning to ask deeper questions about themselves—not just what they feel, but why.” She hopes more people can see self-understanding not as a weakness, but as courage.

To understand the passion that owner Sean Choi of 3456tea has for the drinks he serves, first you have to understand the shop’s logo: four symbols of three horizontal black bars, with some broken into two pieces. The symbols represent three, four, five and six. To understand the logo, look at the flag of South Korea. The same black bars, or trigrams, adorn the flag, surrounding a red and blue symbol that’s known to us in the West as “yin and yang” – representing opposites but also great duality, equality. It’s about accepting that opposing forces can be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. The flag was designed in the 1880s during the Joseon Dynasty, but became the official flag of South Korea in 1949. The flag represents deeply historical Asian philosophy and tradition. For Choi, who is 43, the trigrams represent multiple meanings like the four seasons, the sky, sun, moon and earth or the four points of the compass, and virtue, righteous, wisdom and morals. He chose the name 3456tea to bring in “unification to our community and allowing good and righteous morals to be fed into the current crazy world.” And his shop does this by serving traditional Korean beverages and desserts. Choi has the symbols on his store merchandise like hats and t-shirts, and even has the four tattooed on his arm. He is more than proud of his Korean heritage: he’s passionate about it. To share his passion with a growing base, he recently moved 3456tea from the Coark Korean food hall to the heart of Koreatown off Havana Street near HMart. He dreamed of bringing his drinks closer to the community, but it took time to find a location. When a boba shop closed, Korean community leaders recommended him for the location. “I was trying to see what the options were, and then, community leaders around here were saying we need to be in this perfect spot.” His goal is to bring his community-based, “collaborative vibe into this plaza.” In the new location, he plans to continue hosting community events like the popular K-pop parties that bring in families. Choi and others on his staff are experienced DJs so customers can expect more than just drinks and desserts when they come in the door, or in the parking lot as summer arrives. “We do a lot of community events,” Choi says proudly. “Smaller scale would be hosting K-pop themed events, which we can do a lot of those here. We have also participated in night markets, Aurora Global Fest, Dragon Boat Festival, the Dragon Boat Film Festival, all the programs that go on at the Social Fabric Hub. That’s our people, so we help out with stage music, emcee and participate as a vendor.” People would ask him why he spent so much time organizing community events for free. “But honestly, I enjoy it. I love seeing people come together and have a good time at these events,” he said.

"  It’s really important to have a diverse judiciary, not just how we look, but where we come from. "

Refugees + Immigrants United (RIU) co-hosted with the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (CSPM) and Filipino American Community of Southern Colorado (FACSC) for the Pikes Peak region’s largest Lunar New Year celebration, ringing in the Year of the Fire Horse with vibrant culture, community, and celebration that welcomed over 700 attendees. The event also marked a historic moment: the unveiling of a new exhibit honoring the journey that made Lunar New Year an official Colorado state holiday, the second in the nation. The display highlights the leadership of Nga Vương-Sandoval, Founding Executive Director of Refugees + Immigrants United, who spearheaded the effort as Founder and Chair of Lunar New Year Allies Advisory Group (LUNA). Artifacts on display include her bill-signing remarks, the pen used by Colorado Governor Jared Polis to sign the legislation, and limited edition commemorative pins from its passage on June 2, 2023 and a special edition pin for LUNA members, preserving this significant milestone for AAPI communities and future generations. Vương-Sandoval also emceed the event and delivered an interactive presentation on the origins, symbolism, and significance of Lunar New Year, highlighting the Asian countries that celebrate it. The program featured a traditional Chinese tea ceremony led by RIU Board Chair Magdalene Mok-White, Vietnamese youth dances from Gia Đình Phật Tử Nguyen Thieu, and a Filipino cultural showcase including Polka sa Nayon and Tinikling bamboo dance. Together, the performances and stories created a dynamic celebration uniting the community to welcome the Year of the Fire Horse. 

"Every dish we serve at Sweet Rice Flour is more than just food; it’s my family memoir. Each dish is an opportunity for me to showcase Laotian people, culture, cuisines and desserts. "

In the bustling landscape of Denver’s specialty coffee scene, Tí Cafe stands as a vibrant anomaly. Located on South Broadway, the shop is more than a caffeine pitstop. At the helm are three sisters—Sashaline, Shominic, and Shasitie Nguyen—who have successfully translated their Vietnamese-American heritage into one of the city’s most influential community hubs. A Shared Vision Rooted in Identity The genesis of Tí Cafe was not a sudden pivot but a slow-brewing realization. Growing up as the daughters of Vietnamese immigrants, the sisters were raised in a household where entrepreneurship was the primary language of survival and success. By 2006, after relocating to Denver, they noticed a stark lack of cultural visibility for Asian Americans in the mile high area. “Tí Cafe began as a shared dream rooted in representation and identity,” the sisters explained. “As Vietnamese-American sisters raised by entrepreneurial parents, we always imagined creating something purposeful together. The idea of separating at adulthood felt almost alien.” Before the cafe, the three were building distinct careers. Sashaline, 36, was navigating the high-stakes world of craft cocktails as a lead bartender at Welton Room. Shominic, 31, was established as a Creative Director for a Breckenridge-based brand studio, and Shasitie, 27, was honing her expertise in networking and brand experience as a personal stylist. Despite their individual successes, the pull of a unified legacy was stronger. They chose to consolidate their diverse skill sets into a single, formidable vision. The Power of Three: Roles and Realities The sisters have categorized their roles into three essential pillars: the Dreamer, the Organizer, and the Fixer. The Dreamer (Shominic): Serving as the Creative and Brand Content Director, Shominic is the architect of the “vibe.” Her background in UI/UX and design allows her to conceptualize menu themes and visual storytelling inspired by art and anime. She ensures that the customer experience is not just transactional, but imaginative. The Organizer (Shasitie): Every visionary needs a pragmatist. Shasitie is the operational backbone. She creates the systems, manages logistics, and oversees the scheduling that allows a small, family-run business to function with the efficiency of a major corporation. The Fixer (Sashaline): Occupying the “eldest sister” role both literally and figuratively, Sashaline is the primary problem-solver. Whether it’s a technical hiccup behind the bar or a complex business negotiation, her adaptability and level-headedness keep the ship steady during the inevitable storms of small business ownership. “Even though we’re sisters, we’re three very different people,” they noted. “That dynamic of creativity, structure, and adaptability is the reason we can carry such heavy workloads and still stay motivated.”