Allison Jiang
"I first saw myself in Violet from The Incredibles. I must have been very young, but even then I was aware that, as an Asian person, there were certain spaces I could not occupy and certain roles I could not play. Violet Parr and I had the same straight black hair, and she was shy and soft-spoken, just like me; but when the time came, she was fierce and brave. She loved her family and would do anything to protect them. These were the same qualities I loved about myself, but I had never seen them represented in someone who I truly identified with. I wanted desperately to be Violet, and even though I knew she was not Asian, I convinced myself that she might be. Even though Violet made me feel like I could be brave and amazing and beautiful, I wish I didn't have to pretend she was not white. "
