‘I often think about race and identity, as well as all of the intersectionalities between them’
![Bora Lee](/files/styles/column_half/public/2018-03/Bora%20Lee%20Headshot.jpg?itok=DRxVG2F_)
This post is part of an ongoing series of student reflections on equity, diversity, and inclusion in public service.
Bora Lee (MPA Candidate 2018)
As a child of immigrants and a native New Yorker, I often think about race and identity, as well as all of the intersectionalities between them. I am aware—to a certain extent—of my privileges as an East Asian and native English speaker. That being said, as a woman of color, a minority, a first-generation American, and a product of public school education, I too struggle.
Because of the “Model Minority” Myth coined by sociologist William Peterson in the 1960s, I am wedged between being seen as a minority by my white peers but invalidated as a fellow minority with my black peers. The Myth essentially pitted Asians against other minority groups, disregarding the many Asians who were marginalized and disenfranchised, creating a blanket statement that all Asians are successful. I decided to take a class on race, identity, and inclusion with Professor Merle McGee to challenge those beliefs and my assumptions, with the hope to gain a better understanding of race in a historical and contemporary context.
The course allowed me to conceptualize the complexities of race in America. It also provided my classmates and me with a space for honest and thought-provoking dialogue. As part of the Executive Leadership Team at a social service nonprofit, an advocate for the immigrant community, and a minority woman, this class has empowered me to tackle the issues that my community faces with a racial equity lens. Overall, it has provided me the tools and added competence to be a better leader for my community.