Because of her cleft lip and palate, Hsiao-Shih faced discrimination from the moment she was born. People around her would say things like, “You’re a cursed child.” Strangers would taunt her in public, saying, “How dare you shop for clothes when you look like that?” During job interviews, interviewer would ask, “Have you considered plastic surgery?” And whenever she shared her dreams, people would scoff and respond, “You should know your place.”
