‘Ladyboy’ culture thrives in Thailand

Shane Henise used to hate the way his clothes fit, the way his voice sounded and how others perceived him. Though he was born with female sex organs, he felt the male gender matched better with his body.

South Korean reality show contestant commits suicide on set

A contestant on the popular South Korean reality show “Jjak” committed suicide on the show’s set March 5, citing pressures from appearing on the show.

My Twitter fight with Jhene Aiko

This piece does not necessarily reflect the opinions of PublicAsian or its staff.

I swear I didn’t start it. Jhene Aiko — whom you might know from her radio hit “The Worst” or her feature on Drake’s track “From Time” — was actually mid-argument…

Disney Americanizes Big Hero 6’s original characters

What do the movies Big Hero 6, The Last Air Bender, and 21 all have in common?

They all had white actors and white animated characters that replaced the Asian roles in the original stories. Commonly referred to as…

Mistress culture attracts all walks of life

Husbands lavishing mistresses with gifts as payment for intimacy, sex or affection has become a cultural norm in China.

The mistress profession attracts women from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Most mistresses, however…

Exposed: Mass cheating scandal in China

As cheating has become increasingly common in China’s highly competitive academic culture, it did not come as a shock last week when 2,440 Chinese students were caught in a high-tech cheating scandal.

Painting beyond words: Professor Jason Kuo’s life as an art historian

Unlike other art historians, Professor Jason C. Kuo’s fascination with paintings and drawings did not begin at an early age. As a teenager, Kuo loved English literature — poetry, to be specific — and it was…

Alternative education sees increase in China

An increasing number of Chinese parents are sending their children to alternative, private schools in order to avoid the high-stress environment of the state-run educational system.

UMD junior wins both Goldwater, Truman scholarships

University of Maryland junior Fang Cao received a Truman Scholarship, a highly prestigious and competitive federal scholarship awarded to underclassmen who demonstrate leadership potential and commitment to public service.

The First Asian-American Miss America Shares Her Story

The first crowned Asian-American Miss America Angela Perez Baraquio released a new book sharing her life journey and her experiences surrounding the national beauty pageant.