Healing The Asian’s Shame: No Legs And Unlimited Possibilities with Kanya Sesser

Healing The Asian’s Shame: No Legs And Unlimited Possibilities with Kanya Sesser

Before we introduce you to our guest, I’d like to read a review, “Great podcast” by Pinhead99. “Thank you for the great podcast. This is more than just an entertainment. With your mission, I’m hoping that the world will be more open-minded, there will be less unconscious bias against Asians. This is important since our abilities to advance our career are often impacted by other people’s perception.” Thank you for your encouraging words, Pinhead99. I believe that when all of us are aware of the unconscious bias against Asians and we have abilities to lead and step up in our roles, then America will welcome us. It is not just for Asians, but for other races as well. Please keep sharing this podcast if you believe in our mission. If you want to know what I’m up to, please text, AWOP to 64600. You will get a link to my virtual business card brought to you by EZcard. Let’s get started.

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She was born in Pak Chong, Thailand and was abandoned at birth because she has no legs. At five years old, Kanya Sesser was adopted and moved to Oregon, USA. You can easily find her now from the internet for her skills and talents in skating, surfing, modeling, acting, speaking and doing stunts. Kanya is the first Asian woman I know who did not allow her physical appearance to define her. She is a person who has no limitations. She is not going to use the excuse of having no legs to stop her from living her life full out. I want you to read carefully this interview so that you can be inspired and motivated by her story. Here she is, Kanya Sesser.

I’m so excited.

Welcome, Kanya. What are the earliest memories of your childhood that you can remember?

It was very difficult because I was trying to transition myself to be around all these nurses who were taking care of me. I had a lot of love with these nurses. I was living in a foster home. I had to transition from nurses to foster home and it was difficult. I was stubborn. At the same time, they told me I was very smart and wise for my age. I started walking on my hands. I walked on steps on my own. They were surprised at how strong I was. I used to live in a hospital. That’s where the nurses are and where they took care of me for a little while. I was intrigued by the delivery room where you have your babies. The doctor says I would criticize him or tell him right or wrong or what he’s doing wrong and be like, “No.” I comforted the woman that was about to give birth. The woman told me that I would relax them and I was a good joy before they had their baby in the nursing room. That’s all I remember.

Was this in Thailand?

Yes. I was smart because they said I would remember how the doctors would do it, how to deliver the baby. I would be like, “No, this way,” in Thai. My first language is Thai. I was speaking Thai like, “You’re doing it wrong. You need to do this.” They love how I comforted the woman before they gave birth.

You’re like an angel on their side. 

That’s exactly what they said. I was like an angel full of joy. They felt comforted.

Do you mean you lived in the hospital all of your life until the time that you got adopted?

I was found in early September of 1992. The older man was bicycling. Pak Chong is a country in Thailand, the countryside of Thailand. It was early in the morning and the sun was barely even going up. He heard a baby crying and checked on what it is. He had to go back to get his sister and dad, which is the older man, to come and find out who’s crying and what’s going on. They found me in the middle on the side of the road in Pak Chong, Thailand as a baby. I was across or down the street from a temple school. They grabbed me from there. They realized I was born without legs because they unwrapped me and took me home. I was wrapped in a pink blanket. I had mosquito bites. They said I was probably out there for no more than a couple of hours.

They’re not sure but most likely, the woman in a distance that they see was watching us from afar, wondering what’s going on, they say she looks just like me. It’s a possibility that could be my mother. They called the Pak Chong police and they took me to the Pak Chong hospital. That’s when I got accepted on September 13th into the hospital. They said that I was about three months old by the time they found me. My birth parents raised me until I was probably a couple of months until they decide to give me up. We still don’t know until now what happened to my birth parents. They took me in into the hospital and raised me for probably a year and a couple of months or so until they found a foster home for me in Bangkok. I was five years old when I was adopted into a Portland, Oregon family.

When you were telling the doctors they didn’t do the things right, was that the time you were in Bangkok, not Thailand hospital?

I was in the nursing home for only a little bit. They just accepted me in there until they found a foster home for me to live. I lived in a nursing home for only a year or a couple of months or so. It’s not too long until I had to be transferred to a foster home. A foster is somebody who takes care of you until who knows. That’s when I found my real family, my real mom and dad, a family that loves me at five years old. I was raised in a foster home until I was five.

What was your childhood like living with your adopted family?

It was a struggle. It was hard to tell them what I wanted because all I knew was Thai. Nobody there spoke Thai. I was around people who weren’t like me. They look and speak differently. You have to live here and you’re like, “What’s going on? I want this. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. I want something else. I want this.” It was hard because all I knew was Thai. I had to learn English. Transitioning from a different language to another is hard. The hardest thing was my mom went to school to learn how to take care of somebody like me. She talked to other mothers. She asked them, “I have this child. She has no legs. What’s the accommodation we need? What should we get her? What should we do?” She did an excellent job. I’m proud of my mom. She did so much for me.

We connected with a Thai family that’s out in Oregon and concluded in with the whole Thai community group, “She should be also with her culture that she knows.” She lets me grow with the roots of what I originally was. It was nice of her. She did a lot. Other than that, going to school wasn’t a problem. When I was younger, I didn’t care that kids were staring or pointing at me and like, “She has no legs.” It didn’t bother me. It’s like, “What am I doing here?” In Thailand, I couldn’t go to preschool because I had no legs. Also, you have to travel by boat. Also in Asian countries, when you are born with a birth defect, you are hidden or if you’re a girl, you are hidden. Mostly if you’re disabled in a country like that, you can’t do much or anything because they don’t have accessibilities or they’re not prone and open to it for centuries like America. It’s different. It’s difficult because I was transitioning to something nothing like Thailand. It was a lot for me. I wasn’t bullied. I had a lot of friends. The most important part of my struggle is communication with people.

It’s because of the language barrier, English barrier.

My mom wasn’t thinking about me learning Thai again at the time. She didn’t know many people that can teach me at the time. She was like, “I wish you did,” but things happen. Other than that, I had a good childhood. I grew up with a great and wonderful family that loves and takes care of me. The most important part is even though they’re not blood-related, they’re your family. The people who love and put you in with their own is your family, your true mom or dad. It doesn’t have to be blood.

Did your parents have other children besides you?

Yes, I have two older brothers. I’m the youngest. They have three. I’m adopted. I was the youngest out of all. My brother is only three years older than me. The middle child is Scott. The older child is Tod. He has autism. He still lives with my parents up in Oregon. He’s 33 or 35. I’m not good with age, but I have two older brothers.

Are they their own children?

Living A Full Life: In Thailand and in other Asian countries, when you are born with a birth defect, you are hidden.

They’re their own children.

Did they treat you differently than they treat their children?

They never treat me differently. When they have friends over, it was okay. When they were with their cousins and all that stuff, it’s like, “I have a sister without legs.” They didn’t treat me differently. We had a lot of fights like any other siblings. Other than that, they don’t treat me any different.

What about the parents?

My parents tell me, “You were stubborn as a kid. You want to do your own thing and your own way. You never asked if it’s okay for you to do it. You just do it.” Ever since I was a kid, I have my own perspective in life. I just do it. They told me that usually, I would go hang out with friends or go do things without asking. For kids, in general, you should ask your parents if you could do that first. I never did. I did my own thing. That’s probably one of the reasons why I get in trouble when I was younger. I wanted to do my own thing. I don’t ask them if it was okay. I don’t ask them if it’s right or wrong. I handle it in my own way.

Is it because you know that they are your adopted parents?

No. It’s because I think I have my own perspective ever since I was younger.

What trouble did you get into when you were young?

I wanted to watch more fireworks with my neighborhood kids. We grew up together, all of us. They didn’t want me to stay past a certain time. I snuck out at 12:00 or 11:00. I was like, “I want to go watch,” and I go across the street. My mom or dad would come out and be like, “Is Kanya here?” They’ll be like, “Yes.” I get in trouble for that. You’re supposed to obey your parents. I was obedient as a kid, but I had my own rules. That’s why they say I was stubborn.

Since the time that you can use your hand to walk, did you move around by your hands? 

I move around by my hands and arms. They say that I slide, but I don’t slide. I go up and down on it. I go up while I walk. I used a lot of my upper hands. They said that when I was younger, I used to climb onto shelves and stuff. I would climb up and get ice or food and I learned how to get down on my own. That was cool.

Didn’t you have a wheelchair at home?

I do have a wheelchair. I have it when I go grocery shopping or when it’s raining because I don’t want to get all wet so much. I used to be stubborn with wheelchairs. I used to be like, “I don’t need any wheelchair. I got it.” When you get older, you’re like, “I’m going to use my chair. I want him to grab some food that’s way up on the top. I’m still short. I can’t still grab it.” When I went grocery shopping on my skateboard, it was hard. I use my skateboard when I want to hang out or be free and do whatever. A wheelchair is helpful when I’m grocery shopping. I don’t have legs so I do still need that height. Skateboards are fun but I still need height when I do stuff.

How do you move in and out of your car?

Living A Full Life: In Asia, people look down at you more when you give up your child than in America.

I pull my chair up. I have a Caravan 2005. I can’t wait to get a new car. It’s old but we got to live and make through it. You can’t have everything you want. I don’t come from a rich family. I have a job and stuff. I make for my own. There’s a sliding door in the caravan. I pull my chair and push it up towards the side of the car. It folds so it would be on the side next to the seats in the car. I would close the sliding door and shut it. I hop onto my car in the driver’s seat. I have hand controls, which is one bar. It’s 90 degrees angle. Both of it is for gas and brakes. I use that.

It’s custom made for you.

There are many different ones. Sports Performance Mobility in Portland, Oregon is where I got my hand controls. You can get them anywhere. You have to make that appointment. It’s $1,800. It’s expensive but we only had to pay $900 because we had insurance. It’s expensive when you have to get extra things, the fact that you’re disabled. I don’t see myself as being disabled but in society’s eyes, I am disabled. It’s okay to be disabled in some ways. I’m just different.

Are you still in touch with your parents?

I’m still in touch with my adoptive parents. My mom came here. I showed her around my new place. It was fun and great. I spend holidays with them. I’m excited about that. LA is the starting point on starting my business and trying to save money and stuff like that. You can’t save money if you live in LA. I love LA and California, but I miss the nature feel of trees and lakes. I would love to live in San Francisco but it’s so expensive. I love it up there. You are only five hours away from the border of Oregon, which is nice. I can’t have everything. I accept what I have. I appreciate it every day. I don’t want any more. It would be good and cool. That’s the thing about people. We need to accept what we have and not ask for more all the time. I’ve learned that. I used to ask so much like, “How come I can’t have this? How come I can’t have that?” I realized to appreciate what I have. Nothing lasts forever. Life isn’t forever. Certain things should matter.

Did you ever find out about your real mother?

I never found out more about my real mother. I don’t want to find my parents or my family. Things happen for a reason. They did that for a reason. People who do want to find their parents and family want to know more about their roots or are curious and want to know more about their family and what happened and all that stuff, which is understandable. If they want to reach out to me, they’re more than welcome. I’m everywhere in Asia. It’s not that hard. I don’t mind if they want to reach out to me, but I don’t have the ability or wanting to find them.

Have you forgiven her?

I already did. I forgive her. I’m like, “Thank you. Without this situation, my life wouldn’t be extraordinary.” At the same time, I get it. Maybe she doesn’t want to tell her parents or let people know that she was pregnant or she was in a tough situation. I understand because it’s different than in America. In Asia, it’s a lot different. People look at you down more than in America when you give up your child. That happens a lot in Asian cultures. There are a lot of abandonment issues in Asia. It’s everywhere. In different countries, it’s scary to think about it. It wasn’t too long ago when they found a baby by the hospital. They found it wrapped in mosquito nets. The mother was there a couple of hours ago, leaving her baby right by the hospital. It’s sad when you go there. It’s a normal thing. It’s scary to think that.

Somehow, someway, you’ll be the one who can change that mindset.

I want to tell people and spread the word. I want to help them too.

Give us a few samples of big challenges and struggles that you overcame in your life.

Way back when I was in high school and middle school, I was joining the track team. I use a track racer wheelchair. My mom does a lot for me. She’s the one who found all these sports organizations. She wanted me to get out there and do the possibilities of stuff. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have known anything like this. I thank her a lot. I hope one day I make $1 million where I can give her some too because she does a lot for me. In the beginning of my years, I was in the Paralympics. I was trying to make it to London. I went to Switzerland for the World Cup. It was amazing. I got first place. Then I was like, “I want to do something new.” I got transitioning to many different things that I already have done before, even before track. I was like, “I want to focus on this. I want to experiment with different things.” That’s why I was monoskiing, skating and surfing. I started surfing at age nine because I saw me skating in Colton Skatepark. They’re like, “Do you want to come join us for surfing and stuff?” I did. It was cool. I got to experience all these amazing people and amazing sports that I’ve done. I became good at it. I used my ability’s advantages for that.

Somebody from Shriners Hospital got me to like a Make-A-Wish Foundation but it was an Oregon Foundation. It was Dream Factory of Oregon. They said, “What do you want to do? You have three wishes.” I’m like, “I want a car, that will be nice.” I was fifteen, sixteen at the time. “Mostly, I want to be a model. I want to encourage others that I’m comfortable in my own skin. I don’t think about judgments.” They got me to do modeling and a photographer. That’s how I started modeling from there. We tried on different clothes and do different things. That’s how I started making my profile to become a model. That’s when modeling started to raise up for me. It was interesting. I want to thank them so much because they did a lot for other kids to have opportunities and things. It was a great experience. Without them and my mother, I wouldn’t be doing what I do and be the person who I am here now.

Living A Full Life: There’s help out there. You can get together and learn from each other. You don’t need money to get help.

How did you learn the lessons of courage and independence despite your physical limitation?

Most of it has to be from the nurses who I’ve been around with. They gave me a lot of love and positive energy. Also, it’s being myself. I’m stubborn. I want my own way. I have always been like this, ever since I was a baby. It has to also deal with my personality clashing with other people’s energies. I had to go from different places to places throughout my life. I had to live in a hospital. I was found. I had to live there for a little bit. I was transitioning from my foster parents. I was adopted. All of that connects. I had to go through things where I have to transition myself naturally to do that. Part of it has to deal with who I am as a person. My adoptive family taught me.

When I was a kid, I learned things. It was mostly my parents who let me be free. They let me have a free spirit. If I was with somebody who holds me down and says no a lot or skeptical about me and all that, I probably would have a different mindset. I never had that. My mom wanted me to conquer the world pretty much. She’s like, “You got this. You can do it.” It has to do with my childhood throughout my life and experiences. There was a lot of devastation and crying because I wanted the things I couldn’t have. I’m not talking about things in general but how to communicate with people. My first language was Thai and my grammar is different. I don’t know a whole lot of words. When Americans grew up learning English, they know a lot more words than me than transitioning from a foreigner. It’s an amazing life experience that I had to go through. People build me, but mostly myself. It has to come from within. You have to know yourself.

What are the activities that you enjoy the most? Is it modeling, acting, speaking or doing stunts for movies?

I love acting because I want to showcase that we don’t need to use CGI all the time. We don’t need to have all these actors and actresses who are very well-known play our part of certain things because we have real people. We use real people. When I was playing Hawaii Five-O, it was so incredible. I served and got to experience Hawaii. The most important part was I was playing a character who was a veteran. She lost her legs during a war. I had to be in my mindset to play that character even though she serves. She has tattoos and all that. I had to put myself to play that part. It was hard because I never lost my legs. I have a different mentality or mindset than this character I was playing. I was like, “Come on, Rosey Valera. Get yourself together. You got this. Don’t be a downer.” I had to play that part where I’m like, “Poor me. I have no legs. I’m homeless. I’m abused by my parents.” I’m like, “This character is upsetting and sad.” There are people who are like that. You don’t know what they’re going through.

We have different lives. We have different minds. You don’t know unless you’re them. They don’t know and understand unless they’re us in some ways. When we get all together in one, we can be together and learn about each other. There’s help out there you can get. You can get counseling and help. You don’t need money to get help. You can take time for yourself in being in nature, listening to music and putting yourself in vibe. People have excuses or complain too much, “I can’t get help because I don’t have money.” You don’t need money to get help. You don’t need money for life. Life is free. Acting gets me in many different positions to experience characters and what I do, and also stunts. I do my own stunts too in The Walking Dead and Code Black. It’s fun to work with these artists who are going to make prosthetics for you. It’s cool seeing how they create all these things that look real but they’re fake, that you see on TV. I love to be on camera. I want to do more of that and I will. It’s just time-consuming. I’m everywhere. I love everything that I do. Most of the goal is acting, stunt and more motivational speaking, traveling the world and helping people like me.

Those venues will help you. Acting will get you to spread further. Speaking is for your reason, vision and mission. Do you remember any funny or scary moment while you were in these jobs?

My boyfriend came with me on set one day. We were filming in Austin, Texas in this open area. We were in the middle of nowhere. This is where people probably got kidnapped or murdered. I was freaking out because I had to be in a swamp of a creek of water. I’m like, “Is this sanitary because this looks something where people pee in?” I don’t want to get sick. I don’t question, I just do it because I’m getting paid for it. One time, he said that he was watching me get filmed down there in the creek area. He was alone out of nowhere. He felt someone touched him. He was looking and he was like, “There’s nobody around.” He feels a woman’s spirit trying to be like, “Draw attention to me.” He got all white. He was freaking out, but he didn’t want to act on that because he’s like, “That’s weird.” Imagine if somebody touched you, but you’re looking at where they touch you and there’s nothing there. That’s one thing that happened.

The other one isn’t a ghost story. It was hot. It was 102 degrees. They do this makeup on me for three to four hours. It wasn’t that long, but one of them was long. I had to wear a bodysuit for this other stuff that I had to do. I was there from 6:00 in the morning. I didn’t film until nearly 7:00 at night. I was in this bodysuit. It was black because I was playing a charged-up zombie that’s going to be in the back of the car. I had all these pinnacles on me. I have to be in this weather that’s sunny and hot. This was in Atlanta, Georgia. I have to be dehydrated. At the same time, they’re like, “If you had to pee, pee in this cup.” It was fun but at the same time, I could barely eat because the mouthpiece didn’t fit me. They’re like, “We have to glue these on.” I didn’t want to taste the paint at all. I had no assistant to help me at that time. I had to do everything on my own, which is fine but it was hot.

Imagine you in a bodysuit outside for eight to ten hours until you have to film. You don’t want to overdo yourself on drinking so much water because you have to pee. When you have to pee, you have to pee in this cup. It wasn’t bad or anything, but it was a crazy experience. The experience I want to get back is something like Hawaii Five-O. Stunt and actresses get a different type of credibility and treatments. I’m more Bucci because I like to have that high maintenance. I’m not high maintenance, but I do like an extravagance. I want to be more of an actress. The stunt is fun because it’s not just about the pay. You get to experience that you’re a part of the show. I loved it. I want to do more than The Walking Dead and I will. I’m excited for more upcoming opportunities that are going to happen.

Is there anything you are not able to do physically?

I can play soccer. I have a video of myself playing soccer in scoring. I can do that because I could run on my hands kick the ball and all that.

How do you kick the ball?

It’s with my hands. I did it. My friends joke about it and be like, “That’s a handball. That doesn’t count.” I don’t know. I have to think about that one.

Living A Full Life: When you’re in a relationship, you need to have your own life individually. That balance is how you have a healthy relationship.

Can you swim?

I surf so I have to know how to swim. There are a lot of possibilities. Never say never. You can make that possible.

Do you plan to have a family someday?

I do not want kids. I don’t want a family at all.

Don’t you want a family or spouse?

No. This is one thing about finding somebody who wants the same thing as you and balances. My boyfriend and I have been together for almost over a year and a half. We both don’t believe in marriage. We believe that marriage should be through God’s eyes, not through a paper. We believe that we can celebrate our love, have a ceremony and all that party stuff. We don’t want kids because we already have a cat. That’s my kid. I’m already a kid by heart. I’ll play with other people’s kids, but I’m good. I don’t want kids. I never was intrigued about that whole tradition. I’m not a very traditional type of person. My boyfriend is not traditional either. It’s good to find somebody who balances out with you with those circumstances. We just want to travel, live our lives, make money, have a house and live in nature. That’s what’s important. I’m good. Maybe in my next life, but not now.

He’s a partner. Somebody is there to support you.

I want him but I don’t need him. I don’t need a man, but I want him. I have him. I appreciate that he’s in my life. The most important part that women need to understand is that you need to be independent and capable of yourself first before you get into a relationship. The most important part is you have something to fall back to. You have that strength to fall back to. Women these days who are eighteen to twenty years old and out of high school all want to do that traditional stuff, get married and have kids. How about you travel the world, focus on yourself and make time for yourself instead of trying to be dependent on other people? You don’t need that. You can be independent and be on your own. In this whole new generation, a lot of women my age, even younger, want something more. That’s great. I’m happy for them. That’s what they want and love. That’s what settles them. People have their own different mentality or thoughts on that. For me, having a boyfriend, a partner and a best friend, he’s everything but he’s not everything. He knows that.

I’m aligned with that because I grew up following the traditional way. I’ve been married for many years. I struggled in that traditional way. The best way is to learn and get the skills to be independent. Even if you want someday to get married or have children, you know that you can rely on yourself if something happened. You can support yourself.

One thing people also need to understand is when you are in a relationship, when you are married or whatever with your partner, both of you need to have your own life. You need to have your own lifestyle individually instead of together. You need that balance. That’s how you have a healthy relationship.

What is your next project?

I’m going to the X Games. I got invited to the X Games. I’ll be leaning to Minneapolis to compete for skateboarding. I’m excited about that. ESPN Sports is going to be there. My dream was always the X Games and now I have this opportunity. I’m so excited to meet all these other amazing skaters and my friend, Ernie. He’s so amazing. I’m excited to see all my friends skating too and also compete with them. After that, I want to go back to Thailand again so I could bring my mother this time. She hasn’t been for the last nineteen, twenty years. I want to take her back to Thailand, travel there and have her experience what I experienced in adult life. That will be a lot of fun. Also, I have a lot more upcoming things I can’t say. I’m excited about it. I believe in the goddesses that it’s going to continue. I’ve been seeing 222, 333, 1111. A lot of things are happening. I know that my angels are watching over me and they know. I’m excited. The most important part is to make more money so I can be comfortable. We’re all struggling.

If you believe in angels, you don’t use the word struggling.

It’s to know within myself better that there are possibilities.

Living A Full Life: We need to tell the world that this is our body, this is our mind, this is our own true self. We can do whatever we want in a respectful manner.

Do you still speak Thai?

I only know a couple of words. I don’t speak Thai. If I learned it, I can catch up fast. All I know is, “Sawadi-ka, Aroi Mak Mak,” which means delicious. That’s about it.

When you plan to take your mom to visit Thailand, maybe you’d take a tour?

I have a family out there who can translate for me. Every time I go to Thailand, my manager speaks Thai fluently and speaks English. That’s what she does. She has known me ever since I was with baby. She’s the one who helped me go through processing through different foster moms and all that. When I’m there, she helps. She’s my caseworker, my case manager. I’m excited. She’s such an amazing woman. She’s funny. They’re like another mother to me. It’s cool to still have family in Thailand. I want to live in Thailand probably for only a year and then come back. I want to experience that whole culture again for a whole year. That will be cool. First, I need to do some stuff to get there.

What are the top three tips that you want other Asian women to know so that they can live life powerfully?

Be more communicative. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinions. Have actions towards yourself. For women, it’s if we can stick together and voice ourselves and be out there. That’s what oppresses us in the outer world and the way that the system is and all of that. We can all change the world by being more vocal about certain things and opinions. It’s okay. Also, we should stop comparing ourselves like we always do with Instagram. Every woman on Instagram looks the same. I don’t care how many followers you have. All those people do the same pose. They look the same. Focus on yourself. Don’t worry about whose other side is greener than yours. If we refocus on what other people have and compare ourselves with other people, we’re not going to have our goals or opportunities to make it to what we want. You’re focusing on the negative. You’re not focusing on yourself, which is positive. Asian women want to be included in certain things. That’s why they feel like they have to be a certain way to approach certain people in some ways. I don’t have a lot of Asian friends, but when I see a lot of Asian women, they know right from wrong in certain extents.

My birth mom probably had to have me because she probably tried to abort me in some ways. She has no other ways of dealing with her pregnancies. Who knows? It’s hard for women in different cultures to have opinions on what they want. Asian women have a lot more strict structures in life. It’s an oppressed country in certain parts. They’d be judged on so much of what they do and it’s ridiculous, of what you should and shouldn’t do. We need to tell the world that, “This is my body. This is my mind. This is my own true self. I can do whatever I want in a respectful manner and in a good sense.” It’s different to an extent. We need to let Asian women have more freedom than they usually do in some ways. Let them not feel like they have to shut from the world when certain things happen. Let them have their own voice and power to speak their minds and to be awake. I’ve seen beautiful Asian women. They want to do something more than just being so prospered and like, “You’re a female. You should do the dishes or clean. You can’t be president. You can’t do what a man should do.” I feel that. We can be the president. We can be the next big thing and do what a man does. We’re not just Asian women that you see at a Chinese restaurant, trying to work for her husband’s company. You can have your own company and be a woman and stand up for yourself.

I am totally aligned with that. That’s why I named this show and my company Asian Women of Power. The goal is to live your life out loud, not quietly. Let the world know what you’re up to.

A lot of Asian women have to listen to what their husbands say in what they have to do. They have to take care of the house and their parents because like, “You can’t do anything else. You can’t work and be your own boss. You have to take care of me, grandma, papa and my kids. You need to clean the house and work for my business. Listen to your husband.” I don’t have to listen to you. The only person that voices my own opinions and be the boss for myself is myself.

How do you want others to reach out to you?

I have Instagram. It’s @KanyaSesser. I’m next to the blue checkmark. Instagram is pretty much where it’s at.

It’s the best way to connect.

Without Instagram, I probably wouldn’t have some of the opportunities I have now. Instagram helped me to network with people and people reaching out to me and me reaching out to them. It helps networking and to do more works and jobs. People who couldn’t be as loud have a voice through Instagram in some ways.

How about Facebook?

I have Facebook, but I don’t go on Facebook. I think Facebook is more for personal stuff, my family and stuff. I don’t post much on Facebook. I have over 20,000 messages on Facebook. I don’t look at that. Instagram is where I am a lot. I’m more organized on Instagram. You can post pictures and broadcast yourself. A lot of podcast people who do these types of things, that’s how they broadcast. Besides YouTube, they broadcast their Instagram. You can get millions and millions of followers. I have over 60,000 followers almost on Instagram. I’m trying to keep getting followers, but I don’t really care for followers because I’m not like those type of people that have to post every day. I mostly post stories a lot more than I post on my feed.

Kanya, thank you so much for being a guest on this show. Your life is a great example of how to live life loud, which is a movement that I want all women, especially Asian women, to join. For our readers, I hope you feel inspired by Kanya’s story and now have more courage to take on the things you have postponed. We want to hear from you. Until next time, live life loud.

No legs, no limit.

Thank you.

Links Mentioned:

• Kanya Sesser
• Dream Factory
• X Games
• @KanyaSesser on Instagram
• Kanya Sesser on Facebook

Episode Quotes

"She let me grow with my roots."
"We need to accept what we have and not ask for any more all the time."
"My parents allowed me to be free, to have a free spirit."
"You don't need money to get help."
"Never say never."
"When you are married, each of you needs to have your own life."