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ABG with one of our favorite ABBs, Philip Wang, co-founder of WongFu Productions and co-owner of Bopomofo Cafe. He’s always repping for the Asian American community!

Hey Subscriber First Name,

Happy APAHM!! Each May, the United States celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This formal recognition of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander culture, heritage, and contributions—both historical and future—began with ten days in 1978 signed into law by President Carter, and eventually grew into a month-long celebration recognized as APAHM in 1992 during President Bush’s term. The month of May was selected because the first Japanese immigrated to the United States in May 1843, and the transcontinental railroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, was completed in May 1869.

While we happily claim this month to celebrate within our local communities (and now, with technology and COVID-19, globally), we need to acknowledge that AAPI history is one barely covered by our school textbooks. And so, it is with this awareness, pride, and also a sense of commitment that we’ve taken a more active stance in learning about this history—and on a personal level, our families’ histories. As the saying goes, you need to know where you come from to get a better sense of where you’re going.

APAHM celebrations are inclusive of anyone who identifies as Asian, including those with East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander roots, and who may be undocumented, of mixed heritage, or adoptees.

Especially with the sharp rise in Asian-targeted hate crimes during this time of COVID-19, we view APAHM as a platform (not as permission! key distinction) to further amplify our communities.

We are here. We belong. We will continue to rise up—together, stronger, louder, braver.

With love,
Helen, Janet, & Mel

P.S. special thanks to Stephanie, @subtlesugar_studio for this issue’s amazing artwork!
 

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What comes to mind when you think of home?

For us, food is one of the first memories that comes to mind. Home is where the heart is, and it’s also where our bellies and taste buds first grew familiar with the tastes we continue to look forward to with each visit. Here are some of our nostalgia-rich favorites:

Janet

My favorite home cooked dish that my mom would prepare when I was growing up. I often mixed the leftovers with white rice for an after school meal while doing homework. The slightly sour flavors of the tomato stir fried in slippery oil, coated over the texture of the grains of rice and egg were so comforting and nourishing. This dish always reminds me of home, my mother, and the focus of doing work.

Helen

One of my favorite phrases in our native tongue of Hoisan-wah is “Hak fan la!” which translates to “Time to eat!” No matter what anyone in the house was doing at the moment, we made our way to the kitchen because dinner was always a time for family and hot foods. My mom’s steamed fish had flesh that was perfectly cooked to the bone, never dry. Topped with scallions, cilantro, ginger, soy sauce and doused with hot oil – it’s a relatively simple dish, but one of cultural specialty specific to Chinese households, making it a super special dish that I can only get from home.

Melody

One bite of this and I get transported to my summer vacation days (melting in the humidity) in Taiwan with my family. I talk about it all the time on the podcast, but whenever we go back to Taipei, we go to this corner shop where my grandpa lives and get their bento of perfectly marinated fried pork chop over a bed of garlic veggies and minced pork over rice... pure perfection. It's been over 25 years since my first bite and just the thought of this dish brings me flashbacks of memories with my grandparents, exploring the motherland and my love for Taiwanese food.

To celebrate APAHM, we’re highlighting some inspiring folks who are making an impact through their work, from a variety of industries:

Anderson .Paak, singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist who’s half-Korean and a stickler for details.

David Chang, restaurateur, author, and TV personality and producer - his COVID-19 home-cooking posts have been giving us life and ideas for the kitchen. He’s also been very transparent about how the restaurant industry has been impacted.

Eric S. Yuan, Founder & CEO of Zoom, the videoconferencing tool so many are using to keep in touch with family and friends, and to work remotely during quarantine.

Rep. Grace Meng continues her advocacy for the Asian American community during the pandemic, calling on the House to condemn all racism and hate speech, as well as anti-Asian sentiment.

Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines and the creator of social campaign #DearAmericanCitizens, who brings to light the reality of undocumented peoples, and how aspects of their experiences are similar to the “new normal” many are now experiencing for the first time as a result of the pandemic.

Kimmy Yam, Journalist - Currently with NBC Asian America, Kimmy covers issues disproportionately affecting the Asian American community, and amplifies voices. She recently reported a 139% growth in eligible Asian American voters, and the above articles on Meng and Vargas.

Lilly Singh, host of "A Little Late with Lilly Singh" which was recently renewed for its second season! According to NBC News, Singh is “the first openly bisexual woman and first person of Indian and South Asian descent to host a late-night talk show on a broadcast network.”

Naomi Osaka, Tennis Champion, and the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.

Newton Nguyen, the 21 year old Vietnamese homechef social star who initially began cooking to fight depression, and has since taken the internet by storm with his cooking and generous love of parsley.

[BONUS EPISODE]

From the COVID Frontlines with Nurse Michelle Acob


LISTEN NOW

In celebration of APAHM and our vibrant community, we created weekly giveaways featuring a variety of products from some of our favorite Asian-founded brands. We personally purchased each item, with belief in the importance of putting our money where our mouth is and supporting businesses—especially during these rocky times. 

 

Week 1// We Stan our AsianBossGirls

Asian American Girl Club (AAGC), Slant'd, EVRY Lashes

 

Week 2// AsianBossBoys

Rooted, Wooji, Base Gray, Bobby Hundreds

 

Week 3// Foodz for All Your Moods (LA-local special)

BOPOMOFO Cafe, JOY restaurant, Oat & Aurum

Week 4// With (Self) Love!

Perfectly Imperfect, Krave Beauty, Loveboat Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen, Shop Jdle

Hi everyone,

Hope this issue finds you healthy and well :)

The pride I feel for my Asian heritage is audacious, especially as of late. As anti-Asian sentiment rose over the pandemic-ridden past few months, so too did my commitment to speaking up, and to buckling down to do the work.

Recently, I’ve begun to delve into my family’s history. As a child of immigrants, with no other close family in the States and limited Korean proficiency, my parents are the closest tie to my Korean heritage. By getting to know them as people and not just as “parents”, I hope to better understand who they are and why, and immortalize those stories for this family’s future generations.

How we celebrate our Asian identity may look different from each other. While some may record family stories, others might watch movies or read books by members of our community. Maybe you’re trying to perfect that recipe you finally got your mom to share, or (re)learning your mother tongue.

Whatever the output, I hope it’s steeped in feelings of love, unabashedness, and gratitude.

Hugs,
Haemee

We’re all intentionally seeking out and digesting more work by Asian Americans, and have ordered the following books to read:

Asian Americans on PBS shares the history of identity, contributions and challenges experienced over the years by Asian Americans. Watch it online.

In an effort to “write their stories back into history,” NBC News is sharing some of the experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The National Park Services website has a cool list of important figures.

This year, IDENTITY is going global.

Starting at 2PM Pacific on May 30, prominent American and Asian talent and some very special guests will live stream for 8 hours for #OURIDENTITY—a celebration of our unity as a community, and as a globe against COVID-19.

Proceeds will benefit organizations equipped to globally help fight the virus: Goldhouse USA PPE Charity, and United Way/Asia Pacific.

Need convincing? Here’s a quick namedrop: Colde, Dumbfoundead, Vanness Wu, Yuna, Andrew Yang, Jeremy Lin, Kinjaz, Rupi Kaur, WongFu Pro…

What are you waiting for? Hit that button >>>

To see all ABG Partners, click here.

The ABG Tee is a nod to the AZN subculture from the 90s, a pan-ethnicity movement that represented a positive stance on being Asian American—a sentiment that seems especially relevant today.

We wanted to pay homage to that period with this simple black tee that everyone can wear with sophistication.

GET IT NOW

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📞 Dear ABG 💬

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.