Strange how complicated we can make things just to avoid showing what we feel!
Erich Maria RemarqueRead
Because growing up as an Asian-American and growing up as someone who is not white, oftentimes in this country you can feel as though you're a foreigner, or you're reminded of being a foreigner, even though you're not. Even though inside, internally, you feel completely American.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the internal conflict of identity experienced by Asian-Americans, feeling both American and foreign simultaneously.
Lee Isaac Chung's quote highlights the complex emotions faced by individuals of Asian descent in America, who often navigate a dual identity. Despite feeling a strong connection to their American identity, societal perceptions can create feelings of alienation and otherness, leading to a sense of being viewed as outsiders even in their own country.
In practice
During a cultural awareness seminar, this quote could illustrate the challenges faced by minority communities.
Strange how complicated we can make things just to avoid showing what we feel!
There's a false perception that women in Africa somehow don't love their babies they way we do, don't grieve their loss the way we would. That is simply not true.
Back in the day, coming out was something very personal. You began by acknowledging the truth, first to yourself, then to close family and friends. Those of us more in the public spotlight, though, also had to 'come out' to the press.
A lack of affiliation may mean a lack of accountability, and forming a sense of commitment can be hard without a sense of community. Displacement can encourage the wrong kinds of distance, and if the nationalism we see sparking up around the globe arises from too narrow and fixed a sense of loyalty, the internationalism that's coming to birth may reflect too roaming and undefined a sense of belonging.
Unlike people of my generation, my children and my grandchildren have grown up living with, knowing, people who were outwardly gay and lesbian. And they have learned that they're just like us... And when you see that they're just like us, the rationale for discrimination melts away.
Like officer Dave.He's never said much about his life, but I can tell he's scarred. And he knows I'm scarred too. The wounded always recognize the wounded. We can smell each other.
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