Every Spring, Kaya Press Managing Editor Neelanjana Banerjee teaches an exciting UCLA course in the UCLA Asian American Studies Department: Asian American Publishing with Kaya Press. Throughout the quarter, students learned the intricacies of the publishing industry and how an independent, Asian-diasporic press like Kaya navigates the industry. As their final, students produced and edited their own zine projects, overlooking the submission process, design and curation, and presentation to the class and community.
This Spring was especially fraught and powerful, as UCLA’s campus was shook by extreme violence from outside agitators against the Palestinian Solidarity Encampment. It was especially empowering to see the students weaving their experiences into their zines — and especially learning about the importance of publishing and telling our own stories. Students presented their publication in a special event featuring the publications from the class, with readings from contributors. These zines tackle topics ranging from grocery stores to generational divides, all with a focus on connection and community. The zines will be available on the Kaya website. Watch a preview of the readings of the pieces below!
- Pamilihin by Ariana Castro, Angela Medina, and Chloe Nelson offers insight into how some college students’ favorite foods are connected to culture, class, and nostalgia. Family recipes and directions to local grocery stores map these relationships with a DIY feel.
- The second issue of G.A.G. RAG, curated by Eve Chen and Jonathan Jarrell, showcases artwork by queer, Asian American artists that are more than okay with being considered controversial.
- Fragments by Julianne Le (one of Kaya Press’ very own interns!) looks into the art of young Asian women and asks to see the work they make in private. By asking for what they want to share, Fragments looks to reveal what contemporary topics this community is concerned with – from memories of war to late-night talks between friends.
- Asian American Greek Life is called into question in a zine by Jillian Stineman and Haley Hosokawa. About 100 years after the first Asian American fraternity was created, this zine questions the pride, belonging, and exclusion associated with Asian American Greek culture.
- Rethinking Romance by Harnoor Kaur and Suvahny Reach asks interviewees to assess their personal histories with love, beginning with their childhoods. The idea that the love a child witnesses influences their future romantic relationships is unpacked in this piece.
- A Collection of Dreamsby Sophia Yun presents a collective dream journal, highlighting the various images that our minds choose to remember while we are asleep.
- Lines of Love by Mendarava Gelleck asks readers to evaluate their relationships to themselves and their community. Its emphasis on the importance of various forms of love in their lives brings attention to contemporary issues like body image during the time of social media and imposter syndrome due to systematic barriers.
- wishbone by Nitsa Thotz and Sandra Guzman is a digital scrapbook documenting sibling relationships, highlighting the beauty in seeing another person through various stages of change and loving them throughout.
- Lotus by Sabrina Poon views art created by Asian Americans as a form of resistance. Poon brings attention to young Asian artists who prefer alternative routes and thrive outside of the mainstream.
- accession by Amelia Weintraub delivers a poignant, nuanced look into Asian students’ feelings towards complex topics like gender and nationality.
- Generation Talk by Irene Zhou intimately shares vignettes of different family histories, exploring themes of generational divides and connections. Family is the source of both conflict and reconciliation within these stories.
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