Once upon a time, there were two childhood friends named Mei and June who went to school in Santa Clara County during the 1920s. 

Mei

June

The two girls grew up together. They lived right next door, both children to Japanese immigrant parents.

As second-generation Asian Americans, Mei and June lived between two worlds. Both Japanese and American, their parents expressed the importance of respect and the knowledge of their heritage. 

Mei and June would roll their eyes at their parent's high expectations and sternness, simply wanting to fit into the American culture they were born into, unlike their parents. 

This all changed when they went into high school. June and her family moved a few blocks over the summer before. Her father, having gotten a new job, had to move towards where the Portuguese immigrant families lived. 

Mei heard whispers of the way the Portuguese and Italian immigrants lived from her parents and their friends. They would say that they were delinquents and bad students. 

Mei worried for her friend but was forbidden to visit her by her parents. 

When the first day of high school rolled around, Mei was so excited to see her friend June again. When she spotted June, she was talking to the Portuguese students instead of their Japanese-American friends

When Mei went over to June, she completely ignored her in favor of talking to her other friends. 

After school, Mei confronted her about this. 

She asked, “Why were you talking to the delinquents June? You know our parents don't want us to interact with them. The white students will think of us differently. Instead of being respected, we will be seen like them.” 

June scoffs, “Who cares what our parents or the students say? The only reason we act quiet and studious is so that the white people don't think of us as a problem and try to hurt us anymore. We should be friends with the other second-generation immigrants. The white people are trying to make them our enemies.” 

Mei believed her parents and June wouldn’t change her mind no matter what Mei said. They drifted apart and didn’t talk to each other for many months until suddenly a mutual friend of theirs  passed away. 

At the funeral, June walks up to Mei solemnly. 

“Do you understand now? The suicide rate of Asian American students is so much higher because of the pressure we are put under. But we are stronger together,” June says, reaching her hand out. 

“You don't know what you're talking about” Mei replies, walking away with tears streaming down her face.