Joyce & Amy (@harrysmamas) are a queer Asian married couple living in NYC with their dog (and namesake), Harry.

Drea is a 2nd year Entomology PhD Candidate in Dr. Brian Lazzaro’s lab. She investigates the impact of nutrition on infection outcome in fruit flies, particularly studying the genetic and physiological mechanisms by which dietary sugar shapes resistance to infection. As a Graduate School Dean’s Scholar and Ford Foundation Fellow, Drea serves the Cornell community and beyond as an E-board member of the Black Graduate and Professional Student association, Co-leader of the Diversity Preview Weekend, and co-instructor for the Science of Bias Seminar at Cornell. When she is not advocating for diversity and inclusion in academia or experimenting on flies in lab, she is a plant mom and likes to play video games, watch anime, read comics, and make cosplay.

Hannah is a social worker in Manhattan. Raised in Texas, she moved to New York to receive her Masters of Social Work from Columbia. Hannah is a passionate voice for every cause that she has ever learned about and is determined to use her voice to support others. With a history of photography, she has long been interested in storytelling. Her pre-COVID free time was spent traveling but she currently finds herself in a rapidly increasing plant collection.

Keilani Elizabeth Rose, is an award-winning, classically trained actor and dancer, a model & spokesperson for companies including Walt Disney, Olay & Sportchek, and a popular radio & nightclub DJ. She’s worked in many hit TV/Film projects and is also known for her DJ-ing. After enduring a tumultuous childhood with a tremendous foundation of community support, she now works on a variety of collaborative projects focused on giving back.As the oldest of three remarkably close sisters, descendants of a rich multi-cultural heritage, Keilani is dedicated to challenging and influencing the world to promote sustainable community, inclusion, and equality through creativity.

Hae.zy is a Korean-American independent artist from Boston, MA. She debuted in 2018 with her first single, “The Morning After”, recorded at the Berklee College of Music Studios. Hae.zy’s unique style explores several genres including jazz, pop, R&B, soul, and neo-soul, contributing to her authentic sound. Inspired by musical influences like Erykah Badu, Jhene Aiko, SZA, Ari Lennox, Amy Winehouse, Hae.zy’s music has an eclectic vibe, marrying futuristic melodies with a poetic lyrical style. Hae.zy passionately represents her Asian American roots, hoping to connect to her audience not only by expressing her eccentric sense of empathy in her music, but by speaking on important cultural matters.

Malavika Kannan is a writer, feminist advocate, and Stanford English major dedicated to telling stories about women from underrepresented communities. Her debut YA novel, “The Bookweaver’s Daughter,” which was written when she was 17, was published in Fall 2020 from Tanglewood Publishing. She’s a widely-published essayist and commentator about identity, culture, and politics for publications such as Teen Vogue, Refinery29, The Lily, Nylon, and the San Francisco Chronicle, where she currently interns.

Each issue we feature some of our readers to highlight the diversity and stories of Asian women, non-binary individuals, and other gender minorities around the world. Here are this issue’s Overachievers!

Intelligent. Docile. Hardworking. Passive. Diligent. All words used to describe America’s “model minority.” The oxymoronic status of Asian Americans’ role within the American hierarchy has continuously enforced systemic racism against other minoritized communities. However, it has also been used to oppress Asian Americans through the erasure of their narratives and hardships.

Each issue we feature pieces of prose and poetry from Asian women, nonbinary, and other gender minority writers around the world. Here are this issue’s pieces!