home back to read e-mail me  


written




Studio45: Brooklyn’s newest community art space and the sister duo behind it


                                photo by Jo Malicdem





Meet Vivian and Alie Wu, the two sisters who built Brooklyn's newest community art space, Studio 45. Read all about the duo here.

With Alie’s go-with-the-flow attitude and Vivian’s careful planning for every possibility, there is a steady balance struck in every project they set out to coordinate. “In general, we get along pretty well. We’re definitely still sisters, so we also hate each other,” Vivian noted.







Hortense hoped to convey the normalcy of being a Filipino American.
“I felt that there isn't enough representation of Filipinos who are simply just being. [This is a] simple American family who just happens to be Filipino.”

Middleton Heights prompts audiences to reevaluate the American Dream: who it is targeting, who it actually serves, how this notion has affected their own upbringings or careers, and whether the dream still holds up to its end of the bargain.


Read more here.

Hortense Gerardo: Storyteller of Filipinos “Simply Being”


                                             photo by Jo Malicdem





How higher institutions address food insecurity among students in Boston
When you hear things like ‘food pantry’ there is an automatic stigma that comes with it,” said Grant. “We try to destigmatize this resource and food insecurity as a term in general, but students do find it a little more trustworthy when you hear from another student who's like, ‘oh yeah, you can stop by there, they have some items there that might be useful for you,’ which we appreciate.

Read more here.





A creative piece about the healing nature of learning to nourish onesself through food; explores cooking and dining as a love language. 

Read more here

The Green Bell Pepper Doesn’t Love You As Much As I Do










The Commute Home

Read.















Why now?

Since the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes earlier this year, I’ve felt myself endure the pressures of addressing the sociopolitical implications of the #StopAAPIHate movement, as well as my own experiences as an Asian American. It felt as though people were finally paying attention and like I needed to cater to audiences now that my voice was actually being considered, despite the years of hard work I had poured into my work.

With every passing day, a new frightening occurrence would overtake the news, and my rise in followers and retweets would parallel said tragedies.

Why did it take this for people to finally listen to me and other Asian folks?

Read more here



A scholarly article examining fast fashion and its implications for the safety and livelihoods of targeted Southeast Asian women who in the garment industry overseas. As garment labor has been feminized and globalized for the sake of capitalist gain. Also offers calls to action and organizations to support garment workers across Asia. 

Read more here.



Gender and Fast Fashion: The Feminization and Globalization of Garment Labor







A Discussion with Dandee Lyon
“In the third grade, I found myself sitting next to a reserved, sweet boy with boxy glasses and a strained grin. He’d accompany me to the monkey bars at recess every day and insisted on keeping me company as I waited in line at the cafeteria despite him already having brought a packed lunch all ready for him to eat. In all honesty, I thought he might have had a crush on me—being the self-centered nine-year-old I was—but little did I know, that little boy would grow up to embody the persona of Dandee Lyon, a drag queen I admire massively, and a dear friend I depend on to this day.”

Read more here




“I started #MagandaangMorenx in October 2016, and October is Filipino American Heritage Month. I only had around 4,000 subscribers at the time… I was trying to brainstorm ways to celebrate the month because I felt it wasn’t as celebrated, especially within the Filipino American community. I wondered: ‘How can I get this community engaged in something?’” said Asia.

Throughout her brainstorming process, she kept thinking of the time she lived in the Philippines, and how she was made fun of for having darker skin. “I observed my friends and family also being bullied for their skin color,” she added. “No one was really talking about this. What if I just started this conversation?”

Read more here.





In Conversation with Asia Jackson






Music Heals: A Deep Dive into the Inner-Workings of Music Therapy
Music therapy is continually growing into a normalized practice, both as a profession and as an avenue for healing. Haney says “there is always exciting new research being published which shows us new and effective ways we can utilize music to achieve specific outcomes for the clients. Music is transformative and can make such a difference in people’s lives, and I’m grateful to be a part of that.”  

Read more here