Lisa Nan Joo

Nearly two decades on from independence, Timor-Leste is still feeling the reverberations of colonial trauma. Women are disproportionately affected by family violence and poverty, but through community and aid programs many are building new futures.

Growing up as a Korean child adopted into a white family, I was encouraged not to think about race. Only once I moved beyond my childhood, my family and my community was I free to confront the white identity my parents gave me, and reshape it into something more fluid and honest.