New York, NY
By covering topics such as fashion, school and relationships, and by profiling successful Asian Americans, we are able to help our readers expand the range of their dreams.
Who are you?
I am extremely restless, easily bored with living in the same place, eating the same food and learning the same things. During college, I studied science but found myself passionate about areas as diverse as psychology, urban planning and new media. Finance internships allowed me to learn about the business world, while my first job out of college as a management consultant allowed me to work on short, interesting projects in extremely different industries. During this time, I was able to explore new cities, cuisines and cultures – and experience numerous hotels. Ironically, I became increasingly enamored with hotels, loving the immediate sense of comfort and peace that they provide amidst bustling cities. I am currently working at a major hotel chain before going back to business school, where I will hopefully figure out a career path that allows me to keep wandering.
What do you do?
I started Mochi Magazine, an online magazine for Asian American teen girls, two years ago with a fellow Taiwaneser, Steph Wu. Mochi consists of 40+ volunteer staffers ranging from high schoolers to college graduates. It creates a community for girls to gain access to sisterly advice – such as my “little sib” Rayne, an adopted Chinese girl who I have mentored since high school. In Mochi’s first issue, we interviewed Brenda Song of the Disney Channel, and have since interviewed James Kyson Lee of Heroes, Yin Chang of Gossip girl and Harry Shum Jr of Glee. That these celebrities were so receptive to us reinforced to me the lack of Asian American role models for our demographic. By covering topics such as fashion, school and relationships, and by profiling successful Asian Americans, we are able to help our readers expand the range of their dreams.
Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?
TCS, TAF, ITASA, BITSA, NATWA II… there are so many acronyms that I associate with being a second-generation Taiwanese. The seemingly never-ending invitations to various conferences and networking events, while sometimes overwhelming, always amazes me. The Taiwanese American community is a true Community that supports and connects us to help us achieve our goals. I remember receiving e-mails from all directions when the movie Formosa Betrayed was just an idea, and I continued to receive e-mails as it became a reality and eventually hit theaters. The Taiwanese American community is such a motivational and inspirational part of my life.
Any additional information you would like to share?
Check out our magazine and blog: www.mochimag.com
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