identity

From this simple reconnection to Korean culture, I caught a glimpse of what could’ve been if I hadn’t run away.

What constitutes a person's identity if they are separated into two different bodies, two different brains? And if there are two versions of a person, then who’s the real one?

Throughout everything, I never wanted to dye or change my hair and have always made a lot of effort to take care of it. My hair color is a part of me and who I am, which is why I would never want to get rid of it.

But as I look to the future, I no longer see a paved path, a step-by-step guide to success, a daunting picture of who I should become. Instead, I see many potential paths, and in all of them, the path is open-ended.

It took me 20 years to want my culture back. A culture I had so actively sought to lose since middle school. 

Instead of getting entirely swallowed into the environment, Berkeley taught me to confront it and generate a new "self" out of it. Breaking away from the one-dimensional mold, I finally learned how to be everything and anything all at once. 

Why in 2023 do I think about occurrences from decades ago? It’s because of stories I have heard from Asian and Asian American students today that are similar to my childhood experiences.

Something or anything? / No. Everything. / Yes, everything with you. / Maddie — vida mia.

With crisp cinematography and tactful dialogue, Davy Chou's "Return to Seoul" tells a thoughtful story about curiosity, culture and identity. But, as the director explained in an interview with the Daily Californian, the story isn’t his.

Looking from the outside in, one may not see past the dramatic eye makeup, chunky choker and all black attire to the person underneath.