#gracecheng

It’s been a little over two months since the presidential election, and though the acceptance and realization has begun to sink in, the last thing we should feel is apathetic or defeated. As inauguration day comes closer, and with every passing day of Donald Trump’s presidency, we should continue to spread love and acceptance, especially as Trump continues to appoint more and more members of his cabinet. We should never stop fighting for the marginalized, the oppressed, and the helpless.

On November 8th, we all witnessed a shocking illustration of the bigotry and hatred that still exists in this country. And on November 9th, I attended a protest in Union Square to help make sure that everyone who has ever felt threatened by a Trump presidency knows that they are not alone. As a bisexual female of Asian American descent and as a human being, I found myself overcome with immense sadness when Donald Trump was elected as our next president. I thought about what this outcome meant for women, for LGBTQ+ people, for Muslims, for African Americans, for Asian Americans, and for anyone who does not have the privilege of being a straight, white, cisgender, male.

I think what terrifies me the most is not simply the sheer number of supporters that Trump has but the level of validation they are now feeling. It is exactly this validation that has allowed the oppression against minorities to be exacerbated. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen videos, tweets, and Facebook updates of people witnessing blatant racism, homophobia, and more. One woman even recounted the story of her hijab being torn off by a Trump supporter. Other people have tweeted pictures of the phrase “make america white again” spray painted on the sides of buildings and cars. Even here, at NYU, Trump’s name was plastered on the door of the Muslim Student Center the day after the election.

So when I attended the protest in Union Square, I found myself feeling touched, despite everything, by the warmth, the acceptance and the love of the people around me. People were genuinely kind, and you could tell that every person there truly appreciated the presence of every other person there. On November 9th, the city of New York grieved together for minorities, women, immigrants, muslims, and the LGBTQ community. That sense of togetherness is not something New Yorker’s often feel. 

So over the course of the next 4 years, one important thing we should do is to talk to people we know that voted for Trump and engage in a serious discussion with them. Don’t become just as hateful as the man they voted for, but show them how wrong and unnecessary hatred is by rising above it. No one could’ve phrased it better than the First Lady Michelle Obama: “When they go low, we go high”.  

So, the 60th Annual Grammy Nominations were announced yesterday morning, and somehow it left me with more mixed emotions than I’ve felt in a long time. On the one hand, we have many reasons to celebrate this year--the 2018 list of nominees is the most diverse group in all of Grammy history, especially when it comes to Black and LGBTQIA inclusion. Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and more were all (deservedly) nominated for record of the year. Kesha and Lady Gaga were both nominated for two Grammys each, and out songwriter Justin Tranter was nominated for his first award as well. 

When it comes to inclusion in the entertainment industry, we’ve come a long way, and these nominees are just one example of that. Unfortunately, this progress has not been reflected within the Asian American community, as you can clearly see by the lack of Asian nominees for the 2018 Grammys. I can’t say I’m surprised, considering there aren’t really any huge Asian American names in the music industry. But it’s not because we’re not trying--it’s because those who run the system aren’t listening. This year I got the chance to discover Alice Gao, Niki Zefanya, Yaeji, and several other incredible Asian artists whose music deserves recognition--but none of them are getting the attention they deserve. 

While Grammy nomination entries can by submitted by any artists/record companies with commercially released music, all submissions are reviewed by a group of over 350 experts in the fields of jazz, R&B, rock, classical, new age, and more. These experts within the Academy go through several rounds of screening, being advised to vote in up to 15 categories in their areas of expertise as well as the 4 general categories (Record of The Year, Album of the Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist). Unfortunately, if you are a lesser known artist in the US (aka most Asian American artists) signed to a label with more well known artists, your label will most likely submit their song/album to be considered for Grammy nomination over yours. At the end of the day, it’s pretty much a self fulfilling prophesy. Since Asian American artists are almost never well known enough to qualify for the final rounds of nomination, their work is not often submitted. As a result, Asian Americans are continuously left out of the mainstream. The whole thing is a cycle that seems to have no end. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should celebrate the victories we achieve, but I’m honestly so tired of writing and complaining about Asian American representation. You guys have heard it all before and I’m not here to preach the same message all over again, but my soul is tired y’all. While we should celebrate and cheer on our fellow POC, let’s remember that the entertainment industry is still far, far, from being the all inclusive community that we so desperately need. 

You may not have heard of 88Rising, but you’ve probably listened to Dat$tick by Rich Chigga at least once or twice; well, the label behind Rich Chigga’s creative genius is 88Rising, an NYC based music label founded by Sean Miyashiro.

Over the months, 88Rising has gotten more and more spotlight—not only for curating incredible music, but also for giving Asian artists some of the attention they deserve. When Dat $tick went viral, Rich Chigga got the stamp of approval from tons of US rappers, such as Migos, 21 Savage, and more. From there, things have only gone up.

88Rising partnered with The Higher Brothers, a Chengdu based rap group who is breaking barriers in a musical and physical way. Because they don’t have direct access to YouTube in China, they have to work extra hard to interact with their fans, but they do it because it’s all worth it. They have a true appreciation for rap culture that transcends geography and language; for their fans it’s about the flow, the delivery, and the charisma.

88Rising’s Sean manages all of these artists and more, not just because they’re Asian, but because he believes in their music. He told Pitchfork, “Real talk, from a music perspective, if I don’t fuck with it, just ‘cause it’s from the Philippines, I’m not gonna put it up. I think that 1000 percent of the time, the music needs to be good.” And his philosophy shows, too. They recently debuted Indonesian singer NIKI, an R&B artist whose style is characterized by smooth and heavy beats. She’s young, but her potential is definitely there.

In many ways, 88Rising is exactly what the Asian community needs. They obviously want to bring attention to the real talent thats brewing all over Asia, but more than that it’s also about putting out music that’s truly worthwhile. In that way, they’re paving a way for Asian artists to be taken seriously in the music industry. Check out the video below to see some of our favorite rappers reacting to the Higher Brothers and click here to see more of 88Rising’s YouTube content. 

The recent film “The Great Wall” starring Matt Damon was released in theaters just a couple of weeks ago, and while I admittedly have not seen the film, the trailer and film poster alone raised a series of red flags and questions in my head. For those who have not heard of the movie, it basically tells the story of a warrior in China who joins a team of elite soldiers to help defend the Great Wall. 

I think this film speaks volumes on the state of Hollywood today and also exemplifies exactly what Asian actors are trying so hard to fight against in the entertainment industry - whitewashing and the white savior narrative. The film is directed by one of China’s greatest directors, Zhang Yimou, and features several A-list Chinese celebrities including Andy Lau, Eddie Peng, and Lu Han. Additionally, the film was shot on location in China and supposedly tells the story of China’s might and power. It’s interesting then, to see that Matt Damon is the lead of the film, the “white savior,” and the only person featured on the film’s widely advertised movie poster.

When the film trailer was first released, it immediately sparked outrage, but Matt Damon defended himself by saying that he did not take the role from a Chinese actor, nor was the role altered for him in any way. He also insisted that critics were jumping to conclusions based off of the trailer without having seen the film, and it makes their views less credible. While all of this may be true, it does not change the fact that there is a very obvious placement of a white character where a white character does not belong. Additionally, this character plays the most important role in the film and is highlighted (based on the trailer) as being more essential than the rest of the characters. In fact, Matt Damon is the only actor that has any speaking lines in the entire trailer, even though several other Chinese actors are stated to have leading/crucial roles in the film.

There are so many different elements here that display Hollywood’s rejection of non-white actors and it makes it hard to believe that there has been any progress made. The white savior narrative, the whitewashing, the trailer, the promotional photos, and more, all point to one thing - Hollywood doesn’t believe that Chinese actors are marketable. At the very least, Hollywood believes that White actors are the most marketable, the easiest to sell, and perhaps the easiest to relate to. But this self perpetuating philosophy confines Asians in the entertainment industry and guarantees that no progress can ever be made. People sometimes wonder why so few Asians show up at award ceremonies like the Oscars, but the truth is simply that Asian Americans are never granted the opportunity to play Oscar winning roles because they are too often seen as a “niche” market or as “too exotic” to be front and center. 

While minor progress has been made, such as the writing of the film “Crazy Rich Asians” and the popularization of the TV show “Fresh off The Boat,” we have yet to see the integration of the Asian community in the entertainment industry and Asian actors remain very much a niche group. So while hope ultimately prevails, Hollywood still needs to make great strides before genuine diversity can be reached. 

If you’re more interested in learning about the Asian American’s role in Hollywood today read this article from the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/movies/asian-american-actors-are-fighting-for-visibility-they-will-not-be-ignored.html?_r=0

1. Drink more herbal teas

Herbal tea, especially green tea, has been proven to boost your immune system, cardiovascular health, metabolism and brain function. On top of that the antioxidants found in herbal teas help to detox your body and keep your complexion clear. While you won’t see immediate results from drinking tea, incorporating an herbal tea like green or jasmine into your daily routine can help flush out toxins over time and keep your skin bright and youthful.

2. Use sunscreen every day

Having fair skin is a huge beauty trend in Asia which is why so many people use sunscreen as part of their daily skincare routine. Not only does sunscreen keep your skin from becoming tan, it also ensures that your skin does not become wrinkled and leathery at a young age. If you’ve ever wondered why Asians tend to age slower than others it’s most likely because of the sunscreen they’re using every day. Make sure to find one that is SPF 30 or above to block out all of the sun’s harmful rays.

3. Double cleanse

Many people forget how important it is to double cleanse your skin at the end of the day. After taking off your makeup with your favorite oil cleanser, make sure you also lightly exfoliate your skin with a gentle brush or cream scrub. One of my personal favorite ways to exfoliate is with the konjac sponge (read more about it here: http://www.refinery29.com/2014/01/59896/konjac-sponge#slide). It is gentle enough that it doesn’t irritate or dry out your skin, but it also gets all the dead skin cells and makeup residue off your face.

4. Sheet masks

Sheet masks are becoming more and more popular nowadays, but before they were popular in the U.S they were an essential part of Asian skincare routine. You can find sheet masks for almost any skincare need you could possibly think of (shop here: https://sokoglam.com/collections/sheet-face-masks) but I personally stick to sheet masks that will hydrate my skin, minimize my pores, and even out my skin tone. Sheet masks are infused with tons of different nutrients, from green tea to lavender to snail gel. One of my own personal skincare secrets is to find a mask that is gentle and moisturizing (this is my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/My-Beauty-Diary-Hyalurunic-Moisturizing/dp/B005FOPQT6) and leave it on all night while I sleep. While the package usually tells you to leave the mask on for 20-30 minutes, I find that leaving a gentle hydrating mask on all night ensures that I wake up with amazing and radiant skin.

5. Pat, don’t rub

Whether you’re applying moisturizing or blending in your foundation, make sure to be gentle with your skin. Constantly tugging at your skin can cause it to age more rapidly so make sure to pat, not rub, when you are applying skincare/makeup products. Even better, use your ring finger to blend things like concealer, eyeshadow, etc., because your ring finger is your stiffest finger and will pull at the skin the least.

If you’re at all familiar with K-Pop, you are probably aware that it takes many influences from the Western entertainment world. While this has been the case for a while now, Western trends in Asian entertainment have become more and more prominent over the past few years. Because of this Westernization and thus homogenization of the industry, it leads us to ask the question, has K-Pop lost its unique sound and style? And if so, what does that mean for the future of K-Pop?

Lets start by looking at some popular K-Pop music videos:

The first is by popular boy band, BTS, titled “I NEED U”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMdTd9e-LEI

You’ll notice that the song opens with a soft R&B sound, which then builds into an emotional rap from Jimin, layered with a heavy EDM procession. One thing that many K-Pop fans have noticed over the past few years is that EDM is becoming more and more popular, no matter what the artist’s original style was. Nowadays, K-Pop is no longer a pure “pop” sound, but it also incorporates house/electronic music, rap, and R&B. Another thing I noticed about K-Pop music videos recently is that they are beginning to stray away from the quintessential box-style dance MV and instead creating videos with a storyline.

You can see that very clearly here, in BAP’s One Shot music video:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bap+one+shot

This is not to say that K-Pop is straying away from choreography, because I don’t think that will ever happen, but it seems that in many cases they leave the dancing for live performances. American music videos rarely incorporate dancing, instead choosing to focus on the message/storyline, and some of the more recent K-Pop MVs have been geared towards and marketed towards the West.

You’ve probably also noticed that K-Pop collaborations with Western producers and singers are becoming more frequent. For example, CL and G-Dragon collaborated with Skrillex in late 2014 with the song “Dirty Vibe.” Not only is this song a collaboration with a popular American house music producer, it is also an example of how electronic music is becoming more prevalent and integrated into mainstream Korean pop-culture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq-aVCUs2Q0

Some other popular K-Pop collaborations are Wonder Girls ft. Will. I. Am, Tablo ft. Joey Badass, G-Dragon ft. Missy Elliot, and Dean ft. Eric Bellinger.

You’ve probably also noticed that more and more caucasian actors and models are playing love interests in music videos. You can see this clearly in Taeyang and GD’s huge hit “Good Boy,” as well as Super Junior’s “Devil,” Gary’s “Shower Later,” and many other hit songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZRb1we80kM

It is also interesting to analyze beauty standards in the Korean entertainment industry and how those standards are becoming more aligned with the west. As you probably know plastic surgery has not only become normalized but actually expected from celebs in Korea. They change their “undesirable” monolids to double eyelids, and they add more prominent nose bridges for a more Western look.