Spencer Howe and Emily Chan Honor Asian American Heritages

Like many skaters and fans of the sport, Emily Chan and Spencer Howe grew up watching Michelle Kwan and idolizing her for her athleticism, grace and charisma. The most decorated figure skater in U.S. history provided Chan and Howe with Asian American representation, something they both lacked in their home communities, and a role model who shared values of their own families.

Chan's mother was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 18 years old. Chan's father was born in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. with his family when he was 6. Meanwhile, Howe is half Japanese and half white. His mother was born in Japan and came to the States as a child.
 
Although Chan and Howe both were born and raised in America, their families have helped them stay connected to their cultures. 

"When I was younger, it was really difficult for me to understand my culture, heritage and where I came from," Chan explained. "I couldn't really speak Cantonese with my dad's side of the family, and I couldn't really speak Mandarin with my mom's side. My parents were both working, so I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, who didn't speak English. It was hard to connect with them. And, then when I was at school, I was a minority and couldn't connect with people there."

Admittedly, Chan felt lost and was resistant to embrace her family's background, but dance and skating helped with that. The dance school Chan attended in Pasadena, Texas was a Chinese dance studio where she focused on ballet and traditional Chinese dances. Outside of dance, seeing other people from Asian backgrounds at the ice rink and in skating helped Chan find community and belonging.

"In Chinese dance, hands are very important since you're communicating expression through your fingers. That's something I've been able to bring into skating," Chan said. "Seeing people from different Asian backgrounds all around me taught me to appreciate and embrace who I was and be more comfortable in my own skin."

For Howe, his middle name, Akira, helped him connect to his Japanese roots and share his multicultural background.

"When I was born, my mom gave my sister and [me] Japanese names," Howe said. "I first represented Japan when I started my pairs career [with Ami Koga]. I decided to use my full name – Spencer Akira Howe – when competing as a way to deepen my connection to Japan. When I returned to competing for the U.S. with Emily, I decided to keep using the name in competition."

Howe reflected another aspect of his Japanese background that has been influential is the theme of discipline.
 
"Japanese culture is a very disciplined culture," Howe started. "Even though my mom was very Americanized, she grew up in that culture where everything you do is disciplined, as well as delicate and diligent. That environment really helped me to propel in a lot of the things I've done, including figure skating."

Howe competed as a singles skater until he reached the junior level. Upon returning from a Grand Prix competition, he met his future pairs partner, Ami Koga, on the bus.

"I said dozo to her, which means 'welcome,'" Howe shared. "That one moment sprouted a friendship. She was looking for a new [pairs] partner, and I was looking to pursue pairs."

By teaming up with Koga, Howe had the opportunity to learn more about Japan and represent his mother's home country. Although Koga and Howe trained in Montreal, Howe valued his experience with Koga and the opportunities he had to compete with her in Japan.

"It was really awesome to be able to go to Japan for competitions because the Japanese are so, so into skating. Even their equivalent of Sectionals had a full house of fans!"

Since teaming up together, Chan and Howe have also had the opportunity to compete in Japan together – a dream come true for both of them. Last year, Chan and Howe competed at the 2022 NHK Trophy, coming home with the silver medal.
  "I've always wanted to go to Asia. My goal for my entire skating career was to have an international competition in Asia," explained Chan.

The 2023 U.S. silver medalists were able to travel to Japan, again, in March for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023. This time, Chan and Howe were both able to share the experience with their families.

"My second dream was to have my mom travel to Asia to watch me skate," Chan said. "That happened this year at the World Championships."

Howe, on the other hand, was able to reunite with family members who he had not seen in more than 10 years when they visited in California. This time, the family was able to reunite in Saitama and watch Howe and Chan earn fifth place.

"It was so exciting for our families to be with us in Japan … and to experience it with Spencer and my coaches," Chan reminisced. "I was blown away by the culture and how different from the U.S. it was."

One day, Chan hopes she can visit Taiwan, see where her mother grew up and have a better understanding of her family background. For now, though, she and Howe are connecting with their respective cultures through stories, language and food.

"[Asian Pacific American Heritage Month] means connecting with your roots. It's a blessing for me to have Japanese heritage," said Howe, who is learning Japanese. "When I go back to Japan, I can immerse myself in that culture, and it brings back great memories of when my grandma was alive and giving us her love and cooking."

"This month is important because it emphasizes the importance of embracing Asian culture and background and encourages people to also understand and be curious about their identities," Chan said. "My family is a mix of different Asian cultures, so I'm always learning who I am in that combination."