ISSUE 012
DECOLONIZING OUR ASPIRATIONS
MARCH, IN SOLIDARITY
originally released 31 March 2021
March has been a grueling month on many levels, but the wave of violence against the Asian community is probably most relevant to discuss here. I hope you’ll read through - but if you don’t have the energy, feel free to scroll down to discover a few Asian-owned brands to support.
The reality of racism towards Asian Americans has often been overlooked. Fetishization, microagressions, xenophobia, the model minority myth - these tend to be more insidious, deeply woven into the fabric of our culture. It’s unsurprising if you recognize that America’s long history of racism against the Asian American community. But once again, it took an eruption of violence and tragedy for people pay attention.
“There is a systemic refusal to acknowledge racism as racism and it is killing us.”
Many influencers, brands, retailers, and magazines have made statements of support, but none acknowledged the realities of their own participation in racist narratives that undermine Asian American communities. The fashion and beauty industries have played a major part in exoticizing and appropriating Asian culture - from colonial-era orientalism to kimonos sold at Urban Outfitters to the “fox eye” beauty trend that took over social media less than a year ago.
The terrorism that Asian Americans are currently experiencing does not exist in a vacuum. It’s not confined to coronavirus, and it’s not going to disappear with a vaccine. This is about the unmitigated progression of systemic racism and white supremacy in our culture for centuries. The only way to move forward is to actively unpack our internal biases and speak up when we witness racism within our own communities (families/friends) - no matter how 'uncomfortable' the situation may feel.
This goes for BIPOC communities as well. Anti-Blackness continues to persist in Asian communities, and racism towards Asian Americans exists in Black communities. In reality, stoking conflict and tension among oppressed groups is simply a tool of white supremacy. Julie Ae Kim writes, “white supremacy exploits fear of ‘the other’ by raising up narratives that stoke resentment, that highlight Black and Asian conflict, but never the history of solidarity that has existed and flourished.”
It’s up to us to overcome these artificial divisions, unpacking our internal biases so that we can better support each other. To start, I highly recommend the Making the Body a Home courses in unpacking white superiority (for white folks) and unpacking internalized racism (for BIPOC). These were designed by Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu, who holds a Social Welfare degree from UC Berkeley, where she studied the structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized forms of racism that affect the wellbeing of Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
“The only way we will get through this is to cultivate care.”
Building networks of solidarity across our communities is our most powerful means of creating change - but it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take work at every level - from our own interpersonal relationships to industry initiatives. Within fashion and beauty, I’m inspired by the actions that I’ve seen from Asian American industry leaders who I admire:
In an interview published today by the New York Times, Prabal Gurung shares his experiences with racism in the fashion industry. He recounts some appalling conversations with investors and fashion retail directors.
These gatekeepers questioned his identity as an American and criticized his designs for drawing inspiration from his own cultural heritage. I admire Gurung's courage in bringing attention to the reality of how BIPOC are treated within the industry.
“We have to really ask ourselves: Things we consider beautiful, things we consider chic, food we like, music we listen to, where is it coming from? It’s a very Eurocentric, colonial point of view, and we have to dismantle it.”
Another Asian American leader in fashion, Phillip Lim organized a virtual gathering - Doing Something About It.
This conversation brought together a coalition of BIPOC creators from across the fashion industry and speakers from activist communities to discuss how we can tap into our collective power to create change.
You and watch the recording here.
“Solidarity requires us to see ourselves in each other’s struggles to imagine a better future.”
As a platform dedicated to amplifying BIPOC-owned brands, Revisionary’s origins are rooted in this idea of building solidarity across communities and uplifting each other. I’m really proud of our Black History Month Initiative (which, by the way, raised nearly $900 for non-profits and helped bring our Black-owned brand partners over $4000 in sales!). And I’m hoping to put together something similar for AAPI Heritage Month, too. But what makes Revisionary unique is its permanence as a platform to help you discover, shop, and support BIPOC-owned brands year-round, and I’m excited to continue exploring new ways to do that.
For now, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Asian-owned brands in case you’re interested in supporting them at this time -
The designers behind Commission - Jin Kay, Dylan Cao, and Huy Luong - draw upon their shared perspective as first-generation immigrants to design luxury clothing that is poignantly connected to their culture and heritage.
Rejecting the typical ‘Asian-inspired’ motifs that have been appropriated into oblivion by white designers, Commission instead delves into the 80s and 90s dress codes of their parents - particularly their mothers. The brand reimagines these nuanced aesthetics in abstract ways to create unique pieces with an intellectual sensibility.
The Qi offers beautiful teas that tap into the vital energy and healing power of whole flowering herbs. Founder Lisa Li was inspired by the herbal teas she drank as a child.
She later reconnected with these whole flowering herbs as an adult, gaining a greater understanding of their holistic health benefits and energetic value. The Floral Tasting Collection offers 3x of each of their three whole flower teas.
Wwake creates delicate yet powerful jewelry pieces that explore the connection between ourselves and the earth.
Founder and designer Wing Yau rejects industry conventions by embracing a socially and environmentally conscious process of sourcing and production that strives for positive impact.
Drawing on her own heritage and relationship with her grandmother, founder Stephanie Zheng formulates skincare products and designs tools in collaboration with TCM practitioners - like the jade massaging comb pictured here.
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