The ALIA
Volume I. Issue III. Aug. 18, 2020.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the third 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. 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. I especially enjoy moments like these when I get to sit down and write to you all personally. While I didn’t set out with expectations for The ALIA, one of the things I’ve always wanted to establish through writing is communicating with the readers. If you ever have a thought while reading an issue or just want to chat, send me a note!
This week, I chatted with one of my favorite video and content producers, Inga Lam. I remember when I first started seeing her introduce Asian food on Buzzfeed Video and being overjoyed to see Asian representation on a platform like Buzzfeed. That was when I began watching Buzzfeed more.
One of the reasons I was especially interested in hearing her thoughts is because of her international background growing up abroad that she brings to her Asian American experience, and shapes her unique perspective when it comes to creating Asian-related content. It was truly wonderful to speak with her, and I can’t wait for you to read the interview.
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: @lichipan, @margaret_zhang, @fleurandrea, @alice_gao
Community News
Making history • Kamala Harris made history last week as the first Black and Asian American woman to join a major-party U.S. presidential ticket. Born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, the California senator has received immense support from the South Asian and Indian communities after Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate. Read: Reuters
Self-care • Need a new skincare obsession? Taiwanese beauty, or T-beauty, is making waves as the latest beauty trend. The natural, holistic approach is inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, from gua sha stones to ginger root face oils. Read: NBC News
The power of snacking • Pocky, Hello Panda, Yan Yan, Hi-Chew, Yakult – these Asian snacks bring back nostalgic childhood memories. The recent “boom in Asian snacking” has shed light on the Asian community through consumer goods. Buzzfeed’s Tasty was credited for popularizing Asian snacks through their taste test videos on Youtube. Read: Refinery29
Skin revolution • Two Gen Z founders, Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng, launched their brand Topicals earlier this month, having secured $2.6 million in funding. Olowe, who is Black, and Teng, who is Asian American, left their plans for medical school to create a skincare line for people of color and chronic skin conditions. Read: CNBC Make It
In Conversation with Inga Lam
This week, we’re joined by Inga Lam, video producer at Buzzfeed and Tasty. You might recognize her from Buzzfeed Video’s Youtube channel, and her own channel, where her videos frequently garner millions of views. Born in California, Lam spent most of her childhood growing up in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Now, based in New York City, she chatted with us about her Asian identity, food, culture and everything Buzzfeed.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Prior to becoming a video producer, you majored in psychology at The College of Idaho, how did you make the switch?
I was always interested in film, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted it as a career because growing up in Asia, I wasn’t exactly encouraged to go into a creative field. In Hong Kong, when people asked what you wanted to become, it would always be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. When I said I wanted to go into film, people were like, you should be more realistic. I remember my mentor at a summer internship saying, “You’re getting older, you should start thinking about building your career. Of course, it’s great to be in the film industry, but it’s a hard path. Why don’t you take the safer path?” I’m the kind of person that if you tell me I can’t do it, I’m going to prove to you I can.
The first time I took a film studies course was in my freshman year of college. That was when I realized I was interested in pursuing film as a career. However, film wasn’t offered as a major, so I couldn’t study it academically, but there were other things I could do on campus. I approached the marketing department, and I was like, I’d love to learn more about film, and I want to help out. That’s how I became the marketing department’s first-ever video intern. It was where I learned the basics of Adobe Premiere, it was like my video 101. Looking back at psychology, even though I was interested in it, it wasn’t the career path I wanted to pursue. But to this day, a lot of the things I learnt from those classes still help me in how I analyze data and the ways I approach content or the process of ideation.
Were your parents supportive of you pursuing film?
Even when I was younger, I’ve always been resistant to the box people tried to put me in. My dad comes from a creative background, so I think he gets it a bit more. But he’s also the person to be like, if you want to be a film director, you have to be the best film director in the world. My mom is more traditional, but now she’s become really supportive.
I want to prove that it’s possible for us to step outside of this box and make things happen for ourselves. I always stress in my videos that I grew up abroad because I want people to understand it’s not only the Asian American experience, which is very important but also people that grew up abroad – you don’t have to be confined to the boundaries that your society is trying to fit you into.
Growing up abroad, did you ever have an identity crisis when it came to finding a sense of belonging, and when did you start feeling more connected to your Asian identity?
One hundred percent. I feel like the more global the world becomes, the harder it is to define home. In Hong Kong, I didn’t need to think about Asian identity because we were all Asian, it was part of the culture. The first time I really started thinking about it was when I came back to the U.S. for two years of international school at United World Colleges. Every other student was from a different country. Because it was so international, there was a huge focus placed on showcasing your culture. When people started asking me about my culture, I realized I didn’t know it that well. It was the first time I was taken out of my element. I began seeing things from a different perspective and having conversations about what it means to be Asian.
What does food mean to you, both personally and as a Buzzfeed Tasty producer?
Food, for me, is tied to the cultures of different countries. I always say the reason I work on food is that it’s such a great conversation starter. Asian food specifically, it’s interwoven with our identity, and it provides a sense of comfort. One of the things always bring up when we talk about food and identity is the idea of authenticity. I try not to use the word authentic because the way we approach authenticity is connected to our memory of how a food tastes, but everyone’s memory of it is different.
When you have a huge platform like Buzzfeed, you have the responsibility to educate your audience. If you’re introducing something new, I want to hear both sides of the spectrum, so you don’t get a skewed perception of one thing. Even if you personally don’t like it, I also want to hear the opinion of someone from that culture who does like it.
Have you always wanted to produce Asian-related content on Buzzfeed?
Since I joined Buzzfeed in 2017, I’ve always been the only Asian person on the Buzzfeed Video team in New York, aside from Alvin Zhou on Buzzfeed Tasty. I started as a fellow, and I remember one of the posts I made was this “29 Things That Are Too Damn Real For People Raised By Asian Parents.” I realized that people were actually interested in this niche content. I think the intention was there before, but it became more apparent as I continued working on my content.
The first video that became a turning point was when I made dragon’s beard candy. Fun fact, it was the first time I put myself in front of the camera for the whole video. The only reason I did that was because I could not find anyone to do it. I tried so hard to find a street food vendor, I even searched in Flushing, but there was nobody. At that point, everyone I had seen on media channels making dragon’s beard candy were all white people, and I was like, I want to see someone from my culture do this. I thought I’ll just do it.
I realized what I could do and the impact it made. Another video I produced is the “$1 Street Food Around The World,” I mention this video because it’s what I want to do with our platform. I want to bring people out of their bubble to see that the world is much bigger than they think, and this is why you should learn about it.
How do you think Buzzfeed has or hasn’t championed diversity?
Although diversity might not be represented in the New York team, there are a lot of allies who are willing to go out there to make sure the content that needs to be produced is produced. It’s hard for me to speak to other experiences, but personally, I think I’ve been given a lot of freedom in terms of being able to create content that is represented the way I want to. I think Buzzfeed is doing a lot more compared to other companies I know.
How does the content on your personal channel differ from your Buzzfeed videos?
My channel is a lot more personal, a lot of it is based on my experience, identity and story. It’s almost like sharing a more intimate side of me than I would on Buzzfeed, which is meant for a broader audience. On Buzzfeed, there are specific ways we would shoot and strategic things that are different. On my channel, I can create content the way I want it without making it about going viral.
Do you have any tips for aspiring video producers?
It’s so easy to look at a person and think, they’re so successful, how do I become like that? Even now, I don’t feel like I’m super successful yet. I think there’s so much to improve on. I want people younger than me to know that it’s normal to struggle. I think back to when I graduated and moved straight to LA. I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t know anybody there and I felt incredibly alone. I took an internship that didn’t pay, and I waitressed. If I hadn’t pushed through that, I would never have made it to where I am today.
People ask, how do I get a job like yours? Do I have to take film? It doesn’t matter if you don’t take film. It wasn’t possible for me to academically, but that didn’t stop me. Don’t make excuses for yourself. You can make it work, even if you don’t have the equipment or software. If you don’t have Adobe Premiere, start with iMovie. If you don’t have a DSLR, start with your phone. Ultimately, if you can prove to a company that you took the initiative to make it happen, they’ll value that more than whatever fancy piece of work you show them.
Asian-owned Brands
Wear: The Editor’s Market ($34)/ Accessorize: Senreve ($895)
Weekly Thoughts
Last week: What’s your favorite thing about being Asian?
Your responses:
“The food! When I make dumplings with my mom and grandmother, it’s a bonding activity where we have great conversation. To me, food is a cultural experience, and it’s something we need every day. Since it’s an integral part of my life, it’s a reminder and a form of appreciation of my culture.” – Rosey Li, Princeton, New Jersey
“Big, loud celebrations like Chinese New Year and other festive holidays where families gather. There’s always a lot of food, people are happy to see you and it’s that re nao feeling, meaning lively and bustling, that is unique.” – Michelle Lim, Melbourne, Australia
“I hold a lot of pride in my family’s values because it helped me understand my background, and it provided a solid foundation for my upbringing. It gives me a sense of belonging, affection and guidance in everyday life, which influences my relationships, friendships and behavior. In my family, especially my grandmother, we are pretty old school and traditional. Growing up, we celebrated many occasions with traditional food. This gave us the opportunity to spend quality time together and embrace our family values.” – Zoey Chen, Singapore
This week: Who is an Asian person that inspires you and why?
#ALIAtalks 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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