After high school, I made the conscious decision to escape Atlanta for the “enlightened and cultured” cities of the north. The abrupt change from being the only Asian student from K-12 to being part of a majority group in New York’s Chinatown and multiple Asian student associations in college resulted in mixed feelings, surprisingly. Not only was I no longer “special,” but the amiable curiosity of Southerners gave way to a Yankee amalgamation of indifference, admiration and on some levels, with the economic and political influence of Asia, suspicion, resentment and even, anti-Asian backlash. We’re not in Smyrna anymore, Toto.

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