Together with
@manoukvsa, we got interviewed by
@funxfm. Although, we can relate and recognize each other's insecurities and struggles with accepting our eyes and our roots, we come from totally different backgrounds.
Manouk was adopted from South-Korea when she was 3 months old and grew up in a loving white Dutch family in a white village. But because of her Asian appearance, she always felt different. She used to want to look like her family, to blend in, so she also thought about having double eyelid surgery.
I was born in Doetinchem, grew up in a typical Chinese immigrant household with a Chinese restaurant included & raised with 'Asian tough love'. At home, unlike Manouk, I did have rolemodels who looked like me: my Mom, my Grandmother, my Sister and all my Aunties, and I am so grateful for that. But I didn’t inherit their eyes, most of them all have the prominent crease, 'the double eyelids', a facial feature that was very desired in our family and considered as a beauty standard.
But what made us feel even more different and even unwanted here, is our experiences at school and on the streets, where kids and even adults made fun of us, by pulling their eyes, making us feel we were the outsiders, by making stereotypical comments, stupid jokes, by bullying us, calling us names and hateful comments like: 'Go back to your country!'. It makes it hard to accept yourself.
But in this interview Manouk also shares her adoption story, how she learned to love her eyes, to embrace herself & her roots & finding back her identity. So inspiring! 🤍
And because of Project Monolids, we both embrace & are proud of our eyes even more! We hope that this project will help many people more to embrace their monolid eyes & their roots.
Dear Manouk,
Thank you for being a part of
@projectmonolids and for sharing your personal story. It's so personal and you make yourself vulnerable by sharing this. It takes guts to do that! I am very proud of you!
Thank you
@elize010 and
@funxfm for the interview & for sharing our stories.
It’s important for our Asian community and we are very grateful for this opportunity to create more awarenes about this subject & to help others.