Dear Asian Youth, As much as I hate to admit it, the immediate association to counterfeit goods when the phrase “made in China” is mentioned has become almost a natural cognitive response. But why did this happen? Why has China become the face of counterfeit trade? According to estimates from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), over 500 billion US dollars (or 3.3%) of world trade can be attributed to counterfeit goods in 2016. And over 70% of those counterfeit goods are produced within China. It is not news that China has been long-recognized as the number one source of counterfeit commodities within the international trade scene, surpassing all other countries added together. Not only does China generate the highest revenue when it comes to counterfeit production, it also has the widest variety of counterfeit commodities, ranging from electronics to clothing to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Though China is the greatest exporter of counterfeit goods, it is also a victim of its own crimes. The effects of counterfeit trading are clear and immediate: it primarily decreases revenue generated by legitimate businesses, destroys the integrity of brands, incurs high costs in order to enforce intellectual property rights, diminishes consumer satisfaction, and causes job losses. The negative implications of counterfeit production are obvious. However, the complexities behind why China is the biggest producer of goods and how they curated this culture of fake goods is what needs to be understood. There are two main types of counterfeiting: deceptive and non-deceptive. Deceptive counterfeiting has the aim to deceive consumers into believing that the fake products they are purchasing are originals. Deceptive counterfeit commodities utilize brand names and logos to confuse unsuspecting customers. This method of counterfeiting results in diminished economic welfare for the people purchasing the goods. In these cases, the consumers are the greatest victims. In contrast, non-deceptive counterfeiting refers to the situation where consumers are knowing and willing to purchase a counterfeit item due to a desire for lower prices. In these cases, the original suppliers are the greatest victims. Non-deceptive counterfeiting creates competition for original brands who manufacture their products at higher costs. Both types of counterfeiting, however, ultimately damage the legitimate global trade of goods, negatively impacting consumers and suppliers respectively. To understand China’s current large involvement in counterfeiting on a global scale, China’s past economic and financial standings must be examined. Though counterfeiting itself is an illicit activity, the industry, to my surprise, seems to have developed as a result of economic growth. During the late 1970s, Chinese politician Deng Xiaoping spurred progress to reform China’s economy. During this period, international companies were welcomed to place their investments within Chinese borders. Due to China’s minimal wages and looser production regulations, many foreign businesses were interested in offshoring their manufacturing to this country. As new industrial influences appeared in China, locals found the opportunity to recreate these branded products as cheaper counterfeits. Throughout the decade between 1990 and 2000, the trend of counterfeiting rapidly grew in mainland China. This can be attributed to the presence of more luxury fashion brands from Western countries within Chinese borders. Due to its experience collaborating with international brands, Chinese factories developed the skills to counterfeit all of the most popular products being sold globally. Thus, China was able to disrupt the global economy with its large counterfeit industry. In the late 2000s, an estimated 230 million US dollars of counterfeit products from China were identified in the United States alone, which is close to 90% of counterfeit commodities intercepted cumulatively. In Europe, officials believe that over 60% of counterfeit items intercepted originated in China. In recent years, the development of e-commerce platforms have also created channels for distributors to sell counterfeit products, creating more challenges when monitoring online transactions. There are millions of sellers on various platforms, and it is impossible for all to be monitored properly. The lack of emphasis on copyright and patent regulations may be another reason the counterfeit industry in China is able to flourish the way it does. Many manufacturers try to cheat the laws by making minimal alterations to certain products. For example, the spelling of brand names could be changed by one letter. NIKE may be written as NIKKE or PUMA may be written as PAMA. At other times, the counterfeit product will visually look exactly the same as their authentic counterparts, but because they don’t have labels or brand names, it can easily fly in the markets without much notice. For example, I’ve seen a ton of Brandy Melville baguette bags sold all over Chinese e-commerce sites with the exact same designs but the labels removed. With these sneaky changes, it becomes harder for law enforcement agencies to pursue the manufacturers’ wrongdoings. Another area to consider when it comes to counterfeit culture in China could simply be the country’s cultural values. Wait, hear me out. As a Chinese person, I am in no way saying that Chinese culture involves infringing upon people’s rights and participating in illegal activity. I am simply trying to explain how certain aspects of Chinese culture may have contributed to counterfeit being less harshly criticized. I would be lying if I say I hadn’t purchased cheap imitation products in China before. But why? Chinese culture often promotes the idea of learning from your elders and imitating successful behaviors of your role models. So maybe, in some confusing way, that somehow makes us accept counterfeiting as something that isn’t so bad. But this is a very controversial and weakly-backed interpretation of the issue, and I invite you all to think about this further. Last but not least, China’s counterfeit industry is so hard to combat simply because so much of its economy is dependent on the revenue generated from counterfeit trade. Imagine China’s economy as a cake; taking away a significant portion of the cream and frosting is bound to cause some level of dissatisfaction. Thankfully, the Chinese government is making an effort to combat counterfeiting in China, even though the process may be slow and arduous. There are many other issues with COVID, so counterfeiting has not been a topic of importance. Counterfeiting is a problem that both sellers and buyers all have to work together to eliminate. Hold yourself and those around you accountable to avoid contributing more to our still-growing counterfeit markets. – Eva Cover Photo Source: Photo by Korie Cull on Unsplash

Dear Asian Youth, As I was sitting in my first-period class prior to my spring break, I thought about how close I was to graduation. My entire senior year felt discombobulated as I was separated from my friends and participated in school through a computer screen. I’ve become accustomed to it, of course, but I felt as if my true “high school experience” stopped in my junior year. I, along with everyone else, was relegated to stay within their rooms and isolate themselves. I can’t help but wonder about what memories or events I missed out on being inside. There are a few things I am grateful for: I had more time to self-care, I didn’t have to take the SAT, and I spent more time with my guinea pigs. But there were so many things lost as well. I remember being unbearably shy and anxious as a freshman, feeling the jitters and expectations of high school as I walked through the doors on my very first day. For me, the hardest thing was putting myself out there and being vulnerable. I attended the same elementary school since I was in second grade and I really didn’t know anyone outside of it. I had all the worries of whether or not I would make friends, do well in school, participate in activities, etc. because I was scared of leaving something I knew for something unknown . However, once I integrated into my new surroundings and made friends, I felt my own version of the “high school” experience taking shape. Of course, it wasn’t exactly how the movies made it out to be, but it was authentic. In a way, I am both scared and relieved to say goodbye to my high school life. I feel as though I didn’t experience enough to prepare myself for the next step and that I’m running out of time to tie up loose ends. I’m grateful for all of my positive moments and even negative moments. I wish I had branched out more and met more people because I think I over focused on school. I hope this coming spring I can live fully and make the best of my situation. Life will never be as perfect as they say. Sincerely, Ella Cover Photo Source: https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Graduate/871553/4308876/view

The remains of 215 children were discovered underneath the Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia, Canada last week. The announcement by the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Chief Rosanne Casimir sparked public outrage and calls for accountability, as preliminary findings found 215 potential grave sites of children, some as young as 3 years old. Some of these sites were unmarked mass graves bringing to light the severity of the issue. As an official report is compiled, the number of bodies is only expected to increase. A report from BBC News quotes, "Of the remains found, 50 children are believed to have already been identified, said Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Their deaths, where known, range from 1900 to 1971. But for the other 165, there are no available records to mark their identities." As more information surrounding the details of this case is uncovered, greater demands for a nationwide search for mass residential school graves have begun. This discovery has shown that the bodies discovered in Kamloops were not part of an isolated incident, but rather, a small part of a larger tragedy in Canada’s Residential School system. These institutions not only traumatised generations of Indigenous children, but also committed cultural genocide and the murder of Indigenous people of Canada – acts that have irreversibly damaged the community. Canadian Residential Schools were first opened in 1890 as a system of forced cultural assimilation, targeting approximately 150,000 Indigenous and First Nations peoples. Indigenous children from various parts in Canada were forced to attend these residential schools, their parents facing the threat of prison if they refused to comply. These schools enforced orthodox Christian values, with the Catholic Church playing a major role in their founding and operation. All use of Indigenous languages and cultural practices were banned — a measure often enforced through violence — to “take the Indian out of the child.” The conditions in the residential schools were horrific. Because of the government’s desire to cut costs, the schools were largely poorly built and lacked trained medical staff and sanitary facilities. Many students died from disease, malnutrition, fires, accidents, and escape attempts. Additionally, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse ran rampant within these school walls. Families were given little to no explanation on the deaths of their children, and most schools refused to return the bodies to them up until the 1960s. While it is confirmed that at least 4,100 students have either died or gone missing, the actual number could have been well above 6,000. As makeshift memorials of children’s shoes are cropping up across Canada, this event has become a chilling reminder of the abuse suffered by the Indigenous peoples of Canada and how their stories have been largely ignored by the Canadian Government and media. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde remarked in a BBC article that “survivors have been saying this for years and years – but nobody believed them.” The abuse many survivors experienced in these residential schools have simply been swept under the rug. The harmful actions against Indigenous peoples need to be remembered, and as this most recent tragedy unfolds, a long dark history unravels. This is a tragedy that is entrenched in over a century of cultural suppression and genocide and ignorance to the experiences of Indigenous peoples both historically and today. The fact that all 215 bodies discovered were children – piled into unmarked pauper graves with little clue as to who they were – speaks to the magnitude of the issue. These children were the next generation of the Indigenous and First Nations people who had lives ahead of them, who were to carry on the future and traditions of their community. Since a large proportion of these schools were run by Catholic missionaries who forced the children to convert to Catholicism, people are pushing for Pope Francis to issue an apology on behalf of the Catholic Church. While his predecessor Pope Benedict has expressed "his sorrow at the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of some members of the Church," calls by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a formal apology from the Church have so far been declined. Justin Trudeau has promised to preserve these Residential School grave sites and search for other burial sites, and the Government has pledged $18 million CAD [$22 Million USD] to this effort. A contrasting statement from his first three years as Prime Minister as his administration spent millions of dollars fighting Indigenous lawsuits in court. Last week, a “Bring Our Children Home” rally took place in downtown Toronto, where hundreds of people marched in honor of the Indigenous children who died at the residential schools. This is an opportunity for the public to understand the severity of this situation and sheds light on the cultural genocide that occurred. Ultimately, an apology does nothing for members of the Indigenous community. They need justice, and the support and resources to continue to practice their culture and protect their traditions and teachings. The discovery has sparked mass outrage across Canada and the US, and has amplified calls for greater accountability from the government and religious institutions over their part in residential schools and the treatment of Indigenous and First Nations people. United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, wrote an opinion in the Washington Post titled, “My grandparents were stolen from their families as children. We must learn about this history.” Calling on both the U.S and Canadian government to acknowledge and bring to light the history and trauma faced by American and Canadian Indigenous communities at the hands of the government. Exposing the largely untold history of colonialism, imperialism, and cultural and ethnic cleansing in North America – the effects of which are still very much present today. What happened in Kamloops is not a distant or isolated event. The last residential school did not close until 1996, and there are hundreds of survivors of the residential school system alive today. This is a tragedy that is entrenched in over a century of cultural suppression and genocide. The government and people's ignorance to the experiences of Indigenous peoples both historically and today. As more people join the call for governing institutions to investigate and bring this history to light and enact further change and policy, we must continue to voice support for Indigenous and First Nations people in the struggle for justice. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. We must listen to Indigenous voices. - Current Events Editorial Team

by Chris Fong Chew Can I know you? Can I see you? The ghost that haunts my dreams, The specter in my memories I wonder if you were real A remnant of a memory not my own Questions burn in my soul Can I know you? Can I see you? What was life like when you were alive? The ghost that haunts my dreams The specter in my memories Looking at the mirror of life A remnant of a memory not my own Can I know you? Can I see you? Behind which door do you hide? In which closet do you reside? You lost soul Of ancestors past You are a part of me now I carry you in my heart I carry you in my mind Your pain and wisdom A compass In this foreign land. Editors: Cydney V., Joyce S., Charlotte C.

TW: Suicide, Death Dear Asian Youth, With the recent success of Chloe Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’ which earned her the title of ‘Best Director’ at the Academy Awards, I was reminded of the lack of representation for women of colour across mainstream media. Particularly media directed by women themselves through one of the biggest female names in the Wester film industry today: Sofia Coppola. My first experience with the works of Sofia Coppola was her directorial debut,‘The Virgin Suicides’, a coming-of-age film which narrates the lives of the Lisbon sisters and the events leading up to their deaths. The film covers themes of religion, adolescence, girlhood, loss, and love. I found solace in all of these concepts during my most transformative years through reading novels and listening to stories. Unfortunately, there has always been a void in Western TV and film which has seldom given me the privilege of seeing individuals like myself on the screen. The aesthetics and messages that Coppola utilizes in her films are captivating, feminine, and unique. Coppola's knack for bringing her own touch to the sensibilities of her characters makes her films unique and special. She brings light to the ‘female gaze’ which is all too often thrown away for the inherently sexist and misogynistic ‘male gaze,’ which is centered around manic pixie dream girls and women who settle for the "nice" guy. Anything from Amy Dunne’s ‘Cool Girl’ monologue in the film and novel ‘Gone Girl’ basically describes the ‘male gaze’ to a T, which Coppola is a beacon of hope against due to her inevitable status as a woman. ‘Marie Antoinette’ starring Kirsten Dunst is a film that, in my opinion, captures the dreamy trademark that Coppola stamps on her films the most. However, this film, like the majority if not all of her films, is white-centered and completely lacking in diversity. It seems that the opportunity to include women of colour in a world where they can also be perceived and portrayed through a female director's eyes is never even entertained for Coppola. This is particularly exhibited through her choice to remove an enslaved housemaid named Mattie and replace her with a mixed-race teenager named Edwina for a white teacher in ‘The Beguiled’, a film about a soldier who finds refuge in an all-girls boarding school and is vied for by them. According to Coppola herself during an article for Indiewire, she “did not want to perpetuate an objectionable stereotype where facts and history supported my choice of setting the story”, bringing forth the discussion of where fiction and factual history meet. Although certain aspects of Coppola’s determination to disregard historical events in her films is commendable for the sake of art, I do believe that there is a suspicious pattern found in her perpetual casting of white individuals in her roles. It seems that the lack of diversity and focus on women of colour despite historical accuracy is telling of Coppola's desire to illustrate exclusive beauty which can only be portrayed on screen through a young, white, blonde haired woman. Additionally, Slate writes that Coppola has “sought to imbue the old Southern way of life with false nobility”, bringing forth another aspect of Coppola’s decision for the film which perpetuates an image of the American South which is false and disregards the plight and hardships of slavery. To ignore reality in hopes for a more aesthetic or ‘gripping’ storyline harms not only the individuals involved in the film industry, but the audience as well. People of colour and their experiences in history are not an option for entertainment. Directors can cast people and women of all races and ethnicities without altering their storyline because, to be quite blunt, a person's skin colour does not affect the plot. They affect the plot through their ability to act and portray messages through screen. In some aspects, the lack of representation that I have found on screen has led to some wonderful discoveries, however seldom. I have found empowerment through watching Viola Davis on ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ due to the sheer fact that she is also a woman of colour. I have found great comfort in watching Sandra Oh in ‘Killing Eve’ due to her central and pivotal role as Eve herself. These women of colour have provided an opportunity for individuals like myself to see our own capability within fictional worlds, whether it be through watching a successful criminal lawyer like Annalise Keating or a determined MI6 agent named Eve Polastri. Unfortunately, occupations such as these have all too often been linked with white, cisgender male figures such as Mike Ross from Suits or James Bond. Both TV shows have respectfully been commercial successes with cult followings, which is another aspect of the Western film industry which I fail to understand due to their lack of investment in seeing more women of colour on screen. It seems that every couple of years or so, we are encouraged to wait in silence for the next ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ film of the year, which pales in quantity when compared to the perpetual onflow of white dominated films that come out every month. How many times will people of colour have to state the power of representation before the Western film industry believes them? - Cathay Lau Editors: Bri S. & Zoe L. Cover photo/art source: https://www.google.com/search?q=sofia+coppola+lack+of+representation+&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiD35SS19jwAhUEaBoKHcTOBYcQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=sofia+coppola+lack+of+representation+&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJzoECAAQQzoCCAA6BAgAEB46BggAEAgQHjoECAAQGFDHA1jCMmD0M2gCcAB4AIAByQGIAfoOkgEGMjAuMy4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=ZY6mYMOYAoTQacSdl7gI&bih=689&biw=1280#imgrc=bpcvspGJTtafeM

Dear Asian Youth, It’s six letters with a double L Ballet, allure, pollen, hollow - small We’re on an outdoor stage The sunflowers are in full bloom My skin tone doesn’t match the slippers Light places a sandpaper kiss against my lips Yellow confetti’s strung around my hips like a choker: A forgotten afternoon or purposefully left-behind heirloom It’s the name of a Coldplay song The first time I heard “Yellow” in Chinese, I played it on repeat I wanted to dance, but - by then - I’d stopped tapping my feet It’s not the stars that make the night sky complete Yellow is the soft, incandescent flicker of light bulbs and neon signs They light up Chinatown at 11PM while store owners sigh Mud-stained streets Beneath them: dark, dirty feet Yellow is liminal space and not being seen It’s knowing you’ll never be clean Yellow is feeling small and not having space Yellow is not feeling safe Yellow is heartache and drowning in ocean waves It’s shaking when you hear a gunshot and wondering what will be left in your wake Asian Girl, will you leave behind memories? Or just dreamscapes and a splash of paint? Yellow is loving the color inside of you It’s also wishing you could trade the paint buckets for something more plain It’s unimaginable pain when I turn on the news But yellow is also a celebration It’s Dragon festival lanterns - their flames a technicolor exaltation Fireworks spark through the night like an exhalation Inhale. Exhale. Sunlight filtered through the leaves like Gold and Aromatherapy That Tuesday, but I can breathe, so I’ll be grateful today Yellow is quiet circulation Yellow is not the plastic, white stars on my bedroom ceiling Yellow is an entire constellation It’s Artemis chasing Orion in a never-ending loop Something akin to the tune of ouroboros that I would like to dance to Yellow is a Visible Painful Beautiful Reminder That I am not small I am not nothing, but an infinitude of thoughts, feelings, and experiences That cannot be defined Bathed in yellow - as I have always been and always will be I am in love with my life. - Amber Ting Cover Photo Source: https://www.wabe.org/vox-atl-teen-looks-at-colorism-outdated-beauty-standards-in-asian-community/

The intersectionality between woman and girl I could say that I am a woman now, Although the neighbors still call me “girl.” What marks my transition from girlhood to womanhood… the day I received my first period? Then I would have become a woman on my tenth birthday While all my classmates remained girls. When does the woman abandon her girlhood, trading her Junie B. Jones books and muddy, grass-stained sneakers for the desire to be validated by the status quo? To be a woman, Courageous, tenacious, and beautiful Yet still misunderstood as the girl, Colorful, inquisitive, and naive. For the girl lives amongst the toys And the woman is treated as if she is one herself. —- Last names Mama has warrior blood coursing through her veins. Some people will say that her fire was innate while others think it’s because she was the first to receive an education. Mama never intended on putting out her sparks that ignited best in sandy deserts and areas deserted of intrusive thoughts. Mama was never docile and the world knew so. Yet when she birthed a daughter who fought like an Amazonian soldier to stay in the womb, she shocked all the people in the room. For this daughter was no less filtered than her mother Her infant wails sounded more like warrior cries, and every entity in that birthing room trembled with fear. Every soul but her mother’s, whose eyes brimmed with proud tears. Mama guarded her daughter as a queen to her crown jewel And her baby grew up to be a carbon copy of herself, always a fighter although a bit feistier and a bit less cool. It was the feistiness that made her form questions, that even her mother could not answer. It was the curiosity that made her wonder that after all the nurturing she was provided by her mother, her twin flame, why was she labeled with Papa’s last name? “It was not necessarily my will to name you like that” “Well, it should have been,” I slam my bedroom door shut and inch my body deeper and deeper under the duvet covers of my queen-sized bed. Editors: Emily X., Joyce S., Nadine R., Anoushka K.

In times of crisis and strife, we need to take time to reflect on ourselves in order to muster the courage and strength to hang on. Only then, can we grow stronger. By uncovering this reflection of myself, I hope to convey that it is ok to not be okay. More than ever before, we need to be able to express our innermost thoughts and emotions in order to create a happier, more connected world with more love and empathy. Biography: Jacqueline Wu (16) is a writer and artist from Long Island, New York. She is involved with her acclaimed school magazine, Cinnabar, and other magazines like TeenMind and ReadThis. She has received several writing and art awards, including the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Jacqueline enjoys painting and playing the viola, and hopes to continue to empower through her words. You can find her on instagram (@jacquelinewu96).

This piece was created in order to express the surreal feeling of being lost about my Asian American identity, even though the traditions are second nature to me, hence the realistic clothing. Isabelle is an aspiring author attending Orange County School of the Arts. During quarantine, she has struggled to express her identity and find a unique voice within her artwork. Join her on her journey as she experiments with her artwork and expressing herself @calicolibrary and @trochilidae.it! Instagram: @calicolibrary and @trochilidae.it

Top Piece: Our culture has normalized viewing consent as anything but a clear “no,” when in reality, consent is ONLY a clear “yes.” It has also been normalized to view consent as “expected” in a relationship, and to view consent to one thing as consent to everything. This is not the case, nor is it okay. My piece shows a person trapped in a cage labeled “yes,” with a scale above, weighing 1 yes over 1,000 no’s. The cage shows how the person is “trapped” within saying yes once or yes to one thing, despite changing their mind, being forced to consent, or whatever the reason may be. Bottom Piece: The scale shows what’s been normalized in our society, and the words “There is a Flaw in our System” refers to the issue of constantly ignoring consent and sexual assault. (For the one with the flowers): With the outbreak of the COVID-19 came a “new” wave of racism, which was never really new to begin with. Anti-Asian remarks and assault in response to COVID-19 stemmed from the deep-rooted racism of many Americans. I made this piece to raise awareness for numerous incidents (each one is represented by a flower), and to reiterate that the outbreak of COVID-19 does not excuse or justify any racist remarks or acts that are constantly overlooked and normalized in our society. Biography: 16 year old surrealist artist from Maryland Instagram: @lxndsay.art

Breathe by Lee Hi is a song that is really close to my heart. While the meanings behind the lyrics may seem simple they continuously resonate within me and remind me to take a deep breathe once in a while too. Biography: Hi! My name is Michelle. I’m a 16 year old first generation Korean American. In my free time, you can usually catch me listening to music, reading or binging k dramas. I've only recently discovered my love of singing but I plan on taking this hobby along with me wherever I go now. You can find me on my personal Instagram account @_.michellek or on my music account @she_lly._

WE ARE ASIAN Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of racist assaults and hate crimes towards the Asian has been skyrocketing all over the world, significantly in America. We, the Asians, are punched, kicked, spitted on, mocked, yelled at, and shooed away through no fault of our own, and the media is sadly flooded with such heart-breaking and infuriating cases. The tastiest food, the most culturally intact heritage, the hardest-working community, and the bravest medical staff – those are what make us Asian, and no punch, kick or spit should ever wreck our pride on being so. LINK TO THE PIECE: https://vimeo.com/435757903 SNIPPETS FROM THE VIDEO: CREDITS: Seine Kongruangkit / Art Director Named after the river in Paris, I was born and raised in a city where people spit into the river; Bangkok. As a queer person of color, I strive to use my creativity to solve problems and empower people, and that has brought me into the advertising world where I created ‘We Are Asian’ https://www.linkedin.com/in/seine-kongruangkit/ http://seine.site Instagram @sseine Quynh Trần / Copywriter I’m a 20-year-old Vietnamese copywriter, based in Berlin. I make works and write words that make me shiver enough to make even more works and write even more words. Buzz me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quynh-tran-859258170/ or https://www.instagram.com/quyn.tt/ Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of racist assaults and hate crimes towards the Asian has been skyrocketing all over the world, significantly in America. We, the Asians, are punched, kicked, spitted on, mocked, yelled at, and shooed away through no fault of our own, and the media is sadly flooded with such heart-breaking and infuriating cases. The tastiest food, the most culturally intact heritage, the hardest-working community, and the bravest medical staff – those are what make us Asian, and no punch, kick or spit should ever wreck our pride on being so. Biography: Seine is an art director, audiovisual artist. Named after the river in Paris, she was born and raised in a city where people spit into the river; Bangkok. As a queer person of color, she strives to use her creativity to solve problems and empower people, and that has brought her into the advertising world. Now, she's based in Berlin.