Voices

From EchoX’s Voices – June is Pride Month. Throughout the 1970s, Pride celebrations began popping up across the country in the month of June, eventually turning Pride into what it is known for today: colorful parades & rainbow attire in an effort to bring visibility to and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. As we organize, celebrate, and engage with Pride this month, let’s also acknowledge and remember that many cultures and people around the world have historically accepted all people—regardless of gender or sexual expression or orientation.

This year, the first week of May (May 1–7) was the National Week of Action for MMIW. The purpose of this week is to “call the nation and the world to action in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous women.” However, though the first week of May has passed this does not mean our action, accountability, or engagement should.

From DIGITIZE (by Emma) – Before February 2022, people didn’t really understand my Ukrainian background. They’d ask, “Why do you speak Russian if you’re Ukrainian?” For me, it was never really worth explaining it. But when the Ukraine War took over every headline in the country all of a sudden everybody cared.

From DIGITIZE (by Taya) – As I stroll along the streets of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a vibrant palette of cultures greets me. From Uzbek to Korean to Russian appearances, the vast array of ethnicities is astounding. It’s just one country, but everywhere I go, different dialects are spoken and different clothes greet me. I had only ever imagined my family being the “different” one in this scenario, but I was proven wrong.

From DIGITIZE (by Finn) – I have light brown wavy hair that used to be white-blond when I was a baby. My eyes are green. I’m tall and pretty skinny. I wear glasses. Those are all clearly visible things about me. What’s less clear is that I’m also a quarter Chinese. 

From DIGITIZE (by Lilian) – I see the world as an opportunity of what it can be. Through nationality, politics, our fears, and our hopes, my family has brought together their experiences to create how I interact with my everyday life in public and at home.

From EchoX’s DIGITIZE (by Jehan) – Recognition without true representation can be a complex discussion and something that is difficult to clock. On one hand, seeing your community on the big screen is exciting. Familiar faces, traditions, and even language, are shown to the world and add a watchful thrill. However, what happens when your community falls victim to continuous inaccurate portrayals? I’m often left with a headache, wondering why this occurs and about the harm it causes to my own Somali community.