Star Lengas is a lifestyle and travel content creator of the blog 87PAGES. There she focuses on visual travelogues, Korean beauty, and the journey of creating your ideal happiness. She aims to spread her life motto of being authentic and living your best life.
Quote: "Growing up in the '90s, I was wildly fanciful. I had a map tacked to my wall, as I planned my gap year to Europe, where I would sip sangria and type away as the sun set in Morocco. Unfortunately, my eldest sister, who was the queen of logic, quickly burst my bubble, saying, 'You do realize you're not white right?' She was alluding to the stark reality that the travel space is catered towards a privileged set, who have the assets of time, rail passes, and Winters abroad. Fifteen years later, the travel industry has continued to provide a warped image of those who can/should travel. We see it, as we scroll through our social media posts, the bronzed influencers/bloggers who lounge on the beaches of Thailand or twirl through lavender fields. It feeds into this false narrative of the haves/have-nots and unfailingly places a chip on the shoulder of the women and people of color who are arrogantly questioned about their place in the first class or how they could afford to travel or better yet, why they would even want to. The simple fact of the matter is that women and people of color want to be seen, whether it's in film, music, or a fantasy character in a book. All people gravitate toward familiar images. We seek out those who look like us and who can affirm that, yes, we belong here. Diverse representation matters, because we need to know that we aren't alone, that our many stories are not only being told but that they matter, that there is no one archetype we must affiliate ourselves with; and because we deserve to be seen."
