We are voices of the Asian diaspora. The Universal Asian is an open and safe online platform for our community of immigrated Asians. FEATURED Kira Omans Talks About 'Him': Challenging the Reality You Know “Him” (2024) is now streaming on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime. Tomorrow marks the close of another AAPI Heritage Month, and the... Entertainment Ella Wu Nanchang Project Helps Chinese Adoptees Search For Heritage As May draws to a close, so does AAPI Heritage Month — a time to celebrate culture, identity, and history. But for adoptees like myself,... Adoptees Ella Wu An Adoptee’s Reaction to ‘Joy Ride’ (2023) Available in theaters July 7. “Joy Ride” hits like a solid punch to that white kid’s face: satisfying, but maybe not quite right. For... Entertainment Ella Wu RECENT POSTS Kira Omans Talks About 'Him': Challenging the Reality You Know Entertainment Nanchang Project Helps Chinese Adoptees Search For Heritage Adoptees Angeli E. Dumatol Paints Youth in Soft Shades Entertainment Rueben Dass Reveals How He Makes a Murderer Entertainment Lies, Spies, and a Guy Who Tries Entertainment ADOPTEE VOICES Kira Omans Talks About 'Him': Challenging the Reality You Know “Him” (2024) is now streaming on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime. Tomorrow marks the close of another AAPI Heritage Month, and the... Entertainment Ella Wu Nanchang Project Helps Chinese Adoptees Search For Heritage As May draws to a close, so does AAPI Heritage Month — a time to celebrate culture, identity, and history. But for adoptees like myself,... Adoptees Ella Wu An Adoptee’s Reaction to ‘Joy Ride’ (2023) Available in theaters July 7. “Joy Ride” hits like a solid punch to that white kid’s face: satisfying, but maybe not quite right. For... Entertainment Ella Wu Artificial Habitat Growing up, I lived in one of those unremarkable suburban neighborhoods everyone has seen and no one remembers. Two-story houses.... Essay Cynthia Landesberg IN THE WORLD TODAY Introducing Studio ATAO’s ‘Food Systems 101’ Studio ATAO is raising funds for their first food education program “Food Systems 101: An Introduction to the Politics of Food &... World Ella Wu Book Review: 'The Global Orphan Adoption System' by Dr. Kyung-eun Lee "The Global Orphan Adoption System: South Korea’s Impact on Its Origin and Development" by Dr. Kyung-eun Lee is an informative and... Adoptees OSH Living as a Returned Migrant in Korea (Part 2 of 2) Reposted from Ildaro.com As Koreans from the diaspora who have returned to the motherland we are acknowledged by the government as part... World 이영숙 Kristin R. Pak Human Rights: My life as a migrant adoptee, 2018 (Part 1 of 2) Reposted from Ildaro.com Introduction: As someone who became a migrant through intercountry adoption, Kristin Pak has a unique... World 이영숙 Kristin R. Pak ASIANS IN ENTERTAINMENT Kira Omans Talks About 'Him': Challenging the Reality You Know “Him” (2024) is now streaming on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime. Tomorrow marks the close of another AAPI Heritage Month, and the... Entertainment Ella Wu Angeli E. Dumatol Paints Youth in Soft Shades There’s a quiet brilliance to “ A Sky of a Thousand Colors .” What might seem at first like a straightforward mystery — a missing person,... Entertainment Ella Wu Rueben Dass Reveals How He Makes a Murderer “Late one night, I was walking home from the train station…” author Rueben Dass begins, sounding eerily like the opening scene of a... Entertainment Ella Wu Lies, Spies, and a Guy Who Tries Kam Raslan's “ Malayan Spy ” is the kind of novel that sneaks up on you. It spins espionage, history, and unadulterated humanity into a... Entertainment Ella Wu Join our mailing list! Get updates and subscribe to our newsletter! Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! FINDING OUR CULTURE On the Edge of Extinction: 'The Last of the Sea Women' Now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. On the rocky shores of Jeju Island, a remarkable culture hangs on by a thread, embodied in the... Culture Ella Wu How Xenia Deviatkina-Loh Is Redefining Diversity in Classical Music Many people think of classical music as a thing of the past. Its compositions have stood the test of time, holding a unique place in... Culture Ella Wu Bao Vo's Journey from Refugee to Artist Can you share a bit about yourself and how your Asian identity shaped who you are? Today I am an artist, music producer, and songwriter... Entertainment Ana Clancey Korean Adoption Documents: The print portfolio The meaningful and meaningless documents that make up the story of my adoption inspired this set of digital composites. The first step in... Adoptees A.D. Herzel LIFESTYLE Introducing Angela Wu Angela Wu is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Empowerment Coach who is passionate about de-stigmatizing mental health in the... Lifestyle OSH Choosing Parenthood “I think, maybe, we should talk about starting a family,” my husband said one day, as we sat on the back porch of a winery north of our... Lifestyle Cynthia Landesberg A #hyphenatedAsians POV: Christine Ha Christine Ha is a powerhouse of creativity and resilience. She was the first-ever blind contestant and winner of Gordon Ramsey’s amateur... Lifestyle Haiku Kwon Food: Truly colorblind glue As I walked the streets in the Asian part of Rome near Termini Station, the Asian stores were mostly empty, perhaps as a result of COVID... Lifestyle OSH IN OUR OWN WORDS Musings of a Middle-aged Matriarch: Finding my tribe There’s a sea of different people in this world. While everyone is unique and different, there are enough commonalities between us all to... Essay Heather Lewis What It Means To Be Asian in America: Recognizing and breaking the cycle of trauma The rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community has left many of us questioning not just our identity as Asian-Americans, but how we... Essay Vanessa Nguyen Artificial Habitat Growing up, I lived in one of those unremarkable suburban neighborhoods everyone has seen and no one remembers. Two-story houses.... Essay Cynthia Landesberg Musings of a Middle-aged Matriarch: How do you find joy? As adoptees, many of us have had to create our own joy. We have to work at joy because it doesn’t come naturally to us. We are too busy... Essay Heather Lewis FICTON & POETRY Appearances That night, as she stood alone on the water’s edge, the expanse of the ocean before her felt as dark and infinite as the universe. A soft... Fiction & Poetry Samantha Der Poems Time Time flies by In the blink of an eye How should I spend my day So many things that I could do But in my bed i just lay Being... Fiction & Poetry Lauren Kofalt Are You Me? The Noodles That Tie Us I loved my shirt With three pockets of color Gym shoes Blue shorts And black hair That flopped over My gold-rimmed glasses I was ready... Fiction & Poetry Samantha Der Poems Nothing What can you do when there’s nothing to do The sun shines bright and the sky so blue Yet sitting inside thinking of you It seems... Fiction & Poetry Lauren Kofalt

Erika is a Korean adoptee (KAD). < Back Erika Fisher Contributor Erika Fisher is an #importedAsian from Korea; born in Seoul and raised in the U.S. While her professional background is in international education, she’s also worked as a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor for nearly 20 years. Erika currently lives in London with her husband and two children, and has previously lived in Kenya, Thailand, and the U.A.E. You can find her at www.erika-fisher.com .

Stephanie is a #hyphenatedAsian. < Back Stephanie Fung Contributor Stephanie Fung is a #hyphenatedAsian . Born and raised in Hong Kong, Stephanie moved to Bristol in the U.K. at the age of 13 and currently lives in London. Her passion lies in writing and sharing stories of people. In 2018, she founded a media platform called Asians in Britain to share stories, amplify Asian voices, and empower and inspire Asian youths in the U.K. She recently also started a podcast called "High Expectasians" with her co-hosts Sanil Patel and Teresa Fan to discuss topics that highlight issues faced by the Asian community.

Lilly is a Chinese adoptee. < Back Lilly Schmaltz Contributor Lilly is an #importedAsian from China. She is currently obtaining her doctorate in cellular and molecular biology. Outside of her career, she advocates for human and adoptee rights. She aims to create safe and validating spaces for fellow transracial adoptees. Her love of reading and writing lead her to the world of book reviews and The Universal Asian . As a contributor, Lilly hopes to share her love of books that represent both hyphenated and imported Asians. You can find her at LillyFei.com

< Back Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor A Korean American adoptee who grew up in rural Michigan and is currently based in Portland, OR. Heath Hyun Houghton is an actor, writer, and director. He holds an MFA in creative writing with a focus in playwriting from Goddard College and a B.A. in theatre with a focus in performance from Humboldt State University. He also studied Korean dance and performance styles in Jinju, South Korea, with USD Modern Dance. Poems and essays have been published in Spring Time Magazine and The Pitkin Review. Heath’s work has appeared online in Pif Magazine, MiGoZine, and Korea4Expats. He has also contributed lyrics to albums released by Ultraviolet Hippopotamus (“One Eye Shut,” Stop Watch Time Drop ) and The Turnips (“Move Your Ass,” Background Music ). His plays have been seen as staged readings in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, and in the U.S. in California, Michigan, and Oregon. He is currently an Ensemble Member with Theatre Vertigo and Linestorm Playwrights. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and USA Gymnastics.

< Back A.D. Herzel Contributor A.D. Herzel is an #importedAsian from Korea. She is a Visual Artist, writer, and educator. A.D. has exhibited work nationally for the past 20 years. She trained as a painter and printmaker at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and went on to receive her Master of Eduaction (M.Ed.) in art education at the Tyler School of Art in 2000. Her digital work has been published in the Manifest International Drawing Annual , INDA 8, and she has won several awards of recognition for her drawings. In addition to exhibiting work in numerous juried shows, she has been recognized by curators from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art , The Kimbell Museum of Fine Arts in Texas, and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She has been represented by galleries in Fort Worth, TX, Nashville, TN and Philadelphia, PA. A.D. Herzel is an Asian-American artist and writer who has shared her work nationally and internationally. You may learn more about her and her work by following her on social media and visiting her website. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pseudopompou FB: https://www.facebook.com/PseudoPompous Website: https://www.pseudopompous.com Medium: https://medium.com/@pseudopompous Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/adherzel

< Back Lauren Burke Contributor Lauren (정미나) is an #importedAsian from Korea to the U.S. Her professional background is in financial analysis and management, but when the world paused in 2020, she was able to pick up her passion for writing again. She enjoys the practice of free-writing, in addition to writing song lyrics, and now, as a contributor for The Universal Asian . You can find Lauren engaged most often with the adoptee community, opening up about life as a Korean adoptee in the U.S., and what it’s like experiencing a birth family search process. She is also a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certified instructor and hopes to use that knowledge by returning to Korea someday, even if only for a chapter of her life. Lauren loves to connect and communicate with people, and hopes to use writing as a means to help others share their story. You can find her talking about adoption, BTS, and Korean food by following her on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjungmeena FB: https://www.facebook.com/itsjungmeena

< Back Jon Oaks Web Specialist Jon, aka 백승찬 (Baik Seung Chan), is a KAD currently living in the Detroit area. He is an award-winning professor of mathematics with over 17 years of teaching and tutoring experience. He values equity and believes that learning should be equitable for everyone. He is passionate about what he does, and his goal is to make sure every student knows that he cares about them. On a tour of Seoul in 2018 during his first trip back to Korea since being adopted, one of his friends gave him the nickname Prof. Seung Chan. The name has stuck with him as a reminder that he should be proud of who he is—past and present. He now uses the name Prof. Seung Chan on his weekly podcast with his friend Nick Ha. His hobbies include going to Detroit Pistons games, eating tacos, and drinking the occasional bottle of soju. One of his goals is to eventually visit every MLB Stadium and go to Paris when he retires.

< Back Tara Footner Founder Her everyday identity is an English language educator, which she has done for over 20 years in Japan, the U.S., and the U.A.E. to fuel her passion for travel and experiencing the world’s vastness. However, like most, OSH holds a number of other identities including writer. With the dream of writing since she was eight-years-old, OSH has written for April Magazine and contributed to various other online publications over the years. Yet, none have quite satisfied a desire to provide our community with a platform to share our collective experiences, showcase our many talents, and inspire each other to express ourselves openly in an otherwise dominated society. Therefore, OSH’s aim as founder of this online magazine is to offer an open and safe forum for our varied voices to be highlighted and heard. You can also follow Tara’s adventures here .

Tara Footner Founder Tara, aka Om Sun Hui (OSH), is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kath Pacao Administrative Specialist Kath was born in Manila and currently lives in Tokyo. Read More Cynthia Landesburg Contributor Cynthia is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor Heath is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Burke Contributor Lauren is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Samantha Der Contributor Samantha is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Ella Wu Managing Editor Ella is a Chinese adoptee. Read More A.D. Herzel Contributor A.D. is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Erika Fisher Contributor Erika is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heather Lewis Contributor Heather is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Kofalt Contributor Lauren is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Stephanie Fung Contributor Stephanie is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Jon Oaks Web Specialist Jon is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Ana Suli Clancey Contributor Ana is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Haiku Kwon Contributor Laura is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kara Bos Contributor Kara is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lilly Schmaltz Contributor Lilly is a Chinese adoptee. Read More

< Back Ana Suli Clancey Contributor Ana Suli Clancey is a Chinese #importedAsian. She was adopted from Yueyang, Hunan at 18 months old and is passionate about traveling, eating, and connecting with nature. Ana is also an advocate for mental health. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and strives to raise awareness, especially for communities of color and adoptees. Also, when her mother passed away as a child, she buried her emotions for eight years. She found that being vulnerable, although painful, was the way to reclaim her power. Ana's goal is to fight systemic racism by sharing her story and creating equitable solutions. She strives for a future where leadership is representative of all backgrounds, and the voices of underrepresented folks are amplified instead of being taught to remain quiet.

< Back Haiku Kwon Contributor Haiku Kwon, aka Laura Kruis, is a Korean American #importedAsian, writer, and wanderluster, who loves dogs, weightlifting, food, and connecting with others. Through her contributions to The Universal Asian , she hopes to demonstrate the importance of storytelling and sharing one’s personal truth to build community. Haiku has held many varied roles throughout her life and travels as much as possible, which has taught her that “home” isn’t always a place. Sometimes, it’s a moment. Blog: https://haiku-kwon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haiku_kwon/

< Back Lauren Kofalt Contributor Lauren Kofalt is an #importedAsian. She was adopted from China at age one and is currently in the United States. Lauren has taken back her birth name of Zhu Ling Jin as of the past few months, and has been writing poetry since she was little and has always had a passion for it. She is currently attending Penn State University and is happy to share her poetry with our Universal Asian community!

< Back Erika Fisher Contributor Erika Fisher is an #importedAsian from Korea; born in Seoul and raised in the U.S. While her professional background is in international education, she’s also worked as a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor for nearly 20 years. Erika currently lives in London with her husband and two children, and has previously lived in Kenya, Thailand, and the U.A.E. You can find her at www.erika-fisher.com .

< Back Kath Pacao Administrative Specialist Her weekday life revolves around being an administrative professional and communication expertise from staff to presidential levels. She has a demonstrated history of working in various financial institutions and organizations. As her weekday might seem tedious, Kath’s weekend revolves around cosplay as a hobby. For more than 10 years, she’s been traveling around the world doing cosplay photoshoots, meeting new friends, and trying world cuisines. Kath’s goal is to connect with people on various platforms and do small actions to make the world a better place.