MAY 6, 2026

INSIDE: The Start of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

TODAY I WILL:

Simplify instead of overcomplicate.

Send your group chat one of these links to start the convo (and maybe to fill your carts).

• AAPI-owned beauty is dominating—more on that below.

• The Character Honors celebrates AAPI creatives.

• Book girlies, we have your next read.

• Bowen Yang on AAPI representation in Hollywood.

• Five AAPI designers share what inspires them.

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!

May is AAPI Heritage Month—a month dedicated to recognizing the history, culture, and contributions of Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities across the U.S. The timing is intentional; May marks both the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States in 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, built in large part by Chinese laborers whose role was deliberately left out of the narrative for decades. 

What’s Special This Year: This year's theme (per the Federal Asian Pacific American Council) is Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together. For their part, AAPI communities—and especially women—are shaping culture, politics, and business. On the political front, Kaohly Her was recently elected mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota—the first woman and first Asian-American to hold the position. In business, AAPI entrepreneurs have the highest rate of entrepreneurship of any group in the country (nearly 10%), with over 3 million AAPI-owned businesses currently operating in the U.S. Even better, AAPI women are majority- or equal-owners in 43% of them.

The Takeaway: AAPI Heritage Month is a reminder that these communities should be celebrated year-round. We’re particularly excited about the AAPI women who are driving conversation across fields—while actively building power for the generation behind them.

AAPI-owned beauty brands have always been shaping the industry—but right now, they’re getting the recognition they deserve. From skincare rooted in heritage ingredients to makeup lines that rethink shade ranges and undertones, these founders aren’t just launching products—they’re shifting standards.

What makes this wave feel different is the intention behind it. Many of these brands are built around gaps the founders experienced firsthand: lack of representation, limited shade inclusivity, or formulas that didn’t reflect their cultural beauty rituals. The result is a category that feels both deeply personal and widely influential.

Take Tower 28, founded by Amy Liu, which focuses on sensitive skin with barrier-friendly formulas that don’t compromise on performance. Or Live Tinted by Deepica Mutyala, which started with a single color-correcting product and expanded into a full line designed for underrepresented skin tones.

On the skincare side, Glow Recipe (co-founded by Sarah Lee and Christine Chang) helped bring K-beauty philosophies into the mainstream in a way that feels approachable and fun, while Tatcha, founded by Vicky Tsai, leans into Japanese rituals and time-honored ingredients for a more elevated, sensorial experience.

And then there’s Naturium, founded by Susan Yara, which has built a loyal following for its ingredient-driven formulas at accessible price points. Yara has also expanded into the sensory side of beauty with Playa Beauty, her fragrance-forward hair and body care line that taps into the growing demand for products that feel as good as they perform.

Makeup artists are shaping the space, too. Patrick Ta Beauty by Patrick Ta has redefined modern glam with complexion products that prioritize glow, dimension, and real-skin finishes.

Why It Matters: Supporting AAPI-owned beauty brands isn’t just about diversifying your shelf—it’s about recognizing the cultural influence that’s always been there. From ingredient innovation to shade inclusivity, many of the trends dominating beauty right now can be traced back to these founders.

If you’ve ever drizzled chili crisp on everything (and we mean everything), you’ve likely felt Jing Gao’s impact. As the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, Gao has built more than a pantry staple—she’s sparked a cultural shift. Her brand is known for bold, transformative flavors rooted in Sichuan cuisine, but her approach goes far beyond what’s on the plate.

From a “Trojan horse” strategy, deeply traditional flavors into everyday formats like noodles and sauces, to challenging long-held assumptions about the value of Chinese food, Gao is redefining what it means to bring culturally-rooted cuisine into the mainstream. Her philosophy? Meet people where they are, then take them somewhere new.

In this conversation, Gao opens up about the power of accessibility, her approach to leadership, and why authenticity isn’t about staying static—it’s about staying real.

Can you tell us about the idea of “Trojan horsing” new flavors into the mainstream through accessible formats like noodles and sauces? 

My goal from day one has been to change the narrative around Chinese cuisine—to challenge the perception that it's supposed to be cheap or lacks quality. Early on, I recognized that the most effective way to do that was simply to invite as many people as possible to experience it. And to do that, I knew I had to meet people where they already are.