admin

From qipaos to blaccents, cultural appropriation takes form in various objects, accessories, hairstyles, and clothing items. It is so common nowadays that what one might believe to be an innocent act can, in reality, be disrespectful and damaging to marginalized communities. ThoughtCo. defines cultural appropriation as “the adoption of certain elements from another culture without […]

Thirteen years have passed since I last visited the Philippines, my country of origin. Since I was so young, I barely remember anything from my visit there. This is one of the many reasons why I sometimes feel disconnected from my culture. I think that my parents can explain a lot about my culture to

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed annually during the month of May to commemorate the contributions and achievements of the AAPI community. Its history dates to not long ago; the very first inspiration for an Asian/Pacific heritage month came from a former Capitol Hill staffer named Jeanie Jew, who proposed the idea

She did everything right They remember her wrong Hand in hand, we would walk But skin could never block the talk To pull her from all familiarity, stripped of warm arms in winter, and throw her naked, exposed, shivering,  into the antagonistic streets of social construct Then expect her to learn, to melt, to turn

Growing up as a French and Chinese biracial kid, life was confusing. I didn’t know what was “normal,” or what should’ve been expected of me as a functioning member of society. Of course, my parents raised me to their cultural standards, beliefs, and practices, but going to school every single day and being reminded that

Bleed red, I beg of you, who lays wreck to one and raises up another with silver tongue, forked Bleed red, I beg of you, who gathered oppression in a sewn-shut pocket, played mix-n-match with the collectibles, their portrayals Bleed red, I beg of you, who split apart brothers, each orphaned just the same but

The studious Asian friend, the rich Asian, the “good immigrant” – all tropes Asian Americans introduced in the media as a way to drive a wedge between minority groups. The controversial term “model minority” refers to all minorities, but it is targeted, both politically and socially, to describe Asians. Through this erroneous conception, Asians are

Asian-American mental health needs to be destigmatized and treated as an actual issue. American school systems are excellent at using small band-aids to cover up large gaping wounds when it comes to students’ mental health. We have the occasional “mental health half-day,” only to be bombarded with homework and tests the next day. We are

Never in a million years would I think that I would be moving to a new country, a new school, during a global pandemic. As a Chinese student who grew up in Hong Kong, a diverse country with people from all over the world, it was a massive cultural shock when I arrived in America.

Cultural appropriation, according to VeryWellMind, is the use of objects or elements of a culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning, does not give credit to their source, or reinforces stereotypes and contributes to oppression (VeryWellMind). Some examples include wearing qipaos – a traditional Chinese dress often worn by Chinese women