Who Am I? Anonymous

From a grade school classmate who mocked me by stretching out the corners of his eyelids (I’m Thai!), to people who thought it was okay to use Asian slurs because they didn’t include me (I’m not Thai!), to a middle school “friend” who texted me a picture of a swastika and thought it was “funny” (I’m Jewish!), to others who doubted my Jewish status (I’m not Jewish?), it was hard to know who I was.

Many researchers have documented how ethnic minorities may experience the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype and racial trauma from situations like I encountered. I attribute some of my struggles with identity and shyness to these incidents, not only in this country but also in Thailand. There, I experienced a double-edged sword of “inclusivity.” While luk-khrueng (“half-blood”) like me aren’t ridiculed, we are “public like a Frog,” objectified for our “exotic” looks. Either way, I lacked confidence in everyday social interactions, sometimes even lacking the voice to ask a teacher permission to use the bathroom. However, after an unexpected transformative experience, I’ve been growing into an authentic and visible role model, embracing my diversity.

Reading Hebrew came naturally to me; perhaps because I perceived a similarity to Thai. I...