English is not my first language. It’s also not my second language. I grew up listening to and speaking an amalgamation of three different Chinese dialects: Mandarin, Cantonese, and Fujianese. Most children play with dolls and teddy bears – I spent the first four-and-a-half years of my life…
Chinatown at Night. Taken by Khachik Simonian As I walk into my favorite dim sum shop on Doyers street, I am greeted by a familiar waitress who I call “阿姨”, or “Aunty” in English. I am placed in my usual seat, the fourth table next to the window.…
PHOTO BY PHOEBE CHIU “Don’t let boys ruin your life. School should come first. Girls who play with boys are shameful,” my mom said to me when I was in middle school. I would hear these words frequently years later, especially when she was mad at my dad,…
Adjusting to college life at UCLA can be difficult, but the United Khmer Students at UCLA (UKS) association made the adjustment easier for Buna Peong, a first-year UKS intern. UKS is a student-run organization dedicated to fostering a positive and safe environment for Khmer students and for individuals…