This piece is dedicated to the past me who struggled so hard to find her place.
Letting Go
Nonfiction
Asian American
This poem is an exercise in claiming my place in history—as a member of a community but also as an individual. It explores some thoughts I frequently have about my Asian-American identity and living in New York.
Blackbird
Like blackbirds we lived in a constant state of struggle trying to survive. Every time we tried to fly there were others pecking away at our wings. Like that bird, fueled by our need to survive, we learned to soar.
Tale of an Unsung Writer
I decided the best way to approach this year’s broad theme centered around history was to show how I can change the trajectory of my own story by being honest about my passions.
Fear Is My Superpower
This piece reflects on my bravery on how no matter how scared I was to do something, I always went for it. Fear has become my superpower and has helped me grow and see how strong I am.
75 Years
I wrote this piece after visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site last summer and attending the United Nations Holocaust Memorial Ceremony on January 27, 2020. Seventy-five years have passed since the liberation of Auschwitz.
Weekends/Weekdays
I awake to my upstairs neighbors yelling and my mom shuffling to get my sister out the door for school. It’s 6:00 a.m. and my mom is shouting my name.
Dear Friend
This piece is dedicated to my younger self who deserves the recognition for keeping her head high through all the downfalls presented throughout her life. With all my faults and mistakes, yesterday’s me is still me.
Within Limits
To take our place in history, we must also take a place within ourselves by being conscious of how we feel. Mental health is one of the least discussed yet most prevalent parts of our past, present and future, as our mentality about ourselves and about the world, defines us.
Distorted Atmosphere
This poem tumbled out of me on a night when I felt lost and confused in my own mind. This is a compilation of my insecurities and social anxieties; I wanted to write this piece for anyone who needs a reminder that they are not alone.
It Runs In My Family
My family means everything to me, so I’m giving back to them when I succeed. This piece reflects me giving back by making them proud, and by rewriting the course of my family history.
Hereditary
This poem is a reflection on what being multiracial means to me and how it impacts the space I occupy in the world.
Serendipity
This is a piece dedicated to some of the closest people of my life, all of whom I had never expected to be so crucial to my personal growth.
Monolid
This piece describes my experience growing up with beauty standards. It highlights my first encounter with eyelid tape and the contrast between East Asian and Western notions of beauty.
Dreams, Hopes, Forward, Forward
I want to dedicate this piece to the person I am becoming. The way forward for me feels inspiring and optimistic!