Mia Nakaji Monnier co-founded and edited The Blend, a HelloGiggles vertical for stories about multiracial and multicultural identity. She is now a freelance writer with essays and journalism in BuzzFeed, Shondaland, The Washington Post, and more. You can find her on Twitter @miagabb or at used bookstores and yarn shops everywhere.
I've kept distance from my community in the name of introversion and journalistic integrity. But watching Crazy Rich Asians, I wondered, have I just been afraid to get closer?