Brian Zhang
12 articles
Fleeting memories and the fickleness of family: How to say goodbye to a mother at a bus stop
“He made this in his first-grade arts and crafts class.” I watch Nai Nai’s fingers caress the roof of the model train. It’s tiny but formidable. The individual cars, still intact after all these…
10 tips for getting the most out of an Asian buffet
Eating your money’s worth at an Asian all-you-can-eat buffet is an art that can only be mastered with practice. Some of us were fortunate enough to get good at it very early on. Our parents, who…
Cultural biases made me question if I could love my white boyfriend, until I lost him
While waiting at the airport, my undocumented Mami would look for the camouflaged yellow of crocodile eyes. And when she finally spotted some — on the faces of patrolling white immigration officers…
My mother’s ultimatum: I had one shot at a successful gay relationship — or I had to move on
They gave me one shot at making it. At dating any boy and going all the way to the end with him. But if I failed, if that one relationship somehow fell apart, I would have to admit to my family that…
Masochist: A Father’s Day essay for a dad who didn’t want me
The clearance rack feels a little lonely tonight. I would mark myself down by 10% every day for you, never hitting zero — hoping that you would finally choose me and my melted crayons over your cheap…
Toothy takes: In defense of Asian fusion cuisine
If American Chinese food isn’t authentically Asian then neither am I Growing up with the privilege of nightly access to fresh, homemade Chinese food, I have always taken its Americanized cousin for…
Ma, Ba, may we talk?: The East Asian dinner table conversation, and what it says about mental health
At 14, you were braiding your younger sister’s hair into a Chinese ladder when Mom called both of you downstairs. It is dinnertime, and your grandparents, parents and older brother are already seated…
Simu Liu and Tesher take over Juno Awards stage with rousing bhangra dance to ‘Jalebi Baby’
Simu Liu showed off his bhangra moves to the hit song “Jalebi Baby” during the 51st Juno Awards at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto on Sunday. The Marvel star opened the evening with his powerful “I am…
Carry your favorite BTS members everywhere you go with new TinyTan Tamagotchi
BTS and Bandai Namco have collaborated to create new Tamagotchi digital pets featuring BTS band members. Tamagotchi have mood and health barometers that need to be met daily through player…
Netflix drops trailer for ‘Samurai Rabbit’ series based on Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo
Netflix released its official trailer for “Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles” on April 1. The animated show is an adaptation of Japanese-American cartoonist Stan Sakai’s 1984 comic book series —…
Changing Hollywood landscape welcomes increased South Asian representation at Oscars
This year, 10 South Asians walked down the Academy Awards red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, making history as the largest group of South Asians to be nominated for Oscars. Priyanka…
‘Welcome to the challenge’: Female stunt artist wows TikTok with virtuoso nunchuck tricks
A video recently uploaded to TikTok has left viewers in awe of fiery nunchuck tricks, paving the way for a new TikTok challenge while sparking conversations on the importance of female self-defense.…
