The Waves of Asian America
A Conversation with the Founders of Harvard’s First Asian Anglophone Arts Magazine
The Wave, Harvard’s first pan-Asian literary and arts magazine, was launched during a period of great contention for Asians in America. Rises in racism and xenophobia following the coronavirus pandemic motivated Asian Harvard students to celebrate intersectional identity and culture through art. We had the opportunity to speak with the founders of The Wave on their experiences with the magazine and the complexities of Asian American identity.
Jerrica Li is the founder and president of The Wave. She is from Longmeadow, Massachusetts and is a rising senior at Harvard studying Comparative Literature.
Vanessa Hu is the vice president and web designer of The Wave. She is from Livingston, NJ and is a rising sophomore at Harvard planning to study Computer Science and Linguistics.
Jason Zhou is the Art Editor of The Wave. He is from St. Louis, MO, and is a rising sophomore at Harvard studying statistics.
What is The Wave?
Jerrica: The Wave is an Asian Anglophone magazine, but more than that it is an open, inclusive space for artists and creatives of every kind to feel like they can explore, experiment, and be heard.
What led to the creation of The Wave?
Jerrica: I don’t think it was anything concrete. But maybe it was a feeling, like waking up and realizing a place like the Wave just didn’t exist on campus. And it should.
Vanessa: As an Asian-American, I have always felt a sort of in-between-ness: society’s tenuous acceptance of model minorities like me, contingent on my success and my silence. We wanted to help uplift the voices of people like us in a world that does not readily acknowledge or listen to our narratives.
What were some obstacles you faced when creating The Wave?
Jerrica: It wasn’t easy amassing then amazing team we have today. We have had people float in and out. But our core team today shows up every week and they’re ready to dive in. And I’m so grateful for every single one of them.
Vanessa: Before our launch, I think the notion of putting something that didn’t exist before into the world was our Goliath. We knew we were creating something great, but it wasn’t until we were blown away by the turnout at our inaugural issue coffeehouse, that we realized we were making something tangible that touches others. We debated whether the Quranzine would breach our image as a safe, creative oasis that our first issue kind of established. In the end, we pushed ahead: our designers created jarring graphics with an undeniably political statement. Art can clash and coexist with social issues, and I think the plethora of works in the Quaranzine — the introspective, the passionate, the political — really reflect that.
Jason: An initial as well as a current obstacle is to bring more awareness to The Wave.
What was your favorite topic or article covered in The Wave?
Jerrica: It would be crazy to pick just one. But in our special Quaranzine Issue being released in August, we have some works that all deal with what it’s like to be with family and friends (maybe that you can only talk to via zoom) during the pandemic. For me, I resonate with those pieces because I feel like even though I’ve gotten closer to my family, the pandemic creates its own isolation out of home.
Vanessa: One of my favorite Quaranzine submissions is “I Shed Tears on the Beach in Kamakura!” by Alexander Zirui Zhang. It captures a melancholic and nostalgic sort of happiness, and I think we’re all feeling a bit of that in quarantine.
Jason: It is hard for me to choose a favorite — I love the topic of food, though. Food not only is one of the most accessible ways to experience Pan-Asian culture, but also, a great piece of writing or art pulls and enwraps me in the warmth that food uniquely provides.
How has your heritage and culture played a role for you in your contributions to The Wave?
Jerrica: My heritage has allowed me the empathy to create the space that The Wave is — diverse, open, adaptable, a space that listens and encourages rather than dictates what is “good art” or “bad art”. But as well, it’s taken me a long time to feel like I am knowledgeable enough of my culture and feel proud of it. And that was my own Individual journey. I, and this magazine, do not make assumptions of what it means to be Asian American. That’s actually what the space is built for, to ask you the question of what it means to you.
Vanessa: As a second-generation Chinese-American, I toyed with the symbolism of red in Chinese and Western culture in my poem, “Red” for the Quaranzine. When I write, I like to include allusions to Chinese legends or my heritage: I almost feel like it’s enfolding a hidden layer of secrets for others to discover. As a Chinese-American, I am cognizant of Chinese and East Asian culture’s dominant presence in society’s conception of “Asian,” and I think we have been grappling with that. We are determined to have no significant barriers to entry, unlike other publications, to make our platform as inclusive and safe as possible. So, we hope that anyone who makes art and identifies as Asian knows they can find a niche at The Wave. We sincerely want the multitude of experiences contained within the Asian identity to be heard, so we are always open to passionate and diverse voices in our pieces and joining our team.
What is your advice to young Asian Americans growing up during this time?
Jerrica: Create. Whether you like to draw digital art, whether you’ve always been thinking of starting a blog, whether you just like journaling every night privately, whether you’ve been meaning to try painting for the past year, just go for it. When you create, you begin to strengthen your individual voice. You design and decide the world of the art you create. How powerful is that?!
Vanessa: I am still a work in progress, so I want to remind myself and others that we can and should take up space. Our stories matter. In our current situation, it is time to be angry, but also the time to be compassionate and use our voices to uplift those who are not heard, from helping fellow Asian-Americans to being allies to BIPOC and other marginalized communities.
Jason: I would suggest taking your identity for what it is, and be resilient to those who make fun of you for it. It is something that nobody can take away.
