Just a random memory...
I don't know where to put this. It's something that's been on my mind for about a week now and I don't know where to put this voice, so I'll just leave it here.
I read a post on a Chinese girl's blog about how difficult it is to be an Asian American in the United States. I wish I could find it again, even though I don't agree 100% with it, but a lot of it resonated with me.
Southeast Asians have the highest high school dropout rate in the entire country. There was a point in time in high school that I was failing (abysmally, at that) two courses. My parents had given up on me entirely as a "failure" and adhered to the entire "We are smart people so you must be smart too--so why are you failing courses?" They didn't offer to help or to speak with my teachers about my education. They just wanted the problem to magically solve itself because it wasn't supposed to be a problem in the first place.
One english teacher took it upon herself to speak with me privately and give me the encouragement I needed to not give up on school and not give up on life. I am forever grateful. I remember that moment I scored a 65 (as opposed to my previous average of 30something) on an exam and she held my shoulder and gave me an affirmative "Yes!" I spilled over in tears.
Maybe I'll talk about this more some day. For now I just needed to put these words down somewhere where I would remember them.
I read a post on a Chinese girl's blog about how difficult it is to be an Asian American in the United States. I wish I could find it again, even though I don't agree 100% with it, but a lot of it resonated with me.
Southeast Asians have the highest high school dropout rate in the entire country. There was a point in time in high school that I was failing (abysmally, at that) two courses. My parents had given up on me entirely as a "failure" and adhered to the entire "We are smart people so you must be smart too--so why are you failing courses?" They didn't offer to help or to speak with my teachers about my education. They just wanted the problem to magically solve itself because it wasn't supposed to be a problem in the first place.
One english teacher took it upon herself to speak with me privately and give me the encouragement I needed to not give up on school and not give up on life. I am forever grateful. I remember that moment I scored a 65 (as opposed to my previous average of 30something) on an exam and she held my shoulder and gave me an affirmative "Yes!" I spilled over in tears.
Maybe I'll talk about this more some day. For now I just needed to put these words down somewhere where I would remember them.