I was listening to an interview of Korean American author Cathy Park Hong about her book, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. She spoke of a mythical We that does not really apply to all Asian Americans because it lumps together the Pacific Islanders and...
“Oh, that was terrible! I can’t believe how bad that looks,” said my 8-year-old niece the other day. She was referring to her own drawing, which was actually a very nice depiction of a butterfly. My niece would never speak that way about somebody else’s...
"I am going to make something special for dinner tonight," announced my mom on a cold February morning during one of her visits in the United States. I wasn't sure what she meant because anything my mom made was impressive. Cooking was my mom's love...
January is the month of the year when most of us want to start fresh with a clean slate. I recently learned that some people, especially in Europe, call the third Monday in January Blue Monday because it’s supposedly the most depressing day of the...
I love birthdays, anniversaries, and—of course—new years, new decades, and new millennia. Each one gives me a chance to let go of whatever has been happening in my life that was just not going well at all and start again. It gives me a chance...
Before becoming a staff interpreter in 2015, I freelanced for more than seven years. During that time, I exchanged information with every single interpreter I crossed paths with during assignments or in class (once I found interpreting courses). I was desperately searching for a sense...
It’s January 1st, and like everyone else, I hope 2021 will be a better year. We all look forward to the end of this pandemic that has affected us all in many ways. With that in mind, I wanted the first post of The NAJIT...
Well, folks, it’s December. And looking back, 2020 was just another boring year, right? Nothing momentous happened. Nothing eventful—just a year like any other. Same old, same old. With the exception, of, well, you know. EVERYTHING. The interesting thing about 2020 is that no matter who you...
I’ve been thinking about the lists of wonderful gifts children wish for when the holiday season rolls around, and what I would want on my list if I could have any of those gifts delivered, as if by magic. For one thing, I would want to...