As I was moving out of college, my dad asked me what I liked about Mason, Ohio. At the moment, I didn’t know what to say, but I knew there was something inextricably beautiful about this place I called home. 

Mason, Ohio is a small city located on the southwestern tip of Ohio. For most people, that means nothing, and that’s ok. It’s a town not dissimilar to thousands of other suburban towns in America, and perhaps the only thing that makes it special to me is the memories I have of growing up there. 

Like most suburbs in America, Mason values safety and stability above all else. In 2023, the city was named 2nd safest small town in America. When you look at it from afar, it represents all the hallmarks of the modern American suburb - upper middle class, racially skewed white/asian, and incredibly incredibly uniform. Yet, there is a comfort about this place I call home that I can never quite escape. 

As I’ve grown up, I’ve wondered what my relationship is to this town. As a queer Asian American, it’s not quite the place I belong anymore. And yet, a piece of me will also remain in Mason, Ohio.