Have you ever sat down with a thoughtful and sensitive questionnaire on race and ethnicity? I did, and it was challenging and rewarding. It helped me explore and think about these issues and reflect on how I feel about something I live with and yet, forget I live with during the moments of my life.
1) How do you define yourself racially or ethnically and why is it important to you? Please tell us about the racial makeup of your family if you were adopted or come from a colorful family.
I consider myself Asian American, or as I like to say, American Asian. The latter description came from digesting people’s perceptions of me. Depending on circumstances, I’m either too Asian or not Asian enough. My father and his family made their way to the United States after fleeing China during the Cultural Revolution. My mother met my father during the Vietnam War when he was stationed with the US Air Force in Thailand. Interestingly, I was almost born in Thailand, but my mother boarded the plane nine months pregnant with me so I could be born in the US. Yeah, she’s crazy, but I’m thankful.
Six years later we returned to Thailand on family…
View original post 1,572 more words
Life, the Universe, and Lani 
We don’t often stop to think how race and ethnicity shape the people we become, but the candid and honest way in which you contemplated it is giving me much food for thought. A beautiful piece of writing.
LikeLike
Coming from you that’s a high compliment. I shall quickly press your words into my journal so I can remember that 🙂
Yeah, a very interesting exercise…something college professors should take note of for their classes. Thank you Jolandi!!!!
LikeLike
That was so interesting! I also prefer to call myself American Asian/Korean. . .but since I live in a kind of non-diverse area, I find a lot of people don’t “get it.” #10 gave me a good chuckle. The weirdest thing I was called was Chinese-Cambodian – but I’ve never gotten Navajo!
LikeLike
Yeah, Navajo took me back. But I was doing archaeology and working in the sun for 10 hour days, sooo, I guess my tan was giving me a different look 😛
LikeLike