Red Envelope Takeover
Finding your voice with the founders of Red Envelope Stories
Hey Modem fam! We’re the creators behind Red Envelope Stories, and on this special edition of Modem Weekly, we’ll be taking over this week’s newsletter to share more about our experiences and story.
We’re Caitlin, Michelle, and Alec — three undergraduate junior students at Brown and Columbia University majoring in chemistry, sociology, and visual arts. We created a weekly newsletter where we feature 150-word stories about the complexities of the Asian experience. Aside from building out our platform, we also ski, paint, and read!
Tell us about about how community, heritage, and culture shaped your perspective.
Michelle: Growing up in a predominantly Asian district, I rarely reflected upon my racial identity. Our town had an Indian mayor and holidays like Diwali off; our school excelled in academics and sent several students of the graduating class to the Ivy League. Within this purported environment of “diversity” a lot of racism, both external and internalized racism, went unaddressed. For example, my Asian classmates would callously use the n-word to address each other, or complain that Martin Luther King Junior Day was for “whiny black people.” I never addressed these striking problems of our culture because I would never know what to say. At the height of national conversations around race, I want to highlight the anti-Blackness prevalent in some Asian communities and through redenvelopestories.net give a platform for Asians to ally themselves with other minority groups.
Caitlin: I grew up in Southern California around my Asian family so I was well versed in my culture and heritage. However, I went to a small school where I was one of two Asian students and I felt out of place. I am mixed-race so I grew up with an internal tug-of-war of embracing and hiding my Asian heritage.
What is your advice for striking a work-life balance for students and those early in career?
Try finding ways of making work and studying sustainable, whether that’s breaking up your assignments into multiple, short periods of time or prepping your environment with a glass of water and a plate of sliced Korean pear. (A method we prefer is called Pomodoro!) Essentially, find ways to excite yourself to learn and enjoy the process of being curious. We understand the pressures and anxieties of academic life, but don’t neglect your physical or mental health (which serve important purposes in the long run.) Find ways to relax and socialize with others to not burn out. For all the Google calendar users out there, you can even schedule walks or social activities with your friends there. Cultivating passions, academic or not, can fulfill and bring you happiness, sustaining your motivation.
What is your advice to young Asian Americans when navigating intergenerational conversations?
Approach difficult conversations around politics or stigmas with the understanding and awareness that everyone comes from different backgrounds, educations, upbringings, and experiences that shape personal views. Sharing your story and why an issue matters to you personally can combat ignorance and allow your family member to invest in your point of view. Sending them educational resources, films, or graphics can help also you navigate and lead productive conversations around sensitive issues. It's easy to lose yourself in the heat of the moment (and we’ve experienced this during this year’s heated election) but never attack anyone. Words matter and how we carry ourselves around our family members can serve as representations of our beliefs. At @redenvelopestories we explore the tensions that drive wedges between family members that lead to reconciliation, care, and sometimes, grief.
We’re a space where people can be truthful about their experiences so if you have a story to share (anonymously or not) please consider sharing on our website.
Check out Red Envelope Stories on Instagram!