---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the narrative of people being…"
description: "\"I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's exclusionary. It essentially tries to argue that ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg"
---

#  I think the narrative of people being caught between two…

![“I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's exclusionary. It essentially tries to argue that some Americans are more real than others.” quote by Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg)

> “I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's exclusionary. It essentially tries to argue that some Americans are more real than others.”

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Framing immigrants as “between cultures” creates exclusion and hierarchy.

**In simple terms:** Immigrant stories should not divide.

Key Takeaway

Promote inclusive narratives.

Themes

identity immigration social justice

Mood

empathetic critical

Type

analytical social

When to use this quote

- education
- media representation
- policy making
- community building

Key Concepts

cultural hybridity othering

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we tell immigrant stories that unite?
- What language avoids “real” vs “fake” Americans?

A Different Perspective

Some may feel identity loss.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argue Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue-americans-528091/) [Cultures Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultures-immigrants-528092/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Immigrants Harmful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants-harmful-528090/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Narrative People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-people-528093/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/)

## Related quotes

> [There's a certain kind of cultural energy pursued by the gatekeepers of elite discourse, who want to argue that Americans fundamentally agree with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/there-s-a-certain-kind-of-cultural-energy-pursued-by-the-gatekeepers/)

[Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/)

> [Germans argue with the Americans about many things, from the death penalty to the relationship between security and freedom. We have to be honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-august-winkler/germans-argue-with-the-americans-about-many-things-from-the-death/)

[Heinrich August Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-august-winkler/)

> [Certainly, my friends and the common narrative is people are trying to shore up their own lives with regards to family planning and reproduction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/certainly-my-friends-and-the-common-narrative-is-people-are-trying-to/)

[Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/)

> [We are not generally included in that narrative - people of color - definitely, women of color don't normally fit that narrative that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/we-are-not-generally-included-in-that-narrative-people-of-color/)

[Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/)

> [“Conspiracy adepts love story-tellers who want to exorcise their fear, mixing rational and irrational elements to construct a plausible narrative for people craving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/conspiracy-adepts-love-story-tellers-who-want-to-exorcise-their-fear/)

[Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/)

> [History is the narrative of people searching for a place to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/history-is-the-narrative-of-people-searching-for-a-place-to-go/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Fashion is this obsessive narrative that people don't understand but they can't stop looking at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/fashion-is-this-obsessive-narrative-that-people-don-t-understand-but/)

[Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/)

> [ \[We need to \] select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in U.S. society and their ability to be financially self- sufficient. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-to-select-immigrants-based-on-their-likelihood-of-success-in/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [There are a number of much less expensive alternatives to detaining immigrants than locking them up somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/there-are-a-number-of-much-less-expensive-alternatives-to-detaining/)

[Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/)

> [ Most incredibly, because to me this is unbelievable, we have no idea who these \[immigrants\] are, where they come from. I always say Trojan… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/most-incredibly-because-to-me-this-is-unbelievable-we-have-no-idea/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [Ed Koch once said that New York City is where immigrants come to audition for America. That's what happened to my parents; that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/ed-koch-once-said-that-new-york-city-is-where-immigrants-come-to/)

[Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

## More by Ken Liu

> [I don't believe in reducing a style and a voice down to a set of descriptions, so I've never done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-don-t-believe-in-reducing-a-style-and-a-voice-down-to-a-set-of/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“My goal is to act as a faithful interpreter, preserving as much of the original's nuances of meaning as possible without embellishment or omission.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-goal-is-to-act-as-a-faithful-interpreter-preserving-as-much-of-the/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“It’s hard to hear the music behind the words when their meanings get in the way,” she told me once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/it-s-hard-to-hear-the-music-behind-the-words-when-their-meanings-get/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [The 'silk' in silkpunk refers not to a source of power, but to an entirely different, expressive technology language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-silk-in-silkpunk-refers-not-to-a-source-of-power-but-to-an/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“A memory is a re-creation, precious because it is both more and less than the original.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/a-memory-is-a-re-creation-precious-because-it-is-both-more-and-less/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [Almost all of my stories can be understood to be elaborations on our drive to remake the world and our adjustments to the result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/almost-all-of-my-stories-can-be-understood-to-be-elaborations-on-our/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“Dad and I went on walking, our shadows touching.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/dad-and-i-went-on-walking-our-shadows-touching/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“I can only wish that someday you’ll also be pestered by a student as persistent to learn what you do not wish to teach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-can-only-wish-that-someday-you-ll-also-be-pestered-by-a-student-as/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [I think male authors who want to try to tackle these issues of representation of women can generally do a better job if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-male-authors-who-want-to-try-to-tackle-these-issues-of/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“Surveillance is surveillance. I can never understand why some people think it matters whether it's the government doing it to you or a company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/surveillance-is-surveillance-i-can-never-understand-why-some-people/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/whenever-you-talk-about-chinese-dragons-emperors-palaces-concubines/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [We have never had a society that was truly just. Some groups have always benefited at the expense of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/we-have-never-had-a-society-that-was-truly-just-some-groups-have/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [“By custom, we wield the sword and wear the armor, but who among you does not know a mother, sister, daughter, friend, who exceeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/by-custom-we-wield-the-sword-and-wear-the-armor-but-who-among-you/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [My wife, Lisa, and I both grew up on wuxia - Chinese historical romances. They're kind of analogous to Western epics. They're based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-wife-lisa-and-i-both-grew-up-on-wuxia-chinese-historical-romances/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

[Explore all 114 Ken Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

## More I think quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/)

[Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/)

> [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/)

[Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/)

> [I think taking a hookline of a hit song and making a new song is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-kumar/i-think-taking-a-hookline-of-a-hit-song-and-making-a-new-song-is-fun/)

[Tulsi Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-kumar/)

> [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/)

[Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I think it's a wonderful thing, turning 50. I think everyone should do it at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-duran/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-thing-turning-50-i-think-everyone-should-do/)

[Elvis Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-duran/)

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

[Browse all 29,267 I think quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's exclusionary. It essentially tries to argue that some Americans are more real than others.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ken Liu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-caught-between-two-cultures-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "I think"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-caught-between-two-cultures-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ken-liu-4222_i-think_i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-ca_1636192.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's…” — Ken Liu",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ken Liu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the narrative of people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-caught-between-two-cultures-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-the-narrative-of-people-being-caught-between-two-cultures-as/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
