Undefined: A Narrative on the Margins (ART/LIT #5)

To be undefined in a binary is a terrifying thing. To be undefined in a predominantly black-and-white binary is even more terrifying, as terrifying as it is tragic. As an Asian American living in a community where Chinese-Americans are the majority, I’ve had the privilege of having my race spotlighted, especially in the narrative of politics. Here in Northern California, we have leading political personality Evan Low representing the 28th district. We have Kansen Chu, a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, as assembly member of the 25th district. And when Kamala Harris, first Indian-American to serve in the United States, was elected, we all cheered. Here was a day in history where our race was being featured. Here was the day that our stories would start being told in not just the realm of public policy, but also in the way we lived our everyday lives. For those living on the margins, representation is a powerful, tangible, object--it changes the way we feel not just about the world, but also ourselves.

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