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The Symbolism of My Chinese Zodiac Sign
Submitted by Angelina Ng The Chinese zodiac sign is similar to a horoscope: your sign is determined by the animal that is associated with the year in which you are born. The twelve zodiac signs are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. With the twelve animal signs, it is believed that each has unique personality traits and characteristics associated with it. This was assigned by the ancient Chinese. They believed that these traits would be embodied in people, according to their zodiac sign. Born in 2004, my Chinese zodiac sign is a monkey (猴). Overall, a monkey’s personality traits are described as…
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How I Get Out of Seasonal Depression
Submitted by Ruthie Suarez Seasonal depression has been a challenge for me, especially during transitions between warm and cold weather or from cold to warm weather. As summer fades into fall and winter shifts into spring, I often find myself feeling down, unmotivated, and emotionally drained. These changes in temperature and daylight impact my mood, making it harder to stay productive and engaged with daily life. However, over time, I’ve found ways to navigate these feelings and lift myself out of seasonal depression. One of the biggest things that helps me is going out on some days more and surrounding myself with people who make me feel happy and supported.…
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From Petals to Personality: Blooming in September with the Aster
Submitted by Jodie Li Born in September, my birth month flower is the aster—a delicate yet resilient flower known as the “star of the garden.” Its vibrant colors and rich symbolism reflect who I’ve grown to be: my personality, values, and journey as a young woman navigating her early 20s. Asters are challengers and overcomers, blooming in late summer and early fall when other flowers fade. This resilience mirrors my approach to life. Like the aster, I’ve learned to adapt and grow, even when faced with obstacles. Life can be harsh, and personal challenges or pursuing goals often feel like uphill battles. But stepping back doesn’t mean giving up—it means…
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How I Find Balance When Indulgences Become a Habit
Submitted by Angelina Ng After a long, stressful, week of classes, I found myself rewarding my small behaviors a little too much. It would bring me so much joy in such an easy process: find something I like, take out my card, and now I have it! There are some small indulgences I would do after I complete a task: go out and buy a snack, go to small shops and buy some jewelry, allow myself to eat more snacks, or get a large drink from Dunkin Donuts. These small actions definitely made me feel accomplished for my hard work throughout the week, but it eventually started to feel costly…
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A Letter to My Past and Future Self
Dear Past and Future Me, I sit down to write this letter currently at the age of 20 years, 6 months, and 26 days. I find myself in a moment of reflection, caught between the memories of my past and the expectations of my future. At 20 years old, I stand on the threshold of adulthood as well as feeling like a child. I have thoughts of unrealistic dreams of the future like a child, but harsh realities headed my adult life. However...
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Fatphobia in Asian Cultures: Unveiling the Layers of Body Image Stigma
Fatphobia—the irrational fear or aversion towards individuals with larger bodies—is a pervasive issue that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. While discussions on body image often focus on Western societies as they open up to the reality and embracement of each and every body, it is crucial to recognize that fatphobia also exists in Asian cultures, albeit manifesting itself differently. There are complexities of fatphobia in Asian societies that run in its cultural roots and manifestations, and end up causing many potential consequences.
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Unlearning Colorism
I think every Filipino girl has their fair share of horror stories about Titas who were much too grown and much too busy to have the time to be commenting on the appearance of girls who aren’t even theirs. To no fault but their own toxic upbringing, they judged anything and everything that caught their attention. Weight gain, weight loss, academics—the list goes on and on. However, there was one thing in particular that they would point out about without fail. Even more outside of my control than my fluctuating weight and static height—it was my skin color. Brown and so unlike the porcelain white skin that they believed to…
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A Piece of Self-Discovery in Spain
Understanding your true self takes time; for me, it took years. It was the vagueness of it all that sparked my anxiety: having no direction in life and feeling lost within the constraints of my own mind. You would think that even with large academic and long-term goals, I would feel more satisfied in fulfilling them with “ease,” but I continued to struggle with the idea of commitment and the thought that my dreams would somehow turn into reality.
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Breaking the Pattern: Intergenerational Trauma
In many Asian cultures, mental health is swept under the rug. It is not an excuse to not be okay as it is seen as a sign of weakness. Those who are similar in age to my parents strongly believe this as they were taught to do so by their mothers and fathers. Unfortunately, this is a dilemma that many younger generations and first generation kids continue to experience.
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Self Love in the Age of Social Media
Nowadays, it’s become second nature to open a social media app and scroll past a series of flawless people, places, and things. Having this kind of pressure shoved down our throats 24/7 can really do a number on our mental health—I’ve found myself down a rabbit hole of jealousy and self-deprecation too many times to count. But the real question—and the one I believe we should be focusing on—is how do we learn to just be content in our own field?
