Anaïs Nin once wrote that “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Last week in Arizona, my courage was tested (and expanded) well beyond its previous limits. A…
Adventures in Arizona with OutLoud
J.L. Chow Was Here
J.In 1874, J.L. Chow opened Chow Chow Laundry at 904 Elm Street. He was the first person of Asian descent to be listed in the city directories. By 1891, 41/49…
Carroll ISD, Do The Right Thing.
I was racing against the clock at Wednesday night’s Carroll ISD school board meeting. Here is the full text of what I originally prepared: My name is Stephanie Drenka, and…
Where is Jue Lee Hong?
Earlier this month, I went on an expedition to find the burial site of Jue Lee Hong, a Chinese laundry proprietor, whose tombstone was the last remaining Chinese grave marker…
Bob Jones & His Family Deserved Better
John Dolford “Bob” Jones was the son of a White man named Leazer Alvis Jones and Elizabeth, a Black woman enslaved by Leazer. When he was a child, he helped…
Making Lemonade
When my marriage ended, I bought a Meyer lemon tree for my apartment. I knew it would be strange to live alone again. Having something to take care of would…
Spark of Hope
Happy Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Celebrating this month always seemed a little strange to me as an adoptee who grew up with very limited connections to my…
Showing Up for Each Other
“The only way to survive is by taking care of one another.” – Grace Lee Boggs All I’ve felt for the past month is heaviness. I’ve been trying not to…
How You Can Help #StopAsianHate
Tomorrow is a national day of action to #StopAsianHate. Feeling helpless and wondering how you can support your Asian American friends and family? Check on them. The vicarious trauma of…
Grieving as an Asian Adoptee
“You may feel like your children are protected from this or perhaps have never experienced any form of racism or discrimination (that’s awesome, and I *hope* it continues). But you…