Chinese and Proud

Hello friend,

Our cultural background and experiences are what shape us. Family traditions passed down through the generations become the core of our existence. The influences surrounding us add further substance and uniqueness. In this week’s newsletter, we discovered women entrepreneurs of Chinese Canadian or American heritage, who built businesses and careers strongly influenced by their cultural background.  The results are beautiful homages to the past and cultural guideposts for future generations. 

We love the bright, cheery and trendy baubles of BONBONWHIMS, and the unmatched philanthropic philosophy of its founder Clare Ngai-Howard; Cookbook author Kristina Cho says she is “Chinese enough” and her newly released cookbook in the same name is a testament to the Cantonese cooking she enjoyed growing up, with a California spin; Diana Vo is a skin detective of sorts, investigating solutions to common derm mysteries and solving them using techniques influenced by Traditional Chinese Medicine; Sandra Lanshin Chiu is also a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has produced a line of skincare tools to bring balance inside and out; and we explore a new exhibit at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, with three of the women artists participating. 

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Enjoy! 

This Chinese-American women entrepreneur made baubles during the pandemic to bring people joy. Now she’s changing lives with her thriving business and the healthy donations she makes from the proceeds.

Growing up, Kristina Cho never quite felt American enough, or Chinese enough. Through her journey writing her cookbook, which combines Cantonese cooking techniques with California ingredients, she realizes she is Chinese Enough.

Diana Vo fell in love with skincare as a child making facials with her mom using produce from their refrigerator. Today she formulates skin transforming products with natural ingredients inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Sandra Lanshin Chiu left her career in Finance to return to her roots and the Traditional Chinese Medicine that influenced her upbringing. Her line of skin care tools is a nod to the past and a gift to the future of skincare.

The Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver is only a year old, but is steeped in heritage, conveying the experience of Chinese Canadians through art and storytelling. Meet one of the women artists putting a contemporary spin on historical artefacts.

Watch this space for five quick things to make your life a little richer.

You may not have heard of silent film star Anna May Wong, but her story is one of determination, tenacity and heartbreak. Let this short clip from The Female Quotient be an introduction to her. Consider it today’s Hollywood history lesson.

If you know, you know. Chef’s Table on Netflix is a sensual delight. The most recently added season highlights four chefs who are masters of Noodles. The episode featuring London-based Chinese chef Guirong Wei is a true delight to watch, both for her food and her story.

Want to up your cocktail game before holiday season starts? Let Toronto mixologist Evelyn Chick teach you how!

One of the proposed benefits of incorporating Feng Shui in your home is “enhanced wealth”, so it’s only fitting that we would choose to share these Top 10 Feng Shui Rules from Forbes Magazine.

Did you know? It has been 100 years since the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 in Canada, there was a similar act passed in the US in 1882. Here are 3 brief key points about what this act entailed.

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Did you miss last week’s newsletter? You can find it here.