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A Film That Will Make You Reminisce on Your Past and Future
Today I finally watched a film that I had been meaning to watch months back. Past Lives has been on my watch list for a long time, not solely due to its intriguing Korean female perspective or the praised cinematography, but primarily because of the overwhelming relatability that I've heard it possesses to many peoples’ own life experiences. They say you have to watch films at different stages of your life and you will have a different perspective on it. I firmly believe in this statement as I feel that watching this film taught me so many things regarding what I have experienced this past year.
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Superstitions My Asian Parents Told Me
Growing up in both South Korea and the United States, I have heard a fair share of superstitions from both countries, some even overlapping due to similarities. For as long as I remember, I avoided stepping on cracks, held my breath as I drove past graveyards, and never opened an umbrella indoors. People may not notice, but popular, silly superstitions such as these control our basic lives. Whether you believe in superstitions or not, you often think about them as you approach a sidewalk crack or a black cat in an alleyway. I grew up hearing about many superstitions from my parents, and oftentimes they would try to pass it…
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How Food Became Offerings
The act of food consumption and eating behaviors is a quality that all humans share in order to survive. The act of food offerings goes back to the era of hunters and gatherers as their means of survival. Over time, along with the increased complexity of food that has developed, the act of sharing and offering different food has become a common theme across all cultures—particularly in Asian culture.
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Breaking the Pattern: Intergenerational Trauma
In many Asian cultures, mental health is swept under the rug. It is not an excuse to not be okay as it is seen as a sign of weakness. Those who are similar in age to my parents strongly believe this as they were taught to do so by their mothers and fathers. Unfortunately, this is a dilemma that many younger generations and first generation kids continue to experience.
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Does the “Model Minority Myth” Hurt Asian Americans’ Mental Health?
Today in America, it is a term used to describe Asian Americans and their socioeconomic success, despite being a minority race. While this sounds like it’s a compliment, it’s really a term that is politically exploited by the media and politicians to put down other races. They point to Asian Americans and say, “If they can make it, then anyone can make it as long as they put in the work.” This drives a wedge between Asian Americans and other minorities in America, which is horrible in a time where all people of color need to stick together.
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Halloween in Asian Cultures
We have Halloween. What’s it like elsewhere around the world?
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Christine Hà: The Blind Cook on Her Journey to Reclaim Herself
“If you can’t see how steep a mountain is, then you can’t fear it.” That is how Christine Hà, a then 33-year-old home cook with visual impairment, stepped into the U.S Master Chef’s legendary kitchen and mesmerized Gordran Ramsay with her Vietnamese comfort food - clay pot-style catfish. From that moment onward, I know I am watching the history of the culinary world in the making. I see a star is born.
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Lea Salonga: Pride of the Philippines
Multiple Tony award-winning actress and singer, Lea Salonga is the epitome of power, pure talent, and poise. A native of the Philippines, she was the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award (1991), the first Filipina to sign with an international record label (1993), and is one of the best-selling Filipino artists of all time.
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Tu Youyou: A Woman Scientist with a Vision for Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tu Youyou (屠呦呦) is a pharmaceutical chemist and malariologist from China. She managed to extract artemisinin, a drug vital in treating malaria in the 20th century. She was inspired by an ancient chinese medicine recipe for treating malaria and became the first person to properly extract the substance.
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The Legend of St. Valentine
Whenever I think of the month of February, the first thing that comes to mind is always the day of love, or what most people like to refer to as Valentine’s Day. It’s a holiday celebrated on the 14th of February where loved ones exchange greetings and gifts and show acts of affection, sentiment, and love.
