and i clung to performance and...and acting and also academics, because i had been taught so early on, throughout my whole life by my parents, specifically my mother, that, you know, education and taking advantage of every opportunity ihad to... ..to get an education was why they, why they immigrated to the united states. and so between my education and my love of performing, that's where i tried to shape an identity for myself. you've spoken about the labels you've had to fight against in your career, too brown, too chubby, too poor, too unsophisticated. that's pretty hard for a young girl to hear. what kept you going? it's a good question. um...