New Year Reflections

Recently, I have noticed an increase in the number of Hmong magazines, and Asian publications, in general. Where once there was one or two magazines at the specialty Asian stores or Hmong cultural events, today the options seem to grow exponentially. Noticeably, a lot of them look like replicas of existing mainstream magazines. The influence of Western culture seems so pervasive that the only obvious difference is that all the models posing in the latest fashions on the glossy pages of these magazines are of Asian descent.

One thing is clear, Hmong (along with other Asian groups) are becoming increasingly familiar with mainstream media and are adapting it to suit their needs. Amid all of these new magazines, we believe that what sets 18XEEM apart is that the essence of our magazine is tradition, and that never goes out of style.

One day when I was feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned, a college professor told me to do the Zig-zag. I didn’t get it at first, but he went on to explain, “When everyone is doing one thing, you do the opposite, and when everyone follows, change your path so that you will always stand apart.” Interestingly, on two recent occasions, my father reminded me of this same concept (flip to the opposite side of this magazine if you are curious).

18XEEM is documenting life; preserving history; taking the ordinary and appreciating it for what it is; revealing the treasures of the unknown and the beauty of a culture. This year, our resolution is to celebrate our culture and the meaningfulness within our everyday. I hope you will enjoy this issue more than ever.

Please, join us in celebrating history and culture.