Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity

Four months after starting their trip around the country, the authors realize the emotional toll of their work and the need for self-care. The introduction to this chapter considers the trauma and emotional fatigue people of color experience when having to discuss race, the impact of racism on everyone, and the shared responsibility for change.

Dance is a method of healing for Aubrey, a Filipina immigrant. She describes how dance unites people and how she followed her passion despite her parents pushing her toward a law degree. She views success differently and argues that its definition should evolve in tandem with personal goals rather than familial expectations; this creates happiness and allows people to contribute to the community. A footnote addresses deaths by suicide in the Asian American population.

Brothers Darren and Dom discuss their participation in various Oglala Lakota ceremonies (explained in the footnotes) as well as spirituality in Indigenous American communities. That spirituality aids in Darren and Dom’s healing and understanding.

Evelyn, who is Black, shares her experiences living in the projects in Chicago, Illinois, and discusses the need to work together to change poverty. One footnote details the history of the projects, and another discusses the number of Americans who reside in high-poverty areas.