It is nearly the end of the second half of my 3-week trip in East Asia. It has been the longest I’ve been out of the United States in over 20 years. It has been a time that has been impactful in ways that I haven’t been able to fully articulate. But, perhaps the articulation […]
Tag: Identity
Moments and Movements
Sometimes imposter syndrome (and scarcity syndrome) is (are) real, bred by isolation within a society that encourages competition and comparison, that wants to gives rise to hyper productive doer drones who operate within mindsets of never being/having/doing enough. Sometimes one can (I can, we can) feel like we’re not doing enough or we’re doing things […]
Tenderness, Tension, Community & Connection: Reflections on #NCTE22
What does it mean to dream? What does it mean to pursue the light? This year’s National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention theme was ¡Sueños! Pursuing the Light. It was the first annual convention held in person since 2019, and it was held in my current hometown of Anaheim, California. I was on […]
MamaScholar Spring
It’s Saturday morning and I’m stressed about a talk I’m going to give in a few hours. My little girl has a soccer game in an hour and a half. I will miss it because timing was too tight to get there and to my talk which is close, but not quite close enough. I’ve […]
What Does It Mean to Be Seen?
When I was a little girl, I learned that if I wanted to be loved, I should be small. I should try to quiet my naturally loud voice, particularly my loud laugh. I should work harder than everyone else because only through determination would I be able to prove myself, and even then, I might […]
Entering a New Year, Entering a New Season
It is Lunar New Year’s Eve, and many places that celebrate Lunar New Year have already entered into the Year of the Tiger. My mother was a tiger. Tigers are brave and protective; they can be stubborn, but are also generous and intelligent. She was an earth tiger: strong-minded, determined, always ready for a challenge, […]
Breathe In, Breathe Out
For the last 4 weeks, I have been holding my breath. It’s not uncommon during this time of year when I am always looking for grief to come find me. But this year, with my (fully-masked) son contracting COVID-19 from his Taekwondo practice just before the new year, the virus making its way unceremoniously through […]
Living Authentically
I have been speaking my truth and living it. I have been holding space for ease and patience, comfort and calm. It’s different, but it’s also been transformational. I am realizing that peace and freedom aren’t what I thought they would be. At times, they bring amazing joy. At times, they bring me to tears. […]
The Safety of Silence
I’ve been thinking recently about the safety of silence and the cost of that safety. I have always been an over-sharer and as a second-generation Asian American girl, this was probably the greatest of sins. I should not take things outside of our home, of our family, of our closest circle, of our culture. In […]
Intention, Recognition, Action
Sometimes, you have to set a clear intention, make space for it’s realization and watch it manifest. No really. Sometimes it really happens like that. In real life. Sometimes, you have to be seen. The power of having your potential recognized can allow you to grow in ways you never thought imaginable. It can allow […]