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
– Janice Jann
{ NEHA }
America may be all about the sun-kissed, golden complexion, but for some Asian American women, paler is better.
“Fairer is regarded in higher regard,” says Indian American Neha Shah, whose family honed in on her naturally darker skin tone and told her to keep out of the sun. But Neha, a former track runner, always wanted to go outside as a kid so avoiding a tan was tough — not that she didn’t try. “I used to put on SPF 75 sun block to stay fair,” she remembers. “I would go on [beach vacations] and be under an umbrella and a towel.”
Today, the 32-year-old embraces her gorgeous skin color. “I’m over it,” she says. “You know what? When I get under the sun, I look golden.” And she’s optimistic about Hollywood’s portrayals of Indian Americans of all skin tones. Though she recognizes that there’s still not enough darker-skinned South Asian actresses onscreen, she’s happy there’s a few. “I think it’s going to get there,” she says. “It just hasn’t gotten there yet.”
Neha 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.
Royal/T Café’s Soju Ginger Lemonade: Enjoy an early happy hour with this refreshing picnic cocktail.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Entertaining
STORY: Janice Jann
Royal/T Café’s Soju Ginger Lemonade
2 oz premium soju
1.5 oz ginger syrup*
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a healthy sized lemon wedge.
*Ginger syrup (Makes about 16 oz)
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup filtered water
3 inches peeled and crushed ginger
Combine ingredients in a small pot over medium high heat. Bring to a rapid boil. Take off heat. After 15 minutes strain out the ginger. Let cool to at least room temperature.
Check out more stories here. Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Beauty Kit
STORY: Anna M. Park
We all know by now that we have to protect ourselves from the sun. But there is so much confusion out there about SPF, the different types of blockers and how much to apply. So we asked cosmetic dermatologist and author Tess Mauricio, M.D., who is of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent, to cut to the basics.
Chinese actress Li Bing Bing unleashes her star power in auteur Wayne Wang’s latest film Snow Flower and the Secret Fan — a lush visual feast of celluloid based on Lisa See’s best-selling novel, revealing a secret language and a sacred bond of sisterhood that gave women a voice and freed their souls.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Cover Feature
Photographer Ken Pao
Wardrobe Anna Katsanis
Makeup & Hair Elle German
Photo Assistants Leo Salvaggio, Noah Ehlert
Story Teena Apeles
THE BACK-UP PLAN: Grenade, hater, cock-blocker — call it what you will, guest columnist Anastasia Kim filters the losers, while wingman Paul Nakayama just tries not to say too much.
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: The Awful Truth
STORY: Paul Nakayama and Anastasia Kim
PHOTO: Audrey Cho
ANASTASIA SAYS:
I really should charge by the hour for my wingwoman services. Actually, wingwoman doesn’t quite describe the role so much as “booty guard.”
I am not a “matchmaking” wingwoman, just so you know; you can sign up with eHarmony for that. I am what embittered folk call a “cock-blocker,” “hater” or, if they deem me unattractive enough, a “grenade.” (Hopefully this isn’t the case.)
As a mechanical engineer and co-host of PBS Kids Go!’s series Design Squad Nation, Judy Lee is working hard to debunk notions that engineering is hard, nerdy and only for boys.
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: My Story
STORY: Judy Lee
My parents moved to the U.S. from Taiwan more than 40 years ago. My brother and I were born and raised in North Carolina and grew up in a world with two different cultures. My parents were amazing in that they embraced American culture while remaining rooted in Taiwanese traditions. While American things — eating hamburgers and fries, believing in Santa, and pulling for college sports — were a part of our lives, so were Taiwanese things — like my mom talking too loudly on the phone as if the person on the other line were actually in Taiwan, families fighting over who would be the lucky one to pay the bill, and parents showing off their kids’ SAT scores.
“I don’t see many bands like this. And I get to be a part of it.” — Kaori Tsuchida
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Jimmy Lee
The razor-sharp rhythms — which are undeniable invitations to shake your ass — are just part of the evidence that The Go! Team has impeccable timing. Just when it felt like the band from Brighton, England, had fallen off the pop music radar, they reappear with a new, better-than-ever album. Released in February, their third and latest, Rolling Blackouts, continues to bring the joyful noise — a meticulous mélange of styles, from indie pop and noise to game show themes and hip-hop — found on its predecessor, 2007’s Proof Of Youth, which followed the sample-heavy Thunder, Lightning, Strike of 2004. Continue Reading »
“When I see someone like a Harry [Shum, Jr.], I get excited. I think about me as a kid — like, ‘oh my god, I want to be cool like that.’” — Jon M. Chu on Asian role models.
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Katrina Guevara
Jon M. Chu may be known for directing dance films, namely Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D, but don’t pigeonhole him just yet. The 31-year-old says he’s just a modern fairytale story- teller, whether it be through dance, superhero stories, or an old fashioned boy-meets-girl romance. He even considers his latest film, the 3D musical documentary, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, a modern-day fairytale. “[It’s] about a kid from a small town who follows his dream, has Usher as a mentor, finds his way and is anointed by the king,” says Chu.
Continue Reading »
“I don’t know why I feel like I have to have sex with other people than you. … My kisses on your neck may not be exclusive, but they’re not random either.” – Kelly Zen- Yie Tsai
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Anna M. Park
With spoken word poet Kelly Zen- Yie Tsai, what you hear is pretty much what you get.
“If I was the center of everything for a day everything would be aimed towards, dictated by, catered to, tailored for 5-foot-2 tattooed Asian females.”
“I don’t know why I feel like I have to have sex with other people than you. … My kisses on your neck may not be exclusive, but they’re not random either.”
“When it comes down to … whether my heart, my uterus, my tax return and my generation is gonna be governed by your sorry self, I would like to say that I’m real. I’m here. I’m voting. And believe me this girl is yellow.”* Continue Reading »
Throughout the years, Asian Americans have yearned to see faces like theirs on the small screen. With Nickelodeon’s new show Supah Ninjas, the Asian American family is returning for the first time in 16 years as the star of a mainstream television series. While teen-oriented shows are saying they’re committed to diversity, do AA teens today really feel well-represented?
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
There’s a new family moving into TV-land this spring. The dad, a bumbling cop. The grandfather, a wise old man. And the son, a doe-eyed high-schooler named Mike who just wants to win over the girl of his dreams.
