The Politics Issue

Page 1

With articles on... Speaking Out Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou Post-Graduation Leisure

Featuring Interviews with... Shaunalyn “sly” Cooper Vaidehi Gajjar Angel Moret Audrey Pe Jessie de Grano of WiTech

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear OM readers, It's an interesting time in politics for Asian women, particularly for those of us watching Kamala Harris, a half-Indian woman, being appointed as the Democratic Vice Presidential pick in the 2020 election. As exciting as representation is, we cannot support someone purely because they come from the same place as us we need to critically consider policy positions and the impact they will have on minority and low-income communities, while keeping in mind the carnage another term of the Trump administration will cause. In these terrifying times, we need diversity in politics more than ever - and not just for diversity's sake, but to advocate for our communities. Representation goes beyond a photo op while having a half-Indian Vice President is exciting, our work is far from done. Outside the borders of America, Asian women are making strides in politics and changing their countries for the better. In this issue, we unpack all of this and more. Thank you to the OM team, always, for putting this issue together. Yours, Rehana Paul Editor-In-Chief and Founder

Bold, Outspoken, and Powerful Written by Brittany Peng Brittany Peng is currently a rising high school senior residing in Northern Virginia near Washington D.C. She intends to pursue a career in politics and government in her future. Having recognized the minimal amount of Asian American representation in United States Government, Brittany dreams to become a politician at some point in her career in order to carry on the Asian American legacy in some sort of local public office or United States Congress. She has been a community organizer since 2018, community organizing around the issue of youth mental health in the Northern Virginia region. She has lobbying experience at the Virginia General Assembly for youth mental health and United States Congress for campaign finance reform. Additionally, Brittany is currently the Chief Operating Officer of LeadPeace, an international youth-led organization based in Northern Virginia that aims to cultivate leaders and peacebuilders by providing events/opportunities to equip the youth with skills to pursue their own passions. Brittany is beyond delighted to write for Overachiever Magazine and is so empowered by all the inspiring Asian women of this magazine. Instagram: @brittpeng https://medium.com/@brittanypeng

When we are children, we dream big. When asked what we want to be when we grow up, children eagerly answer with a myriad of prospective professions: politician, astronaut, doctor, singer, lawyer, dancer, teacher, actor, scientist, musician, athlete, and plenty more. When I was a kid, I would have never said politician. Growing up, I rarely ever saw any politician who was of Asian ethnic origin. I noticed and observed that those who dominated the political playing field were either white and/or male. As a kid, this observation led me to believe that politics was not for me, but simultaneously led me to wonder: was there a place for people like me, a Chinese American girl, in politics? The answer to that question: absolutely, yes. Now, at 17 years old, I do dream of becoming a politician at some point in my future career. In 2009, Representative Judy Chu (D-California 27) was the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. By being the first, Representative Chu cast a light for Chinese and all Asian American women to confidently believe that we do have a place to serve in politics. Being a politician is a very particular mainstream job. Due to keen public observation, the typical guise of a politician is constructed by the following qualities: bold, outspoken, and powerful. With that, the stereotypes put on Asian women make us out to not necessarily fit this guise. There is a seemingly cemented notion from an extensive history of suppression and marginalization that Asian women are docile, quiet, and subservient, thus, incapable of being leaders. This characterization imposes an illusory image of Asian women as easily utilized and overshadowed. I refuse to accept this notion. I refuse to let people’s perceptions of Asian women dictate who I am as a person and what I want to become in my life. I refuse to be confined by the labels meant to restrictedly define what an Asian woman should be. There is no one mold for an Asian woman. We can be bold, we can be outspoken, we can be powerful. We can and always will be leaders. Being an Asian woman is not a personality or character

“There is a seemingly cemented notion from an extensive history of suppression and marginalization that Asian women are docile, quiet, and subservient, thus, incapable of being leaders.” trait; it is an identity—an identity that embodies the unconditional representation and everlasting value— in the Asian American community. As Asian women in politics, we are remodeling the guise of a politician, diversifying the political playing field, and standing as proud representatives of the Asian American community. It does not end there: we must encourage other women of color and, more broadly, people of color to get involved in politics. We all have a cultured perspective to bring to the table, and in ensuring those seats at the table, we will urge our way to a society that is truly inclusive, just, and uplifting for all people in every corner of our communities.

Interview with Angel Moret Written by Charlotte Drummond

Angel Taylor Moret is a LA Native, born & raised in Mid-City LA. She’s mixed race, Creole & Japanese, and attended Japanese elementary school from kindergarten to fifth grade. She dealt a lot with bullying in her school days & never felt like she truly ever “fit in” with her peers. In seventh grade (2010), she started her YouTube channel where she made fashion-beauty videos & gave advice to young girls about how to be confident & how to have style! During high school, She traveled all over the world with her grandma, and discovered her love for human connection and helping people & our planet. She later started the show “NAYVA” in London, UK, where she did fashion challenges weekly while still inspiring people to be themselves. Angel wants to continue to help people find themselves & their voices using her platform. She wants to eventually create major changes in our society on or offline & help people who are less fortunate. Charlotte Drummond is a part of Overachiever Magazine’s Editorial and Outreach teams. She is an Indian-American student and writer from Los Angeles, California. She is currently attending Emerson College, and studying Writing, Literature and Publishing. At the moment, she is working for multiple on-campus publications as a part of their writing and copyediting teams. In her free time, she loves reading, taking pictures of plants, getting emo over female singer-songwriters, and hanging out with her dog. INSTAGRAM: @charlotte.drummond

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On July 9, an early Thursday morning, two California girls chatted over FaceTime, one in a cozy cabin in the woods of Lake Arrowhead, and the other in the bustling city of Los Angeles. While I was still in bed, Angel Moret was getting ready for the busy day ahead of her, dusting her eyelids with pink and orange eyeshadow with a smile. Angel Moret is a 21-year-old content creator and a social media mogul based in Los Angeles who is not afraid to shy away from all of the artistic paths laid out in front of her. Through her role on her YouTube show, NAYVA — which centered around the beauty and fashion world — Moret has developed a substantial following and fanbase. “I love that I get to connect with so many people all over the world,” Moret says. “It’s honestly one of the most beautiful gifts …It’s a way that I [can] actually influence people to do good things, and I have.” Her vibrant presence on her Instagram page (@angelmoret) has led her to dazzling opportunities. She was most recently granted the role of an ambassador for Rihanna’s lingerie line, Savage x Fenty. Moret has modeled a lot in the past, but hasn’t signed with any agencies yet. “I am a model but I don’t like to model for brands I don’t support,” Moret says. “Which is why I love working with Savage. I think that Savage is dope & definitely has been opening doors for more opportunities, and I’m really grateful for it.” Her Savage x Fenty photoshoot not only spread Moret’s name even more, but also pushed her to confront her body image. “I felt ashamed of my body... especially when being sexy because I was on a ‘younger audience-aimed’ show,” Moret admits. “But, since doing the campaign, I’m receiving a lot of love and support from my followers around the world. It’s made me realize, ‘Okay, there’s nothing wrong with being sexy.’ I can’t help the way my body is going to be sexualized. But, I can say, ‘Okay, well, even though it will be, at least I’m being body positive, showing girls they can be free & I’m being myself” Being at the forefront of such a huge platform, it can be any variation of intimidating for anyone. But for Moret, it’s comforting taking the often negative connotations associated with social media and turning it into a brighter outcome. “It’s a lot of people watching you, a lot of pressure,” Moret says. “I realize that it’s just an app, and that I’m loved on &

off social media. I have a beautiful family that supports and accepts me. I’m me, the only person I know how to be.” Moret struggled a lot with bullying growing up for a number of reasons. She started her YouTube channel when she was only ten years old, teaching her subscribers advice on how to coordinate outfits and gain confidence, not afraid of being openly expressive, energetic, and creative. This was especially hard for others to accept at the Japanese elementary school she attended as a mixed Black Asian girl. “I never fit in because of my race, but also because of the type of person I am,” Moret says. “[To this day], I’ve never felt like I fit in with anybody...I got bullied a lot in school. In Japanese culture, being mixed with black can be frowned upon, and I got teased a lot by the kids & teachers & I was called a “lion” for my curly hair. [I was] super outgoing and a little hyper too. ”

“So, [to cope with that], I always was like, ‘Okay, well, I’m different. So, I’m going to do everything I can to just express myself.’ For me, fashion really helped me relate to people and helped me feel like myself and helped me kind of validate my differences,” she adds. Moret is very vocal about the issues she’s passionate about. As a woman of color and public figure, she understands the importance of using her voice because of her experiences as a mixedrace child. “Our society loves to categorize. People want to tell you, ‘Oh, what are you? Are you straight? Are you this? Are you Black? Are you white?” Moret says. “It’s really hard, I think, for anyone who’s mixed with Asian or mixed with anything to just really be themselves. There’s no place for you, which is why I want to make a place for mixed people. People who just don’t fit in.” As for her future plans, Moret is open to looking at all kinds of aspects of the creative industry, from posting more regular content on her YouTube channel to auditioning for roles in films, as well as even creating music in her free time. She is also coming out with a new line called Angel (@angel, www.angelmoret.com ), which will sell a variety of jewelry and sustainable clothing items. “I just really love expressing my creativity,” Moret says. “But I guess my main goal for why I do anything is because I really want to help people be happy & love themselves”

Whatever Angel Moret does next, it would be more than safe to say that it will be iconic and filled with passion. From the half an hour that I spoke with her, I can tell that she puts heart into everything she does, and uses her platform she does what she does to set a good example for her loved ones and everyone who follows her. “I feel like my biggest accomplishment is just riding through and making it to where I am. Being a big sister is a huge thing for me.” She continues. “My siblings mean everything to me, and I seriously would not be here if it weren’t for them.”

“I just really love expressing my creativity... my main goal for why I do anything is because I really want to help people be happy an love themselves.” “I’m also kind of like their mom. [I want to] be the best role model for them. Maybe not in everything I do, but at least show them [that] Angel’s done this, this, and this, and she came from the same situation that you guys came from. I want to make sure I pave the way really good and clear and, hopefully, [they feel that] they can make it and follow their hearts down that road too.” You can find Angel Moret on her main Instagram (@angelmoret), YouTube (Angel Moret), and follow her brand Angel (@angel) with an upcoming launch before 2021, with products including “real 18k gold jewelry that’ll last you a lifetime & some beautiful clothing/accessories.”

2020 Morning Routine of a Redundant Zillennial British East Asian Written by Wing Kei Hoang

Wing Kei Hoang is an emerging digital creator based in South London, with a love for storytelling through artwork and writing. Her artwork uniquely explores beauty in women of all colours and identities, and is largely influenced by her personal stories and difficulties as an East Asian female living in the UK. This is also reflected in her satirical writing, which tastefully combines self-deprecating humour with her more vulnerable and darker side. Hoang calls herself a “seasoned overthinker” as she admits her struggle in expressing herself in a coherent way. She describes her work as being an “organised brain bump” – depicting the unpredictability of life itself. In her offline persona, Hoang is also an avid reader of sci-fi novels and a proud owner of four leafy plants. Despite her nihilistic tendencies, she tries to make each day count and support that she knows is just. She hopes that her work can inspire the creatives in all of us. Instagram: @art.by.wingkei https://www.instagram.com/art.by.wingkei/ 06:00 – Wake up from thud of stock market crash. Dramatically lay in bed for the next half an hour, thinking about mortgage rates. 06:30 – Alexa, play “stay woke” by Childish Gambino [lo-fi animal crossing remix, featuring X Æ A-12] to get yourself in a *~~big mood~~*. Immerse oneself in £199/month online self- actualisation and hedonism training course. 07:30 – Look into cracked mirror and set mantra for the day. Repeat to self 3 times: “The model minority myth has always been a convenient tactic to pretend that racism doesn’t exist.” Repeat this louder so your Chinese ancestors can hear you. Ecstatically punch fist into air. 07:35 – Take a shower and commence 10-step Korean skincare routine. 08:00 – Check up on secret toilet paper stock under bed in preparation for a second wave. Do a chef’s kiss for being a well-prepared pandemic queen. 08:05 – Take 1 optimised organic vegan protein supplement with 3 cups of celery juice. Continue with intermittent fast to maximise brain productivity and metaphysical consciousness. Eat half an almond if feeling extra naughty. 08:30 – Before the rise of middle-aged white men, take a brisk 10-minute walk whilst using overdraft bank statement as a face mask. Hold coughs and sneezes at all costs. 08:40 – Turn on notifications for extended family WeChat group. Scan through non-fact checked Chinese health tips and savage Aunties. Take 5 deep breaths to avoid stress and premature aging. 08:45 – Liquidate the landlord class, police, and other reactionary elements. 09:30 – Delete all wannabe empathy emails from capitalistic organisations. Laugh hysterically in the same room as your Macbook Pro and Amazon cardboard boxes. 10:00 – Continue with daily job search whilst streaming young millionaire Youtubers discuss their 6 income streams and pet micropigs. Shift mindset to immigrant parents to humbly motivate oneself. Eat other half of almond. 11:00 – Give up on employment to be extra quirky. 11:30 – Temporarily unplug from the matrix and wash hands. 12:00 – Lunch!

Interview with Jessie de Grano

and

Audrey Pe

of WiTech Written By Kate Anderson-Song Kate Anderson-Song is on the editorial team at Overachiever Magazine. She is a NYC-based writer, artist, and performer, with a background in Cinema Studies & Drama from New York University. You can find Kate on Instagram @k8andersonsong and @thek8pages where she posts her art, and you can find more of her work (and tons of other great stuff) here at Overachiever Magazine!

Introduce yourself! Audrey: I’m Audrey Pe, founder and executive director of WiTech and an incoming freshman at Stanford University. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, I love talking about the intersections of tech + society and can be found reading an eclectic mix of books in my free time. Jessie: I’m Jessie de Grano, 18 years of age, and an incoming freshman at the University of the Philippines. I would describe myself as a teenager ZKR UXQV RQ D ODFN RI VOHHS 1HWÀL[ ERRNV DQG IXUWKHUPRUH WKH GULYH to make a change and shed light on the gender and socio-economic gap in technology in the Philippines. I’m currently the VP for Community Development for WiTech and the upcoming WiTech Manila Head for the next cycle.

Introduce WiTech (Women in Technology) what’s your mission and how did it start? $ :L7HFK LV D \RXWK OHG QRQSUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQ WKDW DLPV WR HGXFDWH LQspire, and empower youth to break gender barriers and use tech to make a difference in society. I founded WiTech as a blog back in 2016 after feelLQJ ¿UVWKDQG D ODFN RI VXSSRUW IURP P\ FRPPXQLW\ XSRQ H[SUHVVLQJ P\ interest in tech. I didn’t want to wait until I grew up to start acting upon the gender gap in tech; I wanted to make tech more accessible and equal for present and future generations given the resources I had as a high school sophomore. Hence, the launch of the WiTech blog--a platform to highlight the stories of women in tech around the world in the hopes that \RXWK FRXOG UHDG WKHLU SUR¿OHV DQG UHGH¿QH ZKDW WHFK LQGXVWU\ ORRNV OLNH to them. J: WiTech has really grown so much from the blog that it was before. We’re a team of over 50 members who are all passionate about the advocacy. Some of our major programs include our Women in Tech Conference (WiTCon), WiTalks, Roadshow, Women in Tech Teach (Wi-Teach), and Chapter Expansion. Through these programs we’ve impacted over 1000 students in and out of the Philippines. All of these programs have the goal of achieving gender equality in the tech industry and in society through increased networking opportunities and mentors for the youth interested in entering the tech industry in mind.

How have you all adapted to life during the Covid-19 pandemic? How is life at home? How is running your company changed during this time?

A: Because our team communicates primarily online, the shift in operaWLRQV KDVQ¶W EHHQ PDVVLYH :KDW¶V EHHQ GLI¿FXOW KDV EHHQ KDYLQJ WR FDQFHO all our events for 2020, but it’s essential that we put the safety of our event SDUWLFLSDQWV ¿UVW J: We’re actually currently transitioning to our next cycle. The whole process of shifting to online work has been a challenge but A: At home, I’ve personally been doing a lot more calls with individuals DQG RUJDQL]DWLRQV EHFDXVH RI KRZ PXFK PRUH WLPH D ORW RI SHRSOH KDYH RQ their hands. Lots of the calls I do aren’t necessarily work-related, in that I LQIRUPDOO\ PHQWRU RWKHU WHHQDJHUV ZKR ZDQW WR ODXQFK QRQSUR¿WV RI WKHLU own. It’s exciting to get to hear out their ideas and connect them to people who could help them out.

What would you say is your biggest accomplishment? Personally & work-wise? A: Work-wise, giving the opening keynote speech at the UN Youth Co:Lab in the Bangkok UN HQ was utterly surreal. Speaking to diplomats and young leaders across the region made me realise how far WiTech has come from a blog that I maintained in my bedroom. Personally, getting into Stanford was something I totally didn’t expect to ever happen. Both my parents never studied abroad and I had to do a lot of DIY prep and research for the whole application process. I’m excited to study alongside people from around the world and apply what I learn into making a more equitable tech scene here in the Philippines.J: Throughout high school and even continuing through university, the people of the Philippines have been funding my education and I will forever be grateful. I’ve always wanted to pay it forward and I did exactly that with Wi-Teach. Setting the whole project in motion has been my biggest accomplishment workwise. So far, we’ve held 4 Wi-Teach programs in and out of Metro Manila. We’ve taught more than 100

students, teachers, facilitators, and even mothers a range of topics from basic computer usage to simple coding! We’ve got a wonderful team working with us for every single program to bring tech and tech education to those who may possibly not have the same opportunities as us in the world. There’s absolutely nothing that matches the wonder that we see after we teach. Introducing all these men and women of any age has been a step in crushing gender gaps in the tech industry and society. We’re excited to keep this project up and running for the next few years. Personally, I think my greatest accomplishment is getting out of my comfort zone and making the most of my time. Who ever thought that speaking or teaching in front of a crowd would become the norm for me? I started embracing my achievements in the scene and channeling my stories to attempt to inspire others to do the same.

Who inspires you? Do you have any rolemodels in your lives? A: Powerful, ambitious women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, and Reshma Saujani inspire me! J: I really look up to my other fellow Filipinas who are also wo-manning their organization such as our very own Audrey Pe and Marla Abao from WiTech, Arizza Nocum from KRIS Library, Chiara Amisola from Developh. They’re all true testaments to what we can do to make a change in this country and in the world.

What do you think are the biggest issues Asian women face today? A: There are so many gender stereotypes that exist in predominantly patriarchal Asian societies like the Philippines. Personally, I’ve EHHQ WROG WKDW WHFK µLVQ¶W D JRRG ¿W¶ IRU PH ZKDW EUHDNV P\ KHDUW LV that this isn’t an uncommon experience. Once we work past stereotypes, we teach present and future generations to believe that they can be anything--regardless of what society tells them.

J: Asian women face both the gender bias as well as Asian stereoW\SLQJ )LUVWO\ $VLDQ ZRPHQ DUH IDFHG ZLWK PLVLGHQWLÂżFDWLRQ RI ethnicity, a testament of the lack of understanding and inclusivity for the group. Along with this, Asian women are stereotyped as quiet workers who cannot speak up. Asian women experience being seen as incapable of leading. So many expectations are put on young Asian girls to be naturally smart or look or act a certain way which is usually to be submissive and/or for lack of a better word, cute. Like Audrey said, we absolutely have to crush these stereotypes and we can do this by educating, inspiring, and empowering the youth. Changing these stereotypes will come from increasing awareness on the issue at any age, using our platforms to amplify the voices of Asian women, setting examples, as well as taking collective action and joining causes that empower Asian Women.

What would you tell a young woman interested in technology?

A: There are so many communities and people from around the world that are rooting for you! Get in touch with us at WiTech, cold message professionals on LinkedIn, or even self-promote your tech journey via social media. You never know what kind of meaningful connections can come out of being vulnerable and brave enough to share your story online. J: Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young to do anything. As long as you have the motivation and passion for a cause, don’t be afraid to work towards it. Like Audrey said, you’ll always have support. The voices and actions of the youth must and will be heard, respected, and validated.

What is next for you and WiTech? A: As I’ll be beginning university in the US soon, Jessie will be leading the operations here in the Philippines while I’ll be handling our chapter program!

J: WiTech is certainly growing faster than we could have ever imagined. As previously mentioned, we’re moving to our next cycle this August and I’m hoping for WiTech and WiTech Manila to be more tight-knit than ever. We’ll still be continuing with our projects but adapting them if the COVID-19 situation progresses. We’re really looking forward to a lot more members and a lot more ideas coming in.

Audrey Pe (@audreyisabelpe) is an incoming freshman at Stanford University and the Founder and Executive Director of WiTech (@witechorg) – a nonprofit organisation based in the Philippines that aims to educate, inspire, and empower youth to make a difference and break gender barriers using technology. Through WiTech, she has been working on projects at the intersection of technology and education since she founded the organisation at age 15. She is now 19 and finishing up the remainder of her gap year. In quarantine, her time has mostly been spent on partnership calls and hosting webinars on topics ranging from founding WiTech to social media management. Her work with WiTech has garnered her recognition as a 2019 Global Teen Leader, 2018 Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs District awardee, 2019 Zonta Women in Technology Asia-Pacific District Scholar, Opportunity Desk 30 Under 30 Changemaker, 2020 Women in IT Advocate of the Year Finalist, and 2019 Women in Tech Global Aspiring Teen Award Finalist. A two-time TEDx, ASEAN and UN speaker, she has delivered over 30+ talks and has also been featured in local and international publications like Esquire, Forbes, and Elite Daily. Jessie de Grano (@jessiedegrano) is an incoming freshman at the University of the Philippines. Having dealt with the gender gap in the technological and research field herself, she wants to be able to change exactly that. Jessie joined WiTech in 2017 to stand together with other women and be able to empower others. She is currently the WiTech VP for Community Development as well as the next WiTech Manila Head for Cycle ‘20-’21. Part of her role in WiTech is to handle the org’s networking opportunities as well as manage WiTech’s sustainable outreach program, Wi-Teach or Women in Tech Teach. Through this program, students, teachers, and other beneficiaries are given access to tech and tech education. Throughout the next year, she’ll be leading WiTech Manila.

In Praise of Post-Graduation Leisure Written By Abbey Irodistan

Abbey Irodistan (she/her) is a recent graduate of UCSB, striving Filipino organizer and ever-evolving human being. As she is unemployed currently, you can find her crocheting, attempting to roller skate or reading revolutionary texts. She dreams of a future that is radically re-imagined, one that allows for marginalized and forgotten voices and stories to be brought to light and used as examples to follow. So, you graduated. Congratulations! But, now what? When I walked through the door of my mother’s house for the first time in 6 months, it really hit me that this long, exciting, and busy chapter of my life was over. I’ve been trained my entire life to become a college student. In elementary school, they ask you what you want to be when you grow up. In middle school, they ask what your major will be when you go to college. In high school, they ask what school you’re going to apply to. I always had careful answers, sentences that had been crafted for these moments. I was a bright, shining pupil, eager to fulfill my societal duty of being a student. Now that I’ve made it out of my undergraduate career, people ask what’s next. For the first time, I don’t have a response. Maybe it is because I’ve been jaded by my experience in academia that I don’t really have an answer to people’s typical questions anymore. Halfway through college, I realized that my education is not about preparing me for a career. I was pursuing education to redefine the world around me, a world that had been dictated to me since a young age. When the deadline for graduation was around the corner, highlighted by a global pandemic, economic collapse, and political uprisings, it felt like doomsday. But when the actual day happened, it came and went. Just like that, everything I had planned for was over in 24 hours. The rest of my life was waiting for me on the other side. No one really prepares you for how lonely this post-grad life can be, much less how much worse it is when you’re forced to be isolated in your childhood home. Currently, my days consist of waking up at noon, completing the one or two required tasks I have penciled in for the day, and finding ways to waste time. I’ve taken up a few hobbies. Crocheting. Yoga. Rewatching all of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some days, I just sit in my mom’s garden and watch the bees fly around. It’s still. It’s quiet. A few birds chirping, my neighbors talking, a dog barking. It is in these moments that I gain more insight into the world and my future. It’s in the static of my handheld radio when I lay in the sun. It’s in my mom’s humming as she works from home. It’s in the shadows cast by the tree I do yoga under.

You see, at first, I felt guilty. I felt guilty for being still. You spent four years honing and developing your skills, I think to myself, why aren’t you applying them? I still think this sometimes. When am I going to take the job hunt seriously? How am I ever going to be independent if I’m already getting used to living at home? You’re the first in your family to go to a university, and you can’t even come out of it employed? Maybe this sounds like self-sabotage, and to an extent it is, but did I really originate these thoughts? In his article, “In Praise of Idleness,” Bertrand Russell claims that “the conception of duty, speaking historically, has been a means used by the holders of power to induce others to live for the interests of their masters rather than their own.” You see, capitalism is not in the interest of preserving our humanity; it is an unsustainable system that burns bright and fades fast. Everything that capitalism produces burns bright and fades fast. I am a human. I do not want to burn bright and fade fast. I want to take my time, enjoy the small things, and fully embrace the experience that is my life. This isn’t laziness talking; engaging in leisure is one of the most necessary and human things you could do. Leisure is something that capitalism does not account for. If capitalism could have its way, the workday would be 24 hours, and your off time is solely a way for you to reboot for the next working day. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we are humans before we are laborers. Our leisure is precious; it is our right and duty to preserve our health, mindsets, and bodies. Granting myself time to relax after I graduate is not me being lazy. It is a part of my growth. Even in moments of stagnancy, we are not static beings. In my idleness, I have been deepening my relationships and fully embracing the food, media, and words I consume. My gratefulness for simple pleasures, and especially for the people who produce it, has grown tenfold in the midst of this pandemic. Russell says that “we think too much of production and too little of consumption. One result is that we attach too little importance to enjoyment and simpleness and that we do not judge production by the pleasure that it gives to the consumer.” Let’s be the generation that heals this broken relationship with labor; let’s embrace leisure and rebuild community connections. In this time of uncertainty, it is our duty to take advantage of every bit of time we have for what is coming next. The US is continuing to run itself into the ground, and it is going down kicking and screaming. As the veneer of American exceptionalism starts to fade, as the people continue to be agitated by the unjust structures of our world, as the very core of this rotten system starts to falter, we will be rested and ready to take action. When that curtain drops, it will be the youth, women, LGBTQ+ folks, and BIPOC communities that will redefine our world. Rest up. Take your time. Eat your veggies. We’re in this for the long game.

Hong Kong Lives On Written By Jasmine Li

Jasmine Li is a photographer and filmmaker who spent her formative years in Hong Kong. She is currently studying Journalism and Sociology at Boston University. On her days off, she can be found nerding out about movies or headbanging to The Strokes. https://www.instagram.com/jvsli/ “Are you optimistic about the future of Hong Kong?â€? I asked dozens of street protestors at an anti-government protest in the city in late May. I was expecting No’s, and I got plenty, punctuated by heavy sighs and the occasional teary eye, sometimes conjoining convoluted rants. But to my surprise, I also KHDUG QXPHURXV DIĹľUPDWLYH DQVZHUV 7KH optimism was cautious, at times desperate, but it was all out of love for their hometown. At the time, the cynic in me chalked it down to naivety. But after the Chinese government passed the Hong Kong National Security Law at the end of June, that optimism became my lifeline. Over the past year, Hong Kong was a battleground. Mass protests week after week, tear gas, and standoffs with riot police. Revolutionary posters all over the streets, online communities sharing protest iconography, all imprinted with the same slogan: “LiberDWH +RQJ .RQJ 5HYROXWLRQ RI 2XU 7LPHV Ĺ? 7KH PRYHPHQW VWHPPHG IURP SHDFHIXO SURtests last summer against a proposed bill that would allow the extradition of criminals from Hong Kong to mainland ChiQD 7KH ELOO ZDV KLJKO\ XQSRSXODU GXH WR concerns over the Chinese government using it against pro-democracy politiFLDQV DQG DFWLYLVWV 7KH ELOO ZDV ZLWKGUDZQ within a few months, but the movement persisted, for it was fundamentally a resistance against Chinese control and a ĹľJKW IRU WKH ULJKW WR VHOI GHWHUPLQDWLRQ

$QG VR WKH SURWHVWV FRQWLQXHG 7KH VWUHHWV of Hong Kong were awash with feelings of despair and frustration. Yet there was a tiny glimmer of hope in the cacophony of voices chanting and singing in unity. 7KHQ DW SP RQ -XQH LW DOO ZHQW VLOHQW 7KH &KLQHVH JRYHUQPHQW SDVVHG WKH +RQJ Kong National Security Law, criminalizing “secession, subversion, terrorism, collusionâ€? against the Central People’s Government, all punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Only a handful of people had seen the full text of the law before it was implemented. Yet, it covers acts as ubiquitous as advocating for democracy or chanting protest slogans. 7KH LPSDFW ZDV LQVWDQWDQHRXV $FWLYLVWV ĹśHG WKH FLW\ LQ VHOI H[LOH PHGLD SHUVRQDOities disappeared off their platforms, and global corporations planned to cease operations in the city. In the midst of the chilling effect of self-censorship, protestors had to ask themselves: Is the revolution over? Did we fail to liberate Hong Kong? 2Q WKH PRUQLQJ RI -XO\ WKH GD\ DIWHU WKH law’s passing, pro-China groups lined the VWUHHWV ZLWK UHG ĹśDJV LQ FHOHEUDWLRQ DQG boats with nationalistic slogans sailed across Victoria Harbor. For many protestors, it felt like they’d woken up in a dystopian version of Hong Kong. Like it will only be a matter of time until they have to live in fear of speaking their minds and pledge

allegiance to a government they can’t trust. A matter of time until the optimism that ideas can change the world fades, replaced by the feeling of complete powerlessness against an authoritarian government. But in the afternoon, thousands took to the streets in protest, every single one of them risking arrest and potential life imprisonment. It ZDV DQ DFW RI FRXUDJH DQG GHĹľDQFH 7KH SURtest anthems rang louder than ever before, and it was then that I realized, this isn’t over. It’s been a bleak month for the city. Constant updates on new arrests and actions newly declared “unpatriotic,â€? media outlets declaring this the “end of Hong Kong.â€? But on the ground, I saw that Hong Kong’s beliefs remained unchanged; the Chinese government simply limited our freedom to express them. So, where does Hong Kong go from here? 7KLV LV D TXHVWLRQ RI LWV LGHQWLW\ ,V LW FRQVWLtuted of freedom of speech and freedom of WKH SUHVV" 7KH ULJKW WR SURWHVW DQG FULWLFL]H" Free-market capitalism and democracy? Or is it something else, something untouchable? Hong Kong can’t be killed by a set of laws because its identity has transcended be\RQG WDQJLEOH FRQĹľQHV ,WĹŒV D EHOLHI D FRQYLFWLRQ D VSLULW 7KDW VSLULW PD\ KLEHUQDWH for a little while, or be driven underground, but it will never burn out. It lives on in the UHPDLQV RI SURWHVW JUDIĹľWL WKDW FRXOGQĹŒW EH washed, in banned slogans circulating online in variations of code. It lives on in underground activist groups risking it all to stand for what they believe in and in the hearts and minds of millions of people. If the past year of protests has taught me anything, it’s that the people of Hong Kong won’t EDFN GRZQ VR HDVLO\ 7KLV LV D SRSXODWLRQ ZLWK an unrelenting belief in freedom and an unwavering moral compass. So, to answer my RZQ TXHVWLRQ <HV ,ĹŒP RSWLPLVWLF DERXW WKH IXWXUH RI +RQJ .RQJ 7KH VWURQJHVW SHRSOH I know are all here, so how could I not be?

Interview with Vaideh Written By Kate Anderson-Song

Kate Anderson-Song is on the editorial team at Overachiever Magazine. She is a NYC-based writer, artist, and performer, with a background in Cinema Studies & Drama from New York University. You can find Kate on Instagram @k8andersonsong and @thek8pages where she posts her art, and you can find more of her work (and tons of other great stuff) here at Overachiever Magazine!

Introduce yourself! My name is Vaidehi Gajjar and I’m a 25-year-old writer, editor and mental health advocate. What is your mission regarding mental health? I think with how big social media is these days, there is extreme pressure to stand out with your story if you share it. I want people to know that if there’s one crowd that’s okay to blend into, it’s this one. We’re all bound by some sort of trauma, and instead of letting that become a reason for competition, it should be a reason for us to stick together even more. What would you say is your biggest accomplishment? Personally & work-wise? My personal biggest accomplishment is probably and very simply the fact that I am where I am today. Just five years ago, if someone were to tell me I’d be well and alive and doing all that I do I may not have believed it. Work-wise my biggest accomplishment has definitely been representing South Asians through my work with the Deconstructing Stigma campaign in partnership with Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Boston, MA. My involvement came as such a surprise because I never thought it would become so huge. I initially got involved after a Masters’ student at the hospital came across a piece I had written and was handing it out to the patients he worked with, in one of the Depression and Anxiety crisis units at McLean Hospital. After this student sent me a message, I posted about my experience on my personal social media, not thinking anything would come out of it. But I got connected with the Deconstructing Stigma campaign, and the rest is history. I was initially supposed to only be a part of a display for a conference that was to be held at the Nehru Science

Center in Mumbai. But then I became the face of the campaign in McLean’s yearly magazine, Writing the Future. And most recently, the very same display went up in Boston’s Logan International Airport. Who inspires you? Do you have any role-models in your life? I don’t think there’s a specific person out there that inspires me, but rather I think that everyone I’ve ever come

hi Gajjar in contact with has inspired me. I think we as a society often consider that only the famous can be inspirational or be a role model for us. But I think I’ve found more inspiration in the people I come in contact with on a daily basis, than I’ve found in any celebrity or wealthy individual. What do you think are the biggest issues Asian American women face today? I think one of the biggest issues we face today is that of representation. In today’s world, Asian women are not mainstream in the media. When our Caucasian counterparts see Asian American women, they don’t think women like me. We, at least from a South Asian perspective, often get reduced to Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra, and Lily Singh (aka Superwoman). While I don’t think that it’s wrong because some women actually see themselves in these women, I do wish it wasn’t so limited. What’s your go-to coffee shop order? Everyone tells me that frappuccinos are not coffee, but a mocha frappuccino with chocolate drizzle from Starbucks is my go-to. What advice would you give to your younger self? I’ve always been so afraid to be myself, but I always did it anyway. If I could tell my younger self anything it would be that there was nothing ever wrong with who you were. You learned to view yourself from the eyes of those around you. There’s going to be a day where those same people turn around saying that you were the one to inspire them to do something. Do you have any resources or further reading on mental health and/or mental health advocacy that you recommend? I think good sources to go to, especially for my South Asian friends are some of the following: SAMHIN (South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network) and DoSAA (Division on South Asian Americans). What is next for you? I’m actually not sure what is next for me. I recently had two small TV appearances on TV Asia (which is a South Asian TV network), so I would love to be on TV again if I’m ever given the opportunity. I’d definitely like to see myself being interviewed for NBC or CBS in person, or the New York Times in print. Those are just dreams for now, but you never know right?

“If I could tell my younger self anything it would be that there was nothing ever wrong with who you were. You learned to view yourself from the eyes of those a r o u n d you.”

Define Your Eyes in the Summertime Written by Chau Tang

Chau Tang is a Beauty Columnist for Overachiever Magazine. She graduated from Cleveland State in May 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and a minor in Marketing. She loves to read about beauty, news, and political issues. Other than writing, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, boxing, hiking, and photography. She wants to write about beauty, news, arts and entertainment and political issues. She also enjoys listening to podcasts about various topics like politics and true crime. A couple of fun facts: She was born and raised in Cleveland, can speak English, Vietnamese and a bit of Mandarin Chinese. She’s an only child and is an avid video gamer. The eyes are a powerful source. They can tell your emotions. Use them and open up your mind. They’re one of the most beautiful parts of your body. Mascaras are a beautiful invention to help curl and volumize your lashes! They help enhance your features! I told myself I would not purchase anything during COVID-19 but I already broke that rule. I’m headed to a wedding in July so I’m excited to try out my mascara and eyeliner. I’ve been using the mascara and eyeliner for a while now just to see how it’ll work. My eyes are so sensitive, it’s insane. Sometimes, what works for other people won’t work well for me. I purchased the Sephora Favorites Mini Mascara Set with Full-Size Voucher and Fenty Beauty Flypencil Longwear Pencil Eyeliner. During this time, I’m still wearing a face mask when going to the stores so I rarely wear a face full of makeup. Before quarantine and COVID-19, I’d wear foundation, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip balm, blush and bronzer. Now, there’s no point in wearing all of that if no one is going to see it. Plus, I’d rather not have my face mask stained with makeup, it would make me crazy. These days, I’ve been wearing just eyeliner and mascara. I’ll wear lip color when I’m at home. Side note: If you need a good lip product that will give you a splash of color, smoothes, hydrates and has a beautiful non-overwhelming scent, check out the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Lip Pop. Okay, let’s get back on track. The mini mascara set is $28 and contains 5 mascaras, Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara Big Volume All Day Wear 01 Big Is New Black, Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara in Black, Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume, Life & Curl Mascara Shade in Cuz I’m Black, Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara and Kat Von D Go Big Or Go Home Mascara in Trooper Black. This is the perfect mini set because it contains all of the products I’ve been meaning to try and now I can! I’d rather buy mini products to see if I like it before I commit to a full size product. The Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara is promised to deliver bold lash volume for up to 24 hours. It has a large brush with an ultra-creamy formula that is supposed to glide onto your lashes like silk. It’s great for wearing it all day, doesn’t flake or smudge, and doesn’t require any touch-ups. This mascara is formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. This brush has a unique shape with soft, wavy fibers. Supple waxes and polymers are integrated in the formula for bold, buildable volume and length.

I usually put on mascara after eyeliner so I can see how it pairs together. I love it when my eyelashes have volume and length but the most important thing I’m looking for in a mascara is how long I can wear it before my eyes start watering so much to the point where clumps of mascara will seep into my eyes. I usually wear mascara for 8 hours because my eyes tend to water really bad. I was able to wear the Lancome mascara for 7 hours until my sensitive eyes were twitching and I started to tear up a bit. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. When I first applied it, I put on however many coats until my lashes were cute, curled and lengthened. I don’t normally wear mascara so being able to feel the product on my lashes was a bit on. The product didn’t feel heavy on my lashes, very lightweight but you could still feel it. If you look really closely at your lashes, you could see a tiny clump forming at the end of your lashes. From afar, you can’t really tell but if it bothers you that there’s a clump, then keep it in mind. I didn’t constantly check in to see how my lashes were so I didn’t notice until the 7 hour mark that there were black smudges under my eyes. It wasn’t a lot of smudges formed but when I looked in the mirror, it reminded me of a raccoon. It didn’t look bad but that’s what it reminded me of. The Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara in Black helps volumize, gives lashes length and curls. The mascara wand contains staggered bristles that grab close to the root. The tip of the wand gives you precise application and will help define all of your lashes, even the tiniest lashes will be seen. This has a jet-black, glossy, long-wearing formula so your lashes will look luxurious. On the Sephora website, the tip in using this mascara is, “Go horizontal: the staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume. Then go vertical: the custom-domed tip with precision bristles lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes.” When wearing the mascara, my confidence went up because my lashes were really cute! It really does lengthen the lashes. In the first 30 minutes, my eyes felt like fumes were in my eyes. My eyes felt like it was burning for a little bit I was able to wear this for 6 hours until my eyes had a burning sensation. Out of the mascaras, I was most excited for the Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume. Mainly because it was Rihanna’s line after all!

allegiance to a government they can’t trust. mascara is promised to help expose every A This matter of time until the optimism that single one of your lashes that has an exclusive flatto-fat brush that volumizes, lifts, lengthens and curls. This is cruelty-free and gluten-free. ideas can change the world fades, replaced by the feeling of complete powerlessI’ve been a fanan of authoritarian Rihanna ever since she said, “Umbrella.â€? I wanted to fully support her! Unfortuness against government. nately, this mascara isn’t a fan of my sensitive eyes. It went on flawlessly and loved how cute the packaging was. It madethousands my eyes feeltook like to it had But in the afternoon, thea flirty vibe. I only wore the product for an hour and then I had to take it off. My eyes were twitching and very watery. I tried to dry it off with a streets in protest, every single one of them risktissue butand that potential only madelife matters worse. My eyes ing arrest imprisonment. It were burning red but when I wiped it off with a makeup wipe, that sensation had left and I had a sigh of relief. ZDV DQ DFW RI FRXUDJH DQG GHĹľDQFH 7KH SURtest anthems rang louder than ever before, TheitTarte mascara have you feeling a natural beauty! It will lengthen your lashes withand was then thatwill I realized, this isn’t like over. out having that heavy sensation on your lashes! It’s supposed to lengthen, curl, volumnize and condition your lashes. This a vegan mascara and is promised to be 24-hour wear smudge proof. It’s been a bleak month foristhe city. Constant The Olive treat,and condition andnewly protect your eyelashes. The Rice Bran Wax is a natural updates onEsters newwill arrests actions wax that will enhance your lash appearance and Carnauba Wax makes sure that you will have a declared “unpatriotic,â€? media outlets desmooththis application. claring the “end of Hong Kong.â€? But on the ground, I saw that Hong Kong’s beliefs remained unchanged; the Chinese government simply limited our freedom to express them.

“When wearing the mascara, my confidence went uphere? because my lashSo, where does Hong Kong go from 7KLV LV D TXHVWLRQ RI LWV LGHQWLW\ ,V LW FRQVWLesof were really cute! It really does tuted freedom of speech and freedom of WKH SUHVV" 7KH ULJKW WR SURWHVW DQG FULWLFL]H" lengthen lashes.� Free-market capitalismthe and democracy? Or is it something else, something untouchable?

The best part aboutbe this, the product burn your eyes nor will it smudge. Personally, I could Hong Kong can’t killed by a setwill of not laws only wearits thisidentity for 4 hours I felt the product because hasbefore transcended be- was seeping into my eyes. Naturally, I have watery eyes so whenever my eyes watered, I couldn’t \RQG WDQJLEOH FRQĹľQHV ,WĹŒV D EHOLHI D FRQ- keep my eyes open because I felt like the products were myVSLULW eyes. IPD\ tried KLEHUQDWH to dry my eyes but it didn’t work so I had to wash my face YLFWLRQ D going VSLULW into 7KDW with a cleansing balm ASAP. If your eyes aren’t like mine, then this product will benefit you and for a little while, or be driven underground, youitcould wearout. thisItforlives much than I did. but will probably never burn onlonger in the UHPDLQV RI SURWHVW JUDIĹľWL WKDW FRXOGQĹŒW EH Last but not least, Kat Von D Go Big or GoonHome Mascara. It’s said to be an extreme-volume, washed, in banned slogans circulating vegan mascara thatofdoesn’t and powered by plant-based fats. This masline in variations code. smudge, It lives is onlong-wearing in uncara consists of a blend of waxes from olive and sunflower oils, which is the base for the extreme derground activist groups risking it all to volume. Fluffthey brush has wavy-fibers thatthe will give the lashes full coverage. stand forThe what believe in and in hearts and minds of millions of people. This went on my eyes so smoothly and didn’t bother my eyes for 10 hours! I applied this at 10 was going to take ithas off taught before work but I forgot. It’s very lightweight and you actually do Ifam thebut past year of protests me anyforget you have it on. It’s not like the other mascaras where you can feel the weight of the product. thing, it’s that the people of Hong Kong won’t It’s pretty good! EDFN GRZQ VR HDVLO\ 7KLV LV D SRSXODWLRQ ZLWK an unrelenting belief in freedom and an unThere youmoral have it! If you want tryanswer out multiple wavering compass. So,toto my products to see which works better, buy the mini versions! That way, you don’t have to waste too much money! RZQ TXHVWLRQ <HV ,ĹŒP RSWLPLVWLF DERXW WKH IXWXUH RI +RQJ .RQJ 7KH VWURQJHVW SHRSOH I know are all here, so how could I not be?

Colorism and Mental Health in the South Asian Community Written By Manu Nahata

Manu is an Indian-American social justice advocate and rising high school senior in 1HZ -HUVH\ :KHQ QRW FUDPPLQJ IRU WKH 6$7V RU ZUDSSLQJ XS FROOHJH VXSSOHPHQWV Manu can be found devouring samosas, belting musical theatre tunes, and randomly facetiming her friends. ,QVWDJUDP #PDQXQDKDWDD KWWSV ZZZ LQVWDJUDP FRP PDQXQDKDWDD Stigma surrounding mental illness has plagued the South Asian community for decades. The taboo on discussing and validating mental health in South Asian families can be attributed to a combination of factors, including pressures to conform to the model minority myth and uphold family values.

On being the ideal “outgroupâ€? The model minority myth characterizes Asian Americans, including South Asians, as the Ćà äà Ä› ĥĆĢĊŅĆőŹ ĂşĹ…ÄŠĹ–Ĺ‚Í Â‡ÄŠĹ–Ĺ‘Ä‚ ʼnĆà Ģʼn Ă Ĺ…ä Ĺ‚äĹ…ĂšäĆŪäà à ʼn ĆĢĹ‘äěěäÚőŖà ěěŹ à Ģà ĆˆĢà ĢÚĆà ěěŹ ʼnŖłäŅĆĊŅ Ĺ‘ÄŠ other ethnic groups because of their conformity to cultural stereotypes, which present them as inherently obedient and diligent. In attributing the various successes of South Asian individuals to the existence of behavioral stereotypes, this phenomenon serves to discredit the triumphs of South Asian individuals and undermines their obstacles. Not only does this myth generalize South Asians and alienate them from other minority groups, but it also establishes a false roadmap for immigrant success. When this occurs, fellow South Asians are pitted against one another and in constant competition to achieve quantitative success, encouraging the community to overlook mental health issues, which seem to interfere with perceived successes. Thus, mental illness is frequently disregarded by the older generation, which prevents the younger generation from seeking resources to avoid familial shame.

On protecting the family’s honor #Ĺ–ä Ĺ‘ÄŠ Ĺ‘Ä‚ä ĆĢƉŖäĢĂšä ÄŠĂš 'Ĺ–Ĺ…ÄŠĂšäĢőŅĆÚ ʼnőà Ģà à Ņà ʼn à Ģà Ĺ‘Ä‚ä Ăà ŅĥÚŖě ĥĊà äÄ› ĥĆĢĊŅĆőŹ ĥŹőĂͥ ‡ĊŖőĂ ʼnĆà Ģ Úà ĥĆěĆäʼn ĊÚőäĢ łěà Úä Ĺ‘Ĺ…äĥäĢà ĊŖʼn Ūà ěŖä ĊĢ Ĺ‘Ä‚äĆŅ Ĺ…äĹ‚Ĺ–Ĺ‘Ă Ĺ‘Ä†ÄŠÄ˘Í 'ŪäĹ…Ĺą őŅà à ĆőĆĊĢà Ä› à ÚőĆĊĢ Ă South Asian youth takes, from investing in higher education to getting a high paying job to marrying a suitable match, brings honor to the family. Likewise, nontraditional behaviors or actions are quickly pinpointed as bringing shame to the family.

How exactly does this prevent South Asians from seeking mental health resources? Well, some youth feel ashamed in asking for support from family or medical professionals, fearing that their struggles with mental health will be viewed as a weakness that harms the family’s ŅäłŖőÁőĆĩĢ͠ ÚÚĩŅàĆĢú őĩ őĂä ʼnĆÁĢ ÁĢà ÁÚĆƈÚ HʼněÁĢàäŅ ġäŅĆÚÁĢ DäÁěőĂ ;ĩŅŖġ ͳ H D;ʹ͡ South Asian Americans in their late teens and early twenties were more likely to exhibit àäłŅäʼnʼnĆŪä ʼnűġłőĩġʼn őĂÁĢ őĂäĆŅ łääŅʼn͠ ʼnäÚĩĢà ŅäłĩŅő ùĩŖĢà Á ĂĆúĂäŅ ʼnŖĆÚĆàä ŅÁőä͡ ʼnłäÚĆƈcally among young South Asian women than the general U.S. population. However, the report measured that South Asian Americans utilize mental health resources less frequently than their peers, despite being at a higher risk.

Moving forward South Asians are less likely to utilize professional resources because of the stigma surrounding mental illness in the community at large. Thus, in our own communities, we need to be willing to destigmatize mental illness by starting conversations in our families. To progress, we, the South Asian youth, must become vocal about our own mental health and lend an ear őĩ ÁĢűĩĢä ūĂĩ ūÁĢőʼn őĩ ÚĩĢƈàä ĆĢ Ŗʼn͠

Dĩū ÚÁĢ H ġÁėä Ćő äÁʼnĆäŅ ùĩŅ ġűʼnäěù őĩ ʼnĂÁŅä ġű äŰłäŅĆäĢÚä ūĆőĂ ʼnĩġäĩĢä H őŅŖʼnőͧ Write. Jot down your feelings. Even making a list of adjectives describing your emotions can help in verbalizing them.

Choose. ĆÚė ʼnĩġäĩĢä őĩ ʼnłäÁė őĩ ÁÙĩŖő űĩŖŅ äŰłäŅĆäĢÚä͠ HàäÁěěű͡ űĩŖ ūÁĢő őĩ ÚĂĩĩʼnä ʼnĩġäĩĢä who you trust and feel comfortable being honest in front of. This might be a friend, family member, mentor, or medical professional.

Text. Don’t shy away from speaking to someone face to face, but feel free to give someone a heads up about your conversation digitally. This way, you both will be on the same page when the conversation occurs, and speaking about your struggles will become easier.

Dĩū ÚÁĢ H ÁÚőĆŪäěű ěĆʼnőäĢ őĩ ʼnĩġäĩĢä ūĂĩ őŅŖʼnőʼn ÁĢà ūÁĢőʼn őĩ ÚĩĢƈàä ĆĢ ġäͧ Release. Regardless of how concerned you are, don’t try and control the conversation. Remember that they initiated it and that they are sharing their experience at their own pace. You might äŪäĢ Ùä őĂä ƈŅʼnő łäŅʼnĩĢ őĂäű ĂÁŪä äŪäŅ ÙääĢ ÁÙěä őĩ őÁěė őĩ ÁÙĩŖő őĂĆʼn͠

Trust. ěūÁűʼn ÁŪĩĆà ʼnäÚĩĢàͿúŖäʼnʼnĆĢú őĂäĆŅ äŰłäŅĆäĢÚäʼn͠ äġäġÙäŅ͡ őĂäű ÚĂĩʼnä őĩ ÚĩĢƈàä ĆĢ űĩŖ because they trust you, and the least you can do is trust that they are being honest.

Sustain. Reassure them that they can reach out to you again and provide them with professional re ʼnĩŖŅÚäʼn őĩ ŖőĆěĆŹä ͳěĆĢėäà Ùäěĩūʹ͠

Resources The tendency to avoid seeking support can be extremely damaging for youth who need professional assistance. Only by recognizing the prevalence of mental health issues faced by ĩŖőĂ ʼnĆÁĢʼn ÚÁĢ ūä Ăĩłä őĩ őŅű őĩ ŅÁĆʼnä ÁūÁŅäĢäʼnʼn ÁĢà őŅäÁő őĂĩʼnä ĆġłÁÚőäà͠ Hù űĩŖ ĩŅ ʼnĩġäone you know is struggling with a mental illness, please utilize these resources. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-448-4663 National Graduate Student Crisis Line: 1-800-472-3457 aÁőĆĩĢÁě #ĩġäʼnőĆÚ ¨ĆĩěäĢÚä DĩőěĆĢä͢ ̟Ϳ̦̞​̞Ϳ̧̥​̧Ϳ ;' National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE LGTBTQ+ National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564 Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention: 1-800-931-2237 Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 press 1

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.n https://newrepublic.com/article/122892/silence-mental-health-south-asian-culture-dangerousih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4730418/

“Unveiling the Cracks� by Kirsten Elyse Melo Ongkeko More than ever, the strings are being pulled A virus, lurking unseen, unveiling the cracks in the brick Of which our society and government is founded upon. They have always been present, overlooked. These flaws become ideal cards to be played with. The hand that our leaders were dealt have been the means utilized for self gain. A pandemic of disastrous proportions has been creeping behind the curtain, silently reining; Marginalization and apathy is rooted in the pillars that have held us up. We are who keep the system turning, even a broken one. Ignorance is corruption’s best friend. Truth has always been a blurry construct synthesized by those in power. But now that we no longer see what we want to see... Shall we proceed to find solace in the personal veil of our indifference? Or... Develop our criticality in the leaders we select moving forward?

Left: “Sometimes you gotta make do with what you got” Below: “Yellowface whiteface” Artist: Wing Kei Hoang Medium: Digital Art IG: @art.by.wingkei

“Self-portrait 2020� by Nell Valle

Medium: digital Art IG: @nellbell_art Twitter: @nellbellart Website: nellbellart.com

Untitled by Keana Aguila Labra These are what take its place when it is too much to carry, for where can I lay down what doesn’t fit across the universe of palms? My mother keeps her prayer book near her chest, in the hopes of scaring away the demons that refuse to spare her. The color of champions was always a stark green these are what take its place when it is too much to carry, for what is freedom if not determined by colors? Where can I lay down what doesn’t fit across the universe of palms? My mother keeps her prayer book near her chest, her childhood tucked beneath her eyelids in the hopes of scaring away the demons that refuse to spare her. The bones laid down become a path to tread. A silent promise: I will grow beyond the scars left by those before us.

“Hope World” by Devika Bahadur IG: @db_artartist Medium: Oil paint

“Lush Nourishment” by Kimberly Do Medium: watercolor, flowers, magazine clippings on canvas.

Art Roundup

Miss Demure // “Not A Drill� Illustrated by Natalie Obedos

Interview with Shaunalyn “ By Charlotte Drummond

Introduce yourself! Hello! My name is Shaunalyn. I am Black and Filipino, and I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I am 29 years old and my hobbies include video gaming, cosplaying, martial arts, spinning poi, meditation and reading fantasy novels.

What is the most fulfilling part about the gaming community? The most challenging? The most fulfilling part in my opinion would be the cool friends you end up making. Whether it be in person and talking about games or playing a game online and beWhen did you start gaming? coming friends that way. The majority of my best friends I started gaming at a very young age. I received my first are gamers and it’s just an amazing thing to have in comcomputer when I was two years old and I actually learned mon with each other. Especially when some of us live far my ABCs from a video game where you ran around as Daffy apart in other states or in different countries. Gaming brings us together. The most challenging for me would be the fact that I am a female, I am not taken seriously sometimes. I have had guys say that I only game to impress someone I’m interested in or that I just game for attention. Another would be dealing with the toxicity within the community that decides to utilize racial slurs in my chat when I am streaming. However, I have friends that help me run my channel so they help with monitoring the chat to maintain a safe environment for not just us but my viewers as well. Another challenging part aside from the sexism and racism, would be the online bullying. You also do cosplay! What inspired you to start putting together outfits from your favorite characters? I have always wanted to be an anime character ever since I started watching anime when I was four years old. As well as comic book characters and cartoon characters, even some video game characters. I would play dress-up Duck and caught the letters of the alphabet in a basket as as a kid and one of my first Halloween costumes was a they fell from the classroom ceiling. I played a lot of games Power Ranger and the fact that I had started Karate at with my dad as a kid. We had the Atari, N64, Super Nintendo, age four made me feel ten times cooler in my costume. PS1, and PS2. He also gave me all of my GameBoys starting with the old GameBoy that needed four batteries. Later on, I How did you ignite your motivation to put in all the hard received my PS3 and then bought my own PS4. He still sup- work that goes into cosplay (do you make your own cosports my gaming even as an adult. It still blows his mind tumes, how much time goes into cosplay, who are your that I stream and make money from it now. My mom also favorite characters to portray, etc)? played video games with me growing up. She played a lot of I’m not creative enough to make my own costumes and Super Mario games while she was pregnant with me so the props, unfortunately. However, I am financially stable enough to buy my cosplays and so I receive them that running joke is that I play video games because of this. way. I also enjoy helping support cosplay costume mak-

“Sly” Cooper ers that I either meet at conventions or online on sites like Etsy. But if it’s a character I am very familiar with, I will watch the show or read the comic with a different perspective just to get into character. I want to portray my cosplays to the best of my ability and give these characters the representation they deserve, especially if it isn’t a popular character. A few of my favorite characters to cosplay are Marvel’s Silk, Kagura from Inuyasha, a Kimono gender-bent version of Sora from Kingdom Hearts, Futaba Sakura from Persona 5 and my recent favorite, Tifa from Final Fantasy 7. You are one of the owners of Goddess Gaming (IG: @ xxgoddess_gamingxx). How did that organization get started? Goddess Gaming was founded by a few friends and I after we left another female-focused group we were a part of on Facebook. We left that group because it started going against what it originally stood for. So we set off to create our own group and thus Goddess Gaming was founded by the seven of us. Four members eventually left due to either personal reasons or because they could not commit the time they wanted into the group. There was thankfully not bad blood nor any animosity and we still keep in touch with the ones who are still on social media. We started as a group that was centralized on the idea of gaming and we have expanded to a more diverse platform that consists of gaming, comics, photography, cosplay, anime and manga recommendations, and more. As a Black and Filipino woman, has your mixed identity ever been difficult or frustrating for you, and if so, how have you reconciled those feelings? At times, it has been difficult because sometimes I’ll be in situations where I don’t feel “black enough” or “Filipino enough” for the situation at hand. I deal with those feelings more when it comes to some Filipinos that are in my life. I was raised on Filipino food, watching Filipino movies and TV shows, and just enjoying the culture. But there are some Filipino people in my life that don’t see me as a “real” Filipino because I don’t look “Filipino enough” or because I am no longer fluent in Tagalog. But

Interview with Shaunalyn “ By Charlotte Drummond

at the end of the day, my parents love my sister and me all the same and my mom’s side of the family, both stateside and those still in the Philippines, love and support us and don’t see us as half-Filipinos. We’re Filipino because we have Filipino blood. Family is Family.

as far as that goes, stay tuned!

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Asian women today? From my experience and the experiences my full and mixed Asian friends have had, it’s breaking out of the Is there any advice that you have for mixed Asian/Black mold that has been formed by both stereotypes and Asian womxn who want to get into professional gaming, family tradition. From things like all Asians being good but may be afraid to do so? at math and all Filipino women needing to be a nurse The fear is expected but use that to drive you. Don’t let that or something else medical related to the work environfear prevent you from doing something you’re passionate ment and being seen and taken seriously when we are about. I’m nowhere near being a pro and I may never be one the minority. In regards to family tradition, there are but I have a decent following on Twitch and I do it because still families that push their children to pursue career it’s fun. I enjoy streaming especially with my friends and paths that the parents or grandparents want them to being able to entertain others with our silly shenanigans is instead of encouraging their children to do what makes very rewarding. Also, don’t pay too much attention to how them happy. I know plenty of Filipino-American young many viewers you have because you’ll become obsessed adults that I grew up with that have locked in very sucwith the numbers and put yourself in a position where that cessful medical or engineering careers and they hate it. can be all you focus on. When I started, that’s what I ended They hate waking up and going to work every day even up doing and I kick myself for it sometimes. You can have though they have very impressive salaries. But due to the a really good couple of days and average about 15+ view- fear of disappointing their families, they do it. My sister ers but then you can have an off day and have only three and I are blessed to have parents that always encouraged viewers. And then instead of enjoying the game and having us to do our best and pursue what makes us happy. We fun, you’re now obsessed with what you possibly could do differently to get the numbers you want. JUST PLAY! Have fun! Who cares if you have three viewers? Don’t look at it as “oh I only have three viewers.” Look at it as “I have three people watching me! That’s THREE people. Not ONE, not TWO. THREE!” Don’t stress over stuff you have no control over. Tell your friends where you’ll be streaming so they can watch you and tell your friends that game that you’ll be streaming and ask if they want to play with you. I want to see more minority female streamers like me! What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment? While I have accomplished a lot in my life so far such as serving in the military, getting on the Dean’s list at my current university, helping to break the racial barriers within the gaming and cosplay community and a few other things, I personally feel like I haven’t done anything monumental enough to classify it as my biggest accomplishment. I still have a long way to go to get to where I would like to be. So

“Sly” Cooper either succeeded or learned. As long as we tried our best, we never failed in our parent’s eyes. And I love my mother and father dearly for that. I never felt pressured to strive purely for perfection. I set my own expectations. What’s next for you? Any personal projects you’re looking forward to? Recently, I landed a great new job and as long as I do what is expected, it will help tremendously as a stepping stone for what I am striving for career-wise. So far so good despite the current COVID-19 pandemic. I am also more than halfway done with my degree process and should be ready to graduate within the next year or so and as long as the school doesn’t put me in another Statistics class, I should be able to remain on the Dean’s List! Math has never been my strong subject. I am also working on more cosplay ideas and meetups! Hopefully, we’ll be able to attend conventions again next year but until then, I am perfectly content with doing small photoshoots with friends in cosplay. I have recently picked up a lot of traction regarding my Twitch channel and I’m working on giving my channel a makeover to reflect my brand and more. My friends and I are also brainstorming ideas on how to improve Goddess Gaming. Our goal is to eventually host panels at anime and cosplay conventions and discuss topics people would be interested in as well as giving beginner cosplay and video gaming tips.

“JUST PLAY! Have fun! Who cares if you have three viewers? Don’t look at it as “oh I only have three viewers.” Look at it as “I have three people watching me! That’s THREE people.”

Spotlight: Assemblymem Written by Ashley Chen Ashley Chen is the political columnist for Overachiever Magazine. She’s an undergraduate student from New York majoring in Political Science. Her activism is centered upon voter education and civic engagement. Her other areas of interest would include educational equity, reproductive rights, gentrification, climate change and the list goes on. In her free time, she loves to watch films and create collages. INSTAGRAM: @ash.leyyyy

Yuh-Line Niou is a Taiwanese-American Assemblymember representing the 65th district in New York. She is the first Asian-American to represent a district that is 38 percent Asian. She is the only Asian female on the state legislature. She has shattered several glass ceilings as a young woman of color taking on a seat that had been previously held by primarily old white men. In the four years she has been in the legislature, her accomplishments are significant, and she continues to advocate for low-income families, immigrants, and communities of color. Before Niou ran for the Assembly seat, she was the Chief of Staff for Assemblymember Ron Kim, the only Asian-American in the state legislature at the time. Niou’s first campaign was a special election in April 2016 when former Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested on federal corruption charges. Unfortunately, Niou lost that election to Alice Cancel, who was a close colleague to Silver. She would run again for the seat and win 32 percent of the vote. This win was historic and symbolic. Niou continuously fights against corruption and corporate greed and taking on a seat that was occupied by a corrupt politician is truly significant. Throughout her terms, she has been a vocal advocate for affordable housing, health care, imposing taxes on billionaires, education, and funding human services. She helped form the first Asian Pacific Legislative Task Force, which focuses on advancing the rights of Asian and Pacific Islanders in New York. Niou sponsored the bill S3662/A677 alongside Assemblymember Kim. This bill would require the disaggregation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) data in certain state agencies, commissions, and boards. We need to remember that we are not monolithic. The issues faced by a specific community in the AAPI vastly differs from another community. Breaking down the data allows legislators and community-based organizations to pinpoint the issues that their community is facing and determine how to better serve their needs. Unfortunately, Governor Cuomo vetoed the bill. However, disaggregating AAPI data is an ongoing fight and advocates like myself will continue to raise this issue. Niou has also advocated for the Child Victims Act, which ensures that child abusers are held accountable by extending the statute of limitations for child survivors. This law allows for a one-year look-back period in which child survivors can file their cases regardless of the statute of limitations. The look-back period would have ended on August 14th, 2020, but it has been extended for one more year due to the pandemic. Niou bravely shared her own story about her abuser on the floor alongside her colleagues. While this piece of legislation does not take away the traumatic experiences endured, it holds perpetrators accountable for their actions and gives survivors a fraction of justice deserved. For young Asian folks like myself, it was a monumental moment to see an Asian-American woman vote for a bill that will fundamentally change the lives of New Yorkers. Niou is our ancestors’ wildest dreams and living proof that Asians are able to be in positions of power in this country. In the midst of COVID-19, her district has been hit the hardest. The pervasive racism and xenophobia caused several small businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, and vendors to lose a significant amount of business in Chinatown. Her advocacy work goes beyond legislation. She is constantly on the ground working with her constituents to meet their needs. This includes delivering hot meals and providing critical resources. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus alongside

mber Yuh-Line Niou

my peers and she is truly a force to be reckoned with. The meeting that my peers and I had with her was not only insightful, but it also demonstrated the passion that she has in creating change. She is running for reelection this year and has just won the New York State primaries with over 64% of the votes. On behalf of the Overachiever Magazine staff, we congratulate Yuh-Line Niou on her win and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes next.

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