So let me set the scene because it is a bit crazy, and I'm not even sure if I'm the one who's out of line here. I'm a 16-year-old girl, and I come from a Latin American background. I was born and grew up in Costa Rica until I moved at the age of 13. I still speak Spanish fluently, eat Costa Rican cuisine, celebrate all the local festivals, and hold Costa Rican citizenship. However, my parents are from Chinese descent, so yes, I am also Asian. Surprising, I know! But for some, the concept of being both Asian and Latina is hard to grasp.

The confusion heightened during a school event. I’m very passionate about musical theatre, and when my school announced they were staging ‘In the Heights,' which portrays a mainly Latino neighborhood, I was eager to be part of it. I auditioned for the role of Nina but was cast as Vanessa instead. I was super excited about it. But then, there was this girl, Heather, who also wanted Vanessa, and she was furious when I got the role instead.

Heather seemed either not to care to learn about my background or maybe chose to ignore it, but next thing I know, she’s spouting off that I had nabbed a Latina role from a "real" Latina. She ranted about how troubling it was for me, an Asian girl, to fill a role meant for someone with "authentic" Latina roots. As if things weren't bad enough, she started trash-talking me with her buddies, throwing around insults like “stupid Chinese” and “pick me.”

I hit my limit and decided to confront her about it. At first, I tried to calmly clear up that yes, Asian Latinos do exist (ever heard of Costa Rica?). I even mentioned actor Harry Shum Jr. as an example. But she refused to listen. The argument blew up when she kept saying I didn't look the part and that casting me was wrong, likening it to if she were to be cast as Mulan.

I lost my cool.

In the heat of the argument, I threw back that if we're judging by her standards, she shouldn't portray Vanessa since Vanessa isn't supposed to be FAT and UGLY. Yeah, it was harsh. But by then, I was frustrated with trying to get through to someone who had no regard for me or my background. She stormed off after that.

Now she's painting me as the villain, claiming I body-shamed her. I admit, the words were harsh, but was I supposed to sit quietly while she demeaned my heritage and perpetuated racial slurs? It feels like she started this by being so close-minded.

Imagine if this whole incident transpired on a reality show. The cameras capturing every heated exchange and each biting remark. Would the audience side with me, knowing everything, or would they see me as too aggressive, focusing only on the climax of our confrontation? Reality TV tends to twist narratives, so it's intriguing to think about how our story might have been portrayed.

If I was in a reality show, people would possibly think