(inspired by Professor Mai Ngai’s lecture) Anti-Immigration sentiment has always been prevalent in America. From the Chinese Exclusion Acts and neglection of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to American imperialism in Southeast Asia and El Salvador, those who identify as Latinx and Asian seem to constantly be positioned as foreigners who are unable to assimilate…
Home is waking up to the banging on my mother’s mortar and pestle. I learned it’s the best type of wake up call and I can smell the fried garlic in the wok. It is the bait that reels my little brother and I into the kitchen, where my dad is talking her ear off…
Unplanned words spilled out from my mouth to establish, “you are not in charge.” I am radiant, my worth is not based on you, I am beaming warmth. Painted veil, pressed dress, one bright smile, no event– just because I can. Resting bitch face on, a woman with a mission; don’t get in my way.…
My mother’s solution to every single body ache or movement of pain is to apply Tiger Balm or a Salonpas patch over the area. Run into the wooden table and gained a bruise the size of a golf ball? Apply Tiger Balm to soothe the contusion on your skin. Feeling nauseous or stuck with a…
You, the woman who brought me into this world, and carried me in your love and fear, the one who did it all alone with no one by your hospital side, the daughter of parents who left you in poverty. You bring out the Privilege in me, the master…
Don’t Trust the Mind of a Laotian girl especially if she’s a gemini like me, for the na presented is entirely different from the na you don’t see. so don’t be surprised when she responds in cold texts because she’ll expect you to know she’s not interested. she wears a red sint…