Although the Schmidt family started in Europe, we enjoy a lot of diversity. Many members of our family tree have Asian American and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. The Hans Schmidt Family Association celebrates the contributions and heritage these family members have brought to our clan. Get to know just a few of the dozens of AAPI members of our family tree:
Brian Chou of Emmetsburg, Iowa
 View family tree branch | “I am ethnically Han Chinese. My father’s ancestors came to Taiwan from mainland China a few generations ago, while my mother’s ancestors have lived in Taiwan for as long as anyone can remember. I was the first generation to be born in the United States. I went to school back in Taiwan before returning to America at age 20. When I was almost 22, I met my wife, Kiki Schmidt. After marrying her and joining the Schmidt family, I was surprised and impressed with how close and connected she was with her family, and how open they are with each other. They even say ‘I love you’ to each other frequently, which is not regular in many East Asian cultures. I feel like I have learned a lot from the Schmidt family. I also hope our kids can learn from my culture–everything from being able to understand the Chinese language, to cultural traditions like respect for one’s elders. I look forward to the day that I can show our children my home country of Taiwan. I hope they can be proud of both their Asian and their European heritage.“ |