JiaoJiao Shen
20 Books to Read During AAPI Heritage Month
Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! Sometimes referred to as Asian/Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, this is a month-long celebration of the rich cultural histories of the AAPI communities and the...
Managing Expectations as a Tiger Mom
I often joke that my much younger brother is the “good Asian” in our family. He was his high school valedictorian. He graduated from a prestigious liberal arts college. He’s currently working toward his...
The Unexpected Lesson I Learned from COVID
Last month, after more than two and a half years of taking all the precautions, my family got COVID. It hit me and my husband the hardest. My kids barely had any symptoms other...
A Letter to My Son on Women’s Equality Day
My Dearest Son,
I should have known when you were born on July 4, that you would be a firecracker! Your explosive personality is one of the best parts of you. It’s what makes you...
The Long Distance Relationship That Worked
The first time I met my husband was in 2008 during my very first day as a reporter at a TV station in Oklahoma City. I was filling up my water bottle when I...
Dear Moms, It’s OK to Put Yourself First
When 2020 began, like so many other people, I had high hopes. I had just been promoted to a new position at work. My daughter had just transitioned to a new Montessori program from...
Happy Lunar New Year!
Lunar New Year is one of the biggest holidays in the world. Celebrated in many Asian countries and by those of Asian descent around the world, Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the...
How I Added More Movement into My Life
I don’t know about you but I really dislike the gym. As a somewhere-in-my-30s-year-old woman, I’ve done my fair share of gym time. In fact, I spent most of my 20s trying everything from...
Say My Name – And If You Can’t Pronounce It, Just Ask
All my life, people have mispronounced my name. Teachers, nurses, doctors, coffeeshop baristas, restaurants hosts and hostesses, co-workers, parents of my friends, parents of my kids' friends, etc. I get it. It’s a unique...
I Don’t Have a Best Friend, and I’m OK with That
When you’re a kid, having a best friend is incredibly important. It was something I dreamed about endlessly when I was growing up. I moved around a lot as a child and changed schools...
A Letter to My Bold and Fearless Daughter
Dearest daughter,
The day you came into this world was the day I learned that no amount of planning could have prepared me for you. You arrived two weeks early, on the Fourth of July,...
Both My Kids Were Born on the Fourth of July, but Are They Really...
When I was pregnant with my son, people teased me endlessly that I was going to have a Fourth of July baby. My son’s due date was July 10. I laughed at their comments...
You’re Not Half of Anything; You are Twice of Everything
Every few weeks, after dropping off my kids at school or on my way to pick them up, I listen to a podcast. One specific episode of one specific podcast.
The podcast: Lola’s Ink
The episode:...
Enough is Enough! We Must #StopAsianHate!
On Tuesday, March 16, eight people, six of them Asian women, were shot and killed at three massage parlors in the Atlanta-area. A 21-year-old white man was arrested after a manhunt. This crime happened amidst increasing...
