There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center.
Interpretation
Seeing representation empowers individuals to take action and be seen.
Jenny Han's quote emphasizes the importance of representation and visibility in fostering self-confidence and empowerment. When individuals see others who look like them succeeding or taking charge, it encourages them to step out of the shadows and assert their own identities and potential. The transition from the sidelines to the center symbolizes taking an active role in one's life and society.
In practice
Using this quote in a speech at a diversity and inclusion conference.
It's important for Asian American kids to see themselves in stories and to feel seen. They need to know that their stories are universal, too, that they, too, can fall in love in a teen movie. They don't have to be the sidekick; they can be the hero.
A Warrior knows that a great dream is made up of many different things, just as the light from the sun is the sum of its millions of rays.
Ring the bells that still can ring.
When you sing gospel you have a feeling there is a cure for what's wrong.
Each time we act to improve the life of another person, we send forth a ripple of hope in what appears to be a hopeless society.
When you find your way you cannot be scared. You need to be brave enough to take wrong steps. The deceptions, failures, lack of enthusiasm, are tools that God places in our way to reveal the path.
Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder.
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