this day in women's history | day 1

365 Extraordinary Women and Events That Shaped History

Happy New Year, everyone !!! I don't know about you, but I am very excited for what 2022 has in store for us and this blog. While looking for a balance between getting into the habit of writing and not forcing myself to produce empty pieces, I received the perfect, beautiful gift from my sister this Christmas. Along with a few nonfiction pieces on Korean and world history (which she gifted me for my blog!!! -- T T honestly, so grateful), she also gifted me this daily desk calendar which contains information about a woman or event in history that happened on that specific day, that has impacted and shaped women's lives today.

Women's History Daily Calendar

So! You may think this cheating a little, but to help me keep the momentum going on this blog, I decided to share what I learn every day about women's history for all 365 days of 2022. This way, I can practice writing every day. I have no rules attached to this exercise, other than that I will click publish at least once a day. I'm looking forward to sharing with you what I learn, and to see where my interest in each of these topics takes me. Some days, I might just share the little snippet of information straight from the calendar, and, on others, I might do a little more exploration.

Without further ado, I present to you the first fact of the year:

*drum role please*

On January 1, 2011, Oprah Winfrey launched OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Raised with modest means by her grandmother in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Winfrey went on to defy the odds and become a business trail-blazer, media mogul, and inspiration for women of all races and all walks of life. In addition to twenty-five seasons as the top talk show host and America's best friend, she was also responsible for launching the successful television careers of Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Nate Berkus, and Iyanla Vanzant.

It's very amazing to start off this 365 day women's history writing challenge with a fact about Oprah. I didn't grow up watching too much TV, but I remember when everyone knew Oprah's name. She was (and still is) such an iconic figure in television and within American culture. Now, as an adult, looking back on her fame through my teenage years, I am so happy for my black friends and peers...that they got to grow up with such a popular, smart, beautiful, and bright black woman in media to represent them. The importance of representation is that she paved the way for so many other black women to imagine a life in which they, too, could be on television.

For me, it isn't until recently that I saw a famous Korean (let alone asian) woman on national television. Well, actually, Sandra Oh, the celebrity I am thinking of probably doesn't have a name that resonates with everyone as much as Oprah's does. I wonder what it would have been like if I had grown up with a Korean, female icon, hosting her own television series. I'm sure it would have had a huge impact in my self worth and sense of belonging. Even though I am an American born, Jersey raised girl, I still felt a divide between myself and my non asian peers. I grew up feeling un-American.

Which seriously sucks. Other than the stories I heard from my parents about Korean history, I had no ties to Korea. I never even stepped foot in Korea until I was a junior in high school. Meanwhile, I was born and raised in America, where American didn't look like me. Essentially, this left me feeling like I had zero sense of belonging. Thank goodness, my dad has siblings who all lived very close to one another, which gave my sisters and I a small community that we could call home. We had to create our own culture, identity, and traditions, blending what we appreciate and cherish about being Korean with what we have grown up seeing in America.

It's very difficult, yes, to grow up like this, and have the added challenge of creating your own sense of belonging, especially when your entire nation (whether they realize it or not) isolates you and considers you a foreigner. But, with these challenges, my sisters, aunts, parents, cousins, and myself are all some of the strongest, most colorful, and profound individuals I know. And, the lives we've shaped for ourselves, I hope, will exist as daily, mundane, and natural representations for other families who feel the same. Though I don't see my face as frequently as I'd like on television, I am so proud of what people like myself have done to establish themselves rightfully as Americans.

Cheers to resilience women and people who have historically been marginalized by a third party. We all deserve to live in peace, and dream of whatever life we want.

♡ michelle