What really served as an impact on my identity was how I saw my own kind represented in the TV shows I watched.
One show I was obsessed with was Gilmore Girls. There was one specific character that really stood out for me. Mrs. Kim, was the mother of the main character’s best friend – her role really reinforced the strict Asian mother stereotype.
It was then I felt inferior. This particular portrayal of an Asian character led me to believe that is how people in the Western world viewed Asians.
It was almost as if I felt into a trap and is not convinced that the Asian stereotypes shown in the media was the real thing.
I mean if I, myself, viewed my own kind in that light – then wouldn’t everyone else?
Another show I watched religiously was 90210. In this show, like many others, the main characters were all white, had blonde hair and blue eyes. These were the characters I grew up seeing. I tried to emulate the way they talk, the way they look and the way they dressed.
It was at that moment, I wanted to be white.
It's Ciara 