Why we need to hear each Others Stories
i want to talk to everyone about stories
what is a story in loose terms it can be
defined as an account of imaginary or
real events
but let us really extrapolate on this
premise what
is the essence of stories is it the
emotion
the heart the way it is conveyed there’s
something distinctly humanizing about
stories
something connecting about all of them
we tell each other stories for many
reasons for
entertainment and to teach each other’s
lessons
stories are often the first way parents
connect with their children
being enamored by works such as those
from dr
seuss with fun illustrations and
compiling
rhyme schemes but also contains lessons
that are deeply symbolic
as we grow older we realize stories are
often
more than they appear that there are
layers that hold hidden meeting
waiting to be uncovered books can be
stories
stories can be verbally transmitted
orally passed down in history
or eagerly exchanged as sunday brunch
they can be heard through the emotions
and lyrics found in music
or observed through potent depictions in
movies and television
in this description it can safely be
said that stories are extremely
multifaceted
but ultimately they are pieces of
ourselves
we see ourselves in them and draw
inspiration connection
empathy and ambition but i rarely saw
pieces of myself
in the stories i heard read or saw
growing up
rarely saw individuals that look like me
and that is why
i stress the significance of
representation
i never saw people who look like me in
those coming-of-age american movies
that were so heartfelt that gets a pass
for being cheesy
i never saw people who look like me not
in mainstream music
where the musicians sing about football
bleachers and friday night
lights and yet i could never envision
myself
as the star athlete or the homecoming
king
i could not pinpoint those who look like
me
not from public figures to even my
public school teachers
the ones who taught me american history
and world history
but as i got older i gradually learned
that what the school system really meant
was european history and the byproducts
of it
when i did see me i saw what society
thought of me i saw 40 second clips of
doctors giving highly technical
prescriptions
providing mediocrity important
medications and then
never to be seen again 40 seconds
of a 40-minute episode of a four-season
show
about how many seasons it took for me to
see someone who looked like me
again i heard many peculiar accidents
some talented martial artists and
occasionally if i am lucky
a lovely decently attractive
one-dimensional
sidekick even when i saw people who look
like me
the ones whom people make assumptions
off of to characterize me
i realize even they are not that similar
to me
at all as i see these brief features of
asian american actors
that allow networks to proclaim their
woke nature
i’m frustrated at the incomplete stories
they tell
stories that hundreds of talented of
actors had to fight over
and are told to be grateful for that
allow them to slap on the word diversity
as if it is a term that implied a brief
trip
from point a to point b checking off a
box
rather than a continuous intentional and
thought-provoking journey
to amplify stories that have been
historically oppressed
so societally suffocated and never
to be considered important it is almost
like those stereotypes
momentary flickers torn off pages within
a library of stories
failed to capture the complex nuanced
and culturally diverse identities of an
entire ethnicity
for me i believe that individual lives
of people
exemplify a type of story selling in
itself
each person has a character within the
convoluted
and tingled history book of humanity for
me
i can cite a few examples of when
representation
engendered a feeling of purpose strength
and deliberation
throughout the time period of insanity
when an unknown and
undrafted harvard graduate suddenly
sprung onto the scene of the mba
and became forced to be reckoned with i
began having awakened feelings and
aspirations
every layup jumper and intercepted ball
that jeremy lin accomplished every point
he made was an incremental burst
of hope and confidence his talent his
charisma and his work ethic
emboldened me and made me realize that
success
even on the highest level even for an
asian american
was possible another example of a person
who impacted me enormously was andrew
young
when announcing his presidential
campaign it triggered many strong
yet conflicting emotions a persisting
sense of doubt
confusion and bafflement but also an
overwhelming optimism
that lingered for days i was confused
how could yang essentially a nobody
compared to the powerhouses
of the democratic party be eliciting
such strong emotions out of me
i finally realized that the perpetual
lack of representation
the marginalization of minorities and
specifically asian americans
and the confining nature of stereotypes
had made me subconsciously avoid things
that i was perfectly capable of pursuing
it wasn’t that i didn’t know an asian
man could run for president
but simply the fact that it was finally
being done
he was setting a precedent exemplifying
that we are more than what conventional
standards
media and society say that we are
i could accomplish anything i set my
mind to we
could accomplish anything that we set
our minds to
talented musicians prolific writers
empowering activists
were even running for the president of
the united states
these thoughts ran through my mind
roughly a year ago but as young gains
more and more momentum
i feel like he is influencing young
people to achieve their goals
every benchmark rally public speech and
debate
he does inspires me to reach for the
stars he made me realize that through
relentless perseverance
the opportunities are truly limitless
upon reflection although i embrace the
success of these two prominent figures
i’m also deeply cognizant of their
trials and tribulations
and all the extra hard work it took for
them to get to this place
they were underdogs both proving
themselves
to a society that has historically never
made room for them
amidst the overwhelming joy and
excitement rampant skepticism and a
serious failure to take them seriously
made me earnestly question why there was
so much doubt
when then i recall glimpses of my past
my childhood accent
bring questions to my comprehension my
inability
to assemble a suit and tie properly
drawing skepticism
to my competency and every leadership
rule
i thought pursuing weighed down by the
lack of predecessors before me
lack of stories to prove that i can and
with these recollections
i dare say i made the connection that
the societal doubt and pressures placed
upon
yang and ling were not of their
abilities but their asian heritage
however regardless of the adversity and
obstacles lynn had to
hurtle past cross over or jump through
he still always ended up taking a shot
the perpetual
disrespect and attempted humiliation at
yang
with countless examples including an
incredibly famous
and cynical talk show host scoffing at
young’s genuine intention of winning the
presidency
credible news articles putting a picture
of a random asian man
on the internet as his face and call me
bold as i say that not every asian man
looks alike
and mainstream media calling him peter
yang and john yang
when peter and john are pretty far off
and yang
is not even right either jeremy lin
andrew yang prince wang lin
ling yang yang wang
wang growing up i struggled to recall
when i allowed myself to go by the alias
prince wayne
and allowed individuals to pronounce it
differently simply out of their
convenience
however i guess this addresses the core
of the issue
it is not individual instances of
ignorance but a societal
stubbornness to allow new stories to
come pouring in
growing up and often until we are old
and frail
the natural instinct is to adapt to
frequently told stories
blend into stories that are culturally
accepted but instead
we need to be bold with our stories
amplify them and change the narrative
behind them
this is so important because when you
begin to understand different stories
if you read parts of them incorrectly
then you will not fully understand the
essence of them
similarly if we are perpetually known
through our aliases of
prince wang andrew yang and jeremy lin
will our stories be fully authentic
when the titles of them cannot even be
correctly pronounced
as ling and yang continue to raise their
head up high
my growing respect is owed to the
propensity
to ignore cheap shots and rather focus
on their goals
missions and values their perseverance
and humility
passion and love consistently pierce
through
i share the same fiery and competitive
energy as ling
and a similar passion of helping others
as young and like both of them
i also want to change the world i am
studying international relations
i’ve long wanted to learn more about how
the world worked
and how i can hopefully make it work a
little better
for those whom the world currently is
not working that well for
many of my friends have described me as
overly idealistic
to the point of being unrealistic but i
disagree
because how are you willing to change
the world when you’re not even willing
to think about changing the world and
anyways
even when the cold chill of reality hits
me in the face from time to time
the lessons and wisdom i learn creates
the sunshine
that enriches my storytelling aside from
these monumental aspirations
i love to rap run and relax i may be
horrible at all these aforementioned
activities
but that is hardly a damper for my
passion for these hobbies
that in a convoluted but hopefully
somewhat meaningful way
is part of my story the story of me now
and forever is the time for you to tell
the story of you
write your story jump into your story
and seize it
empower others with your story so that
they too
will understand that their story is
precious
and beautiful and powerful
live your story and dance it discover
your story for what it is
as a beautiful whole not limited by the
societal pressures
that threaten to stifle it claim your
narrative
and rewrite the story that was taken
from you
your words your experiences and your
truth
that is the important part if we can
share each other’s stories from the
heart
we can begin to dismantle the stories
what should i say stereotypes
society has already written for us we
can
shatter untested and unwritten
perceptions thrust upon us by a society
that does not have the capacity for
storytelling
no space for the imaginative worlds of
harry potter were percy jackson
no room for the lorax but plenty for the
once-ler
that cuts down the truffula trees that
each uniquely symbolizes our beautiful
dreams
our stories and ourselves to be
fashioned into the oppressive
homogeneity
that steals us from our truffula trees
but also
our truth through this perpetual process
let’s continue to build more and more
bridges of empathy
for the longest time i have felt that
society has known me better than i have
known myself
a part of that being because i was
scared of going outside of what society
has deemed acceptable for me
a part of me did not even realize i
could become someone different
but now with every stroke of my pen
every triumphant success
every defiant word or sentence or ted
talk
i’m beginning to write my own story and
i absolutely cannot wait to hear yours
thank you