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Belonging: A Short Story

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I still remember how I was once suffocated with the burden of belonging to an Asian cultural background. Being Asian had its perks like getting the divine recognition as of a smart person, the godly praises of being the embodiment of discipline; however, all that gold was nothing more than ordinary glitter. The praises, the recognition, the credibility, it all meant nothing when it came to individual freedom. There was never a day painted in history that my shoulders were not dragged to the ground bearing the burden of family honor, proper code of conduct and well this struggle to be simply, perfect.
Since childhood, I was expected to walk this path of restricted freedom. I wasn’t enslaved but my freedom was never my own. Family honor was …show more content…

It was Christmas time! My aunt and I did not really get along especially over the topic of discipline and girls don’t do this, girls don’t do that but we managed to keep it together by focusing on what made our bond worthwhile. Just like every other Christmas, this was the year when Aunt Christina was coming to visit us. She lived in the States and would come by every other Holiday season. Aunt Christina was like a nightmare dressed like a daydream. She was like flowers and cake but at the same time a dragon living in the 21st century, she like everyone else believed how girls (in this case I) are born with restriction as being an important part of our fate, set in …show more content…

“Oh I had work so I was unable to attend the dinner”, my mother explained.
“Her daughter Serena came with this guy and well she was all getting too close with him, you know like holding hands and dragging him to meet the others”, “what a disgraceful young woman”, she expressed in disgust
As I was walking past the hallway I heard the whole bizarre conversation between my mother and aunty and rushed in the nearest moment.
“Well who gave you the right to talk about my best friend and my cousin like that”, I yelled in fisted rage. “Do you even know them? You literally show up once a year and still carry the nerve to talk about someone you barely even know?
In the heat of the moment, my mother’s killer stare was all that was needed to warn me of the brutal consequence that followed. “Go to your room”, “NOW!”, she said in anger, and without another word I was sent to my

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