Alternate Title: “On Boba Pearls and Telling Asian American Stories”
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 the rich heritage and history that comes with it.
Tapioka Magazine’s Mission Statement
Note 1: TAPIOKA - “tapioca” (boba pearl) and “ok” (Oklahoma)
Note 2: APIDA-MENA is an evolution upon APIDA, meaning “Asian Pacific Islander Desi American - Middle Eastern North African”
Note 3: If any of my kids are reading this, please reach out! I miss y’all so much, y’all don’t even know!
I used to copy-paste a screenshot of Erik’s message on the top of all our team meeting documents.
The summer after my sophomore year in 2022, I founded Tapioka Magazine - Oklahoma’s first publication centered on APIDA-MENA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American - Middle Eastern North African) culture and identity.
Not many people know that there are even Asian Americans in Oklahoma, so I hope that we were able to do some good through our work. I think a lot of people underestimate the power of representation. Tapioka’s had the opportunity to work with a few local high schools (e.g. Edmond Santa Fe and Norman High), and I hope that they’ve found some type of representation through our work.
Honestly, [it started off as a newsletter under the OU Asian American Student Association](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/aasa_2022-2023_volume_1_ef367615910149>) (of which I was the incoming Secretary). Still, more and more people wanted to join me to work on this newsletter/magazine hybrid.
After our first year, we got so “big” that the newsletter and the magazine became separate responsibilities, with the now-named Tapioka becoming my sole responsibility.
I served as its inaugural Editor-in-Chief for 2 years, spanning 12 publications spanning various themes.
Some of my favorites to work on were [**REBELLION**](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/aasa_2022-2023_volume_6>), [**PASSION](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/aasa_2022-2023_volume_7>), [JOY](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/tapioka_summer_2023>), [HOME](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/tapioka_fall_2023>),** and [**ECLIPSE](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/tapioka_spring_2024>). [RETRO](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/aasa_2022-2023_volume_1_ef367615910149>)** even has a special place in my heart as our first publication (I remember I was living out of a suitcase while making it). ****Although in a way, it’s like asking me to pick a favorite child. But honestly, I think the stories of the people behind Tapioka are just as fascinating as the stories that we hope to tell in the magazine itself.
Hello Alayna! Y’all can read our interview below.
(Most of) my staff <3 I have this photo printed out in my new apartment.
Me and current Director of Logistics Thao Tran
In the last few months of my final year as Editor-in-Chief, [Andrea Schultz](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-schultz-642807145/>) invited Tapioka to booth at the very first [Oklahoma Art Book Fair](<https://www.instagram.com/p/C2-enfcLYH1/?img_index=1>). Initially, we were going to pay the $50 boothing fee for “exposure” when we got our acceptance email.
Due to our already-thin budget (<$125 for the year?), the week before the fair, I quickly put together an abridged version of all the work that we had accomplished so far. Using some connections at [Gaylord](<http://www.ou.edu/gaylord.html>) (and some begging), we printed about 30-40 [zines](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zine>) for the event (all of which I cut + bound by hand), and we ended up selling out!
I’m telling you this story because I think that this “Director’s Cut” tells the best story of all the love that I’ve poured into Tapioka. Although it doesn’t include anything from [ECLIPSE](<https://issuu.com/ouaasa/docs/tapioka_spring_2024>) (since it came out after the fair), I’d like you to take some time to read through it.
(If you donate $5 (what we’d sell them for) to Tapioka, I’d love to send you a physical copy at cost!).