Letter From the Editor

At its base, surface level, my story is shared by so many — and because of that, it's also a source for community, one that I'm incredibly thankful for.

And at the same time, of course, my story is also uniquely mine. My experience growing up as an Asian American person in this world is mine alone, stereotypes be damned, expectations be damned.

After years of being teased, these influencers are showing off makeup looks that are all about embracing, not hiding, their natural eye shape.

What It’s Like To Be Asian In A TV Writers Room

These gamechangers are rewriting the script in Hollywood.

How Jenny's Story On ‘GLOW’ Season 3 Mirrors Star Ellen Wong's Own Journey

Spoilers ahead for GLOW Season 3. Jenny on GLOW has always been one of the show's quieter characters, but in Season 3, she's forced to open up. Embodying an exaggerated Asian stereotype has taken a toll on her, and watching Melrose appropriate her…

How The ‘Always Be My Maybe’ Parents Quietly Revolutionize Asian American Representation

Without exaggeration, I cry every time an Asian parent comes onscreen in an American movie. But that doesn't happen in very many of them, so it isn’t too exhausting. Like every other second-generation millennial or Gen Z Asian kid, I wept when…

How Stella Simona Reconnected With Her Bangladeshi Roots Through Her Jewelry Line

Stella Simona is the co-owner of Haati Chai and Amarilo, two jewelry lines that were inspired by her experiences growing up as the daughter of East Indian immigrants in the United States. As a child, Simona constantly struggled with her identity,…

Nisha Dua Founded #BUILTBYGIRLS To Give Young Women The Tools To Become Future Tech Leaders

Nisha Dua is the founder of #BUILTBYGIRLS, a platform that empowers young women with the skills and resources in technology to be successful in their future careers, whether they dream of being an engineer or starting their own fashion company. Dua…

We Need To Talk About “Asian” Spaces Online & In Media – And Their Inclusivity

I no longer see pictures of my friends and family on my Facebook feed — it’s been taken over by memes about bubble tea. I joined “subtle asian traits,” a closed Facebook group that focuses on humor and discussion surrounding the diasporic Asian…

Nisha Sharma & Sonali Dev On Writing Arranged Marriages In Romance Novels With Respect & Honesty

Romance novelists Nisha Sharma and Sonali Dev understand the nuances of arranged marriage, and they've both written about it, in some way, in their books. In The Takeover Effect, released in April, Sharma introduced readers to Mina Kohli, a…

No, I’m Not Tan Because I Went On Vacation. I'm A Biracial Indian American

I first questioned my identity as a biracial Indian American woman during a standardized test in middle school. When filling out the question about my ethnicity, I remember reading all the boxes and thinking, “Which one am I?” I used to check…

Must Follow APAHM

Bustle's Must Follow Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Maggie Hsu & Gold House Collective Want To Encourage Asian Americans To Share Their Diverse Stories With One Another

Maggie Hsu has dedicated much of her life championing Asian American women, but she wasn't always connected with her Taiwanese American identity. Growing up on the East Coast, Hsu was aware she was Asian, but didn't fully understand what that meant…

Cassandra Lam Created Cosmos, A Global Community Where Asian American Women Could Connect & Flourish

When Cassandra Lam and her co-founder created The Cosmos, it wasn't just a dream — they felt it was a necessity. Her entire life, she had trouble finding Asian American organizations to be a part of, especially as a woman. Lam knew she couldn't have…

Annette Lasala Spillane Creates Beautifully Designed, Ethically Made Jewelry That You'll Want To Keep Forever

Annette Lasala Spillane is a jewelry designer and founder of TARA jewelry, which stands for The Artisan Row Accessories. After years of working in finance, Spillane felt the urge to pursue a completely different venture. When she dreamt up TARA, she…

Lisa Linh Is Working To Fight Mental Health Stigma & Promote Self-Growth Through Instagram

Lisa Linh is an influencer and content creator whose mission on Instagram is to help her community promote self-growth through discovery and exploration and to de-stigmatize mental health treatment. She is also embarking on a new journey in June,…

Puno Dostres Wants To Give Creatives The Tools They Need To Bring Their Ideas To Life

Jennifer Puno, better known as Puno Dostres, is a digital creative and entrepreneur whose mission is to make online education more accessible to everyone. She founded Map, a travel inspiration platform, People Map, an Instagram marketing tool, and…

Jordan Santos Encourages Her Fellow Influencers To Use Their Platform For Good, Not Likes

Jordan Santos is an influencer, content creator, and brand consultant based in Los Angeles. Her Instagram is filled with gorgeous snapshots of her glamorous life in the fashion and beauty industry, but Santos wants her followers to know that there's…

How Sherry Cola Became A Successful Actress & Comedian By Just Being Her Hilarious Self

Sherry Cola is an actress, comedian, and writer whose Instagram will make you literally LOL, but she's more than just jokes. Through her work, both onscreen and off, Cola is constantly fighting for more Asian representation in the industry and…

Mei Lin Is Changing The Game For Women & Asian American Chefs In The Food Industry

Mei Lin is an award-winning chef, Top Chef winner, and owner of Nightshade. Located in Los Angeles, Nightshade is Lin's first restaurant and is already receiving critical acclaim, thanks to its innovative and thoughtful Asian dishes inspired by her…

Rebecca Dharmapalan Uses Art As A Means Of Activism For The Tamil People & Other Marginalized Communities

Rebecca Dharmapalan is an artist, filmmaker, musician, and currently an MA of Human Rights Law student at SOAS University of London. As a teenager, she became extremely passionate about human rights for underrepresented and marginalized groups and…

Writer Arabelle Sicardi Challenges Readers To Rethink How They Define Beauty

Arabelle Sicardi is a queer, Asian American writer who covers beauty, tech, and power for publications like Out, Them, Elle, Nylon, and Vice. Their pieces, like The Queer Person’s Guide to Feeling Beautiful in an Ugly World and Beauty is Broken,…

Vivek Shraya Is An Author, Musician, Visual Artist, & Activist Whose Work Continues To Challenge The Status Quo

Vivek Shraya is an award-winning author, musician, visual artist, and associate professor at University of Calgary — among other things. In 2017, she recorded an album, Part-Time Woman, and in 2018, published her book I'm Afraid of Men, a memoir…

Deepica Mutyala Is Creating A Community For Women Who Feel Forgotten By Other Beauty Brands

Deepica Mutyala started her beauty career on YouTube in 2015, creating makeup tutorials in hopes of helping women who looked like her feel less alone. In 2018, she founded Live Tinted, an inclusive beauty community where her followers could feel…
See AllTV & MoviesBooksCelebrityMusicStreaming
See AllFashionBeautyCelebrity Style
See AllHealthRelationshipsSelf
See AllAstrologyTechFoodTravel
Rule Breakers
Originals
Amplifying Our Voices
Shop
Video

Choose an edition:

/
NewsletterAboutArchiveDMCAAdvertiseTermsPrivacyMastheadEditorial Standards
© 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved.