The author reflects on the complex nature of American identity through a personal experience at journalism school. Despite being a U.S. citizen, her ethnic background led others to question her American status. A career counselor advised her to explicitly state her citizenship on her resume to counteract public perception. The author ultimately decided to follow this advice, realizing the significance of appearance and identity in the workplace, underscoring how perceptions of race and ethnicity influence one's professional opportunities.
I was born and brought up in the United States... Ethnically, I'm half-Chinese-Indonesian and half-Indian, which is to say I'm as brown as a chocolate-chip-cookie.
The counselor was an immigrant herself and it was clear that she had my best interests at heart. I decided getting a job was more important than any tender feelings I had about race and identity.
It turned out to be good advice. At one of my first job interviews, an editor hemmed and hawed and then came out straight with it.
I pointed to the 'U.S. citizen' under my name. 'Oh,' she said. 'I missed that.'
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