
And many of us see either overt Asian-fishing or an unjust co-opting of Asian trends within our everyday lives, without even realizing it. But make no mistake - it has the same consequences of demeaning our culture and people. Rather than overtly presenting itself as racism, “Asian-fishing” hides under the premise of being a “cute,” “aesthetic” trend. “Asian-fishing,” or when a non-Asian person alters their appearance to seem more Asian, has taken a dark turn in this century. In the few seconds that these people walked by me, I saw a variety of Asian trends and styles mismatched together with no care the knee high socks were clearly a product of the extremely problematic Japanese schoolgirl aesthetic, the jackets with random Japanese phrases came from the recent American obsession with Asian streetwear and the bun hairstyle was almost certainly from the kawaii aesthetic that was popularized in the U.S. This moment perfectly encapsulated how pop culture’s vicious trend cycle regularly fetishizes Asian women. While these things might sound insignificant to the typical onlooker, I can guarantee that almost every Asian person reading that sentence has sighed and rolled their eyes, because we have all experienced a moment where someone presumes that all of Asian culture can be boiled down to a chopstick-in-hair aesthetic. I saw groups of people bearing knee-high socks, jackets with nonsensical Japanese letters and phrases on them and high bun hairstyles littered with chopsticks. No, what these people were wearing was a reductive caricature of Asian culture. Now, I’m not talking about wearing a kimono, which would be overt cultural appropriation. However, I also encountered something that I had not been expecting on my Little Tokyo trip: groups of non-Asian people walking through the streets wearing what they apparently perceived to be “Asian” clothing. Seeing elderly Asian couples walking through the square with grocery bags, young groups of friends chattering in a mix of Japanese and English and couples walking hand in hand with musubi sent a wave of relief over me. Luckily, the district was bustling with life. Returning for the first time since the recent rise in hate-crimes against Asian Americans, I worried that the Little Tokyo square would be desolate, that the wishing tree would be barren of notes, that the storefronts would be dark and dusty. It has great historical relevance for my Japanese American family, who felt welcomed there upon their move to California in the early 20th century, and I personally have many fond memories of skipping through its busy streets in my childhood - honey cake snacks in hand and an easy smile on my face. I was delighted to be back in Little Tokyo, a place which for me was imbued with value and memories. And in the TikTok era, it seems subcultures are pretty much dead, so play around with all of these until you find the aesthetic that feels the most like you - regardless of the “trend.”įrom full-glam to slapped-together, these are the must-try beauty looks for all every back-to-school aesthetic.I recently made a trip into Los Angeles’ historical Little Tokyo district after being overcome with a craving for some authentic mochi. If you like to keep it simple or go all out every single day, there’s something here for you.Įven if you haven’t settled on just one back-to-school vibe to commit to, you can rock these looks on a rotating schedule until you settle on one you really love. There are ideas for every skill level, as well as different ideas for how much makeup you like to wear, and you should feel encouraged to adapt every look in a way that makes you feel most bad*ss.

You don’t have to be a beauty connoisseur to recreate these looks at home, though.

E girl bad nose contour full#
Whether you’re back in the classroom full time or staying on Zoom, making a little time for makeup in the morning can help make you feel put-together and ready to take on the day. Once you decide on your overall style vibe for this year, I have the ideal makeup look that complements it.

And while that means reuniting with the friends you’ve missed all summer, the beauty of notebook shopping, and probably more than a few stress pimples, it also means that it’s time to figure out your back-to-school aesthetics, including the ideal back-to-school makeup look you’ll want to adopt. Do you smell that? The scent of an impending return to education is beginning to seep into the air.
