Immigrant stories are not timely, they're timeless. For Bustle, I wrote about why it's time to listen to and center the voices that have known this all along.
"The idea that our struggles are relevant only now that our worst fears have come to fruition underscores the biggest blindspot of the white gaze. Our existence, our voices our struggles our beauty our pain, are real whether or not white people see our humanity. We are not that proverbial tree falling in the woods, made true only by their perception of us. Framed by this narrow point of view, we are seen but also suddenly discovered, which is a dangerous way to be perceived. It is a minefield of good intentions that result in more harm. When you think you have discovered something, you feel entitled to control it."