Second Thought Project
反思計畫
©Wen-Li Chen 陳雯俐
About
⇌漢
The Second Thought Project (https://secondthoughtproject.com) is an ongoing learning journey focused on social justice. It offers notes, thoughts, reflections, conversations, and toolkits to support this journey.
The project is driven from the perspectives of being an educator, BIPOC, and parents who believe in humanity. I aim to plant seeds of hope, change, dignity, and integrity, fostering a world of understanding and practicing social justice to create a peaceful life.
1
Introduction
2
Personal Equity Reflection
3
WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WHY DO I HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT IT?
4
Five Tools / Strategies / Techniques
5
Five Resources
6
Preface7
During Work
8
In My Head
9
What is Microaggression?
10
How to Have COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS With Students and Community as Educators?
11
How to Have COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS With Yourself?
12
Practice using a compass as a navigator to start a conversation and reflection
13
Self-Reflection
14
Amy Chua
15
Amy Tan
16
Writings between 2022 and 2024
The toolkit is based on a series of courses rooted in equity-based and culturally responsive pedagogy, serving as a framework, reference, and resource for learning and teaching from an educator-training perspective.
Additionally, it is my personal toolkit, built over years of collecting, studying, and reading, to continue learning in the pursuit of understanding social justice.
There’s no right or wrong way of accessing those materials. It serves as a mirror and a window for me to reflect on what happened, what is happening, and what will happen, so I can move forward to teach with hope and a sense of change.
Jimmie Durham, Smashing, Video, 1’31”, 2004
PERSONAL EQUITY
REFLECTION
“ I will prioritize equity over peace. Although conflict resolution and mediation programs can be useful, they should not replace equity and justice efforts. Never, under any circumstance, should equity concerns be handled through processes that assume parties occupy similar spaces along the privilege-oppression continuum. In the end, peace without justice renders the privileged more privileged and the marginalized further marginalized; a condition that might be understood as the exact opposite of authentic equity.”
— Paul Gorski for EdChange and the Equity Literacy Institute. Revised December 8, 2017
I was inspired by several artists and their conceptual intentions in making their art, as a new immigrant with an identity fog, when I only thought of equity as fairness. Jimmie Durham’s “smashing” video (2004) and his series of work make me think of bureaucracy and inequity towards immigrants or minority groups of people without “identity.”
Adrian Piper’s “Everything” series of work and some of her work based on the grid system, mapping, or performance; once I got to read and learn more from reading and media resources about social justice and diversity through the program, the more I appreciate her provocative thoughts and actions towards systematic inequity for black people.
I think it’s so important to recognize and to name it and to say it with any expression possible to address social justice issues on the premise of human rights. I can’t agree more with Paul Gorski to say, “I will prioritize equity over peace…..In the end, peace without justice renders the privileged more privileged and the marginalized further marginalized; a condition that might be understood as the exact opposite of authentic equity.” (Ten Commitments for Equity-Literate Educators)
When I think of being an educator, I see myself as a guardian for all children, pursuing equality and equity in any form, from now on into the future. They can become responsible citizens who make a ripple effect, overturn their prolonged, preexisting oppression, and create a bright, equal future for everyone.
The mindset is the key to making a seed grow down the right path, one that can thrive alongside other species on the planet. I will do my best to help students recognize, name, and say it without confusion or fear. On the other hand, I would like to be checked by people around me to ensure I wouldn’t get lost on the path of truth and social justice.
July 21, 2023WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WHY DO I HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT IT?
If you believe human rights are a foundation for every human being in this world.
A right that is believed to belong justifiably to EVERY PERSON. These universal rights are inherent to US ALL.
Regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic region, color, religion, language, or any other status.
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals’ rights are recognized and protected.
[1][2] In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often been understood as the process of ensuring that individuals fulfill their societal roles and receive their due from society.[3][4][5]
In the current movements for social justice, the emphasis has been on breaking down barriers to social mobility, creating safety nets, and advancing economic justice.[6][7][8][9][10][excessive citations]
Social justice assigns rights and duties within the institutions of society, enabling people to receive the basic benefits and bear the burdens of cooperation. The relevant institutions often include taxation, social insurance, public health, public schools, public services, labor law, and market regulation, to ensure the distribution of wealth and equal opportunity.[11]
—
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice
The UN definition of social justice is “an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations.” This can be interpreted as a world in which societies are based on the principles of equality and solidarity, understand and value human rights, and recognize the dignity of every human being.
The five key principles of social justice are often defined as:
the recognition that different people have different needs and circumstances (equity), ensuring that everyone has access to the
resources and opportunities they need to succeed (access), enabling all individuals to play a role in the
political, economic, and social life of the communities (participation), protecting the human rights of all individuals (rights), and valuing and respecting differences between people, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation (diversity).
—
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160301FIVE TOOLS / STRATEGIES /
TECHNIQUES
Books:
Readings for Diversity and Social Justice by Maurianne Adams (Editor), Warren J. Blumenfeld (Editor), D. Chase J. Catalano (Editor), Keri Dejong (Editor), Heather W. Hackman (Editor), Larissa E. Hopkins (Editor), Barbara Love (Editor), Madeline L. Peters (Editor), Ximena Zuniga (Editor)
Why did I choose it?
Reading this book helps me learn more about different forms of oppression and privilege from multiple perspectives, recognize systemic racism, and address it.
How can it be a challenge?
Reading this book helps me learn more about different forms of oppression and privilege from multiple perspectives, recognize systemic racism, and address it.
Engagement
I can use this book as a guideline for students to read and design a lesson plan that reflects this reading and applies to conceptual and critical thinking.
Best Practices in Educational Equity
Website:
hanoverresearch.com
Why did I choose it?
It gives me more details about how/what/why/where to practice equity in different scales with more information and explanations.
How can it be a challenge?
Although it’s nice to have a clear structure or framework to follow and check, it may backfire for educators to default to thinking in terms of particular groups of students.
Engagement
I can use this tool to guide classroom instruction, management, family communication, engagement, or culture/environment building.
Washington Models for the Evaluation of Bias — Equity Literacy Institute
Website:
www.equityliteracy.org
Why did I choose it?
Having evaluation criteria to assess teaching, instruction, and materials helps me examine myself during the preparation and design stages.
How can it be a challenge?
Sometimes it can be a challenge to consider myself the right filter for students. What about students’ perspectives on the selection of learning materials?
Engagement
If we choose appropriate learning materials and provide better instruction and communication, students can benefit from academic and ethical learning.
ANTI-BIAS EDUCATOR ACTION PLAN — Equity Literacy Institute
Website:
www.equityliteracy.org
Why did I choose it?
I like a structure that can help a new teacher implement a more solid cycle.
How can it be a challenge?
Sometimes I get so caught up in the subject I want to teach in art or design that I lose sight of it when I’m out of time on the schedule.
Engagement
This plan can help me adjust my teaching, observe student interactions, and reflect on and tweak the lesson.
Multicultural curriculum characteristics — Equity Literacy Institute
Website:
www.equityliteracy.org
Why did I choose it?
This is a summary for me to oversee all teaching needs regarding materials, preparations, curricula, classroom culture, and so on, listed in the bullet points.
How can it be a challenge?
I can’t be 100% good at filtering out all information for students at once. The students and I may need feedback, observation, and reflection to get learning going without sacrificing DEIA.
Engagement
I can use this checklist to find some books on Learning for Justice or Social Justice Books as learning materials.
Website:
learningforjustice.org
Why did I choose it?
It is beneficial for a new teacher to incorporate a lesson plan that can be taught step-by-step to deepen understanding of the concept and its application of equity.
How can it be a challenge?
Sometimes I have a blind spot regarding the lesson plan or perspective of reading the same book. This resource will help me to re-examine and re-check the in-process preparation and lesson plan.
Engagement
For teaching visual art that can be combined with equity-based learning resources on selective topics and through different filters, grade levels, and age-appropriate or extended review, this is a place for a new teacher to dive in and apply in the classroom, with tweaks and adjustments.
Website:
instructionpartners.org
Why did I choose it?
This is an excellent resource for a K-6 teacher with continued re-education and training in developing and connecting with the community to learn collaboratively.
How can it be a challenge?
I need more different opinions and perspectives to reflect on in the workplace or daily life. I can learn more from research and evidence-based practice through this platform.
Engagement
This allows me to apply the practice in the classroom and to exchange ideas with other professionals, creating a better understanding and deepening my learning through constant reflection and feedback checks.
Website:
jstor.org
Why did I choose it?
This digital archive website includes press, media, publications, newspapers, and other archival materials for art and design, as well as more critical, research-based studies and writings.
How can it be a challenge?
This platform provides me with multiple perspectives on the same topics from the past that I can use to have students read in depth to develop their critical thinking. And it shows some non-equity-based messages or writings for me to use as an example to cross-check and discuss.
Engagement
This resource can serve as a data/fact/info check alongside other online open resources to examine or study a concept/practice/application of art, theory, or creativity.
Website:
thehopespeaksproject.org
Why did I choose it?
This is an urgent resource for connection and re-education for schools, parents, and communities that build a trustworthy, safe environment for students overall now and in the future.
How can it be a challenge?
Some communities, neighborhoods, or families may not have time, may not recognize the urgency, or may not feel comfortable participating in such specific equity-based gatherings, classes, workshops, or training.
Engagement
It can be a bridge for schools, students, and families to learn together, building a strong future through common cause, recognition, and awareness.
Equity Resources
Black Lives Matter At School
https://www.dcareaeducators4socialjustice.org/black-lives-matter/resources/early-childhood-elementary
Learning for Justice
https://www.learningforjustice.org
Social Justice Books
https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists
Zinn Education Project
https://www.zinnedproject.org
Embrace Race
https://www.embracerace.org
Reimagined
https://www.reimagined.news
The Root
https://www.theroot.com
Teaching for Change
https://www.teachingforchange.org
Gender Spectrum
https://www.genderspectrum.org
The White Pages
https://thewhitepages.net
Woke Kindergarten
https://www.wokekindergarten.org
Outfront Minnesota
https://www.outfront.org
AAPI MN History
https://www.aauc.us/minnesotas-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-history/
https://pages.stolaf.edu/aim/history/
https://archive.mpr.org/collections/asian-heritage-in-minnesota
https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/immigrants-and-refugees-minnesota-connecting-past-and-present
Children Books
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho
Say My Name by Joanna Ho
Keepunumuk by Danelle Greender, Anthony Perry, Alexis Bunten
Sorry, Snail by Tracy Subisak
I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li
This Is Not My Home by Eugenia Yok, Vivienne Chang
Say Something: The World Needs Your Voice by Orchard Books
They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki
Ten Little Dumplings by Larissa Fan
Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin
Birthdays Around The World by Margriet Ruurs, Asyley Barron
The Smallest Girl In The Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts, Christian Robinson
School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, Christian Robinson
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen, Lenny Wen
This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe
Children of the World by Tessa Strickland, Kate DePalma, David Dean
You Are Loved by Margaret O’Hair
Ama’s Lu Rou Fan by Chris Huang
All Because You Matter by Tami Charles
Collaboration Station by Shannon Olsen
Ada Twist, Scientist by Beaty / Roberts
The Girl with Big, Big Questions by Britney Winn Lee
Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor
The Hair Book by Latonya Yvette, Amanda Jane Jones
You Matter by Christian Robinson
You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith, Danielle Daniel
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard
Podcasts / Webinars
LGBTQ History in Public Schools
https://www.learningforjustice.org/podcasts/queer-america/lgbtq-history-in-public-schools
Seeing White
https://sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/
Counter Stories
https://counterstoriespodcast.org
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
https://open.spotify.com/show/4P86ZzHf7EOlRG7do9LkKZ?si=LXqkcXt4SYSW4NEaPmjboA&nd=1
The Bright Morning with Elena Aguilar
https://www.brightmorningteam.com/podcast
Eyes on Whiteness
https://www.transmutingwhitesupremacyandpatriarchy.com/work/eyesonwhitenesspodcast
Asian American History 101
https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com
Latino USA
https://www.latinousa.org
Abolitionist Teaching and the Future of Our Schools (webinar with Bettina Love, Gholdy Muhammad, Dena Simmons)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJZ3RPJ2rNc&list=RDCMUCXu5dcswjbA0zpXLIBn5NmQ&start_radio=1&t=707s
Seeing White Podcast - Part 5: Little War on the Prairie
https://sceneonradio.org/episode-35-little-war-on-the-prairie-seeing-white-part-5/
TED Talks
I’ve lived as a man & a woman - here’s what I learned by Paula Stone Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrYx7HaUlMY
How students of color confront impostor syndrome by Dena Simmons
https://www.ted.com/talks/dena_simmons_how_students_of_color_confront_impostor_syndrome
Solving the Achievement Gap Through Equity, Not Equality by Lindsey Ott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQbu_3M0_Q
The Consciousness Gap in Education - An Equity Imperative by Dorinda Carter Andrews
https://youtu.be/iOrgf3wTUbo
How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty by Kandice Sumner
https://www.ted.com/talks/kandice_sumner_how_america_s_public_schools_keep_kids_in_poverty?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Help for Kids the Education System Ignores by Victor Rios
https://www.ted.com/talks/victor_rios_help_for_kids_the_education_system_ignores?language=en&referrer=playlist-blueprints_for_the_next_genera&utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Systematic Inequality in Education - Advocating Change through Music by Peter Douskalis
https://youtu.be/7Bcc2purNs4
Our Failing Schools. Enough Is Enough! by Geoffrey Canada
https://youtu.be/vY2l2xfDBcE
Socioeconomic Status and Barriers to Education by Monica Korakula
https://youtu.be/ZWUi-yXmM_0
How to Overcome our Biases? by Verna Meyers
https://www.ted.com/talks/verna_myers_how_to_overcome_our_biases_walk_boldly_toward_them/up-next
Independent Bookstore in Minnesota
Black Garnet Books, St. Paul
https://www.blackgarnetbooks.com
1319 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104
Moon Palace Books, Minneapolis
https://www.moonpalacebooks.com
3032 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis
https://wildrumpusbooks.com
2720 W 43rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55410
Birchbark Books, Minneapolis
https://birchbarkbooks.com
2115 West 21st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55405
TV Series / Movies
“Amend: The Fight for America”, 2021
American docuseries published by Netflix
“Good Hair”, 2009
American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock.
“Wind River”, 2017
Directed by Taylor Sheridan
“Missing From Fire Trail Road”, 2024
Directed by Sabrina Van Tassel
https://news.onefeather.ca/5-films-tv-series-associated-with-mmiw
Top ↑
II
Visual Essay/Poem
VIEW PDFPreface
I was born and grew up in Taiwan. Now I’m a citizen of the U.S.A. I’m a bilingual professional with two Master’s degrees in art and education. I’m a first-generation undergraduate and graduate student in my family. I’m a first-generation immigrant. In Taiwan, I had a stable job and life; I could fully make my choices and decisions as a woman. After immigrating to the USA with my white husband, I had optimistic hopes of finding my place in this new society, as I had wanted since I was a bilingual designer with a reputation and experience. I was wrong.
I was rejected from hundreds of applications for entry-level, junior-level, and senior-level roles, as well as for all kinds of job titles, as a graphic designer, visual communication designer, creative director, and art director, in my first year back with my husband. I started reflecting on my abilities and portfolio. I have made it better and better, with more narrowly focused goals to think about how design can help me grow as a tool and assist in solving problems in daily life, after years of doubt, a sense of unwelcoming, and a sense of powerlessness due to depression and confusion.
By year two of living here, I started teaching at a higher education institution through networking, and I have been an educator since then. My higher-education degree paid off, and it became openly available. This is part of being privileged. On the other hand, I now have over 100k in debt after studying again, becoming a new immigrant, mother, and citizen. Do I regret it? I don’t regret it, since this learning helps me define who I am as a woman, a lifelong learner, an educator, and a human being who values knowledge, critical thinking, and the power to make well-informed decisions within a sound framework.
I came in as a green card holder who relies on family-related connections. But I couldn’t get any benefits that a citizen can apply for or obtain, such as child care assistance, fellowship or scholarship for students, or women’s welfare support system if I ever want to have a child, or an opportunity to study again in higher education if I can pay triple the higher tuition fees as an international student. Our whole family currently relies on my partner’s one-person, full-time income. If I hadn’t applied for citizenship two years after our child was born, I wouldn’t have been able to manage to stay here and write about this after several years.
During the renewal process of my second green card, that was the most nerve-racking period I have ever experienced. I can’t work or travel back to Taiwan because I’m concerned that the first Trump administration would turn me away at the airport if I tried to reenter the country.
After I gave birth, I feared that I would lose my husband and my child. So, I decided to apply for naturalization in 2019 instead of renewing my green card, and I finally completed the process by January 2020, receiving a certificate of naturalization and becoming a citizen of the United States of America.
Why do I have to move and stay here? It’s simple. I want to stay with my immediate family. We have established a new life in our new place TOGETHER. I want to thrive, have the dream as everyone else does. Of course, I can go back to Taiwan if I want. But I have started to fall in love with the people, the places, and the community around us, which keep me informed, learning, and reflecting. It took me almost a decade to get where we are now, even though we are just normal Americans with monthly paychecks, to get life going with debts, uncertainty, hope, and change.
Most importantly, the USA is a symbol/beacon that taught me about democracy, collaboration, freedom, education, human rights, equality, and equity. I want this country to continue doing so and to serve as a model for others globally. That’s what I believe.
And suppose there’s no consistency in the “No One Is Above the Law Amendment” across the country. In that case, I think the fight is necessary to protect the foundations of fairness and equality established by the Fourteenth Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment.
Reference:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/29/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-bold-plan-to-reform-the-supreme-court-and-ensure-no-president-is-above-the-law/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Protection_Clause
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment
U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV (Fourteenth Amendment).
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv [law.cornell.edu]
Library of Congress.
Fourteenth Amendment: Equal Protection and Other Rights.
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/ [constituti...ngress.gov]
Equal Rights Amendment – Current Legal Status.
LegalClarity, December 13, 2025.
https://legalclarity.org/what-is-the-current-status-of-the-equal-rights-amendment/ [legalclarity.org]
Congressional Research Service.
The Equal Rights Amendment: Background and Recent Legal Developments (R47619).
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47619 [congress.gov]
National Archives.
Statement on the Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Process. December 17, 2024.
https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2025/nr25-004 [archives.gov]
U.S. Congress.
S.J.Res.108 – A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to Reaffirm That No Person Is Above the Law.
118th Congress (2023–2024).
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/108/text [congress.gov]
The American Presidency Project.
Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law. July 29, 2024.
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-bold-plan-reform-the-supreme-court-and-ensure-no
Author’s Note (2025):
This introduction was written in 2024 during the Biden administration. In April 2025, when revisiting the references, I noted that the original White House webpage cited in this article—“FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law” (July 29, 2024)—had been removed from the official White House website following the transition to the Trump administration.
Although the original government webpage is no longer accessible, the content is preserved in independent public archives, including The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as contemporaneous media coverage. References have therefore been updated to reflect these archived sources.
04/23/2025I wish I had been taught this earlier so that I could have protected myself and learned to accept myself as I am.
I am
an immigrant,
an artist,
a mother,
an Indigenous People,
a woman of color,
a multiracial,
a daughter,
a granddaughter,
A non-stop voice with echoes as the remainder.
for myself, for you, for everyone, for the next generation that speaks of truth, love, care, peace, integrity, dignity, and justice with self-affirmation.Here I am,
tangled like intertwined wires
tied with a plastic twisted tie.
Standing next to the piles of debris,
disappointments, distrusts, disconnection,
disruptions, disconstructions,
and something left to move forward,
for the people who were born here,
grew up here, moved here,
immigrated here, and stuck here
to claim where the home is for them.
To find a small, thriving plant,
coming out of the dirt underneath the concrete,
the disaster and the strong survival instinct of nature.
It takes time, patience, witnesses, notice, and intentions.
Nothing more than fear being provoked with hate and lies
intentionally blown up with fire and violence.
I can smell the smoke,
mixed with orange and red flame,
spreading outside the window,
when the baby was asleep in the room.
Top ↑
III
Conversations
— Conversation During Work —
When I was a PT In-House Designer:
Me: “Why do you hire me?”
Boss: “Because BIPOC is trending now.”
Boss: “Why do you type so many texts on IG? Nobody will read it.”
Me: “I don’t agree with you. I think people who care enough will still read it if they want to know about a particular artist’s work, their practice, their concept, intention, and idea.”
Boss: “I only care about how the public responds to IG. Prioritizing your job duties is important.”
(V.O.S. “I thought my priority of job duties is to utilize design and marketing to promote art institutions and artists’ work that can speak of the voices and the community of BIPOC.”)
Boss: “You have a typo on IG. Please fix it now.”
Me: “I will. I’m in the ER room with my kid. I’ll find some time in between to fix it. Once I fix it, I’ll text you ASAP.”
Boss: “I have to fire you because you have some errors and typos, and you don’t earn my trust.”
Me: I fixed it, and the fact is that I helped your institution gain over 200 new followers on IG in one month. I did what you taught me and delivered everything on time. I don’t understand why I got fired.”
Boss: “Oral and written communication is over 50% of this job position. I don’t think you are fit for this.”
Note: I was fired on the phone during the day that my car got a flat tire. I couldn’t attend the meeting, so I asked if I could join them via video call during the post-pandemic era. I didn’t get an answer for that. A couple of minutes later, the executive director called me to tell me that I got fired because she thought I would end her career due to my typo issue on IG or other communication issues. I couldn’t hear her well on the phone with speaker mode. I asked why I didn’t get formal communication about this earlier and whether I could do this job without any evaluations or explanations. I didn’t get any answer. “You know how it is”. That is the summary of the call. I don’t know what that means.
When I was a PT Art Instructor:
Me: “Sorry that I’m late because my child was crying and wouldn’t let me leave for work.”
Boss: “Everyone is dealing with that problem. You can send her to the child daycare center.”
(V.O.S. “I don’t have enough money to send her to the daycare center. That’s why I took a PT art instructor job while I can’t find a full-time job to keep a flexible schedule and try to keep things going.”)
When I was a PT Adjunct:
Student: “I can’t understand what you said in the classroom because of your thick accent, that’s why I didn’t do the work.”
Me: “I’m not only communicating with you all verbally, but also writing down in the syllabus, in the print-out document, in the email, and in the D2L or Canvas. If you have a question and don’t understand, you can ask your peers or me right away. I’m here to support you.“
— Conversation In My Head —
After Thought
I wish I had a sense of humor to ignore all insults, inequality, misunderstanding, and mistreatment.
I wish I had the grace not to worry about my existence, my future, my career, and being a woman of color.
I wish I were good enough not to have to prove to anyone that I am good at something I love and enjoy, and that I am who I want to be or what I can do.
I wish I had such confidence that I didn’t worry about anything,
I wish I had a dream job that would support my family and help me achieve financial independence.
I wish you could see me and ask me questions about my life and my experiences as an immigrant.
How are you today?
I’m fine, except I worry that I’ll be deported even though I’m a naturalized citizen, having started as a new resident, with the hope of finding change, possibility, happiness, and freedom.
Having over 100k in debt
How do I get here?
Can’t find the job I used to have as a professional visual communication designer in the creative industry after becoming a green card holder, a woman of color, a multiracial immigrant whose native language isn’t English, and a mother.
Being a green card holder who can’t get access to work, benefits, and travel.
Trying to find ways to adapt to a new life and raise a child simultaneously.
Threw out over 200 job applications without hearing back from the employers as a designer.
Dreaming about a change with a plan, so that I can move forward.
Spent over 6k on hiring immigrant lawyers to pay all application fees along with all process fees, over 90k to pursue two master’s degrees, hope to get better job opportunities, and payment to pay back the debt based on tuition fees and living costs.
Don’t have enough income to afford childcare.
Having a baby late in almost 40’s.
Having a career 10 years later than my peers.
But am I happy now?
Yes, because I get to see things differently than a life’s value based on financial numbers. I have the freedom to do the work I enjoy. I have time to be with my close family and friends. I have an intellectual, growth-oriented mindset that keeps me moving forward in my belief in humanity.
What is Microaggression?
“A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional comment or action that expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group. These everyday exchanges can convey negative messages based on aspects like race, gender, or sexual orientation, and they can be particularly harmful to those on the receiving end. The term was coined by Harvard University psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce in 1970 to describe insults and dismissals that he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflicting on African Americans. By the early 21st century, the term was applied to the casual disparagement of any socially marginalized group, including LGBT, poor, and disabled people. Psychologist Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership”. In contrast to aggression, in which there is usually an intent to cause harm, persons making microaggressive comments may be otherwise well-intentioned and unaware of the potential impact of their words.”
Reference and extended reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microaggression#Intersectionality
For examples:
“Oh...babies with Asian blood will be cute...“
or “your father is lazy and likes to drink alcohol because he is an Indigenous Person. “
or “Are you an Indigenous People?“
“Yes. How do you know?“
“Because your skin color is dark. So, did you ride on a wild hog to get to the school there?“
or “If you are an Indigenous person, you must be good at sports and singing. “
or “As an Indigenous People, you must gain lots of advantages from the government then.“
or A: “I can’t find the food I like to eat here, so I have to figure out how to make it my own. “ B: “immigrant struggle, huh.“
How to Have COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS With Students and Community as Educators?
Designate a “safe” space to have a conversation.
What is said is to stay where it was.
Use a compass as a navigator to start a conversation and reflection.
Use an “I” statement instead of generalizing as a collective entity.
Be true, honest, kind, and open.
Active listening with calm, easy breathing
Speak truth.
Practice exchanging thoughts and words in the face of discomfort.
Embrace uncomfortableness and uncertainty.
Exchange information from different channels to identify and to analyze with facts and checks.
Know how to ask questions without ego but with dignity and integrity.
Be humble and understand what the privilege is and what the oppression is.
Be grateful that someone wants to discuss this further with you, rather than ignoring you.
Know when to set up a boundary and pause.
Reflect, un-learn, re-learn, with reading and writing.
Develop self-awareness from multiple perspectives.
How to Have COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS With Yourself?
You are loved.
You are enough.
You are strong.
You are smart.
You can do it.
You can make it.
You be you.
You are you.
Practice using a compass as a navigator to start a conversation and reflection
Adopted from Maria Reyes’ model from the program during the study.
Courageous Conversations About Race (CCAR)
It is a foundational protocol for our discussions about race. This protocol enhances our ability to engage, sustain, and deepen interracial dialogue effectively.
Please see the three elements of the CCAR protocol: the compass, the agreements, and the conditions.
Please look them over and have them available during the conversation.
THE COMPASS
THE AGREEMENTS
Stay engaged
Speak your truth
Experience discomfort
Expect and accept non-closure
THE CONDITIONS
Focus on what is personal, local, and immediate
Isolate race
Normalize social construction and multiple perspectives
Monitor agreements and conditions. Establish parameters
Use “working definition “ for race
Examine the presence and role of “Whiteness. “
Reference:
https://www.ppl-inc.org/sites/default/files/Courageous Conversations About Race (CCAR) protocol.pdf
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Self-Rereflection (stay true and open):
What comes up for you?
What did you think about the text/words, wonderings, or questions?
What does the text/words make you want to do or have done because of reading/seeing it?
How did you feel when you were reading/seeing/hearing?
What do you believe about what the text/words are sharing, what is in your heart?
by Amy Chua & Amy Tan
“DO YOU KNOW WHAT A FOREIGN ACCENT IS?
IT’S A SIGN OF BREWERY.”
“Language is not just a means of communication; it is a reflection of who we are and where we come from.”
“Through language, we connect with others and share our stories, experiences, and humanity.”“Don’t judge a book by its cover, or someone’s intelligence by her English.”
“Embracing our mother tongue is an act of self-empowerment and a celebration of our cultural identity.”
“Our mother tongue is not just a language; it is a part of our soul.”
“Language shapes our identity and influences our perception of the world.”
“Language is the essence of our humanity. It is what sets us apart and brings us together.”
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Reflections
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Prologue
Why do I want to make this book and share it with you? I’m not a celebrity per se. I’m not a millionaire; I’m not an influencer on social media. I’m just a beginner learning about social justice as an educator and artist, and I continue to relearn and unlearn every day through reflection.
And why do you have to read this? You don’t have to, of course. But it may help you find the a-ha moment and drive you to continue fighting for what you believe is worth it.
It all started on the day I relocated myself to restart a new life, the day I was aware of being different than others on the new land because of my accent, my hair, my skin color, and my attitude, the day I became an immigrant and felt fear of being alone on the streets by myself, the day I thought I couldn’t control my own life, the day I became a mother, the day I saw the fire blew out of my house two blocks away when the riot happened in Twin Cities because of the murder of George Floyd while having a baby in my hand, the day that I was aware of how lucky I am to be here while homeless people are sleeping outside of my apartment, the day I was yelled at by a white male outside of my car on the driveway in the middle of traffic lights, the day I learned what social justice is.
I started to embrace myself to soak everything in, which began my healing process in the mess of everything happening around me, since I grew up as a multiracial woman. Does this sound familiar in your life?
And I’m aware of being privileged to have opportunities to learn more with the new knowledge, new languages, new words to say it, name it, to recognize, to be aware of why it’s so important to understand what social justice is and how it affects our lives, our society, and our education system.
I was shocked to learn that I had to pursue higher education to learn all of this, with tuition fees and enrollment costs, while that information should be open and transparent for everyone to read, reach out, and interact with.
Most importantly, I have realized how divided it is today in what information you can access, read, understand, and share within your network, community, and social circle. What if you can’t afford to do all this while you are still struggling to meet basic needs? What if you don’t have the luxury and precious time to read? And what if you get too strangled to choose a side?
I found that reading became my sanctuary, a place to find peace, to find balance, and to hope that, somehow, I would find the resonance and calling to bring a moment of Zen.
Yes. Reading. You need to know how to read, interpret, decipher, and think twice before you react. But what if some people don’t know how to read? And this is where education comes in. Education should be based on the principles of equity, humanity, fairness, and accessibility for all, free from economic and social barriers and bias.
More importantly, reading alone is not enough. Knowing how to think critically with multiple perspectives helps us make better decisions, show empathy, and develop compassion, understanding that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of religion, sex, gender, race, color, national origin, creed, disability, or economic status, based on the foundation of human rights.
I found the healing process when I decided to enroll in education studies again and came to understand what social justice is and why it’s essential in education and in our daily lives, through reflection in reading and writing.
Why do we need to address and understand what bias and racism are, and how do we practice and exercise anti-bias and anti-racism pedagogy on the principle and pillar of human rights and equity in general?
Overall, it helps us see and understand better and find common ground to pursue happiness and prosperity as equals. That’s why I want to share this with you: I believe we all deserve to be better, to be happy, and to be seen and heard equally.
Note:
Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to all of us, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty. (https://www.ohchr.org/en/what-are-human-rights)
I’m not better than you. You are not better than me.
I’m trying to find common ground to have a courageous conversation with you.“How to live with each other. Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another and shared a blanket. A spark of kindness made a light. The light made an opening in the darkness. Everyone worked together to make a ladder.“
— Joy Harjo, Once The World Was Perfect, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings
Get a free physical copy – leave a message, and I will get in touch with you.
“Intersectionality is like a training wheel to get us where we need to go. It is a high-index glass to help us see the things we need to see.”
— Kimberlé CrenshawWen-Li Chen is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Special Thanks: Ellen Mueller, Maria Reyes
© 2026 Wen-Li Chen 陳雯俐All Rights Reserved Website Manager: Wen-Li Chen
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