Want more? Click here to see all my writing for NextShark.

Images via Lucia Lee-Kombe / NextShark

Images via Lucia Lee-Kombe / NextShark

Images via @fashion_grannies / NextShark

Images via @fashion_grannies / NextShark

Image via quinnipiacu / NextShark

Image via quinnipiacu / NextShark

Image via Change.org / NextShark

Image via Change.org / NextShark

Taiwanese Woman Finds the Love of Her Life After Going on a Safari in Tanzania

[lifestyle]

October 2020 - NextShark

A Taiwanese woman’s love story spanning across the world from Tanzania to Montreal, Canada, captured the hearts of over 53,000 people on the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits.

 

Chinese ‘Glammas’ Are Now Using TikTok to Flex Their Fashion

[viral]

September 2020 - NextShark

These vogue grandmas, or “glam-mas” as their fans affectionately call them, are too busy putting together incredibly age-defying outfits at over 60 years of age and showing off their fashion know-how on the streets to bake cookies for you.

 

Quinnipiac University Accused of Creating Community of Hate, Racial Profiling Students of Color

[racism]

July 2020 - NextShark

Quinnipiac University has come under harsh criticism from its students for a statement it released following the Black Lives Matter protests.

Over 20 Women Come Forward to Accuse UC Berkeley Student of Sexual Assault

[investigative]

June 2020 - NextShark

More than 20 survivors have named University of California Berkeley student Nicholas Zhao as the instigator in several sexual assault incidents.

Images via Video Screenshots / NextShark

Images via Video Screenshots / NextShark

UConn Student’s ‘Chinese People Eat Bats’ TikTok Sparks Anger in the College Community

[racism]

June 2020 - NextShark

University of Connecticut student Olivia Davidson faced backlash on social media when a video she made at the end of March suggested that Chinese people eat bats.

Images via of Give Essential / NextShark

Images via of Give Essential / NextShark

 
Images via #HateIsAVirus campaign / NextShark

Images via #HateIsAVirus campaign / NextShark

Dartmouth Students Code Entire Site in 36 Hours to Help Over 6,000 Essential Workers

[activism]

May 2020 - NextShark

Two Dartmouth College students used the time they had during the pandemic to create Give Essential, a website that matches frontline workers with essential items donated from all over the country.

 

#HateIsAVirus Creators Talk About Tackling Racism and Hate Against Asian Americans

[ activism ]

April 2020 - NextShark

As Asians and Asian Americans are targeted by racism and xenophobia around the world, one campaign is calling out the hate and raising more than $1 million to support small Asian-owned businesses.

 
Images via Reinhardt Kenneth / NextShark

Images via Reinhardt Kenneth / NextShark

Indonesian Fashion Photographer Fights Hate Through Powerful Visualizations

[ arts ]

April 2020 - NextShark

Reinhardt Kenneth is using his skills to create awareness and begin conversations through his intense, visually-gripping photographic series with themes surrounding COVID-19.

 
Images via @shibshibs (left), @getusppe (right)

Images via @shibshibs (left), @getusppe (right)

Olympic Siblings Raise Over $26,000 to Give PPE to Front Line Workers

[ activism ]

April 2020 - NextShark

Olympic medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani launched a GoFundMe Charity with GetUsPPE to address the declining personal protective equipment (PPE) needed by frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
Images courtesy of Corey Huh / NextShark

Images courtesy of Corey Huh / NextShark

Husband Denied From Caring for Terminally Ill Wife Due to COVID-19 Hospital Restrictions

[ news ]

April 2020 - NextShark

Corey Huh has been unable to see his wife, who was diagnosed with carcinosarcoma, late last week due to new hospital policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
Logo Design by Kimberly Nguyen

Logo Design by Kimberly Nguyen

Asian Beat Column

[ music ]

January 2020 to Present - The Daily Campus

I wanted to create a fun column for my last semester as a writer at The Daily Campus. When I first started as a designer first semester of my freshmen year, I was timid, shy and hid behind my computer most of the time. The only way to express my personality without having to open my mouth was to play songs that I loved. It’s only fitting that I end my time at The Daily Campus introducing readers to some Asian musical artists that I vibe with, touching on all different genres of music. I’m passionate about Asian representation in all forms of media, music being my favorite form. 

Check out a few below. Click here for all stories.

  1. Yo-Yo Ma

  2. Yaeji

  3. Le Cat Truong Ly

  4. Peggy Gou

  5. Elephante

  6. Yuna

 
There are many negative stereotypes against interracial relationships, with many obstacles unfairly closing the door on the potential for partners to grow through a different worldview. Illustration by Kaitlyn Tran.

There are many negative stereotypes against interracial relationships, with many obstacles unfairly closing the door on the potential for partners to grow through a different worldview. Illustration by Kaitlyn Tran.

How to understand interracial dating 

[ relationships ]

April 2020 - The Daily Campus

Interracial relationships are culturally enriching, opening up a different worldview. In today’s climate, we may need that more than ever. However, an opening of that worldview doesn’t have to mean fetishization or tokenization.  

 
Mike Dezaki dives deep into the issue of Comfort Women, one of the most heatest disputes between Japan and Korea. His film brings together clips from news and archives with interviews with experts on both sides of this contention, which was followed…

Mike Dezaki dives deep into the issue of Comfort Women, one of the most heatest disputes between Japan and Korea. His film brings together clips from news and archives with interviews with experts on both sides of this contention, which was followed by a discussion with Dezaki. Photo by Eric Wang / The Daily Campus

'Shusenjo' film sheds further light on comfort women debate and role of Japan 

[ events ]

September 2019 - The Daily Campus

“I had doubts about it,” said director Miki Dezaki of the documentary “Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of the Comfort Women Issue.” The “it” being the issue of comfort women, whom Dezaki had only heard about from his foreign teachers, he told the audience following a discussion of the film in the Konover Auditorium of the Dodd Center at the University of Connecticut yesterday evening.  

 
I did the most aggressive return to American cuisine that was available to me at the time: Consuming as much of it as I could at an American fair. More specifically, The Big E. Photo by Kimberly Nguyen / The Daily Campus

I did the most aggressive return to American cuisine that was available to me at the time: Consuming as much of it as I could at an American fair. More specifically, The Big E. Photo by Kimberly Nguyen / The Daily Campus

The Big E wows with its show-stopping food selection on opening day  

[ food ]

September 2019 - The Daily Campus

I recently just returned home from being abroad for seven months. There are definitely some “traditional” American foods that I’ve seen advertised in restaurants from New Zealand, Vietnam, Bali and more. As much as I had the occasional craving for a traditional “American” meal, it doesn’t get any more American than eating the food in the country. 

 
Show director Tuan Le says that artists, performers and musicians develop their skills throughout the show to best represent themselves as well. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Show director Tuan Le says that artists, performers and musicians develop their skills throughout the show to best represent themselves as well. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Bamboo Circus Visually Awes In Telling Cultures and Traditions of Vietnam

[ arts ]

September 2019 - Vietcetera Media

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. It is a hub for start-ups, businesses and tourism as people from all over the world come to visit the country. One production company encourages its audience to slow down and truly immerse themselves in the Vietnam culture.

 
Hien opened her first shop influenced by the Japanese ceramics boom in 2012 simply because she also loved collecting this type of homeware and wanted to share that interest with others. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Hien opened her first shop influenced by the Japanese ceramics boom in 2012 simply because she also loved collecting this type of homeware and wanted to share that interest with others. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Tuhu Ceramics Reinvents The Old With An Emphasis On Autonomy In Creativity

[ culture ]

September 2019 - Vietcetera Media

Walk into the shop of Tuhu Ceramics in Thao Dien, District Two and one feels as if they’ve stepped into a blue oasis. Blue is the central color of the first collection developed by founder and CEO, Le Thi Hien. She is as gracious and inviting as the space, which displays stacks and rows upon rows of hand-crafted ceramic ware.

 
With the motto, “We Bake For Change,” the vocational school, founded in December 2017, seeks to better the lives of young people from low-income families of rural Vietnam. Kimberly Nguyen / Vietcetera Media

With the motto, “We Bake For Change,” the vocational school, founded in December 2017, seeks to better the lives of young people from low-income families of rural Vietnam. Kimberly Nguyen / Vietcetera Media

La Boulangerie Française: Baking For A Brighter Future

[ education ]

August 2019 - Vietcetera Media

Traditional baguettes, sourdough, soft bread, croissants, and the classic pain au chocolat are just some of the baked goods created by students at La Boulangerie Française in Ho Chi Minh City. However, this is not a simple baking or culinary institution. With the motto, “We Bake For Change,” the vocational school, founded in December 2017, seeks to better the lives of young people from low-income families of rural Vietnam. The HCMC branch is based off of the successful model of La Boulangerie Francaise – Hue that has been successfully run for almost 20 years.

 
Generation Eco was created by a group of friends whose sole mission is to create a cleaner Vietnam through the simple act of cleaning up trash. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Generation Eco was created by a group of friends whose sole mission is to create a cleaner Vietnam through the simple act of cleaning up trash. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Generation Eco Vietnam On Saving The Environment

[ lifestyle ]

July 2019 - Vietcetera Media

Generation Eco Vietnam believes that after a hard day of cleaning up, celebrating with a party is well deserved. Generation Eco was created by a group of friends whose objective is to bring about the topic of trash among the public and create a new eco movement among the young generation in Vietnam. Caring for the environment and the community is the new definition of “cool” in their eyes.

 
Vietcetera was able to speak with Tien and receive more insight into her vision and the future of custom made suits. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

Vietcetera was able to speak with Tien and receive more insight into her vision and the future of custom made suits. Image Courtesy of Vietcetera Media

A Night Of Suits And Casual Posing At House Of Barbaard

[ events ]

July 2019 - Vietcetera Media

Ducking out of the rain to open the door to House of Barbaard in District 1, fashion designer and model Huỳnh Tiên were armed with suits for a night of conversation about her work.

Tiên is a Black-Vietnamese fashion designer and model who visited this jazzy lounge for a 
LandedVibe event. Founded by Tri Lecao, LandedVibe is a website where millennials can share their skills or hobbies through transaction-based activities. The site offers other experiences such as a recent archery lesson and competition.