Culture
#AAPIHeritageMonth: Why We Should Stop Asking #POC Where They’re From
All my life, I’ve been asked ethnically probing questions, and often times people aren’t even correct in how they pose them. They’ll often ask things like, “Where are you from?” I often ask my own question for clarity sake. You mean, which state was I born in? You mean, how long have I lived in California? Or do you really mean, since I’m a Person of Color, what ethnic origin made me a brown person?
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It’s a month where I reflect on my own experience as a multi-ethnic Person of Color that doesn’t call herself a “Latinx” or an “Asian.” Where are you from?—is a question I’ve been asked at least a million times. What the real question is: What is your ethnicity? Ethnicity is different than nationality. People can be ethnically from a different country than their nationality. My nationality is American. My ethnicity and the ethnicity of other People of Color are no one else’s business. Our ethnicity isn’t relevant to our qualifications for being the right job candidate, and it shouldn’t be a subject of casual conversation. So, why is our ethnicity constantly asked on every single job application? On many applications, they ask if you’re Hispanic or not. I am forced to answer this question with a “No” because I identify with more than one ethnicity. Once I answer “No” on many forms, I’m prompted to pick from other groups of ethnicities. I’ve often seen this option: “Two or More ethnicities (not Hispanic.) See the screenshot below from an actual LinkedIn application.
Why Writers & Readers Should Diversify Their Reading List
I’m a believer in diversifying your reading list because it flexes both your writing muscle and your ability to identify good plot. Strong characters come in all genres, and impactful page-turners are genderless with regards to the author. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Oddball: Be Different. Be Unique. Be You.
I have always been drawn to “different” because I never felt like I fit any traditional mold. From my ethnicity, to my ambitions, to the way I was raised, I’ve never felt like I truly fit in anywhere. Perhaps, at times, I’m socially awkward for the reasons of knowing I am not like anybody else. Read the rest of this entry »
Political Discrimination: Are People Judging You Based On Your Vote?
I’m a bit of a news junkie; I guess there are worse addictions. So, as you can imagine every four years the elections is likened to what the Super Bowl is to a sports fanatic. I saw my therapist yesterday and she said she’s never seen so many patients who are overly passionate, even emotional over this election cycle. Now, I wasn’t really pontificating on politics but I briefly mentioned an encounter I had with some Twitter users. Read the rest of this entry »
What is a Stereotyped Threat?
Since moving back to Los Angeles from New York, I have found myself scratching my head as I observe humans in the city of Angels the way a cultural anthropologist would. Unfortunately, my experience is that many people belong to clubs. Read the rest of this entry »
Writing With Hope 