Mama, look - I'm On TV!

Hey there. It’s been a while, and I have so much to catch you up on! We’ll start with me being on T.V.!

Behind the Scenes

One of the things that drew me to PR earlier in my career was that I’d be behind the camera. While Olivia Pope (Scandal fans, anyone?) coached her clients on what to say in front of the camera, I was doing the same. The spotlight wasn’t on me. I loved that. I didn’t want the pressure!

That was up until recently when Detroit Public Television reached out for their “One Detroit” series featuring Asian Pacific Islander Americans. If I participated, I’d have the opportunity of spotlighting one of the most influential women in my career, Dr. Meaghan Kozar.

For those of you who don’t know Meaghan—you should. (:

Creating a Lasting Bond through Advocacy

I first met Meaghan as a freshman studying communications and public relations at Michigan State University. Meaghan was a program coordinator for the Asian Pacific American Studies program at MSU. She went on to be the assistant director, coordinator of Student Success Initiatives, and a project manager for MSU’s Inclusive Campus Initiative! She’s a rockstar!

The first time I saw her, she was rocking blue eyeliner, which I will never forget. As an Asian American raised in Lansing, Michigan, my mother taught me to be quiet, and blend into the background. But here Meaghan was! She stood out with her bold blue eyeliner, and spoke clearly and loudly. Her presence commanded the room!

The Importance of Mentorship

Meaghan went on to be a great mentor and encourager. I was fortunate to have her during my undergraduate studies, and I’m lucky to keep in touch with her today. The DPTV series tells the story of how Meaghan and I became friends, and how we didn’t allow stereotypes to box us in.

Thank you Zosette Guir and Bill Kubota for thinking our story was worth telling. Your grace and joy throughout interviews will always remind me why working with media can be so incredibly rewarding.

“Two women create lasting bond through AAPI Advocacy, APA Studies course at MSU”

Binge Worthy - Shows & Movies That Feature Diverse Backgrounds

BRB—I’m busy binging the latest T.V. shows and movies—and you should join me.

When I was a child growing up in Lansing, Michigan, I remember having the Mulan VCR on repeat. I loved seeing a strong female lead who looked like me. Outside of Mulan, I used to fight my siblings for the kitchen T.V. on Saturday mornings so that I could watch “That’s So Raven.” Besides her grooves and moves, I adored that she was a Black American. I felt like I could relate to her.

If you grew up in the 1990s, you might be able to relate to me when I say there weren’t many options for mainstream entertainment that featured diverse backgrounds or ethnicities. Today, I’m proud to know there is more. Now, I’m no T.V. connoisseur. Neither would Rotten Tomatoes ever hire me, but below are my most recent favorites. Let me know if you’ve watched any of the movies listed below and what you thought.

SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT.

• Eternals (Available on Disney+): Eternals is an action movie that’s a part of Marvel Studios. Besides my love for the Marvel universe and its heroes, I particularly liked the diverse components of this movie. Angelina Jolie plays Thena, a fierce warrior protecting humans. What’s more is that her character arc portrays her to develop their universe’s equivalent of dementia, or memory loss later in her life. It impacts her relationships with other characters and you can tell it has an impact on her mental health. Mental health is often stigmatized and it was refreshing to see it portrayed in a major Marvel Studios movie. More so, Makkari, another bad ass female superhero, is deaf. She uses sign language to communicate with others throughout the entire movie. I love how they portray more of her abilities, than disabilities. She is a strong fighter and comrade.

• Encanto (Available on Disney+): High School Musical (the original) was the best musical to ever exist. That was until I watched The Greatest Showman and fell in love in with Hugh Jackman. That was until I watched Encanto and fell in love with Mirabel, the main character. Encanto follows the story of a Colombian family. Each child is blessed with a magical gift until it’s Mirabel’s turn, and she has none. Later in the movie, we learn about Mirabel’s grandparents who were refugees escaping harm and had to leave their home. I love how Encanto features a minority-based family. The Spanish music and beautiful story line was refreshing, and I found myself crying more than once. It’s a lovely movie to watch as an adult and even better with kids.

• Emily in Paris (Available on Netflix): Okay, you might laugh at this one, but who doesn’t love Lily Collins? While Lily plays a wonderful Emily, the show is more about Emily’s best friend—Mindy—played by Ashley Park. And. I. Love. Ashley. Park. It was re-energizing to see Mindy as a cool, fashionable, lovable, supportive female lead. Mindy is depicted as a talented singer who captivates Parisians with her talents. There was a time frame where if an Asian female was featured in a mainstream T.V. show or movie, they often were nerdy, or had an accent, etc. I love how Mindy is relatable as an Asian American in today’s modern world. Mon soleil, Ashley Park.

• Love Hard (Available on Netflix): Love Hard is a 2021 rom-com on Netflix featuring Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev and Asian comedian Jimmy Yang. I ADORED this love story because in the end, the nerdy Asian guy gets the girl. Furthermore, I loved how this movie showed an interracial love story. In words of my husband, “it’s so nice to see a man who looks like me” [insert belly tap]. If you enjoy a well-written rom-com about modern dating and being cat fished… This ones for both you and I.

• Shang Chi (Available on Disney+): Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh—what a rock star cast! Although Simu is technically Asian Canadian, I loved seeing a good-looking Asian male lead who dominated the screen. If you’re also a fan of Simu, you’ve likely watched his “Hot Ones” interview on Youtube. The only critical lens I have for this movie is the one Simu discussed on that episode while eating wings. Simu was worried that people would watch the movie and think that Asians could only be boxed into martial arts or kung-fu style movies (queue Rush Hour, Karate Kid). I would agree, but I think the benefits outweigh the concern here. It’s great to know that if my 4-year-old nephew and I were hanging out, and wanted something on the background, that he would see someone who looks like him. That’s so meaningful.

Have you watched these shows or movies? What do you think?

Save me some popcorn!

Brenda

I Cried Last Night - Speaking Out Against Asian Hate

Last night was a night to be pampered. I had scheduled a hair cut, and color touch up, and after my hair appointment, I felt so confident—I took this picture and it was never posted.

It would have felt odd to post something. As I opened Instagram, I saw a video of an elderly Asian woman who made the news headlines because she beat a man who attacked her with a bat. I watched the video and it only took one time for her face and cry to be etched my in memory.

I felt a heavy weight on my chest, as if someone had taken a forty pound dumb bell weight and pressed it onto me—pushing and shoving me to the ground. I thought, “that could have been my mom.”

I believe I was 13-years-old when I had experienced and understood the first racist incident that I witnessed happening to my mom. It was Mother’s Day. My mom and I had just finished church and driving home, she pulled into a gas station to fill our car up. As she pulled into an open space, another car pulled in faster. The driver honked and when he stepped out of his car, he yelled “CHINKS” and gave my mom the middle finger. My mom, in the driver’s seat, resilient, strong and calm, reversed the car and backed out and said to me in Vietnamese, “it’s okay, there are plenty of spaces.”

I am confident I had experienced racism before, but for some reason, that had been the first time I processed how I felt, how my mom felt. Was part of me feeling embarrassed? Ashamed? Anxious? Why did he need to say that to us? Why did he need to make it racist? Why did he do this on Mother’s Day out of all days? I wanted to say something to that man and looking back, I wish I had. I made a vow to never be silent again.

Last night, my dad and I talked over Facetime. “We’re staying home. You don’t have to worry about us. Mom and I rarely go out—not even for groceries. It’s okay.”

When did this happen?

When did the world become a place where my parents, immigrants who turned proud American citizens, who broke the sea in half to make it to America by boat—feared to catch the coronavirus AND to be beaten to death for wanting to grocery shop? For wanting to get food for survival?

When did my Black American friends fear for their lives? Obeyed police officers, lived their lives, only to be murdered?

When did race become such a negative thing? An EXCUSE to KILL and claim lives?

Two weeks ago, I visited a friend to say ‘goodbye’ before their move out of state. It was a fantastic night, much needed time with good company over a glass of wine. She asked, “hey, what can we be doing to help Asian Americans right now?”

That has been a question I have been grappling with for weeks. The reality is racism and acts of hate, crimes against Asian Americans and other people of color is not new. What’s new is that people of color are fighting back.

What’s different is that the system that was supposed to be loyal to all Americans has failed us.

I am tired. I know you are probably tired too. I don’t have the answers. I just know I needed to say something.

If you’re looking for a place to start, I suggest starting with the following.

• Follow Asian American reporters. Read their articles and support their reporting. My two favorites are Dion Lim, an Asian American T.V. anchor out of San Francisco, and Betty Yu, also a reporter out of San Francisco. They both cover a lot of Asian American hate crimes. Look at the photos. Read about what’s happening.

• Create safe spaces at your work place where topics like this can be discussed. I am currently in communication with my employer to consider an employee resource group. Change starts with all of us. This stuff doesn’t fall on only human resources, or members of the leadership team.

• Help inform others. Post about hate crimes on social media so people are aware these things are happening. Consider re-sharing articles that promote Asian American businesses.

Say something. Do more. Don’t be a bystander.

Brenda

Fish Sauce - Your Kitchen Must Have

Yup. You got that right. Fish sauce.

It’s been about a year and half since I graduated with my master’s—when I first launched this website—and I’ll be honest, I haven’t posted anything since.

For the year that followed, I wanted to craft the perfect blog post to draw people to my site, but perfection became procrastination. I also wanted a copy editor and professional photos taken from my Canon. However, after a conversation with my fiancé the other day about hobbies and remaining committed to doing things we love, I have decided the only person stopping me from posting is me.

So this first post is going to be about fish sauce.

Ah, the potent, salty smell. The smell where by itself, it almost makes you hold your breath, but when stirred into a large pot of chicken soup—your salivary glands thank you.

For those who don’t cook regularly with fish sauce, or who didn’t grow up with a bottle in their pantry, fish sauce can be intimidating for several reasons. Many of my friends who enjoy cooking Asian food at home (pad thai, Vietnamese curry, etc.) have admitted to me that when an authentic recipe calls for fish sauce—they typically skip it, or add less than what the recipe calls for. As someone who grew up with extra bottles of fish sauce in the pantry (in case we ever ran out)—I couldn’t believe it. Why wouldn’t you use fish sauce???

After reading this blog, I hope you will feel inspired to give it a try in an upcoming recipe.

Use fish sauce…

• In soup with protein-based flavors (beef, chicken, pork)

• In your dipping sauces (for spring rolls, egg rolls, pour it over a bowl of rice, or noodles)

• In your stir fry

• As a replacement for salt

A little goes a long way. I like to think of fish sauce as a great replacement for salt. It accentuates the flavor more than what salt can do. It makes your food more savory. This past winter, I used fish sauce in my Italian sausage, tortellini soup. The ingredients were as expected—tomatoes, tortellini, spinach—with the exception of fish sauce.

Start with a teaspoon and go from there.

Stay salty.

BD

Pictured: Viet Huong Fish Sauce. Shot by Brenda Hu.