Caroline Nguyen.
Growing up, and still, I am often asked where I’m from. When I say, “Virginia,” the followup question isn’t, “where in Virginia?” it’s “No. Where are you REALLY from?” As a kid, this confused me so much to the point that I started saying I was from Vietnam. My first grade teacher asked me if I was born in Vietnam, and I said no. She then asked why I was saying I was from there. People think that because I’m Asian that means I couldn’t possibly be born in the United States. This past semester, when I was abroad in France, I was told “I’m so surprised you don’t have an accent. You speak great English, I’m so used to people who look like you having heavy accents.” I didn’t know how to respond. Was that a compliment? As an adult, I questioned this, but I know that I would’ve been flattered as a child. When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to be white. But I’m proud of who I am now, I’m proud to be Asian.
