“It’s like you think about race all the time.”

“Because I have to. Because when I don’t, someone asks me what country I was born in even though I don’t have an accent…just because I’m not white. Because I get stopped and followed in stores. Because people make comments about my hair and pet me. Because someone who says they “love” me uses racist remarks about ‘people like me’ when they’re mad. Because you literally just called me ‘exotic’ like it’s a compliment.

Because you can forget you’re white but I’m not allowed to ever forget I’m not.”