Celebrate the small, stubborn victories: an Asian queer intern in D.C. found that belonging isn’t about fitting a mould but about carving a place where the pieces of you can sit together. This short dispatch explores how community, representation and everyday work on the Hill turned feelings of “not enough” into enough.

Essential Takeaways

  • Personal shift: Anika moved from chasing assimilation to embracing being “In Between,” which eased pressure and felt freeing.
  • Community matters: A diverse intern cohort provided mirrors and contrast, helping identity feel less isolating and more legible.
  • Representation in work: Legislative work became a practical way to reflect hope for people with intersecting identities.
  • Small daily signals: Things like shared stories, cultural touchstones and supportive peers made D.C. feel more like home.
  • Practical payoff: Embracing authenticity helps mental wellbeing and strengthens the ability to advocate for others.

Why “In Between” isn’t a flaw but a lens

Starting with a vivid image helps: Anika describes scanning the playground for the lightest patch of skin just to belong, a memory that feels tactile and achey. That early scramble to fit explains why the “In Between” can sting, you're always choosing which self to show. According to the Victory Institute’s internship blog, that experience isn’t unusual among people balancing cultural expectations and queer identity in the US. It’s worth noticing how that tension sharpens empathy, even if it’s painful.

This context matters because most advice about “finding yourself” skips the daily reality: you don’t always get to choose a neat identity. Instead, the people who find a way forward often use their liminal space as a lens, seeing both cultures, norms and systems at once. For anyone feeling split, that perspective is a quiet kind of power.

How community on the Hill changed the narrative

Arriving in Washington, D.C., Anika expected another stage to perform on, another neat identity to try on. What she found was a cohort of interns with different, sometimes clashing, experiences, and that variety made a difference. The Victory Congressional Interns’ blog makes the simple point that being surrounded by other thoughtful people softens the loneliness of identity work.

Practically speaking, community gives you feedback: you learn which parts of your story matter to you, and which you’ve been performing out of habit. If you’re heading to an internship or a new job, seek out peers who are curious rather than judgmental. Those relationships turn the “In Between” from a wedge into a shared bench where you can sit.

Doing the work: representation that feels real

One of the most striking shifts in Anika’s reflection is how day-to-day legislative work became an act of representation. Rather than trying to be a token, she let her lived experience inform the issues she cared about. That’s a useful model: representation is meaningful when it’s embedded in tasks and policy, not just in photo ops.

For readers who want to support this kind of change, look for ways your professional work can reflect your values. If you’re in a position to influence hiring, policy or outreach, small choices, language in a brief, visibility in a meeting, mentoring a junior colleague, add up.

Practical tips for anyone stuck “In Between”

If you recognise the unease Anika describes, start small. Share a cultural meal with a coworker, bring a song that makes you feel seen to a study group, or volunteer for a project that lets your background inform the work. According to the Victory Institute’s programming and blog, those micro-choices build belonging more reliably than trying to perform a single identity.

Also, be tactical about self-preservation: set boundaries when conversations force you into proving your identity, and find trusted people to debrief with. Authenticity doesn’t mean oversharing; it means choosing where you’ll show up fully and where you’ll conserve energy.

Looking ahead: why “In Between” can be a place of hope

There’s a forward-looking note in Anika’s final take: embracing the In Between lets you inspire others and shape policy. Being comfortable with complexity makes you better at bridging divides and building coalitions, skills Washington dearly needs. Victory Institute programming and similar internships are proof that institutions can help turn personal complexities into public service.

It’s a reminder that belonging isn’t a single destination. It’s a practice you build with people, policies and small daily acts of courage.

It's a small change that can make every moment feel less like a test and more like a choice.

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