reactions, responses, and reflections to the world that holds us close. books, movies, destinations, quotes, moments.
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews— where do I even begin? It explored so deftly the underbelly of monotone corporations and terrible bosses, the difficulty of living far from home and far from family. In an incisive way, Sneha’s friendships become what sustain her and reveal her, even to herself. Each emotion, … Continue reading All This Could Be Different: Favorite Quotes
London was always the first city I thought I’d visit overseas. For me, it was a place of history, of longstanding stories, of tea parties and elegant things. Call it colonial influence, call it highbrow. But to my inner child, it was a magical place. And I had to seek out this magic I’d always … Continue reading London: The Dream of My Childhood
The immigrant story is so often a narrative of escape— escaping from devastating wars, from corrupt governments, from homelands once held so dear. Escape to safer places, better opportunities, golden promises of freedom and a higher quality of life. So many of these stories are steeped in tragedy, with immigrants who work themselves to the … Continue reading Everything Everywhere All At Once: Reclaiming Alternate Lives
When you think of an Asian American face, what ethnic associations come to mind? Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino? Perhaps Korean, Vietnamese? The first time I’d heard of Asian Americans outside of these groups must’ve been in my late teens. I grew up in an area where there were growing populations of Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants, … Continue reading Afterparties: On The Lives of Cambodian Americans
Crying in H Mart is a memoir that touched me from the very first chapter, when Michelle Zauner described H Mart as a kind of portal to home through its vast shelves of Korean snacks and home-cooked meal ingredients. Because it truly is a good meal that reminds you of family, that can unite strangers … Continue reading Crying in H Mart: Food as a Bridge to Home
New York used to be a place I never thought I could live in. Its streets were always so busy, loud and bustling, filled with noises I couldn’t get used to. But over the years, things began to change. I began to get caught up in some kind of lust for a faster life, with … Continue reading New York: A Place to Lose Yourself, Then Find Yourself
If you’ve only read wild west stories that are all about the lone Anglo cowboy, C Pam Zhang is about to subvert your entire western worldview. In her gorgeous novel, How Much of These Hills is Gold, C Pam Zhang writes a story that has been erased again and again from history— the story of … Continue reading How Much of These Hills Is Gold: Favorite Quotes
80 memories of childhood— these moments birthed the gorgeous story of Minari, where director Lee Isaac Chung tells the harrowing journey of an immigrant family, fighting for their own little piece of land in America. There’s an ethereal hope imbued into the scenes, dancing in and out of the idyllicism of what America is thought … Continue reading Minari: Where Memory and Hope Intwine
Feeling invisible is a universal feeling— everyone has felt it one time or another. Some people find comfort in that invisibility, while others find it frustrating. And yet, to be Asian in America is to feel invisible on a mass scale, to leave too many things unsaid or unheard. Cathy Park Hong captures this experience … Continue reading Minor Feelings: Favorite Quotes
When we were young, so many of our parents were gods, towering over us as protectors and nurturers. We saw them as our everything. And eventually, as we grew into our teenage years, they became as simple as mother and father figures, people who have some authority over us that we may or may not … Continue reading Hi, Mom: Your Mother Was Once Just Like You
Letters to No One 