Living in a city as diverse and accepting as New York, I’m fortunate enough to not experience the hardships that many minorities face elsewhere. Our ability to coincide is captivatingly written in Eugenia Lee’s “The Oceans Between Us” of the November 2018 issue. Eugenia creates an interesting metaphor between the behavior of finches of the Galápagos Islands and our world of many demographics. This story of identity conveys the powerful message that despite our differences, we are all able to coexist in a single environment relatively peacefully as teenagers.

In the story, Eugenia describes the distinct grouping of Asians in an area of her cafeteria. I felt that it was important she chose something personal to her instead of something she was an outsider to because it made the piece feel more immersive, even for those who couldn’t relate to her experience. Eugenia ends the article, “While in some ways, teenagers may seem like the finches on the Galápagos Islands, the analogy is false in that we have the choice to fly to other islands. The only obstacle we have is the vast ocean. But it is merely a figment of our imagination.” Although we all may live separated in the same world, we can overcome the obstacle of stepping out of our comfort zones if we change our mindsets.

Eugenia Lee uniquely discusses the issue of identity with an immersive metaphor applying to all demographics, with an idea I especially felt was relatable.