Every time I go to visit my hometown, I have to hear, “You have gotten darker.” When I laugh and ask, “Why does the fairness of my skin matter?” I am being “rude” by not agreeing with the elders. Every time I go to visit my relatives, I…
In the early 2010s, APIDA representation in the media was‒frankly‒non-existent. It was nearly impossible to see somebody of APIDA descent in a major Hollywood film or in other forms of mass media. This lack of representation made many in the APIDA community accustomed to a mainstream culture dominated…
Dear Hollywood, Why are Asian Americans not good enough for our own narratives? Why do you cast us aside? Or when you do finally give us a piece of the spotlight, why do you put us in a box? Mickey Rooney. Scarlett Johansson. Tilda Swinton. Emma Stone. Benedict…
In the light of early adulthood, students leave childhood dreams behind and reach for more practical career paths. Often due to societal and familial pressures, many in the APIDA community gravitate towards jobs with greater stability and prestige rather than those closer to their creative passions. Chelsea Tran,…