Tapioka Magzine - Spring 2025 | HALCYON

tapioka magazine ISSUE 14 HALCYON

Tapioka Magazine is Oklahoma's first publication with a focus on APIDA-MENA culture and identity. Through written and visual media, we hope to highlight Oklahoma's APIDA-MENA community and celebrate its rich heritage and history.

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EDITORIAL BOARD

SPRING 2025 COMMITTEE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Angela Lor

Emma Nguyen

Angelina Lang Anson Tang

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Washy Yang DIRECTOR OF WRITING

Anusha Fathepure

Ariana Sayeed Cindy Le Emily Nguyen Erik Phan Grace Simmons

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Heba Assi

Lauren Vongthavaravat

Isabel Reed Janes Le

DIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS

Joseph Vu

Thao Tran

Kaella Glenn Koi Longcrier

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Nhu Van

Sanika Navalkar GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

Alice Bao Meghana Nuthi

CONTACT Email: ouaasa.magazine@gmail.com Instagram: @tapioka.mag TAPIOKA · 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Letter

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Asian Royalty: Birds of a Feather

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Red Threads & Golden Gates

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Citrus between our fingernails

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Artist Spotlight: hongjoin

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Do You Remember the Rain

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SÔNG HẬ U

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All That Loves is Fleeting

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FRONT COVER Photography by: Erik Phan Models: Angelina Lang & Gulnessa Asif Production Assistants: Bao Nguyen & Jasmine Tran

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EDITOR’S LETTER

As I wrap up my year as the Editor-in-Chief of Tapioka. I’ve given a lot of thought to the word that shaped this issue, halcyon, what it means to hold on to moments of peace and joy, even in the midst of chaos or change.

This year marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon, an event that changed the course of my family’s life and brought my parents, like so many others, to the U.S. as refugees. I remember the courage and hard work that has built the Asian American community in Oklahoma, making a life here possible for students like me to be exactly where we are now.

May also marks the beginning of AAPI Heritage Month. Being part of the Asian American community at OU has been a fulfilling experience, and I am grateful to the team behind this magazine-- the AASA executive team, the Tapioka Magazine committee, and to our readers.

Sharing our stories through art, writing, and photography has provided me my own halcyon through the past 3 years since this magazine’s founding.

Emma Nguyen 2024-2025 Editor-In-Chief

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Red Threads & Golden Gates

By Koi Longcrier

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When my parents suggested a summer trip to California, I expected to go to Southern California and explore the beaches down there. However, my parents wanted to make the trip more personal, opting instead to go to

Northern

California,

specifically

San

Francisco. I remember following my dad upstairs to the bookshelf in his office, where my parents keep all the baby books for me and my siblings. He reached up to grab my cream colored baby scrapbook off the shelf and handed it to me. He flipped to the end of the book, showing that San Francisco was the

first

place

our

plane

landed

after

adopting me from China.

Now I understood why he cared so much about our destination. I immediately began researching

all

the

cool

places

in

San

Francisco. I really wanted to go shopping, but I also wanted to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. Scrolling on TikTok also made me realize

how

much

I

wanted

to

go

see

Chinatown. Being the only Chinese person in my family meant that my culture wasn’t anything I ever thought about. My parents adopted me when I was one and flew back to America with me in tow. As a child, I wanted to assimilate into the culture of my family. I didn’t want to stand out because I already looked so different from them, why draw even more attention to the fact that I was a black sheep?

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China was always the perpetual place of my belonging; somewhere I was always associated with, but not anywhere I would ever go. My parents never let me forget I was born in China because they wanted me to acknowledge that I lived a life before them, one where I fit into a different family and culture. Not having other Chinese family members made it hard to feel like I had any connection to China. Just because everyone else sees that I’m Chinese, doesn’t mean I feel Chinese. I didn’t even fully process that I was Asian until I moved to Vietnam with my mom as a freshman to teach English.

I got to blend in for the first time in Vietnam. People expected me to speak their language and to know what was happening around me. People looked to me as the tall person to grab things from higher shelves. In school photos, I was one of the people placed near the back. Vietnam taught me to be proud of being Asian because it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t need to blend in because everyone already assumed I did. Once I associated being Asian with a more neutral and even borderline positive attitude, I wanted to know more. Going to San Francisco meant I could fully explore my cultural identity in an area where it was celebrated. We decided to go to Chinatown near the middle of the trip. Walking around in a place where I couldn’t read the signs made me realize how much more there was to being Chinese than my experience.

My family elected to just soak in being in Chinatown rather than trying to make a big deal out of being there–after all, people still live and work there. I didn’t feel any special connection to Chinatown while there, but I felt an appreciation for what it represented for me. I walked past numerous shops, doctors’ offices, and restaurants wanting to feel present. Chinatown represents a world that I find myself on the outskirts of. I love feeling like I am a part of a community, but I also don’t have similar life experiences to many in Chinatown.

It should have been the place that made me feel connected to my identity, but I walked out of the area feeling a little more lost. Does my identity fully belong in Chinatown? Is that all being Chinese is? I wanted to explore more of the city and figure out some of the whirlwind of my mind.

My family elected to just soak in being in Chinatown rather than trying to make a big deal out of being there–after all, people still live and work there. I didn’t feel any special connection to Chinatown while there, but I felt an appreciation for what it represented for me. I walked past numerous shops, doctors’ offices, and restaurants wanting to feel present. Chinatown represents a world that I find myself on the outskirts of. I love feeling like I am a part of a community, but I also don’t have similar life experiences to many in Chinatown.

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It should have been the place that made me feel connected to my identity, but I walked out of the area feeling a little more lost. Does my identity fully belong in Chinatown? Is that all being Chinese is? I wanted to explore more of the city and figure out some of the whirlwind of my mind. While Chinatown seemed the best location to figure out my identity, I associate the true moments of realization with the parks we went to. The first park we went to was the Presidio area by the bridge. We walked for around three miles aimlessly following sidewalks until we ended up at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater. The views inside were even more stunning as the architecture was reminiscent of Greek and Roman times.

Watching everyone from a bench made me think about how I even got there, which led my mind back to my identity questions. I realized that I loved this part of my trip just as much as I loved visiting Chinatown. My identity was not just wrapped up in being Chinese. My identity was unique to me, and it didn’t have to be the exact same as anyone else’s journey. My different experiences did not make me any less Chinese.

The next park was Golden Gate Park, and the views were stunning. The air felt nice and crisp, which was a relief from the humid Texas summers I was used to. The main draw was the Japanese Tea Garden, inside which my parents and I were excited to visit because of the teahouse located inside. There was a koi pond that also brought me calm as I watched the fish swim around while drinking genmaicha tea. The botanical gardens were also inside this park, and we explored around until my mom needed to sit down. I had not realized how important it was for me to be surrounded by nature and fresh air without feeling suffocated in it. My parents and I spent the whole day exploring this park. I needed a break from all the identity talk to just idly stroll around somewhere.

On the day before we left, my parents took me to the Asian Art Museum. Walking around and seeing the abundance of diversity within the museum showed me that one singular Asian culture and identity does not exist. While browsing the bookstore, I decided that I would just stop comparing myself to every other Asian. My own experiences were enough for me to be Asian, and other people’s experiences helped them identify as whatever they wanted.

My last day was revisiting the Presidio and going on a walk around Crissy Fields. My head was a lot clearer and my mind was more at rest than at the beginning of the trip. I didn’t expect to feel so clear-minded by the end of the trip. I had gone into this trip with a lot of expectations about discovering who I was and where I belonged, but walking around Crissy Fields, enjoying the fresh air and laughing, and spending time with my parents, I felt calm. Right here, this is where I belonged; right between my mom and my dad. I am forever grateful to my parents for encouraging me to do some self-searching and letting me come to conclusions on my own. Without them, I don’t think I would have ever had the heart to write this.

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Photography by: Erik Phan Models: Angelina Lang & Gulnessa Asif Production Assistants: Bao Nguyen & Jasmine Tran TAPIOKA · 11

Meet Angelina Lang and Gulnessa Asif, OU’s reigning Asian Royalties for the 20252026 school year. Inspired by nostalgic spring memories, the royalties are captured sharing their ethereal, glowing aura.

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Citrus between our fingernails I looked behind your shoulder And I could not see the things You left behind I always wonder Where did it all go I then look at you Cutting your apple within the palm of your hand The way your mom always did, I ask you to be careful You laugh You say Eve did not have a plate But she didn’t have a knife either You say how do you think she stabbed Adam in the back?

I say by breaking her promise.

You make a note to call your mom.

You stride wide But you used to walk As slow as a summer Sunday Extra butter on your croissant Creamer swirling in your coffee Is today simply not Worth it?

When will it ever be?

And when will your shoulders drop Low enough for me To see what you left behind?

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Written by Heba Assi Photography by Heba Assi

It's pretty how you make the world feel less alone, We grab our morning croissant And you name every pigeon outside the bakery You say regardless of how far you travel from home It's hard to feel alone When “Kareem” is waiting for a crumb.

Changing your name at every coffee shop The lengthy vowels made it a mouthful in roll call A way to find joy in being someone else At least for 10 minutes until the coffee runs out Peeling a clementine in the park “Cheaper than health insurance” But you never touch your hair after “A quick recipe to wake up with lice” Grandma’s voice echos I gather the guts to ask “how are you never nostalgic” A seed flies out of your mouth falls onto the dirt We sit in silence Watching the seed sink lower than the dusk

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I tried to dissect you Into tiny pieces I can put Under the microscope To know what makes you the way you are Only to realize that all along the smaller I cut The less I recognized What’s between my hands My question remains unanswered.

Spring comes, you leave, but the sprout that grows from where we sat Citrus between our fingernails is enough to inform me that some things don’t need to be explained.

Your past was not absent, just quiet, Hiding in the corner of the alley, Making sure you got home safe.

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

hongjoin

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In February 2025, the Asian American Student Association welcomed artist hongjoin for his headline performance at the organization’s annual Lunar New Year celebration. The 22-year-old Singaporean singer and songwriter is a featured Spotify RADAR artist whose heartfelt lyricism is set to nostalgic, soft soundscapes. With the release of his sophomore album “KOMOREBI,” hongjoin proves the powerful reach of his authentic songwriting. His live performance at OU included several songs from “KOMOREBI,” as well as recent releases such as his newest single “Secret.”

Photography by: Emma Nguyen Written by: Emma Nguyen

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hongjoin performing at AASA’s Lunar New Year celebration in Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center.

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DO DO YOU YOU REMEM REMEM

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MBER MBER THE THE RAIN RAIN

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Photography by: Erik Phan, Alice Bao Written by: Erik Phan Models: Rasheeda Ali, Maryam Amin, Khushi Damani, Yara Ketaneh, Shreeya Patel, Gulnessa Asif, Heba Assi Designed by: Meghana Nuthi Special Thanks: Guestroom Records Grey Owl Coffee

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The feeling you get from living in a small, midwestern town is hard to describe.

Suffocating, yet wildly empty. Nothing to do and nowhere to go.

The epitome of the simple life – it gives you an appreciation for the smaller things in life.

Rain has always felt like an event to me. Something to break up the monotony of everyday life.

I’d sit in the backseat of my parents’ car and stare at the raindrops racing each other to the bottom.

These days, the rain has lost its charm, a minor inconvenience at most. I enjoy the crazy, hectic life I live now, but it’s hard not to think back to those days when the rain was special.

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Sông Hậu a dedication to my mother and the river of her hometown

let us swim! it said to her i will carry you from here to there it called out to the thirsty pups and the stray cats and the little ones passing by it was so clear, you wanted to drink it it feels both the dirt and the air i call out to it: how well do you know her? i know her better than you do. i watched her go to school every day she skipped rocks through me she chased stray dogs into my riverbeds i glossed her naive eyes i bathed her youthful skin before the americas, before the weight of motherhood her tears of goodbye still flow within me to know her, you must know me. take care of her for me. my mẹ, i will always. just as you have. written and designed by Angelina Lang

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All That Loves is Fleeting a short story by Erik Phan photography by Thanh Binh

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Dedicated to my mother, my late uncle, and our wonderful family.

-Erik Phan

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