I also enjoy writing personal essays, creative non-fiction pieces, and opinion articles. Below are brief excerpts from these works. Click on the links in the titles to read the full pieces.
Balloon Person
Published in Gauge Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2019 Issue
Comfort in the Uncomfortable
Published in Em Magazine’s Spring 2019 Issue
”….the lonely and arduous journey into adulthood can also be one of the first liberating experiences in our lives. As children, we were taught to be certain people when we weren’t even sure what kind of people we wanted to be yet. But as we began to move into adulthood, we questioned this lifelong adherence to conventional principles in an effort to be our own independent persons. The tumultuous confusion and discomfort that we experience during adolescence helps us understand who we are and who we want to be. It is the first time when we rebel against societal norms and redefine them based on what they mean to us—even if this self-exploration leads us to make questionable fashion choices along the way.
It is this precise beauty in the uncomfortable that lies at the center of Camp.”
Album review: Julia Jacklin’s Crushing
Written for Feature Writing
To the woman with the sunglasses who told me I looked like “a cultured Mexican”
Published in Flawless Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2018 Issue
“‘What are you?’
We’ve all been asked this question before. As 21st-century products of the American “melting pot,” many of us like the opportunity to share our responses, eager to talk about the unique blend of ethnicities that makes us who we are, like we’re each starring in our own 23andme commercial.
As a brown girl who grew up in a predominantly white community, I can’t help but notice how frequently I’ve been asked this question. Friends, classmates, teachers, strangers — the interrogation is always more or less the same: Where’s your family from? You have such an interesting look...are you Indian? Persian? What are you?”
Legitimizing Latinx lives
October 19, 2017 — Published in The Berkeley Beacon newspaper
“…in regards to the everyday discrimination inflicted upon the Latinx population, these offenses are consistently swept under the rug, as though they aren’t substantial enough to be taken seriously. It shouldn’t require a hurricane or a bigoted president for people to suddenly express interest in the plight of the Latinx community.”
Activism for applause or for a cause?
September 14, 2017 — Published in The Berkeley Beacon newspaper
“If our current president is any indication, the line separating entertainment and politics grows blurrier every day, and it’s difficult not to notice the surge in socially-conscious celebrities. Although some of these cases may be sincere efforts to use celebrity platforms to speak out against social injustice, it can be tough to discern genuine support from publicity stunts.
Whether we like it or not, celebrities represent what qualities and talents we, as their audience, value and accept. Therefore, such self-indulgent endeavours should not be praised or idolized, as they redirect public attention and support away from serious problems, and towards insignificant entertainment.”
What does it mean to be an ally?
April 6, 2017 — Published in The Berkeley Beacon newspaper
“Both figuratively and literally, the roles of allies and activists in today’s social movements are not as black and white as they are often made out to be. Although it may seem that the lines drawn between these two types are set in stone, the hard reality is that for most people, these roles tend to change depending on the social situation….It’s important to recognize how, while certain parts of your identity may put you at a disadvantage, other parts may prove beneficial.”
Punching Nazis won’t end white supremacy
February 23, 2017 — Published in The Berkeley Beacon newspaper
“Our words are only as powerful as people are willing to listen to them. But when our words are ignored, what then? The inauguration of Trump and the rise of the Neo-Nazi movement over the last few months has proven that sometimes words alone are not enough to be heard. In a war for basic human rights, how can anyone be expected to defend their own inherent liberties if their voices are consistently dismissed and silenced?”
The Symbiotic Pursuit of Social Justice
January 19, 2017 — Published in The Berkeley Beacon newspaper
“No matter the movement, all causes rooted in oppression—whether they are LGBTQ rights, the fight for racial equality, or striving to end gender imbalances—require the united commitment of its supporters to selflessly work toward one common goal: to end the structural imbalance of power.
Yet for many allies to these movements, the main focus is not building a better organism, but rather being better cells. While their sights are in the right direction, they fall short of the final destination. The purpose of allyship is not about being a good individual person in a corrupt society, but about actually helping dismantle the institutions that enable this corruption.”