Inaugural Journal: Rise

For ECAASU’s first journal, we want to focus on new beginnings. Rise is about becoming visible, about how communities lift each other up. It’s about what happens when we step up to face a challenge and what drives us to do so. Rise asks us to think about social movements, their drivers and leaders, and their effects. 

In the pieces shown, consider these themes and ask yourself these questions: What do you stand for? How do you make yourself seen? What obstacles have you and/or your community overcome? What sparks fire within you?

Before you begin, please check out our "Letter From The Editor".

Dear Reader,

We write to you this spring with the scent of cherry blossoms wafting over us, gently directing our hearts and minds towards our encroaching national Conference in Washington, D.C.! As pink petals float adrift on the electric energy of young adults gearing up for our largest annual exercise in Asian American empowerment, our minds are wandering through the gardens of recent memory. We recognize that these past few months have been both fruit-bearing and thorny. While our ECAASU leaders have been busy facilitating artist cohorts, running workshops for high schoolers, and reaffirming our stances on the issues that matter to us, news outlets have carried a mournful tune we can’t drown out, one that laments the rollbacks of free speech protections, immigrants’ rights, reproductive freedoms, and other civil liberties confronted by heightening perils. As political trends threaten to stifle and suffocate resilience across academic institutions, one might be tempted to feel like their hopes for the future are in freefall. In hopes of reversing that cynical trajectory, we at ECAASU offer you an antidote: Rise, the inaugural issue of our artistic and scholarly journal!

In the pages of Rise, you will find a diversity of talent and subject matter rich enough to quench a thirst for solidarity amidst the drought of optimism ushered in by current events. Our poetry and prose writers calm the stormy skies of familial dynamics with the gentle and tender touch of their pen. Our artists invite us in through their lenses as their utopias spring to life through oil, charcoal, and ink. Our essayists capture sprawling histories, presenting to us the vast legacies of immigrant and activist narratives teeming with ambitious and unrelenting faith. Our photographers and cinematographers ensnare more than likenesses and landscapes in their frames; they bring us compelling stories which linger long after our screens fade to black.

As organizers turned editors, we recognize that our efforts can hardly constitute a beginning. Our diaspora is vast, spanning over 20 million Asian Americans who face each day with their own unique perspective, and it would take lifetimes to relay all their valuable experiences. Nevertheless, the kaleidoscopic vignettes presented to you here serve as an inspiring snapshot of a resilient community, one that continues to shatter barriers and triumph over disenfranchisement while maintaining clarity, dignity, and empathy. These masterpieces will doubtless stir up certain sentiments in you, sharp and vague emotions ranging from joy to anger, sorrow to elation, heartbreak to healing–and as those feelings start to simmer and boil, do not be afraid to let them Rise!

‍ With love,
Sharmila Dey and Gordon Shi

Journal Categories

Discover the many ways we rise together through our five expressive formats: Creative Writing shares stories of transformation; Essays analyze social movements and resilience; Photography/Film captures moments of awakening; Poetry voices the rhythm of protest and hope; and Visual Art illustrates our journey from invisibility to presence—all celebrating how we become visible and lift each other up. Click on the category image or title to see all the submissions of the category.

Creative Writing

Explore powerful narratives that capture Asian and Asian American journeys toward visibility and voice. These stories, memoirs, and short fiction pieces illuminate personal and collective experiences of rising up, finding strength in community, and creating change through storytelling.

Following Submissions By: Norah Rami, Yuriko Zhang, Emily Chan

Illustration by Jeffery Fisher

Essays

Discover thought-provoking analyses and reflections on social movements, cultural identity, and community resilience. These essays examine what it means to stand for something, overcome obstacles, and build solidarity within Asian and Asian American communities.

Following Submissions By: Gabrielle Avena, Adam Cooper, Norah Rami, Se Eun Katie Ryu, Lily Tang, Yuriko Zhang

Illustration by Jeffery Fisher

Photo of Akira Kurosawa

Photography/Film

Witness visual stories that document moments of awakening, protest, celebration, and transformation across Asian and Asian American experiences. These images and films capture both quiet moments of personal discovery and powerful displays of collective action.

Following Submissions By: Chloe Chao, Se Eun Katie Ryu, Raymond Tisch

Aion 1.2 Francis Oka Poem. Anti-War Protest Photograph

Poetry

Experience the emotional power of verse that speaks to rising up and being seen. These poems express the rhythm of resistance, the language of cultural pride, and the cadence of hope that drives Asian and Asian American voices to stand tall.

Following Submissions By: Arham Hashmi, Penelope Hartogensis, Kashi Saloni, Michelle So

Aion 1.2 Francis Oka Poem. Anti-War Protest Photograph

(Left) Chitra Ganesh. Guardian, 2021
(Middle) Suchitra Mattai. bus stop, 2023
(Right) Rajni Perera. Only enough air for myself, 2023

Visual Art

Immerse yourself in vibrant artwork that symbolizes emergence, solidarity, and cultural identity. These paintings, illustrations, and digital creations visualize the journey from invisibility to presence within Asian and Asian American communities.

Following Submissions By: Chloe Chao, Shang Chen, Emily Lei, Frances Yee