Op-Ed: For years, I got teased for wearing face masks. The pandemic changed that.
![Illustration of multiple people wearing masks, standing together](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/958eeed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1001+0+0/resize/1200x801!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2d%2Fdd%2Feb02da5b4f449b74f1d2eb44153f%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-h2.jpg)
(MariNaomi)
- Share via
MariNaomi is the author and illustrator of eight graphic books, including the comics memoir “Turning Japanese.” She is the founder and administrator of the Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists and Disabled Cartoonists databases. @marinaomi
![Illustration of two people talking, looking at a third person wearing a mask](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bda3f0d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe1%2Ff5%2F12e9027d497496306c2f07c45de6%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-1.jpg)
![Illustration of a person buying a mask](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b85a774/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F7e%2Fc50a0f8e495186a45f1c8e54bc04%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-2.jpg)
![Illustration of two people laughing at a third person wearing a mask](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9bc4991/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8f%2Fd0%2F0e2cc4c24c0b9f86a8820fd05149%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-3.jpg)
![Illustration of a person watching as someone gasps at an Asian person in a mask](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3ac2c14/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffe%2F73%2Fdc0c16da4e76b5613683fe72f0d1%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-4.jpg)
![Illustration of a person wearing a mask in a grocery store](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0ae12ad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa0%2Fed%2Fce2bedc34747b4ad9784a1836b99%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-5.jpg)
![Illustration of a person looking at a crowd of people, all masked](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c9c95c2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F69%2Fcb%2F51c47db94fc5830fbdafecfa237c%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-6.jpg)
![Illustration of two people in masks talking, observed by someone else masked](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0fc006e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Feb%2Ff9%2F9197fb4d4eba9c3f4b26d873b20c%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-7.jpg)
![A crowd of people, all wearing masks](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1cfc484/2147483647/strip/true/crop/975x1260+0+0/resize/1200x1551!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F99%2F46%2F9e72522e46d28e0ddd43212754cb%2Fla-op-ed-marinaomi-masks-oped-8.jpg)
More to Read
A cure for the common opinion
Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.