Last weekend, I had the pleasure to be one of the 400-some students who attended the 9th annual New York City Asian American Student Conference, held at the Kimmel Center at NYU. NYCAASC is a student run intercollegiate program  dedicated to addressing issues pertinent to Asian/Pacific/Americans on local, national and global scales. It was founded in 2007 as a collaboration between New York University and Columbia University but has since grown to include students from Fordham University, Hunter College, Baruch College, City College and Brooklyn College and School of Visual Arts. 

This year’s theme was Critical Mass: Collective Bodies for Action, directly addressing the current events in America such as #BlackLivesMatter. “The goal of this year’s conference is for the Asian/Pacific/American community to reach that critical mass: a point of large scale rupture, but also of creation.”

The keynote speaker was Asian American journalist and cultural critic Jeff Chang. He called for us to further examine the nuances of what it means to have “representation;” he looked at A/P/A solidarity for other minority voices such as the Black and Latino communities. Spoken word poet Paul Tran opened the conference with his powerful poems that examine his Vietnamese heritage. Jess X. Chen also performed spoken word that ranged from topics like the Tienanmen Square Massacre to questions of sexuality matched up to personal art pieces displayed from above. Magnetic North & Taiyo Na brought down the roof with their honest rhymes, organic beats and one sick saxophone. 

The 17 workshops in total all looked to address questions of colonized minds and bodies. One workshop,  “Your Parents are White?” Transnational Adoption: Thinking from Their Perspectives and Histories looked at personal and academic perspectives on transnational adoption, discussing the cultural historicity and the psychological impact of adoption. Another workshop #JusticeforAkaiGurley: Asian-Americans on the Indictment of Officer Liang dealt with developing an understanding of the issues of police brutality and the tensions and solidarity between Black and A/P/A communities. The last few workshops focused on concrete strategies to spur attendees into action.  Digital Storytelling: How to Create Your Own Web Series set the stage to inspire students to do their own storytelling. 

By the end of the day, I, along with the other students, organizers and speakers, was left exhausted, my head crammed with new information and perspectives to later wrestle and process. But I was also left oddly moved by the energy and the motivation pulsing throughout the conference. The A/P/A community is not often recognized as one with a voice; often times, we are silenced with the dismissing “model minority” label. But here, I saw hundreds of voices speaking up, yearning to reach out. I’m listening. We’re listening. 

Saturday April 16th was the date for the Fifth Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference, a student run, student led event run by a coalition of New York City schools. NYCAASC, which is part of the ongoing Asian Heritage Month programming, is an amazing event- due mainly to the unrenumerated blood, sweat and tears poured into it by the executive board, members and volunteers. But NYCAASC is also an incredible resource, for scholars of Asian/Pacific/American issues, A/P/A students but also people who are interested in the evolving political and social fabric of this country.
 
Jeff Yang, is, well is there really a word that could encompass him? This man is the founder of Amagazine which was literally the first publication for Asian Americans by Asian Americans. He writes a column for the San Francisco Gate Chronicle called AsianPop, edited the first Asian American superhero anthology Secret Identities, blogs all over the internet and he does all of this as a hobby. He (like many other Asian American cultural standard bearers by the by) is a trend analyst by day and some sort of supercharged dynamo at night. I walked in when he was explaining that part of the writing process of Jackie Chan’s biography was interpreting his hand gestures in a series of interviews Jeff did while trapising around sets with him.
 
As Jeff pointed out, the dialogue of the 2010 Political races in this country proves that the theme of ‘the alien Asian’ is still alive and well (Nikki Haley’s race for the governorship of South Carolina still comes to mind. A senior Republican, i.e. someone from her party, upon hearing that she, a Sikh-American, won the ticket remarked “We already have a raghead in the White House, are we going to have another one here!?”) .
 
Jeff walked his rapt audience through the ins and outs of racial discrimination against Asians in the United States, covering about two hundred years of history from Chinese immigration in the late 1800’s to today. He identified the change in immigration statutes in 1965, which eliminated the quota system for Asians that had barred so many from coming to the States; as being the moment in American conciousness where Asia was defined as the “new, new World” and Asians “the new, new people”.
 
In the 1980’s, came the “Model Minority” myth, albatross, what have you. Jeff suggested, as have others, that this was considered a kind of olive branch moment. To borrow from the Arab-American comedian Dean Obedallah- we were the peaceful, friendly minority.   
 
The 1990’s marked the dominance of multiculturalist mindset, in the sense that “an open war around culture” was storming the discourse.
 
Multiculturalism is considered by some people in the discussion, though certainly not all, to be the softest of imperialisms by creating and demanding adherence to token categories. Multiculturalism is about being ‘with it’, with coffee table books, curios that you bought along a dusty road side and your culinary appreciation for ‘curry’.

(To lay this to rest: there is no food called curry in the Indian culinary lexicon. The only place where curry exists is the U.K., where it lingers as an imperial relic of their racism and destruction on the subcontinent. Period).

Who can capitalize, brand, and sometimes inadvertently (and often deliberately) fetishsize this demographic fastest? Only time will tell!   

The part that really fascinated me was his description of the 2000’s as the rise of metaculturalism. I have never heard anyone use this term before but it is apt beyond words. Jeff Yang described it as the moment when “identity politics become more complicated, fluid and less discrete. Self-definitions have emerged”. There is a blurring in the lines between local and transnational, Asian Americans and Asians. I think my favorite part of the talk was when he broke it down like this:

“Asians are…                 ‘Asian’ is
    multiculturalists               an expression
    metaculturalists               an option ”



Well…maybe not that far. There’s all kind of racism out there and will always be- but how loud that element is and how much sway it holds is always up for debate. We are a cosmopolitan peoples, and increasingly a bigger slice of the pie. In 2040, the United States will be minority white and although a small percentage of that will be an Asian American presence in 2050 Asia will account for 59% of the world’s population. Does that necessarily mean anything? Who knows, but it is a provocative thought.

And p.s. Asian America might well become the kind of polyglot that we strive to envision. By 2020, it is predicted that 1 out of 5 Asians in America will be multiracial and by 2050 that fraction has jumped to 1 in 3. Then there are, what Jeff called, ABC’s- Asians By Choice (too late! He’s got the rights for that book), people who choose to embrace Asian-ness as a lifestyle choice.

“Being Asian isn’t a liability, its a renewable resource,” Jeff said, “it’s sustainable or something”.
Indeed. Jeff closed his speech by talking about the subject that, acquaintance has led me to believe, is close to his heart- pop culture.
Basically Jeff said that the paradigmatic approach to pop culture success- paying dues, breaking in, being given an opportunity- is archaic and not actually how it goes down. He played us a brilliant mashup of Asian American artists, from Far East Movement, to Das Racist, to Vienna Tieng, from hip hop to alternative piano ballads, to underscore his point. A) that there is an incredible range of talent in Asian America, B) that no one gave these artists an opportunity they had to work for it every day.

“If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em”. Many of these artists survive by building their own following, their own tribe- because a tribe will look after their own. To mix a few metaphors, if we wait to be invited into the castle that train will leave the station.

eMerging was definitely the theme of Jeff’s speech, the internet, YouTube- all of these are tools by which Asian Americans can assert their voices in this cultural project. Four years ago, I interviewed Wong Fu Productions for GenerAsian and I remember Ted Fu saying to me that without YouTube they never would have made it.

So just you know, think about it. People are coming up from around all the time, and the important thing is that we remember each other and keep building connections.    

Ready? Let’s burn it all down.

Asian Heritage Month is fast approaching and promises to be more packed with exciting events than ever before. Want to know more? This week, Generasian will bring you the inside scoop on the various culture shows and major events happening throughout April in celebration of Asian Heritage Month. Check back for all the latest updates!

Come out to the 5th annual New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC - pronounced NYE-SACK). This year’s theme is “eMerging Profiles.”

Date: Saturday April 16, 2011
Location: NYU Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S.
Time and format: Free all-day conference, event starts at 9:30

NYCAASC’s Background:

The NYCAASC website contains its mission statement, history, as well as the full description of this year’s theme, “eMerging Profiles.” Please check it to get a full and detailed overview on how NYCAASC came to be and what it wishes to achieve as a legitimate presence in New York City.

The 5th Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) is:

an annual gathering dedicated to promoting awareness of Asian Pacific American issues and history among youth. Based in New York City and planned by college students, NYCAASC offers a broad range of engaging workshops and panels that address issues pertinent to Asian Pacific Americans on local, national, and global scales. There will be three different “track”’ times of workshops, each followed up by a 30 min. “break out session,” where participants will reflect on the workshop through discussion and group activities. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided at the event!

In addition, NYCAASC is a way to meet high school and college students from different schools. In the past, we’ve had 350-400 attendees from various schools in the New York City area, as well as others nearby schools in Boston, Philadelphia, etc. All participants are welcome - you do not have to be of Asian descent to attend. We just ask you to come with an open mind and an interest in thinking critically about issues affecting APAs! 

A peek at confirmed workshops so far (workshop titles are still in the works):

• Activism from the Korean Diaspora: Bridging a Movement of Social Change 
• Bam! A New Generation of Food
• Decolonize Your Jack Off Session
• Human Trafficking
• Queer Adoptees Speak Out: LGBT Issues in Intercountry Adoption   
• Slicing Up the Pie: Towers and Tenements in Chinatown and LES
• The Superhero Alter-Ego: Comics and Asian American Identity 

What does “eMerging Profiles” mean?

As the theme for this year’s event, we keep in mind how new media has been a catalyst to vast social/political movements today. We play on the wording “eMerging” to convey the dynamic processes of merging and emerging. We opt to highlight tangible “profiles” rather than the often hard-to-grasp concept of “identities.” 

Blogs, YouTube and other forms of new media have been helpful in reaching across physical boundaries, increasing the accessibility of resources, and connecting with those that seek commonality and recognition. Moreover, we want to emphasize that this theme surrounding “new/alternative media” also recognizes that throughout history, when traditional media and spaces were exclusionary, Asian Pacific Americans have consistently showed creativity in forging new media through which to think for themselves. 

From Latin, the word “profile” comes from pro and filare – “to make an outline out of thread,” reminding us of the agency that Asian Americans possess the power to form and shape our identities.  As we self-reflect, we will weave together the strands of knowledge we will share with one another and emerge to shape a prominent, legitimate presence.

Where can we find you?

The NYCAASC planning board meets on the 7th floor of Kimmel (and sometimes at Columbia University) on Sundays at 2:00 PM. If you have any questions, you can contact the NYCAASC NYU directors, June Kao (june.kao@nyu.edu) or Joseph Lin (jfl286@nyu.edu). 

NYCAASC is one of the events also planned by the Asian Heritage Month (AHM) planning committee. Make sure to also support AHM’s opening ceremony, RISE with Wong Fu Productions, happening on Friday, April 1st.

http://www.nyu.edu/clubs/asian.heritage/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173570836028749

Social media:

• Visit our website www.nycaasc.com to register and/or volunteer for NYCAASC. On the site, you’ll also find a link to contact the NYCAASC planning board if you have any questions, concerns, etc. 
• Follow NYCAASC updates on Twitter
• Add NYCAASC (Nyc Aasc) as a friend on Facebook! 

Defiant Gardens: Radical Horticulture in the Era of Japanese Internment
Tuesday, April 12 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
APA Institute, 41-51 East 11th Street, 7th Floor Gallery
What is a defiant garden? According to Kenneth Helphand, who coined the term, it’s a garden that is grown in extreme social and political conditions. Soldiers holed up in Western Front trenches during World War One; Jewish men and women in Nazi-controlled Poland; civilian internees in Asia during World War Two: all of them, in the face of imminent annihilation, resisted spiritual death by creating pockets of horticultural resistance. They invested imaginatively in a future they had no way of knowing they would live to see. They seeded beauty in a world of barbarism. Helphand will be talking about and showing images from his extraordinary, often heartbreaking research into a neglected dimension of gardening and war-culture history. He will pay particular attention to the defiant gardens created in Japanese-American internment camps, as well as those built in secret at Guantanamo Bay.

The 3rd Annual Southeast Asian (SEA) Night
Thursday, April 14 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Kimmel 914
SEA Night is back! Join us for SEA Night 2011 to experience the diverse cultures of Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia! Enjoy musical performances, lots of food, as well as games and prizes!!!
Brought to you by Vietnamese Students Association (VSA), Thai Students Association (TSA), Malaysian and Indonesian Students Society (MISS), and Singaporean Students Association (SSA). Dinner will be provided! (free admission)

Korean Culture Night 2011
Friday, April 15 · 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Kimmel E&L
Read Generasian’s interview with KCN Director, Gillian Seok, for more information about this year’s Korean Culture Night

5th Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference
Saturday, April 16 · 9:30am - 8:00pm
NYU Kimmel Center
Read Generasian’s article on NYCAASC for more information! Don’t forget to register for free at www.nycaasc.com

So, the 60th Annual Grammy Nominations were announced yesterday morning, and somehow it left me with more mixed emotions than I’ve felt in a long time. On the one hand, we have many reasons to celebrate this year–the 2018 list of nominees is the most diverse group in all of Grammy history, especially when it comes to Black and LGBTQIA inclusion. Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and more were all (deservedly) nominated for record of the year. Kesha and Lady Gaga were both nominated for two Grammys each, and out songwriter Justin Tranter was nominated for his first award as well. 

When it comes to inclusion in the entertainment industry, we’ve come a long way, and these nominees are just one example of that. Unfortunately, this progress has not been reflected within the Asian American community, as you can clearly see by the lack of Asian nominees for the 2018 Grammys. I can’t say I’m surprised, considering there aren’t really any huge Asian American names in the music industry. But it’s not because we’re not trying–it’s because those who run the system aren’t listening. This year I got the chance to discover Alice Gao, Niki Zefanya, Yaeji, and several other incredible Asian artists whose music deserves recognition–but none of them are getting the attention they deserve. 

While Grammy nomination entries can by submitted by any artists/record companies with commercially released music, all submissions are reviewed by a group of over 350 experts in the fields of jazz, R&B, rock, classical, new age, and more. These experts within the Academy go through several rounds of screening, being advised to vote in up to 15 categories in their areas of expertise as well as the 4 general categories (Record of The Year, Album of the Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist). Unfortunately, if you are a lesser known artist in the US (aka most Asian American artists) signed to a label with more well known artists, your label will most likely submit their song/album to be considered for Grammy nomination over yours. At the end of the day, it’s pretty much a self fulfilling prophesy. Since Asian American artists are almost never well known enough to qualify for the final rounds of nomination, their work is not often submitted. As a result, Asian Americans are continuously left out of the mainstream. The whole thing is a cycle that seems to have no end. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should celebrate the victories we achieve, but I’m honestly so tired of writing and complaining about Asian American representation. You guys have heard it all before and I’m not here to preach the same message all over again, but my soul is tired y’all. While we should celebrate and cheer on our fellow POC, let’s remember that the entertainment industry is still far, far, from being the all inclusive community that we so desperately need. 

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As the weather gets colder, and the semester starts to come to its end, many of us can get into the dreary mood. There are so many things to do at the end of the year, holiday markets are opening in parks around New York City, coffee shops are coming out with their signature winter scents, and your parents are putting up the holiday decorations around the house back home.

Does it sometimes seem like the world is snuggling into the year-end festivities but you are hopelessly stuck in Bobst Library clawing away hundreds of pages of school work?

Give yourself a break on November 28th by cuddling up with some friends and throwing a viewing party for the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2017 Catwalk Spectacular” set to air at 10pm EST that night (In which you can stream here: https://www.victoriassecret.com/fashion-show).

There might have been rumors and dramas around the show, but it is going to be not anything but  grand, a step of progress in globalization of western and eastern cultures.

(Source: AEG Worldwide)

Previous locations have included New York, London, Los Angeles, Miami, and Cannes. This year, the show is set in Shanghai, China, in the Pudong District’s Mercedes Benz Arena.

Although no one straight up wrote about it, many people question the compatibility of location of the show, calling it a disaster in the making and an “International Nightmare”. It is true that the location of the event this year has brought a few set backs and difficulties, like how Katy Perry, Gigi Hadid and several other models’s visas being denied by the Chinese government due to actions the government has deemed to be offensive towards China.

However this does not mean that the show is going to be a flop. Many of us question the reliability of something when we first try it out. This is easily just people being nervous to try out something different. After all, there are reasons behind why such an extravagant event has decided to tread halfway across the world. Victoria’s Secret has greatly expanded its market in Asia, with almost 30 flagship stores across China itself. Shanghai specifically, has slowly become one of the most trendy cities in not just mainland China but all of Asia. Which is why it is no surprise that everyone working for the show wants it to be a success.

As we get closer and closer to the re-recording on October 20th, the final lineup of performers, was finally unveiled just yesterday. Instead of two or three, there will be four very distinct artists participating throughout the show. Previous One-Direction member Harry Styles will be joined by Miguel, popular Chinese singer Jane Zhang, and Tony Award-winning Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. The performers bring a variety of genres and there will unquestionable be a wide cultural reach during the event.

This year’s show’s success is definitely at a higher bate since it is playing with so many new aspects. However, we should be hopeful and trusting in both the company and the hosting country, as both want it to go down in history as the first but not the last show outside of western countries.

(Source: Getty Images)

Although we still don’t know what the themes for the show will be, it is certain that there will be no shortage of pink sparkles, great music, beautiful models, and a whole lot of glam. Are you ready??

For many of us millennials, it is not uncommon to think of Chinatowns as merely areas inhabited by a concentration of Chinese people. Whether we are grocery shopping at the Hong Kong Supermarket or grabbing our weekly dose of Dim Sum at Golden Unicorn, the historical background behind the neighborhoods that we now call “Chinatowns” never really seems to cross our minds. But let’s stop and ask ourselves, how did Chinatowns become Chinatowns anyway? How were they constructed in the first place and what does the name even imply?

I have to admit myself that I have only really started to think about these questions a couple of weeks ago when I was reviewing the readings for one of my classes. One reading in particular caught my eye–in an excerpt taken from a Kay Anderson book, I learned about the 19th/20th century construction of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Anderson notes in the text that “Chinatown” was an idea “constructed and distributed by and for Europeans” to “[affirm] their own identity and privilege” (Anderson, 1987). In an era where Chinese immigrants were heavily discriminated, the neighborhoods they occupied were often thought of as a hotspot for crime, drugs, and prostitution. As such, there was a constant desire for segregation away from these individuals, and classifying their neighborhoods as “Chinatowns”–a separate entity from the rest of the city–was an effective way of doing so. The construction of Chinatowns, therefore, was historically not so much a voluntary movement but more so a forced and unnatural effort. 

You see, the name “Chinatown” implies so much more than just another neighborhood in a city. It holds a history of segregation, discrimination, and rejection of the “underserved.” What’s important to recognize is that not only are these issues still alive and well today, but that by ignoring the racist history of a place like Chinatown we are further perpetuating the issue. For more information on the real story and how racism created American Chinatown’s, check out what Huffington Post had to say about it. So, next time you step foot in your favorite Chinatown, make sure to remember that there’s more to the story than meets the eye. 

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It was just a couple months ago that I bought the Innisfree cushion foundation, which was only offered in two shades. Yes you heard it–not ten, not five, but TWO color options. Compared to the newly released Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, which carries as many as 40 complexion selections, the shade range definitely seems a bit too frugal, just a little. While this foundation has good coverage, looks natural, and lasts long, I can only wear it during my palest times, which is no longer than two or three months out of the whole year.

When I found out that Innisfree USA revamped their Aqua Fit Cushion and Matte Full Cover Cushion ranges to form a total of 14 shades I was beyond excited. I wasted no time before rushing to do more research–after all, this was a big step in Korean Beauty. It meant that the K-beauty industry might finally be recognizing the importance of skin tone inclusion and facing the reality that skin comes in more than two shades. Ultimately, this upgrade will expand Innisfree’s customer market by abolishing the pre-conceived notions of pale beauty. 

Even as a relatively pale individual, I found it hard to match the original shades to my skin tone. Now think about the individuals who fall further from the ideal Korean skin shade, and how they’ve been completely excluded from enjoying the Korean beauty trends. That’s why this is a complete game changer!

Now to see how the product lived up to its hype, here’s the rundown:

There are clearly a lot more shades to choose from. The formula, however, remains the same as before. The new cushions come in two finishes - Matte and Dewy. If you prefer a more natural look you can try the “dewy” finish, but if you have oily skin like me, you should opt for the “matte” finish.

Innisfree is first (but hopefully not last) to take a huge step forward within the Asian beauty industry. Many Korean makeup and skincare brands have globalized, but if they don’t adopt the mantra of inclusivity, they’ll never be fully accepted by the beauty community. While it might not seem like a big deal, it is definitely proof that the cosmetics industry is changing, and that inclusion is more important than ever before.

Check out the YouTube video below to learn more about how this cushion is breaking boundaries

Shop them here: http://us.innisfree.com/make-up/face/

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You may not have heard of 88Rising, but you’ve probably listened to Dat$tick by Rich Chigga at least once or twice; well, the label behind Rich Chigga’s creative genius is 88Rising, an NYC based music label founded by Sean Miyashiro.

Over the months, 88Rising has gotten more and more spotlight—not only for curating incredible music, but also for giving Asian artists some of the attention they deserve. When Dat $tick went viral, Rich Chigga got the stamp of approval from tons of US rappers, such as Migos, 21 Savage, and more. From there, things have only gone up.

88Rising partnered with The Higher Brothers, a Chengdu based rap group who is breaking barriers in a musical and physical way. Because they don’t have direct access to YouTube in China, they have to work extra hard to interact with their fans, but they do it because it’s all worth it. They have a true appreciation for rap culture that transcends geography and language; for their fans it’s about the flow, the delivery, and the charisma.

88Rising’s Sean manages all of these artists and more, not just because they’re Asian, but because he believes in their music. He told Pitchfork, “Real talk, from a music perspective, if I don’t fuck with it, just ‘cause it’s from the Philippines, I’m not gonna put it up. I think that 1000 percent of the time, the music needs to be good.” And his philosophy shows, too. They recently debuted Indonesian singer NIKI, an R&B artist whose style is characterized by smooth and heavy beats. She’s young, but her potential is definitely there.

In many ways, 88Rising is exactly what the Asian community needs. They obviously want to bring attention to the real talent thats brewing all over Asia, but more than that it’s also about putting out music that’s truly worthwhile. In that way, they’re paving a way for Asian artists to be taken seriously in the music industry. Check out the video below to see some of our favorite rappers reacting to the Higher Brothers and click here to see more of 88Rising’s YouTube content. 

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