“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner is a picture of a woman healing from the death of her mother and understanding the relationship that they both shared throughout her childhood. I read it last summer and while I knew it would be a sad read, I was not prepared to cry on almost every…
Check out some cultural traditions important to some members of the Pacific Ties staff, and how we manage to keep in touch with our roots at UCLA.
South Asians are on the big screen – and they are talking about hard topics and providing entertainment for all. Yet, only a portion of the big blockbuster pictures released include South Asian leads. According to a study of movies from 2007-2019 from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 44 out of the 1,300 major films…
Growing up, I always watched Bollywood movies because, in some ways, they are designed to fill you with joy. Songs, dance, and colorful costumes fill the screen while melodrama plays out in the background. While I love this genre, it never showed real people—at least, not the big blockbuster movies. When I first saw that…
As I scrolled through the news one morning, I saw the phrase “very Asian” on a headline. I immediately shuddered. Without even looking for the context, I felt threatened and upset by this. The words “very Asian” reminded me of times when my “Asian-ness” or “Indian-ness” was highlighted in a way that made me feel…
The first time I had henna done was on a family trip to Morocco. I remember holding my mother’s hand because I was scared that the cone was a needle. The most important observation I made during this experience was how female-oriented mehndi application is. While everyone, no matter their gender identity, is able to…