This week my school hosted a multi-cultural celebration assembly

History's Refugee

Wehad ten different performances, including seven amazing dances performed by different cultures of our school! This included the Southeast Asian dances, Pilipino dance, and the Vietnamese hat and fan dance. I was a part of the hat and fan dance, and I can testify that all the students made the choreography and worked for months preparing.

This assembly is the most exciting and anticipated assem- some students can feel scared sharing their culture, traditions, foods, practices, etc. that are not largely accepted by the

During this assembly, there were standing ovations, cheers, and claps from the entire student body. We were all celebrating the beauty of diversity. I hope that every school learns to shine a light on the importance of sharing culture and identity.

In addition to the dance, I closed the hour long celebration with two spoken word poetry pieces. The one I am about to share with you comes from the heart, a piece that I cherish and think represents the spirit of the celebration.

HISTORY'S REFUGEE

I am saying these words on behalf of someone who has outlined your birth and will pencil in remarks of your death

These are the words of history, though she cannot be here today to speak with you. She is away in the past, writing herself into the footnotes of a mother’s child

I am a mother’s child. I am the granddaughter of refugees who can trace the word pain better than I will ever be able to write it

I write with respect. I write their story across my skin and let the pencil lead leave behind an iridescent silver.

I am the silver lining of a dying country

Balancing your wants and needs

Tips for home Buyers this Spring

Real Estate

Though there are more homes for sale now than there were this time last year, there’s still an undersupply with fewer houses available than in more normal, pre-pandemic years. The Monthly Housing Market Trends Report from realtor.com puts it this way:

“While the number of homes for sale is increasing, it is still 43.2% lower than it was before the pandemic in 2017 to 2019. This means that there are still fewer homes available to buy on a typical day than there were a few years ago.”

The current housing shortage has an impact on how you search for a home this spring. With limited options on the market, buyers who consider what’s a necessity versus what’s a nice-to-have will be more successful in their home search.

The first step?

Get pre-approved for a mortgage. Pre-approval helps you better understand what you can borrow for your home loan, and that plays an important

My grandfather rises with the moon and screams with the longevity of a star long past its death. He is a man of war. Aness under his eyelids when he sleeps so he must wake my grandmother

It was my grandmother who held the relentless belief that stable ground can be carved into restlessness and her children had the reverence to believe her. She kissed the sand of the Philippines when God delivered her

Faith has always charted the constellations that traveled above my grandparent’s heads as they stitched their way through a pocket of war. As they left a country that slaughtered their brothers and sisters. They left a place which carted away the remains of war to the next generation

I am the next generation. I have tears in my eyes that fell from that of my grandmother’s. I have felt her stories burrow under my skin as if taking a long and restful nap safe in my blood and on my tongue

And it is this tongue that takes the broken English of its family and creates a broken narrative. Because history is made from the broken pieces of what we all leave behind role in how you’ll put your list together. After all, you don’t want to fall in love with a home that’s out of reach. Once you have a good grasp on your budget, the best way to prioritize all the features you want and need in a home is to put together a list.

This is the history that I am trying to speak and the history I am grateful to be.

Here’s a great way to think about them before you begin:

•Must-Haves – If a house doesn’t have these features, it won’t work for you and your lifestyle.

•Nice-To-Haves – These are features you’d love to have but can live without. Niceto-haves aren’t dealbreakers, hits all the must-haves and some of the these, it’s a contender.

•Dream State – This is where you can really think big. Again, these aren’t features a home in your budget that has all the must-haves, most of the nice-to-haves, and any of these, it’s a clear winner.

Finally, once you’ve created your list and categorized it in a way that works for you, discuss it with your real estate agent.

They’ll be able to help you through the best ways to stick area that meets your needs.