Tyler Wolff has had a lot to celebrate recently.
The 20-year-old Homegrown from Snellville, Georgia earned his first start of the season for Atlanta United last month in its U.S. Open Cup match against Memphis 901 FC. Within that match, he scored his first-ever goal with the first team and the fastest goal of the season at two minutes and 37 seconds.
This month, Wolff gets to celebrate something other than his accomplishments on the field. May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time where Wolff takes extra pride in his Filipino roots.
The forwardās Asian heritage comes from his motherās side, and although never having visited the country, stories and traditions carried through by his grandmother have allowed him a link back to the Philippines.
āIām pretty close with my grandmother,ā Wolff said, āand sheās been [back to the Philippines] a few times since coming here. Iāve heard itās beautiful there. I want to one day go there, visit, see the culture, see the people.
āMy grandmother has been here for a while, so I like to say sheās been āAmericanized,āā he added, ābut sheāll cook, and weāll have some friends over, family gatherings. I know get-togethers was a big part of what she did there when she was younger.ā
Since Wolffās grandmother moved to America, most of his extended family has followed her lead. Having his family around has been his strongest tie to his ethnicity, considering Asian and Pacific Islanders are two of the smallest ethnic groups in Georgia and MLS.Ā
In 2022, Asians accounted for just 4.6% of Georgia's population; Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders were the least populous at 0.1%. That same year, they stood at 0.8% and 0.3% respectively for MLS players, with only American Indian or Alaskan Natives behind them at 0.1%.
Despite often being one of few in his environment, Wolff appreciates the foundation his ethnicity has set in his life and said it is one of the reasons why AAPI Heritage Month is so important.
āI think itās good to know where you came from,ā he said, āand itās good to know your people and the type of cultures that youāve grown up seeing and learning. I think itās good to always have something to fall back on.ā
Atlanta United released a new team scarf in May to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, and it is available for purchase at the Atlantic Station Team Store. Wolff said the campaign is another great way the club is uniting the city while recognizing its diversity.
āI think itās awesome,ā he said. āReaching out to the different ethnicities, different cultures around the city helps bring everyone together. Theyāre doing a great job with it.ā