About the Project

“Family Style: An AAPI Food Anthology” is an anthology publication by Asian and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creators to share the lesser-known histories behind AAPI foods. Our diverse communities have created foods that serve as a record to reflect our resilience through long histories of colonialism and migration. We hope to connect our audience to the emotional and historical sides to these dishes.

We are looking for emerging AAPI creators to interpret a dish and/or ingredient from their culture as a full-page illustration. The artist’s contribution will be accompanied by an abridged history on that dish that details its journey to what we’re familiar with today. Through this collection of art and writing, we aim to serve up familiar dishes with their rich historical context to humanize our communities and deepen our relationships with food and each other.

We believe that this project is fuel for the soul in this age of racial and socioeconomic justice. Through artists’ interpretations of these dishes, we hope to visualize their significance and as an extension, the significance of ourselves and our people. We invite you to join us in cooking up a delicious and filling zine for our friends and communities.

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This is a self-funded project and a paid opportunity. We will be paying contributors $150 per illustration after the completion of each piece. The final image will be a full page in our 6.625”x10.25” zine and we will be selling copies online and at independent shows such as the Toronto Comics Arts Festival, distributing copies to local libraries in the Bay Area, and using the material as educational materials in local identity-based workshops:

Timeline:

1/22-2/12: Call for Pitches

2/19: Artist selected & notified

¾: Preliminary art check-in (concepts/sketches completed)

3/18: Mid-point art check-in (draft / in-progress)

4/1: Final artwork is due!

4/7-4/22: Preorders for physical and digital zines open!

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PITCH GUIDELINES

We hope this project can inspire you to learn more about the foods from your culture. Artists submitting a pitch are encouraged to start with their own research by looking into the history of some of their favorite dishes or ingredients. Feel free to take a look at these links as inspirations for a starting point for your research: Why Did Chop Suey Become the Icon of Chinese Food in the U.S. Before 1965? and The End of Spam Shame: On Class, Colonialism, and Canned Meat. As organizers, we recognize our limited perspective as East Asian Americans and are looking for a diverse group of contributors with creative and unique ideas!

When reviewing pitches, we will consider how the food reflects the adaptation of AAPI communities throughout history. How does this particular food reflect a change that the community has undergone? This can include class-related struggle, impacts of imperialism or colonialism, or change in perceptions.

(Please take these questions into consideration when submitting your pitch. (If you have already submitted your pitch, feel free to email us if you want to make any changes.))

We are looking for pitches that will give us a strong vision of the creator’s final product.

Your pitch should include:

1-2 ideas for the dish or ingredient you would like to portray.

A few sentences on why the dish suits our anthology’s theme of lesser known AAPI food history.

(optional) A few sentences on why the dish/ingredient is personally significant to you.

A portfolio and/or art blog with examples of your work.

At least 2 previous related pieces to show us the direction you’d like to go with your illustration.

You can find the submission form here. Please direct any questions to familystylezine@gmail.com.