ASIAN WEEK, The English Language Journal for the National Asian American Community
by Samuel R. Cacas and Gary Cach
Since American 20-year-olds comprise a potential market of 30-40 million consumers, somebody might as well draw an orange target symbol around them all. Trouble is, they’re aware of the stampeding attention, and sensitive to being staked out as a walking demographic.
The latest wrinkle: Yolk magazine, which is aimed at being the “only Asian American source” in the nation. Sounds a bit windy? How about “For the Next GenerAsian”?
Over the Internet, Asian Week learned that the overall concept for Yolk was born over two years ago by two people: Tin Yen, a high-power designer, (he designed the packaging for Lawry’s Mexican food and spices) and a 25 year old entrepreneur named Tommy Tam. Tam had pioneered the Asian female calendar (not renowned for being politically correct on issues of sexism or gender equity). He wanted to take his publishing experience to the next level: a magazine.
They were still nameless when Larry Tazuma (who’d already been freelancing for Asian Week, KoreAm Journal and Northwest Nikkei) came to a general meeting to find out about freelancing for them. On the spot, he thought up something short, simple, apt, and memorable.
It’s no wonder Tazuma’s now the paper’s marketing director, as well as managing editor. But as Tazuma tells it, the name is not just media-savvy, but also makes a definite statement.
“Yolk,” Tazuma explains, “stands for the one thing in common that connects Asians with other Asians from around the world. Yolk stands for pride in the color of our skin, much akin to the African American movement of the 70’s: `Black is Beautiful.’ Yolk symbolizes the `Yellow Is Beautiful’ movement.”
The editor is Philip W. Chung, former instructor at UC Santa Cruz, staff writer for the Korea Times (Los Angeles), and freelance writer for USA Today, L.A. Times, Asian Week, Rafu Shimpo, KoreAm Journal and A. Magazine
As we said, they have a very specific audience in mind: namely, the next generation of Asian Americans who they locate, in turn, within the context of multi-racial America-and anybody else who’s interested in that prospect; younger readers of all ages, if you will. As they put it, “a niche was created after the two existing Asian publications-Transpacific & A. Magazine”, narrowing their reader to a non-Asian and older, affluent audience, respectively.
“We, as twentysomething Asian Americans, felt left out. Plus, we hated how the other publications took themselves so seriously. (One of our feature articles explores the myth of the Asian penis (being smaller, that is).)” They see Yolk as being like Details, Buzz, Rolling Stone, or Detour-from an Asian American point of view.
The creation of the Yolk staff is a story in itself of American self-determination coupled with Asian organization. Publisher Tommy Tam constantly boasts that he has never had to twist anybody’s arm to get them interested in his project.
“I had a few conversations with people I trusted,” he says. “Word spread about the magazine and, pretty soon, a staff of five became a staff of about 15 with about 65 freelance photographers, writer, graphic artists and volunteers. We even have offices in New York, and Hong Kong, in addition to our main office near downtown Los Angeles.”
This being America, where money rules, we ask about funding. Well, they’re doing much with little. As Tazuma confides, “Several have quite jobs for this cause. We are all twentysomethings with very little resources and too stupid or ignorant to listen to those who have discouraged us.”
“Many wealthy investors are circulating our business plan and are waiting to see our first issue. We intend to do this with very little outside investment,” said Tazuma.
According to Tazuma, anyone can contribute to Yolk. “Asian, non-Asian, anti-Asian, whatever. We’ll take you as long as you have the talent and like taking your craft to the edge. Please, no wimps. If you have to balls to be original, we have the space to print it.”