Express Yourself
When Banned Books Unlocked the Secrets of My Universe
This is a personal piece I wrote for one of my graduate school courses around my literary autobiography. I have been rereading it out loud and multiple times for the last couple of weeks. It hits me even harder as the wave of book bans and educational gag orders are increasing over the past month. As a teacher, I cannot fathom having to withhold books from students — nor will I ever plan to do that. This is because as a gay, Asian American, Filipinx, child of immigrants, many of these “banned” books have allowed me to imagine, to dream, and to be hopeful of my future. I want this for all readers, specifically our children, who are looking for representation — to be seen, to be heard, and to dream. Here is an example of how one of those books did that for me:
(Spoiler alert: I talk about parts of the book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.)
For the majority of my life, I’ve kept my soul within the confines of my physical body — locked in, taped, and sealed shut — with the hope that it would never see the light of day. I grew up believing that in order to find love and in order to be loved I had to be everything that I am not. I went to schools for 12 years that reiterated love between a man and a woman — anything else guaranteed you a place in hell…
