Exploring the ambiguous
It’s been awhile since I’ve written something, so apologies for that. Without going into too much detail, I moved to a new place, lacerated my hand, had some stitches, got a root canal, and have finally settled down. So now it’s back to writing! My hiatus actually inspired me to write this current piece, because …
Continue reading “9. On the wonder of insignificance and individuality”
No one prepares you for the exhaustion of being queer and closeted at work. There’s the waking up early, the hell commute, the bus that doesn’t arrive, the rude coworkers, the overbearing boss, and a host of other things to worry about. Then there’s the constant misgendering, the wince of hearing girl and she and …
Continue reading “8. On the exhaustion of living with one foot in the closet”
I was 10 years old when I approached my mother with the question, “Mom, can I start shaving my legs?” I have a very vivid memory of going to school that year, only in fourth grade, and sitting on the carpet with my hairy legs folded criss-cross. I looked around me, and as far as …
Trying to describe tactile sensitivities to someone who has never experienced it is insanely difficult. Similar to the well-known quote, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture,” trying to explain why I can’t wear jeans or touch velvet is something that I just can’t explain sometimes. I’ve tried writing about it in every way …
Continue reading “6. On tactile sensitivity and neurodivergence”
Being third generation is a strange place to be. I look identical to my Grandma, who is 100% Lebanese, even though I’m only a quarter. I’m the only one in my family who has these olive skinned looks. I have one sister and six other cousins, and of the eight of us on this side …
Continue reading “5. On racial identity influencing our greater selves”
Discourse surrounding the Asian continent and the use of the word “Asian” as a racial identifier has become more inclusive over the last decade or so. Typically, when people say someone is/looks Asian, what they mean is that they look East Asian— Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, etc. And most non-Asians use this general descriptor because they …
Going to school in a liberal environment in a liberal city is really interesting most of the time, because my hometown is nothing like this. Back home, Trump signs are more common than stop signs. The day I got back from my first year of college, there was a protest outside my old high school …
Many times when I’ve been misgendered by older people, or even by people my age, a common refrain I hear from people is that using they/them pronouns is just such a wildly foreign concept that you can’t blame people for getting it wrong over and over. “It’s not how they were raised,” people say. They …
Continue reading “2. On the excuse of “It’s not how they were raised””
Language, identity, place, home: these are all of a piece— just different elements of belonging and not-belonging. — Jhumpa Lahiri Someone recently proudly told me all about how she understands gender identity. She told me, “Someone asked me if I was a girl, and I said, ‘Yes, but it’s because I identify as a girl.’” …
So you made it to my site! Welcome. This is my space for letting out my thoughts on all that frustrates me in life about my own existence and others’ as it pertains to identity—the nebulous and undefined nature of gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity. Why make this blog? There’s something very comforting about talking to …
Writing in Suspension