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“Nail art is a form of self-expression, and it should be genderless” says Hayato Shiomi from Nail ZEROPLUS . The interior craftsman-turned-nail tech has a two-month waiting list, but he still wants more people of all genders to use nail art as a way to express who they are. Shiomi was extremely nervous about changing careers, about holding women' hands. His father was also worried about the career change, but not because he cared about the prestige of Shiomi’s job like some Asian parents. His dad was worried because the entrepreneurial life is hard. But instead of discouraging or manipulating Shiomi based on his fear, this Asian dad quietly prepared him by buying entrepreneurial books to help Shiomi start his own business. 15 years later, he’s not only surviving, he’s considered a veteran, having won many nail art awards, followers on social and clients who can’t get enough of his designs.
When the fifth pandemic hit Hong Kong this year, the city saw over 200 daily deaths, causing a coffin shortage. Enter Wilson Tong, CEO of LifeArt Asia, Hong Kong’s eco-friendly casket provider. Wilson and his team became one of the few casket manufacturers in Hong Kong that supported the city at a crucial time. This is how Wilson Tong helps families transition their loved ones from earth in the most eco-friendly way.
Shirong Wu believes that she was born at the right time to play Xiao in the play White Pearl. Before joining White Pearl, Shirong says “I went into the audition room and the whole team was white and there were all these confused Asian girls in the room. They wanted us to do a little Kung Fu sequence and I don’t know how to do Kung Fu.” After that experience, Shirong Wu would never say just ‘yes’ to anything and to reject rolls that typecast her. She believes that these stereotypical Asian characters written for her without her Asian heritage and culture in mind were tiring her and the audience. Wanting more representation in theater, she was able to find Anchuli Felicia King’s White Pearl. Anchuli Felicia King’s White Pearl is about six Asian women - all from different parts of Asia - are having the worst day at their office at a cosmetic company. The play observes why beauty companies continue to uphold white beauty standards, how colorism is deeply rooted in Asian beauty standards, and intercultural racism and prejudice within Asian cultures. Shirong felt that she came at the right time when everybody was hungry for better representation in their entertainment and to bring attention to problems within the Asian community.
How do you honor your heritage? Diego Risco Chang honors his Chinese ancestry by sharing his culture at the Chinese Charity Society in Peru. As a member, he continues to teach and practice at Peru’s first lion and dragon dance group to promote both cultures. He welcomes everybody to experience his traditional lions and dragon dance — a centuries old performance to attract good Omens and repel bad energy. Diego does not choose one or the other. He chose to live his truth by merging his Peruvian and his Chinese culture to create a new rich culture.
Marina Fujiwara (@mudazukuri) makes useless things. The plot twist? She’s a professional inventor. She doesn’t see this as a waste of time or money–on the contrary, she believes this is how you convert failure to success. . Her 無駄づくり, a practice in inventing useless products, juxtaposes a world that builds systems and things to be more efficient. “We focus too much on efficiency and functionality and by not observing the opposite we tend to overlook and leave ideas on the table,” says Marina.
10,905 reports of Asian hate incidents were reported from March 2020 to Dec 2021. That’s a 361% increase from the year before. And because of language barriers and unfamiliarity with complex legal systems, the actual number of attacks is likely far greater. STOPH8 is an SMS chatbot that tracks the reporting of hate incidents. Users can send and receive text messages via mobile devices by texting (786748) which spells STOPHATE to receive immediate assistance. Like a textable '911'. Using this process, reporting hate crimes will be as familiar and accessible as sending a text. The more we can capture the reports, the more we can seek justice for victims, and the more policy and resources can be distributed to the community that need it most. Text 786748 (STOPH8) to Report Asian Hate Crimes See www.reporthate.info for more info