RAAW
Rachel J. Lee
Now more than ever, representation revolving around the Asian American community is at an all-time high. Although we are beginning to see more support in Western media, there are still many parts of the community that feel underrepresented. This is especially true for Asian American women who are often silenced and are historically devalued in both Western and Eastern culture. Seeing that there weren’t many resources about the experiences of Asian American women, it seemed like the only way to navigate through the struggles of cultural identity was to speak with other Asian American women. As a Korean American woman, I often questioned who I was and felt isolated since there were very few platforms dedicated to celebrating Asian American women.
These were the motivations for creating RAAW (Radical Asian American Women). RAAW magazine is a platform and resource for Asian American women to share stories, works, and accomplishments all from a diverse female perspective. Here they are celebrated in their most genuine form, but also challenged to redefine what it means to be an Asian American woman. Through RAAW I aim to bring Asian American women together to provide support for one another, make them feel less alone in their thoughts, and give them the power to decide who they want to be. Ultimately, I hope this will inspire other Asian American and minority women to learn more about who they are and to become a part of the representation and conversation we lack in society.