#how much i'd just accepted that and constantly mentally adjusted to it until I didn't have to anymore

[bookwyrminspiration]

WAIT i'm also back for a second to say it is also just........ beyond words to see people who look like. and i can't say ME because ethnically i am chinese lmfao but they look like my family!!! like my friends!!!! and it's just normal!!!! and--obviously colorism aside--it's like there is this whole entire thing made for us it's not all white people and token asian characters and they will be doing things that are part of MY culture. that's genuinely so baffling to me this is the same thing that happened to me upon watching some thai dramas last year because despite uhhhh apparently an antagonism between the two countries they ARE quite similar and it was just like. all these little mannerisms and the way the language sounded made me feel very at home in a way i haven't felt in a long time. i wish this door was open to me earlier i wish this door was open to all of my friends. idk it is just very comforting to see myself and the people i love in something and for there to be no intention of Diversity in it--like. just it existing is so lovely

Yeah!!! You don't realize what you're missing or how exciting it is to see yourself/your culture represented and included (especially casually and not For Diversity, like you said) until you get it.

And obviously my experience is different from yours, as I'm white/white passing (its complicated/debatable and involves politics), and I see pale people in media all the time. But seeing Hispanic/Latine people? Worlds built with our language and culture in mind? OUGH it's so exciting. especially when by a Hispanic/Latine person!

It's like there's this level of connection/trust implicit via sharing a background. You can enjoy it more, almost? Because you're not on the lookout for someone else misrepresenting things, you can just trust them to share their experience even if you're not an avid fan of the end result. Read a book recently by a Latina author and even though the book/plot itself wasn't my favorite, it was still so nice to see the Spanish throughout the world (place names, titles, etc.).

And once you find something like that you're like. How on earth was I content without this. I was missing so much how did I not know there was this gap to fill. You can never go back, not fully, but that's okay! (back to not knowing, not necessarily all other media is ruined forever)

And again, this isn't exactly the same. Just a similar experience I was reminded of and wanted to share in conjecture/reaction :)