“The aim, in essence, was to create a sushi ecosystem for Los Angeles. Would it work?”
Asian Americans
When Food Is the Only Narrative We Consume
“Chinese culture can’t be made bite-sized for mass consumption.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
As January draws to a close, our favorite stories this week included a stirring critical essay, a paean to the world’s greatest boxed meal, a rethinking of psychedelics’ impact on the planet, a profile of a craftsperson at his peak, and an eye-opener about how humpback whales use air in some unexpected ways. 1. Corky […]
Corky Lee and the Work of Seeing
“Corky Lee’s images do something we do not usually imagine photographs can do. Rather than merely showing the visible, they are portraits of structural forces.”
What My Korean Father Taught Me About Defending Myself in America
“And he said something I would never forget. ‘The best fighter in tae kwon do never fights,’ he said. ‘He always finds another way.”
What Mr. Miyagi Taught Me About Anti-Asian Racism in America
In The Karate Kid franchise, writes Beth Nguyen, “Mr. Miyagi is the perpetual foreigner who exists to serve the whiteness that surrounds him.”
This Is Where 150 Years Of Ignoring Anti-Asian Racism Got Us
“For so long, we’ve thought keeping our heads down and being invisible in America might help us gain acceptance — but the recent wave of racist violence has shattered that myth.”
‘Our Stories Are Still Filtered Through Whiteness’
“White people still drive the narrative about Asian Americans. We have yet to have control over our own stories.”
Shortcuts to Identity: How We Tell Asian American Stories
“When it comes to bubble tea and Amy Tan, I’ve taken different stances, but the two have much in common. They’ve both become shorthands of some vaguely ‘Asian American thing.’”