It all started with my childhood. I was a child who looked forward to my daily routine; watching cartoons, inviting my best friends over to play cook and sing karaoke. My mother thought it was impressive that I learned to read at karaoke. When I knew I made her proud, I couldn't wait to find out more. That's why, every night, before sleeping, I prayed to go to school. Every morning when my siblings left for school, I tried to find a sneaky way to accompany them. I missed those days sometimes. I missed the simplicity. I wasn't expected to be anything other than myself. Not once did I worry about my appearance. Not once did I worry about society's opinion of me. Over time, I realize that being a teenager is difficult. I am expected to be what society wants me to be. If only I knew what I know now, I would live by the words of Peter Pan and I wouldn't want to grow up. Now that I'm a teenager, my parents' biggest fears are relationships and drugs. They tend to think that boys are irresponsible, untrustworthy and troublesome. This causes parents to not allow their daughters to date. Boys are expected to be the reason why girls rebel. My parents don't allow me to get involved in a relationship because I might rebel against them, like other girls who do. My parents are very strict with me and I understand that. Since I'm the youngest, I'm supposed to be easily influenced. Ever since I was a teenager, I have been expected to be “brainwashed” by men. I felt insulted. I didn't react, but I thought it was an adult's job not to allow children to do certain things as a hobby. I started to think that all adults get the fun out of everything. Over time, I began to see my parents face their own personal struggle... middle of paper ...... against a wall, or with their faces, which was even better in my mind. Just because I'm Asian doesn't mean I get beaten by my parents. The mistake that society generally makes is to judge and assume too quickly. Looking at my personal experiences, I realize that society has different expectations and perspectives; all teenagers are rebellious, girls who dress a certain way are attention seekers, and Asians always get beaten by their parents. All these experiences hit me in the face. It made me realize the cruelty of stereotypes and people's judgments, which inspired me to try not to do the same. Unfortunately, the devastating and heartbreaking reality is that there will always be critics and judges in society. I didn't know these problems existed when I was a child. If only I knew what I know now, I would live by the words of Peter Pan and I wouldn't want to grow up.