Born to an Asian mother and a white father, I have come to learn that the benefits of being ethnically mixed go beyond physical traits, and have taught me many things about the two different cultures from which my parents were raised. The values they have handed down to me provide me with a balance in my life. Their two diverse cultures have enabled me to shape my own identity. Since childhood, I have grown up with two different voices...

From the time I could pronounce my first words out of a book, reading has been my passion. Family and teachers were astounded by the fervor with which I consumed the contents of books. Rarely was I seen without a book in my hand. Being the only other big reader in my family, my father recognized this affinity. He nurtured it and encouraged me to read thicker, more challenging novels. By sixth grade I was reading at a twelfth grade...