It has been an incredibly rough couple of weeks—well, rough year—for Asian Americans and especially Asian American women, like my mother, a Chinese American woman who lives in the South. When I called to ask how she was doing in light of the Atlanta spa shootings, she asked, “Is it still safe for me to walk the dogs? Should I wear a helmet?”
Beyond those horrific shootings, in the past year alone, there have reportedly been nearly 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents nationwide, according to Stop AAPI Hate, and 68% of those incidents were reported by women. The primary sites of reported discrimination were at work.
These numbers are sickening and terrible, but not shocking. As an Asian American woman, I well know the racism and sexism that we routinely face, as I’ve written about before. We spend our lives dealing with dehumanizing stereotypes that we are shy, subservient, and sexually skilled—and it is exhausting. Exhausting and dangerous, as statistics and recent events prove over and over again, with little change.
As if Asian Americans needed more to worry about, we are suffering financially as well. Asian-owned businesses were the most negatively impacted of all demographic groups by the pandemic, with the number of working business owners falling by 20% from February to December 2020, according to a study that was conducted by University of California, Santa Cruz, economics professor Robert Fairlie, Ph.D., and analyzed by CNBC.
These hard-hit businesses could use your financial support now more than ever. If you’re able, shopping is one important way you can demonstrate your support of the AAPI community, although to be clear, it is by no means a solution and does not substitute educating yourself about the history of violence against Asian Americans, speaking up in public and in private against racism, and donating to organizations in need of assistance (resources which you can find here).
Still, being purposeful about where you spend your money is a start. To that end, I want to share with you a selection of highly giftable goods you can buy from Asian American-owned small businesses—all of which are founded by women. I hope you enjoy learning about their stories as much as I did.
Editor’s note: Because of COVID-19 and (hopefully) an increase in demand, please be patient if items are sold out or if shipping is delayed.
COVID-19 severely impacted small businesses in New York City’s Chinatown due to both financial hardship and xenophobia. After observing the community’s troubles in March of 2020, two long-time Chinatown residents, Victoria Lee and Jennifer Tam, pulled together a grassroots group of pro bono volunteers to organize Welcome to Chinatown initiatives. These efforts strive to preserve the historic district and to drive support to its local community members, including its small businesses (like Wing on Wo. & Co.), senior citizens, low-income residents, essential workers, and more. They’ve now raised over $400,000 from these initiatives and have launched a Made in Chinatown merchandise line with eight beloved businesses, with profits directly benefiting the businesses. In this line, you’ll find custom, illustrated swag, like Made In Chinatown prints, apparel, totes, home décor, and more.
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Sahra Nguyen has a hefty list of achievements: She’s an award-winning documentary filmmaker, co-founder of New York Times-reviewed restaurant Lucy’s Vietnamese Kitchen, co-founder of a podcasting agency, and a 2018 Google Next Gen Tech Policy Leader. Oh, and she runs a coffee company, too. The millennial daughter of Vietnamese American refugees who fled during the Vietnam War, Nguyen wanted to bring attention and praise to the Vietnamese coffee bean (which has been stigmatized by some major coffee producers as “inferior”). Her company, Nguyen Coffee Supply, partners with a fourth-generation farmer in Vietnam to offer special blends of arabica and robusta beans that are roasted in Brooklyn, all of which you can purchase (plus tools for brewing Vietnamese coffee) on its site.
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In 2016, at just 26, Mei Lum took on management of the oldest store in New York City’s Chinatown. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the original owners and rose to the challenge of saving the store from gentrification (and now, a pandemic). Wing on Wo & Co. opened as a general store in the 1890s, later turning into a shop that sold porcelain goods in 1925. Today, Lum continues to work closely with her family to run the shop and continues the tradition of selling curated, affordable porcelain goods like hand-painted wine cups, dinnerware, jewelry, wonderful little decorative objects, and more—i.e., highly giftable (or self-giftable) goods. She also launched W.O.W. Project, a community-based initiative which works to preserve Chinatown’s rich cultural heritage.
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Vanessa and Kim Pham, the first-generation Vietnamese American daughters of refugees, grew up in Boston eating traditional dishes made by their mom. They translated memories of those meals into the wildly successful online Asian meal starter kit business Omsom (which we love). Om sòm roughly translates into “rowdy” in Vietnamese, reflective of the sisters’ desire to bring loudness to dishes through their seasonings and starters inspired by Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino cuisine—to celebrate a future, they write, “that doesn’t have to be rooted solely in nostalgia and tradition.”
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For those with a sweet tooth, satisfy your cravings with Mason Dixie Foods, which bills itself as the fastest-growing frozen baked goods company in the United States. Founder and CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga is a second-generation Asian American who draws inspiration from growing up watching her parents serve “quality comfort food at their small carry-out restaurant and convenience store.” After college, she left her corporate job to open a baked goods pop-up in Washington, D.C., which was a hit. Now, you’ll find her Southern-inspired buttermilk biscuits, scones, cinnamon rolls, and sticky buns in major retailers such as Whole Foods and Costco.
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Pepper is one of our readers’ favorite bra brands because its designs specifically address the struggle for smaller-breasted women to find cute, comfy bras tailored for harder-to-find cup sizes like 38AA. The company, which was co-founded by first-generation Chinese American Jaclyn Fu, was launched as a Kickstarter in 2017 and received 100% of its $10,000 goal within hours (a testament to the popularity of its niche). I can attest that I own a Pepper bra and it fits exceptionally well without all the awkward gapping of my other bras.
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“One of my earliest memories is sitting in my mom’s lap at the roundtable in our family’s Chinese restaurant: heaping plates of steamed fish with fragrant ginger and fresh scallions; mapo tofu; ‘rabbit buns’ filled with egg custard,” writes Umamicart co-founder and CEO Andrea Xu. A first-generation Chinese American who grew up in Spain, Xu wanted a way to connect people with the dishes she ate at her parents’ table. Her brand new one-stop-shop prioritizes products from Asian American, immigrant-led businesses, carrying everything from meat (such as a stewing hen or Japanese A5 Wagyu Ribeye Steak) and produce (Korean radish, baby bok choy, Kabocha squash) to snacks (spicy crayfish-flavored Lay’s potato chips, fluffy snack-sized cheesecake, sparkling lychee water) and pantry staples. Nicely, for Women’s History Month, the company is supporting Asian American female-founded brands, offering a 20% off discount on their products with the code WOMENS20.
Editor’s note: Because the company recently launched, Umamicart only delivers to select states in the Northeast region at this time, though they plan to expand. You can find out if your zip code qualifies for delivery here.
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Parsons School of Design alum Tiffany Ju has lived in Virginia, New York City, Paris, L.A., and Seattle, but still struggled to find the kind of cute, high-quality hair clips she wanted to see on the market. So, channeling her love for trends, nostalgia, and the Memphis design movement, Ju started Chunks in 2019, growing to manage five women. Her carefully crafted acetate clips and barrettes are popular and celeb-approved for their unabashedly joyful use of color, patterns, and shapes. In her shop, you’ll find holographic-hued claws, squiggly matte pastel barrettes, transparent neon sunglasses, and more fantastical creations, all of which are proudly produced in China.
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This buzzy makeup brand that’s designed for sensitive skin is a favorite of SELF editors (see our rave reviews of Tower 28’s refreshing facial spray, tinted lip/cheek balm, lip gloss, and highlight balm). After working for over 15 years as a beauty executive, CEO and founder Amy Liu says she was frustrated with the limited supply of brands that were both safe for her eczema-prone skin and actually appealing to her—or as she puts it, not “like someone in a lab coat was selling to me.” Her line of pretty, poppy products falls squarely into the “no-makeup makeup” trend while also abiding by the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines.
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At Notte, you’ll find sunny, whimsical jewelry, from daisy-chain beaded necklaces to earrings featuring tiny glass roses and yin-yangs. This playful aesthetic is thanks to the brand’s founder, Chinese American designer Jessica Tse. She was formerly an accessories trend director before creating her own line of bright, bold pieces that mix pearls, shells, hearts, and other spirited symbols.
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In 1971, Ching Yeh and her husband Ming Yi Chen co-founded Pearl River Mart in Manhattan, the first-ever Chinese American department store. The Taiwanese natives came to New York as graduate students along with a group of political activists. Though trade was technically forbidden between China and the United States at the time, the group opened this “friendship store,” with the hopes of introducing their food and culture to their new neighbors to decrease the mystery surrounding China. For over 45 years, Mrs. Chen was the business brains behind the operation, curating the merchandise and designing store windows, and over time, Pearl River Mart has become an iconic New York stop, with its selection of affordable snacks and Asian-made home goods. Today, the Chens’ daughter-in-law, Joanne Kwong, serves as president of the mart (well, multiple marts, as they’ve since expanded) and continues the mission of promoting Asian American entrepreneurs and artisans.
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“I’m Indian, so drinking chai is basically in my blood,” writes One Stripe Chai Co.’s Chief Officer Farah Jesani. She has fond memories as a child of gathering around the communal chai in the courtyard of her mosque with friends, dunking Ritz crackers into the amber-colored drink in its Styrofoam cup. After college, she first started seeing “chai lattes” at coffee shops like Starbucks, but avoided the overly sweet, bland Americanized take on the beverage she knew intimately. Finally, Jesani landed in Portland, Oregon, and launched her own chai company with the hopes of “bringing this South Asian beverage back to its roots—starting with craft coffee shops.” On her site, you’ll find the chai of Jesani’s childhood: spicy black-tea blends, sweetened and unsweetened chai concentrates (which you mix with milk), as well as gifts, and more.
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In 2015, Deepica Mutyala posted a beauty hack to YouTube “teaching brown women how to use red lipstick to color correct under their eyes,” as she told Allure—and went viral. This clever trick landed her on “The Today Show,” and led her to launch her Instagram, Live Tinted, which focuses on diverse, inclusive beauty. Her community of young women of color seeking beauty advice grew, and its followers shared that their biggest beauty concern was hyperpigmentation, so eventually, Live Tinted launched its own product: a multistick which color corrects, hides spots, and also works as an eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. Mutyala shared her inspiration: "Through my own experiences as a beauty aficionado, having worked in the beauty industry and eventually becoming a beauty influencer, I formed a very clear point of view on the impact I wanted to have in the beauty space: to disrupt the representation and inclusivity in this industry.”
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Let’s Take Care is a loungewear line launched by DJ Mei Kwok earlier this year. Given how emotionally challenging the last months have been for many, Kwok included, she wanted to create a project to bring awareness to mental health and self-care. The sweatshirts lightly remind others (and the wearer) to “Take Care.” Ten percent of all purchases is donated to Mental Health America.
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Shizu Okusa worked on Wall Street as an investment banker for years before leaving to found Apothékary. Inspired by an Ayurveda yoga teaching certification, as well her upbringing in a traditional Japanese household, she created a line of USDA organic certified, fair-trade, non-GMO herbal blends such as Chill the F* Out and Slay All Day. This March, the company will donate 10% of its profits to Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
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After spending her childhood in New Delhi, India, Indifix founder Zain Ali moved to Wisconsin to attend Lawrence University, and grew increasingly homesick. Her friend drove her to the only Indian grocery store in the small town—and the reunion was magical. “Being thousands of miles away from home suddenly didn’t seem quite so bad,” she writes. “Soon enough, monthly visits to my mecca of Indian snacks become the norm. I left the store with arms full of Lay’s Magic Masala, Maggi noodles, and Good Day cookies.” Upon graduation, Ali moved to New York City, where she was able to find far more snacks, but quickly realized the market was still missing a “one-stop shop” for all of them. And so, she created Indifix, a company that offers specialty subscription boxes which feature handpicked Indian snacks and drinks. In her early days, she tested the box (to great success) on her American friends. “A box full of authentic Indian goodies delivered to your door wasn’t just the homesick Indian students’ dream, but also a way for others to explore the incredible flavors of India, all from the comfort of their home,” she says.
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Lin Chen launched her consultancy business Pink Moon in 2017 with the aim of promoting female-founded beauty and self-care brands that prioritize “sustainability, philanthropy, and holistic wellness.” The company carries a wide range of products, including spa essentials, makeup, gifts for new moms, aromatherapy, and even virtual workshops and masterclasses. There is also an in-house collection, which Chen created as a love letter to her Chinese heritage, and features a gua sha tool and made-to-order sunflower-and-moringa face oil to use with it.
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If you’ve yet to try the traditional Korean spirit soju, give Yobo Soju a shot (or take one, really). Soju, which means “burned liquor” because of its heated distillation process, dates back to the 13th-century Mongolian invasion of the Korean peninsula. The clear liquor has hints of “fruit and floral sweetness,” according to the site, with a lighter alcohol content. Carolyn Kim, a self-described “lawyer-mom,” started the Yobo Soju label in 2015, after noticing a lack of innovative craft soju in New York. According to the company, each small-batch of Yobo Soju is distilled from local, sustainably sourced grapes in Finger Lakes Distilling in upstate New York and contains no preservatives or sugar. Kim calls the company a “fusion of Korean and American cultures, a balance between heritage and home.” She recommends sipping the soju on its own, as she does, or mixing it into a cocktail.
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Stephanie Zheng learned the tradition of facial rolling and gua sha from her grandmother, and draws inspiration from these self-care rituals for Mount Lai, her beauty-and-wellness brand based around traditional Chinese medicinal practices. “These are recipes shared from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to my mother to me and ones I will pass down,” writes Zheng. “We used the knowledge and wisdom shared from generation to generation as the basis for our products.” The shop carries facial rollers made of multiple stones, gua sha sculpting tools, and a facial massage skin butter made of purple gromwell and licorice roots—herbs and plant oils used in traditional Chinese medicine.
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Strange Bird’s Chinese American founder Tina Chow Rudolf writes that part of her motivation in creating her wellness brand was to further Asian representation for her daughter: “When I was a child, I never saw faces like mine in the media—not on TV, not in magazines, not in the brands I purchased from. I believe that representation is not only a human right but a birthright.” Rudolf’s grandmother gave her own mother facials made of egg whites, cucumber, ginger, and ginseng—ingredients which are now incorporated into her granddaughter’s products, such as the Inner Clarity Cleanser and Inner Balance Serum.
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In Jina Kim’s household as a child, healthy skin was a “discipline” passed down from her Korean mother and aunts. After college, she worked at creative agencies and eventually helped launch Girlfriend Collective, one of SELF’s favorite sustainable fashion lines. Kim immersed herself in the eco-conscious fashion world, and decided she wanted to apply these philosophies to a different realm that she felt was less considered in this regard. She returned to her roots in beauty and started Circumference, a botanical beauty brand that aims to go beyond just using recycled packaging. According to the company, it sources sustainably harvested, plant-derived ingredients, contributes to the communities where it harvests, and uses an extraction process that involves no chemicals or solvents.
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