Kelly Chi shares her thoughts on her APA Heritage, firearms, and firearms safety.
See below for Kelly’s answers to our interview questions, and find out more about Kelly on her social media and website.
- Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/arms.en.place
- Website — https://spectrolitetraining.com
Tell us a little about who you are
My name is Kelly, I’m Taiwanese American and live in the Bay Area, California.
Over the past several years, I’ve been involved in the firearms community through instruction, training, competitive shooting sports like USPSA, and volunteer work as a Range Safety Officer.
My experience in shooting sports and competition has also influenced how I approach training and skill development as an instructor.
As a firearms instructor, I’ve provided introductory firearms safety and fundamentals training for beginners and first-time shooters, as well as personal coaching for gun owners looking to improve their handgun proficiency and skills.
Why is celebrating our APA Heritage important to you?
Celebrating APA heritage is important because it creates an opportunity to recognize, appreciate, and share our communities’ diverse cultures and traditions. It also creates opportunities for greater visibility and representation in spaces where we may not always be highly visible, including the firearms community.
What’s your ethnic background and what do you appreciate about your APA heritage?
I’m Taiwanese. I was born in Taiwan, came to the U.S. as a baby, and grew up in the U.S. I appreciate the cultural aspects of my background that I grew up around and still connect with.
Things like food, markets, traditions, and experiences are familiar and meaningful to me. I also appreciate the humor, cultural references, and shared experiences within Asian culture.
What is one of your favorite firearms and why?
Glock 34 Gen 5. It’s the handgun I’ve spent the most time training with and shooting in competition over the last few years, so I’ve come to know it very well. It’s also been reliable, and I genuinely enjoy shooting it.
What’s a top firearms safety tip you can share?
Never get complacent with firearms safety. Work to internalize the core firearms safety rules and make safe gun handling second nature.