I was once that impressionable adolescent who seeked ways to adhere to the thinness and euro-centric “ideals” that continue to be heavily projected in mainstream media. I was the tallest kid in class until middle school, which made me stand out like a sore thumb.

Often times, when Asians speak up about racial issues we face, we’re silenced. People say it’s “just a joke” or “not a big deal.” Many are ignorant of the history of oppression we’ve dealt with and are unaware of many current occurrences of racial violence, hate crimes, or severe incidents of racism.

Nowadays, fashion is all about being “hype.” Street fashion has swept into mainstream fashion trend by overtaking the old-fashioned, elite high-end fashion that only a few get to enjoy.

The ice is melting, temperature rising, and people dying. Climate change is an international emergency that, according to a UN report, must be addressed in the next 11 years. I and the rest of Generation Z have grown up in this climate crisis.

As an Asian woman, I am sure that many of us have heard that the only three career choices for an Asian is to be a doctor, lawyer, and engineer.

Everyone learns to live with who they are. I happen to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, an Asian American, a writer, creator, and a fighter. I come from a traditional family where you’re told to go to school,have a career, get married, have babies and become a good person in the process. No one has ever told me how to be happy.