The Culture and Confidence Issue
Confidence.
Like many Asian women, I have a fraught relationship with confidence. Growing up, I vacillated wildly between despising certain aspects of my being - from the way I pronounced words to my very, very Punjabi nose - and feeling guilty for doing so, like a bad feminist, or a bad Asian. Our culture tells us to be silent, submissive, and demure. That confidence is an ugly trait in a woman. As the editor of a magazine that holds activism, feminism, and empowerment as its core ideals, I have learned to practice the self love that I preach. I’ve learned to take up space, and demand what I deserve.
Of course, this is not to say that I wake up every morning with a song in my heart, brimming with confidence. I still swipe through before-and-after photos of nose jobs. I second-guess text messages. I panic before important meetings. This issue was one of my favorites to work on. Our art section is back in full force, we got to spend some time with the amazing Wendy Kim, and interviewed some really cool and accomplished women. But what I love most about this issue is the unapologetically confident Asian women who have loaned us their voices and stories for this issue. I’d be lying if this issue’s Miss Demure (an exclusive to the PDF you’re reading now!) didn’t leave me a bit teary-eyed. We’ve put together a great issue for you. I hope you enjoy it.
Yours,
Rehana Paul
Founder, Editor-in-Chief
I’d say my biggest accomplishment was having completed my PhD in 2017. I entered grad school in 2008 with a two year-old to take care of; then we had our second child in 2011.