Teens Speak Out on the Election
Ari, 15: I am worried and baffled by Trump’s re-election. I don’t have citizenship and am in the U.S. as part of a program that gives Ukrainian refugees parole for two years at a time. Will Trump end this program? Trump being a fan of Putin makes me worry about my home. The U.S. has […]
Read MoreReconnecting with My Mother Tongue
“What are your classes this year?” my mom asked in Mandarin, a few weeks before 9th grade started. I showed her my schedule and told her I had biology, one of my favorite science classes. “What is that?” “It’s.. It’s like a class where you study animals,” I explained in a mix of Mandarin and […]
Read MoreA Curly Korean Complex
The moment I had been dreading had arrived. What was usually a mundane part of the day I’d sleep through was now a moment of palpable tension. The inquisitor was making her way down the list and was approaching… “Oscar Scr-binder?” the 4th-grade substitute teacher’s voice boomed. I heard my friends snickering because she butchered […]
Read MoreWar Transformed Our Family
Growing up, everyone in my family was afraid of my mom. When she got angry, she would turn into a tiger. She’d scream loudly, and her voice turned throaty and scary. Sometimes, she even hit my younger sister and me. Dad would also avoid mom when she wasn’t in a good mood. When I heard […]
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