Part 1 Chapter 1

Dian Mitrayani

As I was reading this text I continued to think about the main idea of this textbook which is focused around the idea of pain and privilege and how it is reflected on individuals. The first idea that stuck out to me was thinking about how Dion identities. This allowed me to understand where Dion was getting her ideas and where she was reflecting her stories.  Dion is of Chinese decent and was born in a large town in Indonesia. As Dion progresses through her story we learn more about the background of her family. We learn some new vocabulary as Dion discusses the differences between peranakan which is an identity that means they are a descendant of who speaks that native language. We also learned about toto which is someone who can trace their identity back to Chinese culture and language. 

As Dion continues she begins to talk about her educational and geographic experiences. One of the first experiences that she recalls is in 1st grade. This is when Dion starts to question why she doesn't have a Chinese name. Dion questions why her family didn't keep her Chinese name. This is one of the pain's that Dion expresses. She feels excluded. She feels sad. 

Dion also then explains some of her families pains as she explains how long it took them to get cards and passports because of their Chinese name. 

Dion also speaks out on the privileges she had as well. Dion talks about the idea of her schooling experience. In class we tho ught about the differences of public and private schools. Having attended a private school was a privilege for Dion because she was able to excel in her education. 

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