Kelly Marie Tran spoke out against her online bullies. This is the first time she has shared a statement since deleting her Instagram posts.
In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Star Wars actress wrote, "Their words seemed to confirm what growing up as a woman and a person of color already taught me: that I belonged in margins and spaces, valid only as a minor character in their lives and stories.
Tran wrote about feeling ashamed of being Asian, changing her name, and believing she could never be a hero. Expressing that she was "brainwashed" into believing these limitations, she wants to work to change these messages and work towards a world where all people are appreciated as human beings. She ended on a powerful line: "My real name is Loan. And I am just getting started."
