Maria Ishida

I live in the same house as Uncle Ishida, and let me tell you, there’s never a dull moment. I might be humming a samba while folding laundry the Japanese way, or asking for mochi and pão de queijo for snack time. I don’t feel torn between cultures — I feel doubled in joy. And sure, sometimes people look at me like I’m a question they can’t quite phrase. But I’ve got this down. I’m not choosing between two worlds — I’m building my own.