Malia is a History and Asian American Studies double major, minoring in Educational Studies. She hopes to teach Ethnic Studies at a high school level.
Hope: What are your interests?
Malia: Something I’ve been wanting to explore more (possibly within the As Am honors program) is the conflict within and between marginalized communities. I’m Chinese and Japanese American, and growing up with those identities was a constant and confusing process of understanding why my two heritages seemed to be in opposition to each other. Even during the pandemic, I noticed my own family’s racism toward Black Americans appear in their assumptions of who was perpetrating anti-Asian violence. This tension is something I’d never seen addressed in an academic setting, but it deserves so much more attention, exploration, and discussion.
Beyond college, my hobbies include watching stupid 2000s rom-coms (my favorite is Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine), practicing the guitar/bass guitar, and playing Tomadachi Life on my Nintendo 3DS.
What made you want to join the major?
I’ve wanted to join the major since my first year at UCSB after I took courses in the other ethnic studies departments. Courses on Feminist Studies and Black literature introduced me to concepts like social construction, intersectionality, and double consciousness. Learning about these things was a big “eureka!” moment: I gained a framework to name and address what I had experienced for years. These experiences pushed me to think more specifically about my identity as an Asian American. Thus, an As Am major was born.
What has been your favorite class in the As Am department? Why?
I think my favorite class will be the one I’m taking this quarter—As Am 8 (Introduction to Asian American Gender and Sexuality) . Gender was one of the first things I focused on in my personal research on Asian American history. In high school, I researched the role of Bruce Lee in the reimagining of Asian American masculinity. In my research for a historical methods course at UCSB, I wrote about the Page Act of 1875 and its influence on the construction of Asian women’s femininity/sexuality in the U.S. My final paper was about the continuities between legal characterizations of Chinese American women and the sexualization and demonization in later media portrayals of Asian women. In As Am 8, Professor Alex Cho focuses on the role of media in the construction of Asian American gender and sexuality, which is a topic I’m super passionate about.
What has being in the As Am major meant to you? Is there anything you've learned that you didn't have the opportunity to in high school?
Before joining the As Am major, I had to create opportunities for myself to study the Asian American experience. In high school I took an Ethnic Studies course that spent 1 out of 10 weeks talking about Asian American History. I was super disappointed, and I took the initiative to research Asian American history myself. Even then, I mostly researched the history of East Asian Americans. Learning about other Asian communities has been a valuable experience in my As Am courses at UCSB.
What other campus activities are you engaged in?
I’m part of CSU (Chinese Student Organization) and a new member of the juggling club. CSU has been a great way to get to know the Chinese American community on campus, especially because I’m from the Bay Area. Coming to UCSB can be a culture shock if you’ve come from a place like South San Francisco, which is a majority immigrant community. Juggling is a new thing I’m trying out with my roommate. I can juggle for about three seconds before it all goes haywire, but I still find it entertaining. I highly recommend people stop by the juggling club, which meets every Friday at 3pm until sunset. They are super welcoming to beginners and have all of the materials ready for you to begin your juggling journey.
What has been your favorite event As Am has hosted, and why?
This is too difficult of a question, Hope. If I had to select some highlights, the recent video game event was tons of fun. I’m a big fan of Just Dance, so thank you, Katie and Hope, for hosting a great event that also made me physically sore for days after. I love to go to the study events partly because of the food and matcha, but I also enjoy getting to relax while watching Studio Ghibli movies—or Single’s Inferno that one time. The events I hope to attend more often are the research discussions. Hearing what the faculty and graduate students are researching is always super fascinating and a great opportunity to become more familiar with the department.
In the words of Beabadoobee:
See you soon!
Mali