One of the worst and most frustrating feelings is feeling unwelcome and disrespected in your own home, especially when that home is your country. It's hurtful and carries the level of disrespect that is inhumane. This week, Mesut Ozil, unquestionably one of the top players of my generation, announced he would no longer play international football for Germany, the country he was born and raised in and calls home, because of the increasing amount of racism and disrespect he has been receiving, particularly from the German Football Association (DFB) since he took a photo with Turkish President, Erdogan, at a London charity event in May. Ozil's family originates from Turkey and he is a practicing Muslim. In his letter, describing what has led to this difficult decision, Ozil reminds us of the deeply hurtful issue to which every minority can relate--being treated like an outsider in your own home.
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I find many discussions around diversity and racism to be very black and white. The Latinos are starting to get louder, and even though as a native Angeleno I feel like I'm automatically part Latina, I'm feeling left out of the conversation. What about us Asians??? Thanks to my ancestors, you have tea and guns!
 Some people have become savvy to asking, “Where are you from?” and now lead off their question with “You’re not a typical…white American, so [what are you/what is your background/etc.” What am I? I am a human being, though I wish I was a unicorn so that I could fart rainbows and poop cotton candy. What is my background? I guess it depends where I’m sitting or standing.
Dear young, white nationalist from the University of Nevada - Reno, who attended the rally in Charlottesville,
What exactly do you mean by “white European culture?” I read that you are not racist, thank goodness. Lord knows we could do with one less racist out there. I understand that you just believe that “white European culture has a right to be here just like every other culture.” What does that mean???  I heard that Archbishop Jose Gomez, the archbishop of the Los Angeles diocese was passed up for Cardinal by Pope Francis, because Pope Francis wanted to bring up some of the "smaller" guys. It would have been easy to appoint Archbishop Jose Gomez, because he runs the largest diocese in the United States, which naturally means having great influence. However, Pope Francis decided to show everyone that the guys covering small diocese, the ones who may go unnoticed, are just as important. You can never forget the "little" people, because they too make up our community.
 As a child, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day every year. We learned who we was, what he stood for, memorized a part of his "I Have a Dream" speech, and Lord knows how many times I watched "Selma, Lord, Selma"--in school and at home. This year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day felt especially important.
 This week a photo of French police enforcing the burkini ban by demanding a woman remove her clothing circulated the worldwide web and caused a lot of conversation over the ridiculousness and insulting imposition that had been placed across 30 French towns. Thankfully, France's highest administrative court ruled that mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis and suspended the ban.
 This basic question has become one of my least favourite questions in the universe. I deplore it. There’s a whole YouTube video that completely illustrates why I abhor this question, so I know I’m not alone. When people ask me where I’m from, and they’re not satisfied when I say “LA,” I start to get really annoyed, because what they mean is “what is my ethnicity?” So, after I say “LA,” and they ask again, “No, where are you FROOMM?” I say, “Torrance.” Then they start thinking it’s funny, and keep pressing me, and I’m forced to tell them I arrived from my mother’s hoohaw one beautiful April morning in the Torrance Memorial Hospital, probably in a similar fashion that they came into the world.
 Painting by Leonid Afremov. I was recently thinking about the word "tolerance" and what it means, because I've been seeing it on signs welcoming refugees.
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Photo from marcoverch
