From romantic love stories to animated films, expressions of APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) power in film have become far more centered around the value of the character over anything else. In the past, we have been given characters that fall within a limited scope of stereotypes.…
Kalpen Suresh Modhi, commonly known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an actor, writer and producer of South Asian descent. You may recognize him from his roles in House and Designated Survivor, and his recurring roles in How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory.…
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.
Disney’s “Turning Red” is one of the first mainstream movies that follows characters of Asian descent and goes through the cultural beliefs of the main character, a Chinese Canadian girl who must deal with her family’s connection with giant red pandas. “Turning Red” has broken barriers in talking…
When we first moved to California, Woodview Apartments didn’t have in-unit washers or dryers. At the toddling age of four or five, I helped my mother haul our basket down the creaky steps, across the street and into the separate building for laundry. While waiting for the load…