I grew up in east side Long Beach, where the drugs overflowed the streets and kept the gangs at war. The only refuge from the dangers of the outside world, were my family and sports. I am the first American born in my family. My mother and father escaped from the war in Cambodia and came to America with hopes of a better lifestyle for their kids. Little did they know, my brother, sister, and I would be exposed to drug abuse, gang violence, and discrimination early on in our lives.