Misfit

T. Thamkruphat
Palm Desert, CA

Most times I don’t know where I belong. I am Vietnamese, Thai, and American. There is always this constant push and pull of myself between all three cultures. I always feel like I am not Vietnamese enough, not Thai enough, and not American enough. Any time I attempt to show or prove that I belong to all three, equally, I feel scared that someone from either or all of those cultures will tell me I don’t belong. I am scared they will say that because I haven’t fully immersed myself in those cultures as they have. But, how do you do that when people are wary of allowing you to immerse yourself, to connect with them? Belonging has always brought about very Asian feelings. I am still navigating these waters, but recently connecting with many folks online who have similar experiences has been almost a life saver in many ways, and has given me great validation for my very Asian feelings.