As ten-year-old Mercedes Jacobs sat in the Havana airport in 1962, the wait was long and her clothes were heavy. Already classified as an adult, she was only allowed three dresses on her journey to Miami,...

I’ve felt like an imposter from a young age in both parts of my biracial identity—my whiteness and my Asianness. I’ve never felt “Asian enough,” though the reasons may seem stereotypical or superficial...

Radiohead’s 1995 alternative chart topper, “Fake Plastic Trees,” is about my Christmas tree. The eponymous fake Chinese rubber plant lives rent-free in my mom’s closet—but having a deeply...

My first year of college, I realized just how little my Hawaiian identity existed in Boston. I remember a distinct feeling of isolation as I came to terms with the fact that barely any of my peers understood...

The hat looks heavier than it feels. Colorful flowers cover the right side of my head, while thin chains dangle on the left attached to metal medallions. A thick, itchy strap secures the hat on my head...

When meeting someone new, the first thing you learn about them is their name. A name serves as an identifier, signaling who someone is. A person’s name comes with a story. It says something about a person’s...

Food is necessary for the body, but it’s also necessary for the soul—and I don’t mean that in a metaphorical way. So many of my most cherished memories are associated with a particular dish; I think...

Halloween has come and gone.Now it’s time to start preparing for the next holiday—Thanksgiving.  For college students, the infamous turkey day is often seen as a much-needed break from classes...

“This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” the latest show in Emerson Stage’s 2021-22 season, a children’s fairytale about three unique sisters embarking on their individual journeys,...

Throughout the college application process, I felt pressured to attend school somewhere far away from my home in southeastern Massachusetts. Everyone said college was supposed to be about new experiences...

I grew up as an only child and grandchild—but soon, this won't be true anymore.  My family recently told me about the first cousin I will have come December. When they told me over the phone, I was...

Growing up in Miami, I practically lived in a bikini and flip flops, savoring warm temperatures and sunny days year-round. Now that I live in Boston, I’ve made the switch from flip flops to boots. Realistically,...

Being born and raised in South Florida, I was always taught to prepare for the unexpected—the bad driver on the road and even the pop-up thunderstorm. But no one can prepare for a Category Five hurricane...