Writing this editor’s letter is a full-circle moment for me — from being a reader of Minnesota Women’s Press to becoming a periodic writer to serving as current editorial board member and guest editor. It is reminiscent of the “becoming” story arcs in this issue.

Navigating the Asian American identity is a journey full of grief, trauma, and questions. The stories captured in this month’s magazine give readers a glimpse of the angst of self- discovery as well as of radical hope and resilient transitions.

The voices of Asian Americans in Minnesota offer diversity that is more than skin deep.

Had I read these stories when I was growing up here, I would have felt seen. Affirmed. Safe.

• Xay Yang speaks of her full-circle journey as a queer Hmong youth — finding community early in her coming- out She now leads Transforming Generations, a nonprofit dedicated to ending gender-based violence in the Hmong community.
• Katiya Xiong’s nonprofit, DEEP Coalition, has ambitious goals to uplift the voices of young leaders through intergenerational career development.
• Heather Hauck unpacks the challenges and long road to contentment as a transracial Korean adoptee.
• Skye Reddy uncovers lineage through performance

The expenses of producing this issue would not have been possible without the underwriting support of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL).

As communities continue to weave a tapestry of identities, from Southeast Asia to West Asia, I am sensing a growing intimacy. Your pain is my pain. Your joy is my joy.

In Vietnamese, there is a beautiful phrase to express our condolences: chia buon. It means “to divide sadness.”

It is not only disunity that rises from the reach of news and social media — where struggles and victories are broadcast for others to witness. I observe an empathetic bond that transcends borders. I see it manifest in swift mutual aid efforts, in vigils to share the burdens of death, in multilingual health care resources, in celebrations when a new restaurant is birthed.

We still need more intersectional solidarity, including among Asian American communities, but the stories in this issue are a testament to the timeless quest for belonging and collective healing.

“History is not the past. It is the stories we tell about the past. How we tell these stories has a lot to do with whether we cut short or advance our evolution as human beings.”

— Grace Lee Boggs, Chinese American activist

Table of Contents

Arts: Performing Unwritten Family Histories, by Skye Reddy

LGBTQ+ : My Multiple Identities, by Xay Yang

Family: Where I Am From, by Heather Hauck

Perspective: The Struggle for Justice Has No Borders, by Soophia Ansari

Arts: Mouth-Space, by Sophia Chai

Healing: Experimenting With Art and Healing, by Katie Ka Vang

Education: Developing a Public Voice for a Better World, by Katiya Xiong

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