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.
Monolid
Intimate
Two Sides
My inspiration for this piece came after having a deep conversation with someone I trust. I came to the realization that there are two different sides to everyone—including myself.
Broken Glass/Not Yet Formed
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being myself—and what that means for me as a young woman. I wanted to write something that reflected being free in my ability to dream and imagine any life for myself as a girl in the twenty-first century.
Our Souls Will Rise
Inspired by Sappho’s fragmentary poems, Our Souls Will Rise describes the sensation of being trapped in a condition which is beautiful yet simultaneously confining love’s attempt to transcend distance.
A Life Long Taxi Ride
Growing up I was raised in a very cultured and loving community. However, when I began to interact with the world outside my community, I became aware of the many issues people like me face daily.
Metamorphosis
Starting the program in my freshman year of high school meant I grew up with Girls Write Now. Although saying goodbye is difficult, it brings me great joy to present our history.
this is
“this is” is an answer to the question: “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” Just recently in history, women have the power to seize their opportunities and follow their dreams. This piece reflects on those dreams, and the future.
Two Worlds
A memoir, a thought, a realization. Finding and defining my own identity.
Morning Routine
A young girl of color is having a hard time educating her religious mother about the depression she silently struggles with.
Taken Out
Often, culture enforces us to make decisions that we don’t want to make for the sake of family reputation.
Summer Camp Love Letter
Summer camp carries a particular kind of magic in your life. I wanted to capture the whimsical romance of teenage relationships in this prose poem.
I Wish Love Was Simple
These poems are inspired by my experiences with love. Through writing these pieces I was able to express myself and get closure from the past, which has made me the person that I am today.
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.
Beloved
This piece was an exploration of different relationships; friendship, familial, romantic, and self. I hope to make other women want to take a reflective look inside themselves and the way they interact with others. Honesty is the best way to take your place within your own history.
Green Tea. Hot. Mint With Honey.
My piece, “Green Tea. Hot. Mint With Honey” is a reflective personal narrative about a specific vulnerable period of time in my young life.