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
{ HELENA }
Growing up, the only way Helena Kim thought she could make herself look more “feminine” was by growing her hair long. “I had always been really athletic and strong with a stockier frame,” says the Korean American. “As I got older, I felt a little out of place. It was hard to identify with not having a really feminine build. My mom tried to make me wear makeup, but it didn’t look right. I just accepted I wasn’t going to look like the images I saw or the people [around me].”
By the time Helena got to college, she cut 14 inches off her locks and started to feel more like herself. “Now if people put makeup on me or pouf out my hair, it feels really weird — like not part of my body.” Though Helena is comfortable with the way she looks, there are still people out there who aren’t. “The only time [my image] evokes a negative response is generally where there are not a lot of people of different color,” she says. “Kids would come up to me asking if I were a boy or a girl. Sometimes guys feel uncomfortable around me. They’ll say things like, ‘Oh, I have that shirt in my closet.’” The public bathroom is where most issues arise. “Usually someone will say something like, ‘This is the women’s bathroom.’ Yeah, I know,” Helena laughs. “That’s why I’m here. It’s been so long it doesn’t even bother me.”
It’s something the 35-year-old had to learn. “I think my biggest thing is to walk the best journey I can and exercise patience and compassion with people,” she says. “I get it — they just haven’t seen anyone that looks like me. I think people are afraid of things that they don’t know or understand. Usually, if I can sense that someone’s uncomfortable or will have some sort of negative reaction, I’ll just say, ‘Hey, how are you,’ and suddenly it doesn’t really seem to be an issue anymore. It’s like, oh, I’m a person. You don’t have to treat me like some sort of freak show.”
Helena admits she was a little nervous about sharing her story. “I was really surprised when I got chosen. I’m familiar with Audrey. I’ve known it since the launch [in 2003] and I know I don’t look anything like the kind of women in Audrey.” So what changed her mind? “When I was growing up, I think I would have really liked to have seen someone who looks like me in a magazine for Asian American women.”
– 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.
Mission accomplished.
