I don't know what I am if I'm not a woman.
Marsha P. JohnsonRead
I always assumed that my otherness was a curse - that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker initially viewed their unique identity as a limitation but later reflects on its significance.
Eugene Lee Yang expresses how his identities as an Asian and queer individual were initially perceived as obstacles in his life. Through this quote, he reveals a transformation in his perspective, recognizing that what he once saw as a curse can instead be a source of strength and authenticity. This highlights the importance of embracing one's uniqueness, rather than viewing it as a hindrance.
Themes
IdentityOthernessQueerAsianStrength
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about diversity and inclusion, one might quote this to highlight the value of unique identities.
Similar quotes
I was a mixed black girl existing in a westernized Hawaiian culture where petite Asian women were the ideal, in a white culture where black women were furthest from the standard of beauty, in an American culture where trans women of color were invisible.
Janet MockRead
I've often felt like an outsider, not necessarily because I'm Korean, an immigrant, or female. I think writers are odd people.
Min Jin LeeRead
My hats did give me an identity. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time someone has seen me bareheaded and said, 'I almost didn't recognize you without a hat on', I could have bought the Cowboys myself.
Tom LandryRead
I knew that I was trans when I was three years old. Well, I didn't know 'trans' because I didn't know there was a word for it, but I just knew that in my head and my heart that I was supposed to be a girl.
Nicole MainesRead
I'm a Black woman and I've always been told that I wasn't Black enough because of the way that I grew up, the experiences that I had.
Rachel LindsayRead