ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Plugged In
STORY: Katrina Guevara
Treme, HBO
Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, this HBO TV series from David Simon (The Wire) follows the lives of struggling artists and musicians, including Annie, played by Korean-Italian American Lucia Micarelli, a real-life, Juilliard-trained concert violinist who has toured with Josh Groban and Jethro Tull. Currently in its second season, Treme (pronounced “truh- may”) is shot on location where the city is as much a character as its human counterparts.␣
Audrey Magazine: Has filming on location changed your perspective of New Orleans?
Lucia Micarelli: All these years later, you can clearly feel the gravity of the natural disaster in the city and its people. The city’s still not back, and the people are still hurting. At the same time, there’s a strong sense of community. It’s part of what makes it a really interesting cultural space and place to tell that city’s story.
AM: What’s happening to your character Annie this second season?
LM: I can say that she is in a new relationship, and she is really growing a lot as a musician. She just returned from being on tour and over the course of the season she’s being encouraged by different people to become her own artist.
AM: You were a child prodigy of sorts on the violin.
LM: I started off on piano, and that didn’t work out so well. And then I switched over to violin. I was like 3, so I don’t actually remember starting out. But my parents did tell me that I was a pretty quick learner.
AM: You did a lot of touring before Treme. Any favorite destinations?
LM: I had an amazing time in South Africa and Iceland. Red Rocks in Colorado was one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen. But I still haven’t been to Japan and am really excited to visit one day.
— Katrina Guevara
More stories from Audrey’s Summer 2011 issue here.
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ JESSICA }
“I realize it’s more about how you carry yourself.” — Jessica Del Rosario, 23, on being 4-foot-11-inches and having some of her kindergarten students taller than her.
– Janice Jann
Joz is one of nine women Audrey featured in its Body of Quirks feature. Check out more stories here.
Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ VIOLETTA }
Cambodian-Chinese American Violetta Tang’s wild mane of hair is so perfect for her effervescent personality that it’s hard to believe there was a time in her life when she would spend an hour every morning and pay hundreds of dollars to get her hair stick straight. “In middle school I started to feel weird that my hair wasn’t as straight as my other Asian friends, so I started blow drying it a lot to get it straightened,” she says. “I didn’t really know how to handle my hair.” When Violetta started wearing her hair curly in college, she was surprised to hear a lot more compliments on her locks. “I guess I just kind of stood out,” she says.
It hasn’t been all positive feedback though. “I once got this job as a hostess at an Asian restaurant and I wore my hair curly and down. My manager asked me to tie it up and wear it as a bun,” remembers the 24-year-old. “All the other hostesses had stick straight hair and they got to wear their hair down. I don’t think I fit the Asian image of what they were looking for.”
Continue Reading »
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ DORIS }
“Since I was a teenager, my body was not like any of my petite classmates who had just nipples, no boobs,” says Doris Tang with a laugh. “I always associated the reason I couldn’t get a date was because of my body — because I was supposed to be petite and no one wanted me,” says the Chinese American. Continue Reading »
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ YOKO }
“It helps me feel beautiful from within because it just makes you feel good.” — Yoko Igawa, 30, on working out.
A former track athlete, the Japanese American also takes hula classes and kickboxing.
– Janice Jann
Joz is one of nine women Audrey featured in its Body of Quirks feature. Check out more stories here.
Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ JOZ }
“I come from a family that was extremely beautiful and I always felt that I was not one of them,” Taiwanese American Jocelyn “Joz” Wang remembers. Raised among cousins who eventually became models and news anchors, the 34-year-old grew up labeled “the smart one.” Though she did feel pressure to compare herself to her genetically blessed clan, she never let herself go overboard. “Some people get really obsessed with their looks,” says Joz. “A lot of people let their own body image stop them from living life. I decided that wasn’t something I was going to do. I feel like life can be so full, why spend the time being consumed with things that you can’t control or will bring you down?”
Joz’s grounded perspective is evident in her online presence. An editor of the website 8Asians, she went viral when she posted a photo on Flickr labeled “Racist Camera! No, I did not blink … I’m just Asian!” (The camera tracks eyes to prevent a shot of the subject blinking.) The controversial photo has been viewed more than 420,000 times and was even discussed in an article on Time.com.
“I think the thing about the Internet that’s so beautiful and empowering is [it used to be] an editor [who] decided you were good looking enough to be on [her] magazine, but nowadays with the Internet, it’s you who decide what you want to put out there,” says Joz. “Do you have to be model thin to have 3 million followers on YouTube? No. The definition is changing. There’s all kinds of things that can make you appealing in front of a lot of people.”
– Janice Jann
Joz is one of nine women Audrey featured in its Body of Quirks feature. Check out more stories here.
Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.
A restless soul gave up comfort and security to seek out her favorite painter’s place of refuge.
ISSUE: SUMMER 2011
DEPT: CULTURAL COLLAGE
PHOTOS: ELIZABETH KIM
This past winter, I gave my two weeks notice, sold most of my belongings, packed up what was left in my VW hatchback, and drove straight out of Los Angeles. I traded my enviable job, comfortable apartment and a city full of friends for some time on the road.
How Gleelightful (I will never get sick of puns) does Jenna Ushkowitz look on the new cover of Audrey Magazine? Find inside, some exclusive pics and choice quotes!
Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
{ IRIS }
“When I hit puberty, it just … developed,” says Iris Chan. “No one knew where it came from.”
Yes, it’s what you’re thinking. At 5-foot-2-inches and a size 32DD, Iris is one lady who fills out a dress very well. While many Asian American figures lean more petite or lanky, Iris’ curves set her apart. But it wasn’t always a good difference.
“It was awkward growing up,” she says. “When I was a teenager, guys would make derogatory remarks and make me feel uncomfortable. Now, whatever attention I get, I feel it’s like the Asian porn star fetish thing.”
Iris used to try to detract from her hourglass figure with tattoos, by dyeing her hair purple and dressing “bohemian,” she says. But the 32-year- old’s since accepted that she’ll never look like the waify models she sees in magazines. Now, Iris dresses in well-fitting attire that complements her shape without being provocative.
“It’s a fine line,” she says. “Sometimes you get it wrong, sometimes you get it right.”
– Janice Jann
Joz is one of nine women Audrey featured in its Body of Quirks feature. Check out more stories here.
Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.
“Making someone laugh is the best. Laughter is the best medicine in the world.” — Dilshad Vadsaria
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Jennifer Chen
Greek actress Dilshad Vadsaria aims to please in the summer comedy 30 Minutes or Less.
For a girl whose first name means “happy heart,” Dilshad Vadsaria knows how to deliver one-line zingers.
And audiences will get a chance to see her do so as she made her film debut in 30 Minutes or Less this past August, playing fellow South Asian American Aziz Ansari’s sister and Jesse Eisenberg’s love interest, along with funny men Nick Swardson and Danny McBride.
Was Vadsaria, fresh from her role as Rebecca Logan (Becks, to fans) on ABC Family’s hit show Greek, intimidated to be working with such a funny cast of characters for her very first film role? No, she was too busy flying back and forth from Los Angeles to Michigan, shooting the final season of Greek and
filming her first scenes with Eisenberg. “There wasn’t time to think about it,” she says. But she did love every minute of it, especially since Kate, her 30 Minutes character, is the polar opposite of wealthy sorority girl Rebecca. As Vadsaria puts it, “Rebecca is filthy rich and has a jet. Kate, on the other hand, is working her way up and pursuing a career.”
It’s something Vadsaria could probably relate to. Born in Pakistan, Vadsaria decided to pursue a career in acting despite her parents’ desire that she become a doctor. So instead of telling her family she was taking acting classes in New York City, she told them she was “looking for a job.” After landing a starring role in Greek, she finally admitted she was moving to Los Angeles to be an actress. It was her first acting job, playing the girl everybody loved to hate. “I like to say she is misunderstood,” quips Vadsaria.
From teenage angst to grownup comedy, Vadsaria learned a new skill set watching her 30 Minutes comedian castmates on set — improv. “I couldn’t stop laughing,” she says. “Coming from TV where you have to stick to the script, here these guys were, throwing stuff in. It was so cool.” For this would-be doctor turned actress, Vadsaria has already learned what no degree can bestow: “Making someone laugh is the best. Laughter is the best medicine in the world.”
— Jennifer Chen
More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here.
