Searching For Belonging Eventually Guided Me Into Confident Neurodivergent Millennial Spaces

In fourth grade, I discovered I wasn’t perceived as white. Prior to that, in a familiar environment, I was simply Shannon. However, at a new school in the Moon Area School District, I became identified as Asian, labeled as Other. My memories of elementary school are sparse, but I distinctly remember being repeatedly asked where I was truly from. I often refrained from answering, perhaps due to selective mutism, an anxiety disorder hindering my speech in certain instances.Born in Busan, South Korea, and later adopted, my journey through a predominantly white suburb of Pittsburgh exposed me to racism and microaggressions. High school was rife with mockery, and college introduced me to fetishization. I realized I grappled with identity shaped by my appearance and trauma. Learning about intersectionality helped me embrace my complexities. Now, as a neurodivergent parent, I find belonging not in appearances but in shared experiences, particularly among fellow neurodivergent millennials. Together, we're shaping community and redefining belonging.