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I Belong Here: Living the Life I Was Born for in America
Helen Yee, born in Hong Kong and raised in Columbus, Ohio (United States) tells her story interweaving her Asian roots with her American heritage. “I Belong Here”is a gift of knowledge gained and lessons learned throughout a rich and colorful life lived with a big heart and arms wide open.” (Gail Carnes, chair, crafts council of the Northern Territory, Australia)
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
183 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
4 people are currently reading
1894 people want to read
About the author
Helen Yee
2 books13 followersHelen H. Yee is a celebrated author, entrepreneur, and martial artist whose life story is a remarkable testament to the power of resilience and self-discovery. Born in Hong Kong, Helen immigrated to the United States with her family, settling in Columbus, Ohio, where she faced the challenges of cultural identity and racism. These experiences profoundly shaped her, fueling her determination to succeed and empowering her to embrace her unique heritage.
Helen's journey is marked by significant achievements in both business and personal development. As a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and an accomplished practitioner of Kung Fu, she has garnered respect and admiration within the martial arts community. Her dedication to martial arts not only honed her physical skills but also instilled in her the virtues of discipline, patience, and respect, which have permeated all aspects of her life.
In her professional career, Helen has been instrumental in the success of her family's restaurant business, drawing on the entrepreneurial spirit passed down from her grandfather, who immigrated to America in the late 19th century. Her leadership and commitment to excellence have made her a prominent figure in her community.
Helen is also deeply involved in various community organizations, where she advocates for marginalized groups and works tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion. Her role as a city representative and active participation in the Association of Women Martial Artists and other boards underscore her dedication to making a positive impact.
"I Belong Here," Helen's debut memoir, captures the essence of her journey and serves as an inspirational guide for those facing similar struggles. Through her compelling narrative, Helen shares invaluable insights into overcoming adversity, finding one's voice, and the transformative power of embracing one's identity. Her story is a beacon of hope and empowerment, inspiring readers to live authentically and pursue their dreams with unwavering determination.
Helen's journey is marked by significant achievements in both business and personal development. As a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and an accomplished practitioner of Kung Fu, she has garnered respect and admiration within the martial arts community. Her dedication to martial arts not only honed her physical skills but also instilled in her the virtues of discipline, patience, and respect, which have permeated all aspects of her life.
In her professional career, Helen has been instrumental in the success of her family's restaurant business, drawing on the entrepreneurial spirit passed down from her grandfather, who immigrated to America in the late 19th century. Her leadership and commitment to excellence have made her a prominent figure in her community.
Helen is also deeply involved in various community organizations, where she advocates for marginalized groups and works tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion. Her role as a city representative and active participation in the Association of Women Martial Artists and other boards underscore her dedication to making a positive impact.
"I Belong Here," Helen's debut memoir, captures the essence of her journey and serves as an inspirational guide for those facing similar struggles. Through her compelling narrative, Helen shares invaluable insights into overcoming adversity, finding one's voice, and the transformative power of embracing one's identity. Her story is a beacon of hope and empowerment, inspiring readers to live authentically and pursue their dreams with unwavering determination.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 12, 2022
Helen writes with honesty and clarity. This is a wonderful book about growing up Chinese in America. Her poignant biography begins with a night she was held at gunpoint. Truly a well-written tale of surviving being a minority in a world where that wasn't accepted.
December 7, 2025
The writing plays like a movie in my head, every moment sharp, fast, and gripping. The contrast between the peaceful drive home and the sudden attack is masterfully done. The emotional reflections afterward add depth that many thrillers lack.
December 7, 2025
I didn’t expect a suspenseful scene to turn into something so reflective and meaningful. The author ties together fear, survival skills, and the weight of past experiences in a beautiful, impactful way. A powerful start to what feels like a deeply personal story.
September 8, 2024
Inspirational!
I really enjoyed reading Helen's story of a life lived fearlessly and the many different roads she explored, giving everything her full heart and soul.
I really enjoyed reading Helen's story of a life lived fearlessly and the many different roads she explored, giving everything her full heart and soul.
December 8, 2025
I was instantly pulled into the tension. The shift from a peaceful drive home to a life-or-death moment was gripping. I could feel her fear and courage.
December 8, 2025
I love how the author blends vulnerability with strength. The moment she says “Hey, I know you” had my heart racing.
December 14, 2025
The writing made me feel like I was right there in the car with her. A terrifying situation handled with surprising calm and strategy.
April 9, 2024
Read this book for Franklin County Ohio State alumni book club which included a dinner with the author under their "dinner with a local author" event which I unfortunately missed.
When I started reading, I was a bit put off because she began with the issues of bullying and racism which I realize is the currency these days to get published and I'm never happy with reading books that seem to be published to go with the flow. Against-the-flow kind of gal. Nevertheless, I was interested because we are both Asian, we have the same first name and middle initial and I have not read a lot of books written by Asian authors. Then as I got to the third chapter I realized that we had moved to the US in the same year, 1962. Okay, now really interested. How had we ended up in such different places with such a similar beginning?
Okay, the differences from the beginning. We moved to Hilliard whereas the author's family seems to have moved into Whitehall and perhaps it was a tougher environment. She speaks of her brothers having to join gangs and her getting into fights in school from the beginning because of her race. As far as I know my siblings and I never heard of gangs except perhaps on West Side Story. My father received a PhD from Ohio State in a science and so our family's focus was always on academics and never the social aspects of society so perhaps our focus on what mattered in life was different. Our parents always stressed how smart we were and how we needed to study. Not necessarily true in my case, but a child needs a lifeboat.
Which is not to say I did not suffer greatly through school. I was awkward, gangly, introverted--basically a nerdy child. My parents had no idea about the social niceties of high school life (they had spent their young adult lives going through two wars and losses of entire families) so had no pearls of wisdom to pass on. But there were a couple of other Asian girls in high school who maneuvered its intricacies swimmingly so I had to assume that all my issues of being a social outcast was an individual problem. I had no problems with that.
While my parents stressed the pride of being Korean, they also stressed the importance of fitting into the current society. My father bought American cars because of this. Somehow, through their teachings I picked up the need to be grateful to our host country. And I guess this is what bothers me about the stance taken in this book. We all chose to move here, I assume to have a better life and I also assume because we all thought this country would be better than the country we were leaving. I think in a lot of the cases of charges of racism, we are describing rites of growing up, events that would happen wherever we were in the world. This country was doing fine before we moved here and would do fine if we had never moved here. Its people are gracious and welcoming. Sure there have been cases of racism, people who have disliked me beyond all my personal faults--the second grade teacher, the professor in college, a fellow worker. But that's three people in a life approaching 70. Not a lot. And as I read this book, it's clear that America's people have been very welcoming to the author. But that stance does not get books published and that seems to be important for her. So, proceed.
But I'd like to be clear that the clarion call the author seems to feel she is sending out to society is just a selfish one. There are areas of her life that need attention--like for instance, how is the school she started doing? Not well, as far as I can tell from reading on line. But doing that would not bring her the attention she seems to crave. Let's get real.
When I started reading, I was a bit put off because she began with the issues of bullying and racism which I realize is the currency these days to get published and I'm never happy with reading books that seem to be published to go with the flow. Against-the-flow kind of gal. Nevertheless, I was interested because we are both Asian, we have the same first name and middle initial and I have not read a lot of books written by Asian authors. Then as I got to the third chapter I realized that we had moved to the US in the same year, 1962. Okay, now really interested. How had we ended up in such different places with such a similar beginning?
Okay, the differences from the beginning. We moved to Hilliard whereas the author's family seems to have moved into Whitehall and perhaps it was a tougher environment. She speaks of her brothers having to join gangs and her getting into fights in school from the beginning because of her race. As far as I know my siblings and I never heard of gangs except perhaps on West Side Story. My father received a PhD from Ohio State in a science and so our family's focus was always on academics and never the social aspects of society so perhaps our focus on what mattered in life was different. Our parents always stressed how smart we were and how we needed to study. Not necessarily true in my case, but a child needs a lifeboat.
Which is not to say I did not suffer greatly through school. I was awkward, gangly, introverted--basically a nerdy child. My parents had no idea about the social niceties of high school life (they had spent their young adult lives going through two wars and losses of entire families) so had no pearls of wisdom to pass on. But there were a couple of other Asian girls in high school who maneuvered its intricacies swimmingly so I had to assume that all my issues of being a social outcast was an individual problem. I had no problems with that.
While my parents stressed the pride of being Korean, they also stressed the importance of fitting into the current society. My father bought American cars because of this. Somehow, through their teachings I picked up the need to be grateful to our host country. And I guess this is what bothers me about the stance taken in this book. We all chose to move here, I assume to have a better life and I also assume because we all thought this country would be better than the country we were leaving. I think in a lot of the cases of charges of racism, we are describing rites of growing up, events that would happen wherever we were in the world. This country was doing fine before we moved here and would do fine if we had never moved here. Its people are gracious and welcoming. Sure there have been cases of racism, people who have disliked me beyond all my personal faults--the second grade teacher, the professor in college, a fellow worker. But that's three people in a life approaching 70. Not a lot. And as I read this book, it's clear that America's people have been very welcoming to the author. But that stance does not get books published and that seems to be important for her. So, proceed.
But I'd like to be clear that the clarion call the author seems to feel she is sending out to society is just a selfish one. There are areas of her life that need attention--like for instance, how is the school she started doing? Not well, as far as I can tell from reading on line. But doing that would not bring her the attention she seems to crave. Let's get real.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews