If you've been keeping up with the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and have noticed a little something different this year, it's not just you. This year, Team USA includes 244 athletes, the largest team in the entire Olympics, with the highest gender and ethnic diversity ever seen in all the past winter Olympics.

National Public Radio reports that women account for over 45 percent of the USA team "putting it slightly above the average for all countries competing in Pyeongchang." There are also a total of 11 African Americans and 10 Asian Americans. Okay, the numbers this way may seem a bit underwhelming. But, no need to be disappointed!

The fact remains that this is the most diverse team in winter Olympic history and that fact in itself is amazing. The Washington Post reports how the U.S. Olympic Committee's director of diversity and inclusion is aware that the team is still mostly white and expresses hope to increase their diversity in the future.

If you feel like that low percentage does not quite match up with the media coverage, you also might be right. Four out of five of the women's bobsledders are women of color. Not to mention, half of the 14 USA figure skaters are Asian American!

Although the percentages are low, these people of color are concentrated in specific sports. So yes, there is quite a bit of diversity, and yes there will be even more in the upcoming years.

Personally, I feel such a sense of pride and wonderment watching the figure skaters. Growing up as an Asian American, there were so many times I felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of my peers.

The few times I actually saw Asians portrayed respectfully and pridefully were at the Olympics. Although there have been other Asian Americans in past Olympics such as Michelle Kwon, never has there been such a prominent existence.

What my father said the other day really stood out to me. My father recounted how in past Olympics he heard other people saying Asians did not match up to other nations because they're too weak. They're too small or too frail.

Now, this new wave of American athletes is here to prove incorrect perceptions wrong. Whether they know it or not, these young skaters are about to become role models for other minorities all throughout the nation. They're here to prove that we are not just Asians, not just minorities, but that we are strong and proud Americans.

Mirai Nagasu (24 years old)

Karen Chen (18 years old)

Nathan Chen (18 years old)

Vincent Zhou (17 years old)

Madison Chock (25 years old)

Alex Shibutani (26 years old) and Maia Shibutani (23 years old)