LUNCHBOX: a magazine for asian creatives By Jess Ferguson
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hile on a leave of absence from Emerson last fall, junior journalism student Jo Malicdem took an Asian American history class at Pasadena City College. Prior to that, she had never learned about Asian American history in much depth. One assignment stood out in particular. When researching Asian news coverage and journalists, she discovered an old UCLA magazine called Gidra. Gidra was a student-run, monthly newspaper run by Asian students in the post-Civil Rights era. Malicdem said she was inspired by the students’ work and reached out to her close friend and quarantine pen pal, junior journalism major Marieska Luzada. Luzada is a member of the Asian Students in Alliance (ASIA) executive board and has been involved since her first semester in fall 2019. Malicdem asked if ASIA ever had or would consider having a magazine. “Some of the eboard members men-
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tioned that they wanted to start a magazine at some point, but it never really got initiated. That had always been at the back of my mind. I just never took initiative because I didn’t know where to start,” Luzada said. So when Malicdem reached out, she was excited to be involved however she could. The pair expressed their wariness about some on-campus publications because they are predominantly white. “I never really took initiative on being part of magazines on campus because of that uncomfortability and sharing work that dealt with my Asian identity. Most of my works deal with my identity as Asian and as an Asian at Emerson,” Luzada said. Being a part of spaces that reflect and understand your identity can be a source of great comfort and validation.