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Kenneth Wong, a third-generation Asian American born and raised in Philadelphia, is the textbook definition of the American Dream. His parents first immigrated to the United States with little formal education, but they managed to start a small business to support their children. As the oldest child out of five, Wong understood how hard they worked to help his siblings and him succeed, and he tried to make the most of their sacrifice and efforts by striving to make the most of himself within American society. Eventually, Wong became the principal owner at NavPac, the president of CIG Asia Ltd, the co-founder of Covenant Group of China, and the commissioner of the President’s Advisory Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Through hard work and dedication, Wong has transformed himself into a model American citizen.
Even though Wong has found remarkable success, he never forgets how he was able to succeed: “My relatives and parents brought me to where I am today, I want to pay that forward. There is still a wave of Asian immigrants coming that need help.” He made it his mission to help others bridge the daunting gap that he has already crossed. He holds important leadership positions within numerous institutions and organizations throughout the country, including the Hong Kong Business Association and Ascend, an organization that is dedicated to developing Asian leaders within corporate America. His unwavering voice contributed to him becoming a well-known and visible figure in Asian communities. It is the reason why so many groups have reached out to him for his help, suggestions, and support. According to Mr. Wong, “I don’t hesitate to want to get involved in organizations: If I feel it’s something that can help our community, I become that conduit, that bridge to make sure [it] gets to our Chinese community.”
“My relatives and parents brought me to where I am today, I want to pay that forward."
This mindset of generosity and selflessness is also something Wong applies to his work. Even though he has many duties as the president of an insurance brokerage firm, he makes sure to personally call ten of his clients every day. He explains: “That’s how you differentiate yourself, doing the little things, doing the things you want done for you.” Wong focuses on building relationships with people, not just selling them a product, and this mindset is something he attributes to his success. As a result, his company has been getting referrals across the United States, which has resulted in strong growth even during this economic recession.
Wong’s childhood played a big role in who he is today. He grew up in an Irish and Catholic neighborhood about an hour outside of Chinatown. His family was the only Asian American family in the area, and they faced a lot of cultural opposition. Wong struggled with his Asian heritage. However, as he observed his parents navigate through their own respective obstacles, he learned a few important lessons that he wants to pass on to all Asian Americans.
- “It’s important to have patience with people.” Wong understands that it can be difficult not to retaliate when wronged, but he knows from experience that fighting is not the solution. He urges everyone to seek to understand the other party and where they’re coming from, rather than attempting to fight or silence them. Then, try to educate them, and show them your perspective.
- “Seek out mentors, seek out people that you can talk to, people whose stories and advice you can benefit from.” Wong, and leaders like Wong, have learned many invaluable lessons as they climbed up the ranks of society, and they would be more than happy to share their knowledge with future generations. There are always people that would be more than happy to help you and guide you, all you need to do is ask.
- “You just want to be able to help other people when you can.” This simple piece of advice is the key to building great relationships. Simple acts of kindness may seem insignificant to you, but it can have an incredible impact on the person that receives it. Projecting kindness can change their perspective on you as a person, or on how they perceive Asians as a whole.
With his closing words, Kenneth Wong gave one last piece of advice to all Americans, emphasizing cultural unity. As a society, we live in a time where Americans are very divided, both politically and culturally, and Wong feels that it’s important to try and find some common ground with each other. He reminds everyone that, “We all have differences, but we also have commonalities with everybody, no matter what background we come from. And it’s the commonalities that we can focus on to try to make the world a little bit better than we found it.”
Anthony Chen
Ray Wang
