This is fascinating feedback, Diane. Are you a professor? It reminds me of being an undergrad and being asked to elaborate on particular points and then cite to appropriate resources.

Yet incorporating your feedback into this piece would have increased the length of this essay. I can't tell how long you've been reading here from your profile (I've only been here since the end of March 2021) but I've gleaned that Medium writers tend to keep it short. I don't write 10 minute pieces anymore (my first piece, Anti-Asian Racism Can Feel Like Death By a Thousand Cuts, is a 13 minute read! i'm still surprised people actually read it).

I appreciate your input but I'll be honest--I write on Medium for fun, not for money or "fame" (even though this has gone viral in some weird way). Writing here is a way to quiet my mind after a long day of work. Thus, I don't think I'll be digging through primary sources to cite in my personal essays because 1) lack of time and interest on my part and 2) other writers on Medium can choose to dig into those issues on a more intellectual level. I know there are some writers here who cite to a lot more sources and veer away from personal essays. I like being able to write without having to do much research, which is why I stick to personal essays.

I already did the research when I earned my minor in Women's Studies. I write here after work (and sometimes before work starts) as an escape and to share my musings. I see it akin to blogging except Medium actually pays me for my reflections. I don't want to make this hobby feel like work. I'm sorry if I lose readers for that but pleasing other people is not my goal. I think that's very feminist of me. Wouldn't you agree?