Asian American Archives

asian

Asian American

Hallmark, Dabur and the Politics of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Advertising

I would argue that it becomes impossible to really talk about LGBTQ+ rights without delving into religion because religions the world over have long called us sinners. This is as…

himani —

Nov 12, 2021

Asian American

netflix

In Never Have I Ever, Fabiola looks confused directly into the camera.

tv reviews

It’s Time to Talk about It, “Never Have I Ever” Has a Race Problem

Fabiola’s story taps into a real dynamic in queer communities, but “Never Have I Ever” couldn’t bring itself to actually identify the problem for what it truly is: racism.

himani —

Jul 26, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

asian

xoai lounges on a white blanket looking blissful in a white dress, long black hair cascading over one shoulder. in the background are a series of portraits of her face in a state of tossing and movement, all in a green hue.

first person

The Right to Breathe

I think of the moment I was born, how I must not have cared at all how loud I screamed. I needed to breathe. I needed everyone to know I…

xoai pham —

May 31, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

A the upper torso and face of a person is in oversized portion coming out of a deep green sea against a dark, cloudy night sky.

first person

The Birth and Death of a Name

This is the story of the birth and death of my name, which means that it is a story about transition, which means that it is necessarily a story about…

S Sukardi —

May 26, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

A pair of brown hands scoop up water, within the dark turquoise pool gathering in the palms is the reflection of a face.

identity

Mourning the Loss of Indigenous Queer Identities

This is the legacy of colonization. It is the mass extinction of identities and languages that can no longer exist because someone else said they were bad.

Astrud Bowman —

May 24, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

asian

Three people side by side. Sasha on the left has brown skin and a braid. Fei in the middle has hair shaved, wears a dangly orange earring. Trang on the right has hair shaved and wears a red hoodie,

visual art

These Portraits Depict the Radiance of Asian Trans Leaders

Trans Vietnamese artist, Jean Pham, shares an original portrait series, spotlighting and revering trans Asian leaders as subjects in the midst the heightened violence in both Asian and trans communities.

Jean Pham —

May 20, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

asexuality

In a hand-drawn image in the colors of greens and dark navy blues, a young Asian person with short hair stares at their own image sitting against a mirror inside of a closet.

identity

How Tam Found Empowerment in the Closet

What are you to do when you are a Vietnamese asexual and aromantic woman who grew up in white, cishet, francophone-dominated Montreal in the 1980s and 1990s?

Diamond Yao —

May 17, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

love + sex

The Complicated Nature of Sex for Asian Women

Our trans subject editor Xoai Pham speaks to Jayda Shuavarnnasri, Thai-American sexuality educator and resident #SexPositiveAsianAuntie, about sexual violence, myths about polyamory, and what it means to take up space…

xoai pham —

May 13, 2021

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

a collage of three textures - a green forest, a black night sky and a royal blue lipstick mark. there is a flock of birds flying above the composition, and in the far distance, you can see the thin sliver of a crescent moon

first person

When Love Is A Matter Of Desperation

Loneliness is an old bedfellow of mine; despair, my oldest friend. If I can come to embrace those parts of myself I’ve always tried to push away — perhaps, that…

himani —

May 11, 2021

Asian American

the angsty buddhist

society + culture

The Angsty Buddhist: “Avatar” & Telling Our Own Stories

I don’t think it matters much whether Avatar: The Last Airbender is “respectful” of Asian culture. I think the show is racist, and also I like it. I’m interested in…

L —

Nov 23, 2020

Asian American

chronic illness

asian person grabbing their head out of frustration while carrying a yoga mat over one shoulder

first person

The Angsty Buddhist: Chronic Pain & Trying Not To Be A White Yoga Lady

I’ve been told I should try to reclaim my ancestral healing practices, and this is something I would like to do. When I try to learn about Chinese things, it…

L —

Nov 12, 2020

Asian American

buddhism

first person

The Angsty Buddhist: Learning Anger And White Buddhism

When it comes to Buddhism and cultural appropriation, I still sometimes worry that I’m making a big deal out of nothing, that I’m angry for no good reason.

L —

Oct 28, 2020