The ALIA

Volume I. Issue XII. Oct. 21, 2020.

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the twelfth issue of The ALIA, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the lives of Asian women in America, and beyond, where we bring you the latest news and insightful conversations with industry professionals. In this volume, we feature women in fashion, media and arts. Subscribe for free here.

Letter from the editor:

Hello! It’s so good to see you again, and a warm welcome to our new subscribers. It’s been rainy all week in Chicago, which means curling up with a warm blanket and a movie. This week, I chatted with actor and filmmaker Minji Chang about diversity and representation in Hollywood, following her passion for acting and more.

Asian representation in Hollywood isn’t where we want it yet, but it’s significantly improving. I’m excited for the all-Asian cast in the animated Netflix film “Over the Moon,” premiering this Friday, inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival legend of Chang’e and Hou Yi. What are you watching?

We talked to readers about their favorite thing about fall, read their responses in “Weekly Thoughts.” We always want to hear feedback from you. Leave us a DM on Instagram letting us know how we’re doing!

P.S. You may have noticed different emailing times over the last month. With readers worldwide, we are experimenting with various publishing times. Let us know what time you want to see us in your inbox!

I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,
Annie Lin
Founder of The ALIA

If you could like to learn more about this project, please contact us at contact@alia.news

Asian Creatives

Clockwise from top left: @juweiteoh, @daphnecharice, @janechuck, @bellakuan

Community News

Cause for concern • Experts from the United Nations issued a mandate expressing “serious concerns” about racist and xenophobic attacks against Asian Americans during the pandemic. They specifically state that “U.S. authorities have utterly failed to take the steps required to detect, monitor, and prevent racist and xenophobic incidents.” Read: NBC News

Future of fashion • Shanghai Fashion Week was in full swing from Oct. 8-18 as pre-pandemic life has resumed in China. Vogue Business writes, “The future of fashion week? Look to Shanghai,” featuring a hybrid model of “live events supplemented with live streams and digital showrooms.” Read: Vogue Business

Multiracial identity • Amid nationwide protests, racist attacks and Sen. Kamala Harris as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, NBC News writes that “race relations within and between the Asian American and Black communities have quickly shifted into focus.” They interviewed 12 individuals who identify as both Black and AAPI to talk about identity, community and what 2020 means to them. Read: NBC News

Asian style • We love seeing Asian representation. What’s not to love about this Cosmo piece featuring 17 Asian fashion bloggers and why you should follow them for some “major style inspo.” You don’t need to tell us twice. Read: Cosmopolitan

In Conversation with Minji Chang

This week we're joined by Minji Chang, 35, actor, filmmaker, podcast host and board member of Kollaboration, a community organization showcasing Asian American talent. Chang shares her experience of being an Asian American woman in Hollywood, shifting career paths from public health to acting, and advocating for Asian voices to be heard. 

Tell us about your journey. How did you make the career switch to pursue acting? 

I think everyone's path is unique to them. Mine's definitely not linear, but it all interconnects. I'm grateful for every single step along the way because they've all influenced how I went from one thing to the next. I grew up a total artist, thespian and pop culture fiend. It was strange because I was introverted, but I wanted to sing a song on stage and perform lines when it came to plays and musicals. I had that spirit in me. 

Another part of me loved school, particularly math and science. I was a very achievement-oriented child, and I loved getting As. I don't know when I started thinking about careers, but I was passionate about becoming a doctor. I don't remember anyone pressuring me to. I just liked the idea and respected doctors. I started pursuing a health and bioscience career path in high school when I was 14. I was fortunate enough to go to a high school that offered that track. I shadowed a doctor and explored the field pretty early. It gave me a good sense of clinical life, which appealed to me. I went on to study molecular cell biology at UC Berkeley. That wasn't easy, but I prided myself on overcoming challenges. 

Over the years, I kept wondering about what it is I really wanted to do. A big turning point for me was in the middle of college when I broke up with a very abusive boyfriend that was much older than me. It was intensely bad. We were together for five years since I was 14. A lot of milestones and experiences overlapped with the relationship. When I got out, it shook me and gave me a renewed sense of life. It was so traumatic that I felt like I got another shot to be me. That's when I switched to public health. I wanted to understand why people experience abuse, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, depression, suicide. I was curious about all of it. 

I worked for several years in domestic violence prevention, and then I worked in the corporate world for Macys.com because I wanted to live in San Francisco. Piece by piece, I transitioned out of working in public health. In tandem, I was volunteering for Kollaboration in a leadership role as I was diving into my Asian American identity. Youtube was brand new and exploring artists and concepts; it blew my mind. Paul "PK" Kim, the founder of Kollaboration, had put together showcases with Asian American identity as the centerpiece. Instead of being dictated by how Hollywood sees us, it redefined how we wanted to be seen. There was something so powerful about that. 

Being around artists making a career out of their passion and talent made me wonder if I could too. I wasn't confident, but I wanted to try it. A lot of things in life taught me that you're not guaranteed time and freedom. As a woman, I thought about having a family down the road and what I wanted to do before that. That attitude has shaped my decisions, and I don't regret any of them.  

Do you feel connected to your Asian identity?

I think there was an increase in momentum toward owning it. It's always been present for sure, even as early as elementary school. As a kid, I was insecure and shy, but I had my own observations of the world. Being a Korean American, I think we have strong identity values as a Korean person. Our language, culture, ceremonies and traditions all heavily influenced me. Whether I liked it or not, my parents taught me that. 

The first emergence of the original K-pop wave in the 90s gave me a hyper-awareness of my Korean side. Juxtaposing it with pop culture, at the time, I listened to a lot of Janet Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Paula Abdul. I was really into it. I celebrated both my Korean and American sides. In the late 90s, there was a surge of Asian pride in the wake of Rodney King and the LA riots. It was a coming of age for immigrant children. Looking back, I celebrated it as a teenager.

It was also around the time when I moved from San Jose/Cupertino in the Bay Area to Pleasanton, which is very white. I went through awakenings at different points based on what was around me, my family and pop culture. All anyone wanted to be was accepted and popular, but when you have all these things working against you, it caused friction and an identity crisis in me. It was an important part of my life to ask myself, who am I, what do I care about, how do I identify myself, and why do I care about being accepted? I'm glad to have answered those questions, but it was rocky at times. 

Were your parents supportive of your creative path?

Now that I have the hindsight, they were totally stereotypical Asian parents, yet they weren't. They were demanding in terms of excellence, which I appreciate. I'm glad they demanded high performance. My dad is an engineer, and my mom is a go-getter. She played the role of a Korean mom, but she's also a really strong woman. They set examples of being hard-working in everything you do. 

They were very supportive of my ambitions of becoming a doctor. When I wanted to change paths to be an actor, filmmaker and activist for Kollaboration, they were against it. It did not align with their vision, for an aspiring physician to suddenly pull a 180 and want to pursue a career in Hollywood. It wasn't safe for them. They didn't respect Hollywood. They had seen me be passionate about science, and being a doctor, I understand it was a lot to take away from them. They were worried, concerned and judged it for sure, but I kind of appreciate that. I don't know if I would have defended it the way I did if they had just been supportive. That's the storyteller in me wondering if it would've gone a different way. I don't know if I would've pursued it. 

How has being a part of Kollaboration influenced you?

I joined Kollaboration because I wanted to meet Youtube celebrities. But the reason you start something isn't always why you stay. I did meet celebrities, and that was cool. What kept me in Kollaboration was the staff, the experience of creating shows, and impacting my community. I've met so many fantastic leaders and community activists who aren't in the spotlight, but their work has changed the landscape for all of us. Those people have inspired me to ask myself if seeking the limelight and fame is still something I want. They don't seek credit for the work they're doing. That humbles me. 

I've met other people in the limelight like Jon Chu, Lulu Wang and Ming-Na Wen – people who put their neck on the line creativity to share their stories and narratives. I met Awkwafina when she was a Youtube rapper, before the Awkwafina everyone knows and celebrates her as today. I love meeting people them before others recognize how big of a deal they are and seeing them grow. I've been honing my sixth sense to identify when someone will make it big. I've been right a lot of times! In terms of success, no one gets there alone. There is an army of people. Even if you don't know who they are, people advocated for them and set a foundation so they can be elevated. 

You have been producing your podcast for three years now, how did it all start? 

When I started "First Of All" in 2017, I was already hosting the Kollaboration podcast with my co-host Marvin Yueh. He was the one that planted the seed for me to start my own show. I think it was mainly because I was nagging him about his lifestyle, health choices and dating life. He was like, why don't you make a podcast and talk about it in your own space? It was very funny. He noticed there were very few women hosts talking about relationships and health. I did a survey of a Facebook group for podcasts, and it was pretty much a 2:1 ratio of men to women hosts. Especially very few women of color. So, the goal was to be a voice. I didn't even know what I wanted to say, but I started by discussing things I usually would in my free time, like dating and mental health. 

Since then, I've shared more about my personal life than I expected to. It's become an anthology of me. I've talked about leaving my role as executive director of Kollaboration to my imposter syndrome, mental health, healing and trauma. It's become more of me sharing my thoughts, feelings, and conversations with guests about deep topics that can help others to heal, celebrate and love themselves. It was a very experiential growth process because listening back on it, and hearing feedback was an eye-opening audible experience for me. I recognized my imposter syndrome by listening to myself hold back questions I wanted to ask and opinions I wanted to say. I also heard myself grow and assert myself more. It made me realize I changed, and that's pretty cool. 

You have been outspoken about racial justice issues, how can Asian Americans be involved? 

I love to acknowledge that many Asian Americans are courageously and boldly political. I'll just say I don't feel smart enough to talk about it. But that is the problem because a lot of people feel that way. The only way we're going to advance is to hold ourselves accountable. This generation of Asian Americans has reached a point in adulthood where we bear the consequence of living silently, primarily dictated by others. 

There are reasons why we've grown up this way, and it's fine. We should show ourselves grace and compassion. I think Asian Americans have been observing, not participating. We need to be vocalizing and applying the intelligence we've obtained from being observers. Otherwise, we're going to be left out of the conversation. Our needs are not going to be met because they don't see us. We have to make our presence known. There's diversity in the Asian American identity and experience. There are Asian Americans I vehemently disagree with, but we have to talk about that. We're not going to progress if we stand in our corners in anger or disillusionment. If anything, it will regress. 

At the end of the day, I have to accept that there will be consequences if I choose to be apathetic or opt-out. The stakes are so high. I hope we can all recognize that not participating will cause a greater detriment to the community. We're interconnected. If everyone is suffering and hurting, it will affect us too. Equality for everyone means equality for us. We have to fight that fight. It's scary, but we gotta do it. 

Tackling diversity and representation in Hollywood is a big thing to take on. I'm up for the challenge, and the way to start is by making actionable steps and goals. I rely on people around me who can collaborate with me to put together something meaningful. You don't have to do this crusade yourself. Start small and work on it in your own world. Even having one conversation with your parents or friends can be incredibly transformative.

What are your thoughts on diversity and representation in Hollywood? How can it be improved?

I don't have any prescriptive things for Hollywood. I think Hollywood is Hollywood. Everyone has an agenda. A lot of people in Hollywood don't care about diversity or representation, they care about money. Many people care about the concept of art, but they don't care about historical accuracy. There are all kinds of people with all kinds of power and agendas in this space. That's where it gets messy. No one is doing is perfect. I'm fueled by movies I don't like because it makes me wonder, how would I do it differently? It's a great motivator. I don't want it to be rooted in anger and bitterness; instead, learn from it and ask yourself questions. If it doesn't sit right with you, how would you solve that problem? 

It was significant that Disney invested in “Mulan.” Do I give it an A-plus? No. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. But I'm grateful it exists and that Disney took the chance. I'm also grateful Lulu Wang stood her ground with “The Farewell.” She had producers offering to make the movie years earlier at the compromise of the story if she took out all the Mandarin, but she said no. She stuck with her values, principles and vision.

Asian Americans projects has more weight and significance because we’ve been largely invisible. There was such an uproar about “Crazy Rich Asians.” I was on the advisory board for Warner Bros. for that film. I got to hear opinions from both the Warner Bros. and the advisors, us Asian Americans. I learned a lot about the industry itself. There's an effort being made about why we needed to change this, or why it needed to be publicized in a certain way. We're going to continue refining that effort and make it more impactful. 

As an Asian American woman in Hollywood, has that ever been an obstacle? 

As much as I want to look young forever, when you want to get things done, you want to be taken seriously. I've had people not take me seriously because I look younger. I think Asian women have to deal with being told we look youthful, cute and pleasant because that’s how we are portrayed. That can be detrimental. Media imprints an image of what a leader should look like. I can feel it when I'm in a room where I'm 110% the expert on the subject, on an intellectual level, not on an ego level. But they don't see that I'm the head of an organization. Once I start talking, they recognize that I am a leader. Before I spoke, they had a different perception of me. 

It's funny because people in Hollywood tell you not to tell people how old you really are because you might not get casted. Personally, I don't care. I'm going to own my age. Why is my age something I'm supposed to hide? If I want to act, I'll act in my own things, I don't need someone to give me the green light. Frankly, even if they asked me to play a role that's 20 years old, I don't feel like a 20-year-old, so I'm not going to play it. People want to see the real version of you, even if it's weird, awkward and kind of uncomfortable. They don't want to see a fake version.

I think Asian American women and women in general, are the world's largest untapped resource. Our minds and energy are incredibly valuable. I think there has been a vast imbalance of power, and we have the opportunity and responsibility to reimagine how things play out from here – us as women are going to have to step out of a place of being quiet. To be dramatic, the world is hurting and it needs saving. I have a lot of faith in women who can rise to the occasion. There are many people out there who want to make that effort, men and non-binary people included. I use to be so scared of women but I realize that we need to break those walls to appreciate each other. Not compete and feed our insecurities. I'm healing my relationship with myself as a woman and with other women. I think it's something incredibly beautiful and sacred.

Asian-owned Brands

Wear: Caroline Hu (Spring 2021) / Accessorize: YVMIN ($382)

Weekly Thoughts

Last week: What is your favorite thing about fall?

Your responses:

“My favorite thing about fall is the fashion. I love being able to wear a combination of bright, colorful summer outfits with cute fall boots.” – Samantha Le, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

“My favorite thing about fall is seeing the leaves change color. It’s like the rainbow painted across a field of trees, and it’s difficult not to appreciate the beauty of it. In Minnesota, our fall is very short. Before we know it, our houses are covered in snow. So for this short period that we are gifted with, I am amazed by the colorful leaves because they remind me to enjoy the simple things in life.” – Dee Keng Moua Xiong, Saint Paul, Minnesota

This week: What is your favorite street food?

#ALIAtalks and tag us @alia.news to join the conversation and we will feature the best submissions in next week’s newsletter. For email submissions, please email contact@alia.news

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