Dear T,
You are precious. You are worthy. You are made of the same magic as the stars. The world tells you otherwise in countless ways, and it’s easy to believe its lies, but inevitably you will find your inner light. You are not inferior to white people. You are not lesser by the circumstances of your birth.
Category: Empathize through stories
For those of us with family working in the nail and beauty industries, historical and economic inequities against Vietnamese salon workers are highlighted by the coronavirus. I wrote this article feeling frustrated while helping my brother apply for pandemic unemployment benefit.
When you grow up poor, security becomes one of your top goals in life. It is especially paramount if you’re a refugee or immigrant. After all, you left your homeland and took great risks in pursuit of security, both in the physical and financial sense.
A name that is easy to pronounce creates trust and familiarity, it’s the first step to making someone feel like they know you, like you, and can trust you. As soon as we got our U.S. citizenship, we all changed our name into something American English-speakers can recognize and pronounce. This means survival in America.
What it was like growing up a Viet child refugee in America. Which struggles do you relate to?
Growing up in the United States, my Vietnamese history is ignored or misrepresented. The perspectives and stories of refugees – and of people of color in general – are not taught in school or documented in popular media. I want to break those stereotypes, encourage critical thinking, and spark constructive discussion through the FOBLOG.