In Honor of Women

Hey Subscriber First Name,

Each year, March 8 marks International Women’s day—a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

To celebrate in our own way, we’re dedicating this issue of the newsletter to our listeners who identify as women (with a shoutout to anyone committed to supporting ongoing efforts for gender equality).

Our introduction on each episode reiterates that AsianBossGirl is “a podcast for the modern day Asian American woman.” Who is she? What does she do; what does she look like? What does she care about?

While our identities as Asians connect us, we are a behemoth of a community. Our ethnicities, cultural practices, education, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrant histories, and more, create layered and nuanced identities. Our stories are our power.

As women (inclusive of all races), we deserve fair pay; to feel safe when commuting and traveling; to feel empowered to say “no,” “yes,” or whatever the heck we want without fear of repercussion; to build financial prowess and independence if we want; and to hold top positions in companies and government. Because we can, and we will.

“Celebrating women's achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality, is key.” To learn more about International Women’s Day, visit their website.

With Love,
Helen, Janet, & Mel

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Illustration by Stephanie Kim

Letters from Our Listeners

As this month’s highlighted subject matter varies, so too, do our experiences as women, and as Asian Americans. Whether these stories reflect something you’ve experienced, or provide insight to something you haven’t thought about, we hope it helps you feel less alone and more in tune with each other:

On challenging the notion of “women’s work”: “As a society we tend to view male dominated fields as “tougher” and women in such fields are more readily termed “strong” and “pioneers.” However female dominated fields do not get that same connotation. I think we should start shifting our collective biases and start viewing female dominated fields (ex: teaching, nursing, certain rehab fields) as equally “strong” as male dominated fields, and there are women in these fields who are challenging the world just as much as women in male dominated fields.” - F.B.

On money and financial knowledge: “I feel like money is a part of our every day life that seems to be a taboo subject, like how much we make, how much our net worth is, how much we spend on rent/mortgage, and what our goals for retirement should be [...] discussion about if there is a salary gap between the men and women at your workplace would be interesting as well since I feel like that's a very hot topic in today's work force and as minority female, I'm curious if that disparity still holds true and if you ladies experience it.” - C.T.

On paying it forward: “I think it's very important that Asian women not only flourish in their professional life, but that as they climb the ladders of success and expand their sphere of influence, that they don't forget to give back to the community and lift those who are still in need.” - L.T.

Have a story you want to share? Leave us a voicemail or a note!

ABG Picks of the Month

Each month, we share a few of our favorite things!

HELEN

1. Women I Admire: The very first woman that broke barriers for me on TV with her wit, courage, and hilarity was Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy (who else watched this show?!) Not only did she pave the way for women to proudly own their multi-faceted, complex personalities, but she was the first pregnant woman to be shown as pregnant on TV and was the first woman to run a major television studio, DesiLu (which later became Paramount Television). Another fun fact—she fought for her husband, Desi Arnaz (Ricky!) to play her on-screen husband. They became the first interracial couple on TV. Lucille Ball was ahead of her times in so, so many ways. Watching her with my mom, dad, and sister every night gave me this silent relief that I could grow into my innate silliness/weirdness, or what was deemed as the “unfeminine”, and still be respected and revered as a whole woman.

One of my favorite quotes from L.B.: “I’m not funny. What I am is brave.”

2. Jane the Virgin: Ok, I know I’m late to the game here, but I’ve watched almost an entire season in one week. This show is SO good! For those of you who’ve been living under a rock (or actually, behind a cubicle) like I’ve been, this show is a telenovela-inspired drama about a woman who gets artificially inseminated by accident. There’s a murder mystery, family drama, cultural commentary, passionate kisses, and a magical realism to it. Please, no spoilers! But definitely message me if you wanna chat about it ;)

JANET

1. Women Who Shaped Me: My mother and paternal grandmother were my first examples of how to be a woman—both strong-willed, intelligent, and elegant. My mom never wanted to be a homemaker (she dreamed of a career in finance and actively traded stock at home), but she sacrificed her personal dreams for our family, and damn, was she good at mothering - she was relentless in her care-taking, detailed to a T, and so involved in all aspects of my development. My grandmother was a Chinese Literature teacher and taught me how to write my name in traditional Chinese calligraphy style with a brush and ink. Through her, I gained an appreciation at a young age for outdoor quiet time with our daily 6am walks, a love for baked sweet potatoes, and creative expression through words (I watched a lot of Chinese soap operas with her and she had a knack for writing).

More Women I Admire: Lady Gaga - I love that she is quirky, unapologetic, glamorous but gritty, real, raw, and a diehard lover of her art. Not only is she an incredible artist (in the truest sense of the word - her talent, obsession, and dynamic technical skills), I admire her deliberate effort to use her fame to help groups of people who often feel marginalized (i.e. LGBTQI, women, and mental health sufferers), and that she promotes kindness and bravery. 

2. Cruelty-Free Lipstick: Continuing on my adventures in cruelty-free and vegan makeup products, I recently started using Colorganics Lipstick in Cayenne. I got mine off Amazon here. This lipstick is cruelty-free (but not vegan because it contains beeswax). I am a big fan of a classic red lip, but wanted something slightly different - this shade has orange and brown tones and feels more youthful and bright. I've been using it on my lips and cheeks as a blush replacement too :)

MEL

1. Women I Admire: I recently watched Michelle Obama’s interview during Oprah's 2020 Vision Tour and her presence gave me goosebumps. Whether she's reading to children, having fun with Ellen or shedding some wisdom, whenever I watch videos of her, I get hit with this overwhelming "I feel like crying" feeling. Michelle holds herself with such class, vulnerability, relatability and strength. I find myself re-watching her interviews from time to time to gain inspiration (whether it's to learn how to speak better or for moments of encouragement). Hope she can be a light for you as well!

2. Itaewon Class: I mean I HAVE to throw in a K-drama right?! heh heh heh. Let me just say I'm obsessed with the drama and I can't remember a time I was so in love with a drama (ok, was a huge fan of When the Camellia Blooms). First, it stars one of my crushes...Park Seo Joon (HELLO!), but this drama introduces characters I have never seen before in Korean dramas. You can tell the media landscape is shifting and I'm happy to see these types of characters represented in the series. Overall, Itaewon Class is a story of redemption and the acting is just superb. I HIGHLY recommend! 

A Note from Our Editor

Hi friends!

This month’s addition was so fun to write. I grew up around a lot of strong women—my mom, my two older sisters, teachers, mentors, friends, and more. To keep the celebration going, I wanted to use this space to spotlight some of the female self-starters that the AsianBossGirl team thinks are KILLIN’ it. This list isn’t all-encompassing by any means, so if you notice someone you admire isn’t listed, send us a note and tell us about them!

xo,
Haemee

Some badass women to know:

• Allure’s Editor-in-Chief, Michelle Lee - advocating for diversity in beauty & media.

• Krave Beauty’s Liah Yoo - simplifying skincare to only what the skin needs, nothing more.

• Blueland’s Sarah Paiji Yoo - reducing single waste plastic, one household cleaning product at a time.

• Passion Planner’s Angelia Trinidad - creating products and content to help people live more intentionally.

• Lilly Singh - executive producer and host of her own NBC late night show, and founder of #GirlLove, which aims to “break the cycle of girl-on-girl hate and encourage women to build each other up”.

• Fashion designer Sandy Liang - Rich with nostalgia, Sandy’s eponymous label heavily draws inspiration from her childhood and NYC’s Chinatown grandmothers. From her trademark fleeces and new Vans collaboration, to marketing campaigns with her grandmother as model and Bayside, Queens or her father’s restaurant Congee Village as the backdrop, Sandy’s redefining “authentic” and “cool”.

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Looking for advice, want to share a story, or have a question you’d like us to address in one of our episodes? Leave us a voicemail at 213.262.8776.