Introduction to Orientalism Orientalism, a term coined by Edward Said, paints a picture of the West and the East as opposites; one civilized, the other a mysterious and barbaric place. Today I want to explore how Afong Moy, a Chinese woman forced to become an human exhibit in the 1800’s, exemplified the very ideals of […]
Shanghainese
There exists a niche, sub-genre of the Chinese language spoken solely in Shanghai. Although it’s considered a declining language, I have found within it a rich and diverse community. This summer I visited Shanghai for an internship, as well as to see family and friends. Shanghai, to me, is like a second home apart from […]
When Does Asian American History Begin?
A few months ago, I made a post commenting on Catherine Choy’s book, Asian American Histories in the United States and its multiple starting points for considering Asian American history. Today, I want to talk about the point of these multiple starting points. These multiple timelines serve the main purpose of highlighting stories that were […]
Solidarity and “Asian American”
Where does the term “Asian American” come from? Personally, I’ve never thought about the background of this term until my friend, and the director of Make Us Visible introduced me to its fascinating history when chatting. I consider myself Asian American. But I hadn’t realized the true depth behind that statement, until I did further […]
Asian American History Starts in 1953
Recently, I read a book written by Catherine Choy, Asian American Histories Of the United States. Choy makes an interesting choice by organizing the history of Asian Americans from different starting points- for one, during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, or, what I will be talking about today, the boom of mixed-race children in […]
Cantonese and Mandarin- Variance Between Cultures
I am fluent in Mandarin, and know little Cantonese. From a young age I could distinguish the two languages by the tone of speaking- I thought Cantonese sounded like angry temple bells, while Mandarin sounded like the firm waves of an ocean. I never thought too much about the two languages, until I actually came […]
Asian Faces in Business and Beyond
Although I need to wear glasses with a particularly strong prescription (blame my genes), I don’t find myself ever confusing two different people. Especially not when they stand right in front of me, face to face. That’s why it was strange for me to be called the name of my much shorter friend of a […]
The “MSG” Myth
I was told from a young age that MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is terribly bad for your health. My mom would cook up these delicious black bean noodles and tell me all about her recipe and the way she meticulously prepared everything. But then, she would brag a little, making it clear that she didn’t use any MSG in her cooking, and it was still appetizing! She would tell me all about how MSG was toxic to your health, and dangerous to consume too often. The way my mom warned me made younger me think eating any MSG was equivalent to eating rat poison.
Japanese Groceries
Recently, I went on a trip with my family to Japan to visit some relatives. Spending time with family and getting a glimpse into the daily lives of people who live in Japan gave me a fresh perspective on how different our habits and lifestyles are. I noticed a lot of these differences in the […]
Understanding Financial Diversity of Asian Businesses
When I first moved to Washington in 2018, my mom and I would frequent a small nail salon for manicures in our free time. It was a small, beautifully decorated place owned by a sweet Vietnamese couple. When I found out that this place closed a couple years later, I realized how truly hard these […]