STORIES ABOUT HUMANITY
INTERVIEWED BY Y.A.M. + PHOTOGRAPHED BY OTHERS
“I wanna do roles that will really showcase the fact that we as Asians are more than just the nerd or the martial arts guy, so I will refuse to play stereotypical roles.”
“I was so tired of trying to be less Muslim for White people; trying to be quiet for Black men; trying to be this way for Black women or White women; [and trying to be this way] or whatever the case may be with the Muslim community.”
"As a childhood sexual assault survivor… I spent a long time viewing the world in the wrong light, and myself in the wrong light also."
"Here’s the situation. Our people—both of our people—we want the same land. That’s what it really comes down to. My people—we have always called that piece of land the Land of Israel. His people called it Palestine."
“...I'm constantly having to prove my Blackness and my Jewishness, and it can be a bit frustrating.”
“I was physically assaulted, verbally assaulted [and] very emotionally abused when I first started wearing the hijab in Oklahoma, and that definitely has inspired my activist work.”
“As an Asian-Jewish-American, I’ve grown wary of the threat of ethnic violence.”
“I got into drugs, I was dropped from my college, I had to quit my job, and I was in a toxic relationship.”
“At one point, I was afraid of losing him, because I thought this was the man I was gonna marry.”
“I never thought it would be hard for me to love, but I realize it is.”
“A real frustration of mine is the bigotry and intolerance around the world at the moment.”
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The social and political landscape of our country—on both sides of the spectrum—houses some of the most close-minded people I have ever seen.”
“I love outer space; I’ll pick laying in the grass over going to a party; I love food, like, LOVE food.”
