Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrated each May, honors the rich history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC, commemorating AANHPI Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that strengthens both the club and the broader Utah community.
By recognizing the impact of AANHPI individuals in soccer and beyond, the clubs demonstrate their commitment to inclusion, representation, and unity. These values are essential both on and off the field. Celebrating this month allows RSL and the Royals to honor the vibrant heritage of their fans, players, and staff, and to foster a culture of respect and belonging in the world of sports.
Current RSL players, for instance, winger Tyler Wolff and defender Sam Junqua as well as former Goalkeeper Nick Rimando feel that their mixed heritage is something to be proud of and is important to celebrate.
“I’m proud of my Japanese heritage and being an Asian American and having that mixed culture. It is something that I value,” explained Junqua.
Both Wolff and Rimando are a quarter Filipino and enjoy the rich family oriented culture. “We’re always gathering all together with family for all kinds of activities whether it's Christmas or Thanksgiving just having that culture integrated and passing it down through all the generations,” said Wolff.
Utah Royals FC forward Mina Tanaka and midfielder Aria Nagai carry their Japanese heritage with them both on and off the field. Both players grew up watching the Japanese National Team and have incorporated the style of play into their own.
For Tanaka, coming from Japan to play in Utah has been a big change but one that she has enjoyed. “Coming from Japan the style of soccer play is different from the US so being able to take what I know from home and mix it with what I am learning here has been great. It is nice to be in a place that is very proud of their teams and I enjoy getting to see the fans in the crowd with Japanese signs or signs for me.”
Compared to other cultural groups, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are less represented and less established in soccer, therefore, Junqua takes pride in being able to be a face for an underrepresented community within the sport.
“When I left Dallas, there was somebody who wrote me a really heartfelt message on my goodbye post and I thought that was really cool and special. He kind of talked about how the Asian American community kind of looked up to me and that I was a face for them which was pretty cool to hear from someone in the community.”
Rimando, the recently inducted Hall of Fame Goalkeeper, looked back on his career with fond memories of how his Asian American heritage came through in his professional career, “Wherever I went to play there was always someone with a Filipino flag which was pretty cool so I always made sure to go over there and say hi because I appreciated them coming to watch and the pride they had for the culture and me being on the pitch.”
Being Asian American in soccer proved difficult at times for Nagai, she remembers wanting to look up to someone that looked like her and shared her heritage and finding it difficult.
“There were definitely hardships in the youth club system with microaggressions and stuff. I think there was a period of my life where I was embarrassed and didn’t want to stand out but now I am very proud of my culture and being Asian American. I think it comes out in my personality and in my soccer because I grew up watching the Japanese soccer team so a lot of my play is learnt from them.”
Players at RSL and URFC are proud to represent the AANHPI community, knowing their visibility can inspire younger generations to believe that they too can play soccer and reach the highest level of the game.
Nagai says, “Being able to play at this high of a level and be visible for young Asian American girls to see that they can play too and it's possible is a big one for me. I also want the younger generation to know to be proud of your Asian American identity and not shy away from it.”
As AANHPI Heritage Month is celebrated this May, Wolff emphasized the importance of understanding, he said, “the biggest thing is just being open and open to learning about where people come from and appreciating all the differences and similarities between cultures.”
By recognizing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC reaffirm their commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the celebration of cultures that strengthen both the sport and the community.
RSL and URFC will each proudly host a match in August to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, honoring the rich cultures and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Utah and within soccer.
