These are
our stories.

We asked Asian Americans form all walks of life to share their stories of being trapped by and breaking out of the boxes they’ve been placed in.

You can share your story here.

K. Banerjee Murthy — 47, Bengali American

Every day, I labored to build a bridge to connect to others’ worlds, but few were interested in traversing that bridge to see my world. ➝

S. Chin — 35, Chinese American

My family has been in America for over four generations, including service for the United States in World War II. ➝

B. Mahmood — 33, Pakistani American

Because of my dress and accent, I was nicknamed “Gora”. Because of my shy demeanor, I was called a “Faggot”. ➝

S. Ports — 86, Japanese American

During WWII, I was accepted as a woman of color among 640 white classmates in college.

G. Chuersanga — 26, Thai American

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I included phonetic ways to pronounce my name on Zoom and in my email signatures. ➝

S. Chandel — 32, Indian American

I've been stereotyped from as early as elementary school until today in my thirties. ➝

C. Kumaradjaja — 23, Chinese/Indonesian American

My very long last name, Kumaradjaja, is something my paternal grandfather made up. ➝

C. Sun — 16, Chinese American

My art is my gift, and I will always wield it to fight for my people. ➝

M. Nguyenhuu — Vietnamese American

I packed up my bags and moved across the country without knowing a single person. ➝

E. Murashige — 27, Japanese/German/Irish American

I felt immediately disgusted towards men that asked me about my background, especially the ones who asked me before they even asked my name. ➝

A. Ip — 72, Chinese American

He yelled and swore at me. Isn’t he supposed to watch out for the pedestrians?! ➝

More stories coming soon. Submit yours here.