When my co-worker tried to dodge a Happy Meal box that was thrown at her, I realized what kind of people I was dealing with. … Read More
A Culture of Disrespect
Tag Archives: Voices
Fast Food, Different Nation
I’d eaten at KFC only once in the United States. I was greeted with dirty floors, inexperienced staff and subpar food. But during a family… Read More
Love Crunch and Leafy Greens
The day starts with my ancient iPad muttering a creepy sci-fi sound. I hit snooze once, hit the button twice, hit it a third time… Read More
My Hair, My History
I want to shave my head and go bald. I don’t want to deal with any of this. I just want to start over. From… Read More
How One Boy Group Changed My View on K-Pop
It was a Sunday evening in November 2017, and I was preparing for the next school day. My family’s TV was turned on to Channel… Read More
“Not My Thing to Give Up”
Every night at 8:30 p.m., the lights went out. I didn’t have a say. At the Bridge for Youth Homeless Shelter in Minneapolis, my freedom… Read More
When One School Closes . . .
In the final few days before my sophomore year, I suddenly received the news that my school, Minneapolis College Prep, had closed. I was lost…. Read More
My experiences with the mental health stigma in Ethiopia
When I went to Ethiopia in 2015 to celebrate my uncle graduating from college, I remember watching a story about a woman and her child… Read More
Mental illness in K-pop: Learning from a music star’s apparent suicide
Disclaimer: I wrote this story in memory of Kim Jong-hyun because I’ve also had that feeling of depression and been told to “suck it up,”… Read More
Shaking up classical music: Grammy-nominated Imani Winds highlights diverse sounds, perspectives
When members of the Imani Winds learned they were nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award, they couldn’t contain their excitement. “I think the first thing… Read More
The largely untold story: The Karen ethnic group has been victim to decades of abuse, persecution
I was the first one to get the bad news. On a Sunday morning in September, I got a Facebook message from my cousin in… Read More
What does it mean to be Karen?: Student shares her experience as member of ethnic group
I am proud to be Karen (pronounced “kuh-REN”). My family is from Burma, also known as Myanmar, a country in southeast Asia. The Karen people… Read More
Learning from a Rohingya man who carried his parents to escape
I’m a woman, I’m black and I’m a Muslim. I’m also grateful. I was scrolling on Twitter when I saw a Rohingya Muslim man who… Read More
K-pop and me: A reluctant love story
It all began with a love-hate relationship between me and K-pop, a subculture of music that comes from South Korea. This genre has been influenced… Read More
An uncertain future: Treatment of DACA students is unjust
As soon as I opened the email, I grinned from ear to ear. I saw the highlighted word, “Congratulations,” and knew I had been accepted… Read More
Recognizing – and addressing – white privilege: A reflection on how society can treat people of color differently
I place a bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms in our shopping cart, without asking my dad first. As our cart’s wheels squeak down the aisle,… Read More
