In the article “Stinky Tofu,” written by Kane Xu in the December 2018 issue, Kane draws a comparison between stinky tofu, a traditional Chinese dish, and his uncle, who has Down syndrome. Kane explains that the repugnant odor of stinky tofu initially repulsed him, but the dish’s delicious taste soon made it his favorite. Likewise, when Kane was younger, his uncle’s seemingly unnerving exterior led Kane to be afraid of him but he soon discovered that his uncle was in fact brimming with joy and warmth. This led Kane to accept and develop a greater relationship with his uncle. Both stinky tofu and Kane’s uncle convey the message of breaking down external barriers to observe someone’s true internal beauty.

I found this article very well-written as Kane excellently describes the prejudice faced by disabled people and how it can be overcome through compassion and benevolency. While there are no disabled or mentally impaired people within my immediate family, I can relate to the fear and wariness Kane felt towards his uncle when he was younger. When Kane said, “My knowledge about my uncle was limited to a patchwork of assumptions, portraying him as a hostile creature,” I realized that during my childhood, my own train of thought was very much the same. Whenever I encountered adults with mental disabilities, I was always off-put and on edge around them. I didn’t think I could interact with them like I could with other people. Now that I am older, I realize that it’s unfair to make surface assumptions about people, but unfortunately, it is a problem that continues to crop up in our daily lives. Kane is correct when he says that society tends to look down upon disabled people, but he is also right when he says that with a compassionate heart, we can “break the barrier of prejudice and discover hidden beauty.” I loved the example he gave about his grandmother continuing to cherish his uncle ever since birth. Kane’s grandmother is able to care for and love Kane’s uncle because she can see the harmlessness, happiness and joy that exists inside of him. Kane Xu wrote a fantastic article that should teach all of us to look past appearances and find the hidden beauty within everyone.