MADE WITH LOVE by CELÏNE LOTA // MUDLOTUS

LUNCHBOX MOMENTS ZINE

was a collaborative project that was published in the midst of the AAPI hate crime outbreak. The intention behind the release of this zine was to elevate the voices & artworks of AAPI artists who share their experiences with micro-aggressive racism in the lunchroom. I was one of those voices.

PUBLICATION | ILLUSTRATION

MADE WITH LOVE (pgs. 46-49), is a short story I wrote where I unpack my experiences growing up as a first-gen Filipino-American, the constant struggle with my cultural identity, & where my head was at when I encountered my very first lunchbox moment in my adult years.

The illustration of the de-constructed bowl of sinigang signifies the many layers of cultural identity crises many Asian Americans face & the special care it takes to arrive at each realization before finally feeling at home within oneself.

READ STORY

All proceeds from Lunchbox Moments directly benefited the Chinatown Community Development Center, which operates the Feed + Fuel Chinatown initiative to support Chinatown restaurants and SRO residents.

I hold this project very near & dear to my heart because as a member of the AAPI community, it's important that people outside of our community have access to our stories & real life experiences, so that we, as a collective people can move towards an existence where empathy & proactive understanding between communities are a top priority.

PMCBD

AQUEMINI FUNKTIONZ

LUNCHBOX MOMENTS ZINE

PROUD 1ST GEN FILIPINO-AMERICAN WOMAN, HAILING FROM THE FOGGY PRETTY LITTLE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, CA-- ALSO KNOWN BY A SELECT FEW AS "FRISCO," BUT MORE PROPERLY KNOWN AS THE UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE YELAMU RAMAYTUSH OHLONE PEOPLE.