season one

A TALE OF 2 Ms: BETTER OFF AS THE MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY?
leaving the comfort of an asian american environment

From the transition of growing up in a predominantly Asian environment, to attending college and living outside of his bubble, Timothy To, for the first time, saw himself differently. He was a minority as an Asian American, rather than part of the Asian American majority in San Francisco’s Outer Mission and Excelsior districts. Most of his cross-cultural exchanges and conversations with those he met across the U.S. began with food, a common topic referenced when people would connect “Chinese” and “Asian” together. Working through these experiences, Tim has grown to understand the impact of his culture and the challenges he has faced as a first-generation Asian American.

CREATE YOUR OWN SPACE
navigating the entertainment industry as a mixed Asian actor

Tyler is a hapa actor and film producer living in LA where he’s hustling to pursue his passion of bringing diversity to the main screen. Tyler also has his own film company, Kill the Pig Productions. And he is the 72 Hour Shootout coordinator for Asian American Film Lab, a nonprofit organization in New York devoted to the promotion and support of gender and ethnic parity in film, television and online entertainment media programming. Tyler’s story is about navigating an Asian mixed-race identity in the entertainment industry and working hard to go after what you’re passionate about.

THE JOURNEY TO SELF-TRUST
the complexities of growing up with immigrant parents

Many Asian Americans navigate the dueling realities of growing up with immigrant parents while living in American society. How are members of this vast community shaped by experiences that may be universal, but are ultimately specific to personal circumstance? How do they carve out their own identity within the two different cultures? What microaggressions do they face, and what lessons have they had to learn? As an online coach for creative entrepreneurs, she grew up struggling to identify the difference between her parents’ values and the values presented to her in Western culture and media. Now, experiencing a unique manifestation from her journey of self-discovery, she recognizes the most important value of her identity is her own self-trust.

TOO MUCH, OR NOT ENOUGH?
learning how to identify as mixed-race

As a mixed-race Asian American, she has spent her life being asked which culture she identifies with most. Is she more Black, or is she more Asian? It was not until becoming an adult that she realized there was no need to fit within any particular category. She was born into a unique situation, with parents who are also mixed-race. Her father is Japanese American and African American, and her mother Korean American and African American. She believes both her parents’ stories are equal parts of her own identity, and that their experiences have taught her how to understand her place in the world. In some ways, she connects more with Asian American culture, but also desires to identify with her African American heritage. She has license to both, and nothing to prove. A proud Bay Area native, she is an equally proud, all-in-one Japanese, Korean, and African American, and her story highlights the importance of embracing one’s holistic identity.

DON’T BOX ME IN
how identities can coexist

He defines his Asian American identity as straggling the line between finding the balance of highlighting the strengths of both Eastern and Western cultures. His identity is based on a foundation that is strongly tied to his cultural roots as a child of immigrants from China and Vietnam, however, his cultural and sexual intersectional identity has been developed through the lens of a more Western mindset. He’s proud of his journey and the person he has become today because of all the experiences he has gone through.

MY EXPERIENCES THROUGH A CREATIVE LENS
recognizing privilege through life experiences

Throughout many life experiences, she has grown to recognize her privilege, or lack thereof. Because of what she has learned, she is conscious about who she is in this world and works to leverage her experiences and place in society to uplift others. This is why her culture and heritage influence her art and creative direction, and her goals as a creative. Her purpose in life right now is to balance her professional and creative endeavors with her cultural and self-identity.

COMING JULY 2020

IT’S NOT ALL BLACK AND WHITE
uncovering the intersectionality of an asian american woman

She has lived her life thinking there was only one way for an Asian American, or in her case an Asian American woman, to behave. Asian women are often expected to be quiet, obedient and submissive. This detrimental narrative negatively impacts the overall community and ecosystem. Since adulthood, she took the opportunity to question the role her race and gender plays in American culture and while reassessing her personal identity. She learned to unapologetically own being an Asian American woman, and all the weight it carries. 

Now, she advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at her workplace, all while fostering important conversation of how the intersectionality between being Asian and a woman is not always black and white.

COMING JULY 2020

join us in changing our narrative.

We encourage you to share this page to anyone who is interested in supporting our project, whether it’s telling their story, joining the creative team, or contributing to the project’s long-term success. If you have any questions, comments or just want to connect with us, send us a message below!

Sincerely,

More Than Asian

Co-Founders: Lawrence Ricardo and Alex Hallmark
Lead Photographers: Angelina Hong and Kelly Luu
Lead Editor: Jay Mehta
Contributing Writer and Editor: Lauren Funaro