Adversity at a Young Age

Hey little guy... if you only knew what lies ahead

Yup, that's me with that fantastic grin ready to succeed in the world. But early in my life, I faced an unexpected adversity.

Children are Mean

First and foremost, I love children, maybe not having any in a long time, but I like them. They're happy, innocent, and small. Of course, it's a little different when you yourself are a child going to school.

Much of my childhood is a blur, but I do remember the awkward times of being "different". That self-awareness was a scary time. Much of my questions after coming home from elementary school were along the lines of, "Mom, why am I different?" or "What am I?".

Those are tough questions to explain to a child. But I do remember struggling fitting in because I was so different. In my town of Tyler, Texas, I was one of the only Asian Americans attending a predominantly White, Black, and Mexican elementary school.

A lot of looks I got were of curiosity. A lot of questions asked were, "What are you?" And many of the shouts I received were, "Ching-chong!" as they stretched their eyes to slits.

I knew I was different, but I was confused too. This self-awareness brought adversity, but it also help me grow as a person.

Behind every strong man is a strong group of women

Support is Coming

That picture is a little embarrassing, haha. When did I ever look so... starstruck? My grandmother was born in the Philippines and helped take care of me while my parents worked. As I became more self-aware, she was always provided answers.

Her answers were always so direct and simple. I think that really gave me confidence to not take all the comments from my peers so seriously. Instead, befriend them and show them who I am. From there, they can make their judgements, but I'll have at least put my say in there.

Also, she taught me never to go into conflict with guns a'blazing. Instead remain calm and cool, which to this day, I mostly do.

It was good to grow up knowing all my cousins

I don't know why I have my hand in my face...

Extensive Family Network
On my father's side, we are a total of thirteen cousins and through the years we've stayed pretty close. It was good that my parents wanted my brother's and I to know our families. Having a close nuclear family in today's society is a great advantage, but having an extended family closeness with cousins multiplies that effect.

Even today, I keep up with most of my cousins, sharing in their ups, downs, and all arounds. We still get along, mostly, and always enjoy each others company. They are our first chances to really communicate with others outside of our nuclear family, which in my opinion, helps speed up social skills while going to school.

Three bros and a guy...

Brothers fight and make up, they're also the first friends we make

Bros before...!

Your siblings are your first friends you make... usually. They are the ones most close to you and probably know you the best. You can confide in them, test stuff on them, beat them up, have them beat you up (Andrew broke my arm once...), and grow up.

I'm lucky to have two fantastic brothers who have kept me in check, challenged me throughout my life, and supported me during my ups and downs. When you're young, they are the ones who really help shape who you are towards others.

-Mark