Sarah Park

After continuing my reading for  American Like Me by America Ferrera, I resonated with multiple anecdotes she shared about her childhood and her process growing up in the United States as an immigrant family. Being a racial minority with the name "America" was something that people always considered odd and what people pointed out to her by default. Having to clarify the misunderstanding and preconceived notions about her name and identity was an unpleasant experience that made her comprehend the social inequality within her society. As someone with a similar upbringing as Ferrera, I understood the hardships and internal battles she had to overcome that stemmed from the constant misunderstandings laid out by her surroundings. I believe race is a social construct, not a way to biologically differentiate individuals. Surely, that may have its original intentions, but the concept of "race" has become distorted over the past few hundred years as a determination of power...

When traveling across the world to embark on a continental tour that you spent a fortune on, you certainly would not want to waste your time and money visiting the wrong places. Since college, there have been multiple instances where acquaintances around me have asked for recommendations on places to visit in Korea. Coming from a local's perspective, I have always been eager to introduce spots that aren't in the confines of a generic touristy location, but also something not overly niche that a tourist would not feel welcome in. After years of experience guiding my friends through building their Korea trip itinerary, here are some of the best places to visit / things to do during your summer Asia tour with a pit stop to Korea. 1. The Touristy Stuff To start off, we all do need to visit the landmarks in Seoul and get it out of the way. Personally, I would say that they are not the most entertaining places to spend your afternoon as I have come across them a few too many times in...

As someone who has experienced multiple cultures from a young age, the book "American Like Me" resonated with me the most and gave me a deep dive into the perspective of America. Although I am still in the book's early chapters, I am truly enjoying reading her anecdotes and how she describes her different childhood experiences that shaped her identity as she grew up. This book compiles many different narratives of immigrant children who grew up being an "outcast" or were often misunderstood. The various anecdotes make this book amplify the voices of these individuals who have experienced far different lives from those who grew up in homogenous cultures and a fixed identity. America's experience of being involved in vastly different cultures day and night, being a part of the Western culture in school, and returning to her Hispanic household after school is something that resonated with me the most. Although it may seem trivial, constantly switching between t...