HCVT Certified Public Accountants

To cap off our AANHPI Heritage Month, Training Specialist Winnie Chang, shares the meaning of being a “1.5 generation immigrant”, her sense of belonging growing up in both America and Taiwan, and how she found a comfort zone between the two cultures.

What was it like for you growing up Asian American?
I come from an immigrant family and am considered a “1.5 generation immigrant”, meaning I was born overseas and moved to the states at a young age. Although I lived in a predominantly Asian neighborhood, it was difficult to find others who related to my Taiwanese culture. When my family would visit Taiwan, locals could immediately differentiate that my siblings and I were “foreigners” due to our slight accents. I was constantly feeling like I wasn’t “Asian enough” to be Asian and not “American enough” to be American. Over time, I eventually realized I didn’t have to fit in to any boxes, and I was able to create my own sense of identity through joining cultural organizations in school, participating in Taiwanese volunteer programs, and staying connected with my relatives back in Taiwan.

How has your heritage and culture shaped the person you are today?
When I was younger, I was able to visit my relatives and participate in summer camps in Taiwan. I’m very grateful that I was able to have these opportunities, as they helped me stay connected to my Taiwanese roots and I’m able to bring that into my daily life. One of my favorite things about Taiwan is the food, which is a large part of Taiwanese culture, and I’m always excited to share that with others as food is such a universal language. I was also able to find similarities and differences between Taiwanese and American society, which allowed me to see the world from different perspectives.

What does AANHPI Heritage Month mean to you?
It is a time for people to celebrate and learn more about our cultures, highlight our history and influence in America, and of course, to try our foods!

In honor of Earth Day, our HCVT teams took part in a range of local volunteer initiatives aimed at nurturing our environment. Two of these teams are highlighted here, including the Ft. Worth team helping the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden staff w**d and plant, and the Irvine team participating in a Huntington Beach State Park clean-up event.

May marks the start of hashtag Heritage Month! This month, HCVT continues to shine a spotlight on our colleagues, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and experiences that enrich our firm. Campus Recruiter, Rei Kamio, was born and raised in Japan and moved to the US in fifth grade. She shares more on how adapting to a new culture, and blending the two, has shaped who she is today.

What was it like for you growing up Asian American?

I was born and raised in Japan, then I moved to the U.S. knowing no English and not having a strong awareness of American culture. Growing up, I've consistently struggled with my identity. In Japan, I was deemed too American. In the United States, I was too Japanese. As I grew older, I came to embrace the mix of both cultures, where I'm able to take in the best part of both cultures and create my unique identity.

How has your heritage and culture shaped the person you are today?

I'm very passionate about sharing my knowledge of Japanese culture. Teaching others about Japan has made me love and appreciate the heritage I grew up in even more. Being able to embrace both cultures growing up, has taught me to be open-minded and appreciate the beauty of diversity.

What does Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

It is a way for everyone to celebrate, appreciate, and honor the influence that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have in the American culture and around the world. It is also a great time to dive deeper and learn more about the AAPI community.

We’re pleased to share our recognition on the Vault Accounting 25 list for the second consecutive year. See the full list and learn more about the recognition: https://vault.com/best-companies-to-work-for/accounting/vault-accounting-25.

Find out why so many come for the challenge and stay for the experience at HCVT. Explore our open opportunities: https://jobs.lever.co/hcvt.

新年快乐! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Happy Lunar New Year! 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in Chinese culture, which signifies power, good luck, and strength. Our Irvine office got into the Lunar New Year spirit this week by dressing in red - a color meant to symbolize prosperity and good fortune in the new year. We also indulged in a variety of delicious treats like mooncake, cookies, and boba!

Our campus recruiting events are in full swing for the spring! To stay up to date on all the events happening on your campus, visit our Yello page. There you’ll find details on networking events, career fairs, information sessions and more.

We are pleased to announce the HCVT Partner Class of 2024! This year we welcome four dedicated professionals to the partnership: Russell Dunbar, Casey Ford, Stephen Squillario and Tanner Yeates. Click the link to read more, and join us in celebrating their success!
 
https://www.hcvt.com/news-hcvt-welcomes-four-new-partners-2024

Our offices will be closed for the holidays on December 22-25 and December 29-January 1. HCVT wishes you a happy holiday season!

HCVT’s offices will be closed November 20-24 to provide our people time to recharge over the Thanksgiving holiday and spend more time with their loved ones. We are thankful to all our HCVTers for their dedication and hard work.

We look forward to reconnecting on Monday, November 27. Happy Thanksgiving!

Congratulations to our COO, Patty O’Connell, who was recently named a Los Angeles Business Journal Woman of Influence for her contributions to HCVT and the accounting profession.

To read more about this recognition, click the following link: https://labusinessjournal.com/custom-content/women-of-influence-accounting-2023-patricia-j-oconnell/.

Giving back to our communities is an integral part of who we are at HCVT. This week, our interns volunteered at the LA Food Bank and packed a whopping total of 1,168 food kits! These kits are provided to low-income seniors, women with infants, and children facing food insecurity in Los Angeles County. We are grateful for the opportunity to bond with our interns and make a small impact in our local community together.

Happy National Intern Day! Our summer interns’ adventures continued with a trip to the happiest place on Earth. We sent our groups off on a quest - a scavenger hunt across Disneyland - and a team emerged victorious. Congratulations to the winning team!