Taking Care of My Sexual and Emotional Health
Names have been changed. I wish you could know who to trust just by looking at them. I was humiliated because the person I thought was my loyal boyfriend was messing around with other girls—and he gave me an STD. When I was 15, I befriended Rob and thought he was the nicest boy I […]
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Learning About Feminism in the U.S.
In Japan, most mothers stay home with their children. I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about this—I assumed I would be a mom who stayed home with her kids too. But after I moved to New York City from Tokyo, I noticed that most moms work. So while my mom took me to […]
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Living in His Fantasy
I grew up with my mom and stepfather, two grown children who threw drunken temper tantrums and abused their kids. During an attack on my body or mind when I was younger, I would slip away to a happy place inside my head, where I felt no fear or pain. I now know this is […]
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Speaking Up About Sexism in My Family
Names have been changed. After 28 days of fasting, Muslim families like mine mark the end of Ramadan with a holiday called Eid al-Fitr. My family invites our friends over for a dawat, which means feast in Urdu, the main language in Pakistan, where my parents are from. But last year I had no interest […]
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