Youn Yuh-Jung

I never think I’m gonna have opinions about the Oscars but then the awards start and I realize who I’ve been pulling for all along (you go, Octopus!)

This week, Halmoni won an Oscar.

I loved Youn Yuh Jung’s acceptance speech. I mean, we all did pretty much, but I loved the ending acknowledgement of ‘mommy working so hard.’ It struck a note of both playful and brutally honest at the same time that felt so familiar. So often you hear of how migrant parents, women of color, or other underestimated people need to work twice as hard to make it half as far. It’s an understatement if anything.

I grew up hardly ever seeing anyone who looked like myself on a screen, let alone my grandma. And while celebrity accolades aren’t usually of much interest to me, I will celebrate every accomplishment that makes that less true for my kid.