I’ve always been quite fond of my name—Iris. My mother’s decision to name me after the rainbow goddess turned out to be fitting for the years to come as I grew up between a clash of cultures and identities. The different colors of what I had seen, felt and experienced shaped who I am today. …
Mental health is a topic that can be controversial, taboo and contentious within APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) families, especially as the next generation faces college in a world entrenched in the impacts of COVID-19 and unfamiliar to parents. A 2013 article in the Pacific Ties newsmagazine talks about how the transition to college…
In recent years, Asian cuisine has become more mainstream than ever before. Boba, ramen, tikka masala, sushi, Pho, Dim Sum, etc. have all been popularized through social media and other avenues. Although this may appear to be a positive development, concerns have been raised by members of the APIDA community regarding whether this has given…
Q: What is their story? UCLA alumni Mar Dumlao and Bernadette “Bernie” Bernardo have recently come out with their new gallery, the LA Art Box. The pair originally met at UCLA during Bernie’s sophomore year, and from then on, they began to make their mark on the world. Bernardo was a student at UCLA’s Department…
One of my earliest memories is of panic. At four years old I returned from a summer with my family in India and struggled to take hold of English. It was in many ways an unbalancing, a question posed with no clear answer – if I could hold onto only one language, Tamil or English,…
You’ve seen it—whether sitting in the dorm hallways, meandering in broad daylight, or lying in bed at night—students and their loved ones update each other about their lives. Sometimes, they speak in loving tones. Sometimes, they debate in exasperated whispers. Other times, both sides laugh hysterically as their cameras pan around to share bits of…