Marisa, a sixth-grader at Redwood Middle School, recently won third place in a regional competition for her essay on the theme "Growing Up Asian in America."

The essay, titled "Old Steady," likened the roots of a pine tree in Marisa's backyard to her setting down roots in America like her relatives did before her in Japan.

"I feel great because I expressed my feelings and I can't believe I won," she said.

Following an April 27 awards ceremony, where Marisa took home a $1,000 savings bond and $200 worth of prizes, the essay is on display through the end of the month in exhibits in the San Jose and Los Altos public libraries.

According to Gail Kong, executive director and president of sponsoring organization Asian Pacific Fund, Marisa's entry was one of 18 total top prizewinners, chosen out of more than 1,300 entries from the entire Bay Area. The judging panel, Kong said, "is looking for a nice, fluid style," along with a "personal voice." The art and written works must also show that the creators have thought about their own Asian identities.

"We use the program as a forum so that we can encourage kids to explore their heritage," Kong said. "It's an educational experience for the kids; it's deepening the community's experience of the culture."

Marisa heard about the competition from a tutoring center that she attends. "My teacher inspired me to write the essay," she said. Marisa added that she enjoys writing, as well as reading and playing piano.

Marisa's mother, Marie Cheng, said she gave her daughter some advice when she was working on "Old Steady," since Japanese and English writing share some similar patterns.

According to Marie, Marisa has taken honors for her Japanese essays in the past but not for English writing. While Marisa has attended Japanese school and reads and writes the language, Marie says, "I usually tell her about mixed cultures. Because we are living in the United States, I don't want to only give her one culture," Marie said.

"When we raise our kids, we try to make it multicultural," said Marisa's father, Ken. He said that he had hoped to teach his daughters the Thai and Chinese languages also but there wasn't time to do so. "We're conscious of being Asian in America."

Ken said he can imagine Marisa one day growing up to be like Amy Tan—another Asian American woman authoring books about culture and ancestry.