Alice's Magazine!

By APASA Intern Alice Yin

For my passion project, I want to make a magazine.

I typed these words, packaged in little blue bubbles and midnight delusion, at 1:17 AM to my recruitment director, Sage. It had always been an out-of-reach want of mine. And this was the one setting where I could make something out of it. 

And so 流 (Liu), was born. 

Armed with my self-developed writing and art skills like they were my two trustiest blades, I got to work. I knew that I wanted it to encapsulate my own experiences of coming to terms with my APIDA identity, and exploring the patchwork-like nature of my upbringing. But I had no desire to make it solely about me. What makes the Asian American community so strong is our collective experiences. So I decided to interview members of my intern class, and the Executive board. Through the 15 hour time differences and choppy call signals, I learned so much more about their upbringings, them as people, and the experiences that united us.  

The work was separated into 7 chapters, delving into topics like family, how we deal with love, intersectionality, and more. It took me 6 months—photography in Chongqing, the city I was born in, drawing on transatlantic flights, and writing in my dorm—and on another night, another blue bubble reached my two RD’s inboxes, this time, with the complete work of 流. 

After a few reworks, and the momentous task of compiling and arranging each spread in Adobe Indesign (which I was completely new to), it was ready. A lot of the handdrawn elements: digital, color-pencil drawings of many familiar APIDA objects: lychee fruit, koi fish, persimmons, stamps, were turned into physical stickers as well. 

I wanted to get my work beyond the scope of APASA. For others to see my art, in a place where it can be appreciated. Luckily enough, Cultural Arts Expo (CAE) was just around the corner; and luckily enough, I was given the chance to be a vendor. I sold my stickers, and my zines. The warmth and interest expressed by both APASA members, as well as strangers, who liked my designs, or even resonated with the material of the zine was so unbelievable. Art has this unrivaled ability to unite people, and I got to see it at CAE. 

My passion project gave me the space and time to explore and develop my own APIDA identity, and also give a platform, and artistic packaging, to share the collective experiences of my peers. And if you want a copy, or a sticker, I might just have a few left over.