Being Asian

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

"I was always a black sheep as a kid growing up with white parents in Oklahoma. Sometimes I wished I was white or back in Korea where I'd fit in. I was called "that Chinese girl" more times than I can count. Then I ended up studying abroad in China (The irony, right?)—but this was the first time I didn't feel like I stood out. Chinese people even told me that I looked Chinese, so I guess I should give the folks back home a break. But as much as I didn't stand out in China, I still didn't "fit in" because I'm not from China. I realized how American I truly am, and I'm proud of it. I'm proud to be unique and proud of my Oklahoma upbringing. I think accepting the parts of who we are that can't change and continuing to develop from there is a crucial aspect of life."

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