Shally Wong was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong, in 1969. She recounted her upbringing, particularly growing up in a single-mother household as the youngest of four. She mentioned how the Cultural Revolution in China affected her family, particularly her father’s absence during her early years. She recalled the financial difficulties her family faced during her formative years, highlighting how her older sister had to work at an early age to support the family. Educational and professional opportunities prompted her to leave Hong Kong and emigrate to Vancouver, Canada, in 1986. After graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration, she returned to Hong Kong to officially process her immigration visa. In 1991, Shally arrived in Orlando, Florida, reuniting with her oldest sister, who had lived in Central Florida for over a decade at that point. She quickly realized how work provides stability in the US and the lack of Asian cultural knowledge in Orlando, mainly when she worked for her sister’s Chinese restaurant. This limited understanding of Asians inspired Shally to create Asia Trend in 2005, an online magazine that provides news for Asian American happenings in Florida, thereby promoting Asian American culture. She also explained how the magazine functions as a tool to preserve Asian American culture, especially for future generations. Before joining Asia Trend, Shally worked in the for-profit world, outlining her experiences in several companies, including Toys R Us Asia, from 1996 to 1999. Since 2019, Shally has served as the official liaison to the Asian American community in Orange County as the special assistant to Mayor Jerry Demings. She discussed her role in detail and how she has reinforced her broader mission to preserve and promote Asian Americans in Central Florida. She outlined how the Asian American community in Orlando has changed over the past twenty-five years, while also detailing the region’s broader cultural evolutions and the continuous and contemporary challenges it faces.