Celebrating Community and Diversity with Banana Mag

In honor of Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States, we’re celebrating the diversity of cultures and histories within the Asian/Pacific Islander community (inclusive of non-Americans). As part of this month, we’ll be featuring customers who identify as part of this community and exploring the theme “Stories of Sustenance” as a way of interpreting how cultural bonds are shared and become strengthened from one generation to the next, particularly in a time of crisis. 

Founded by Kathleen Tso and Vicki Ho, Banana Mag was created to give voice—and a sense of community—to contemporary Asian culture. A design-forward print and digital publication, every issue of Banana Mag highlights the nuances of Asian identities through visually rich features. Kathleen and Vicki spoke with Squarespace about how they brought their initial idea of the magazine to life, from the meaning of its name to its evolution into a recognized platform for celebrating intersectional Asian identities.

SQUARESPACE: What’s the story behind adopting the nickname “Banana” as the name for the magazine? How does the meaning behind this name show up in the work Banana Mag does? 

BANANA MAG: When we were brainstorming names for the magazine, Kathleen’s sister suggested Banana. And it just clicked when we heard it. Banana means “yellow on the outside, white on the inside” and is an insider term a lot of Asian Americans use within the community. It can be used in a derogatory way (i.e. you’re not Asian enough). However, our experience with the term was always used in jest in the Tso household, where Kathleen’s parents used the term to poke fun at the Asian American fusion of cultures. Our goal is to help reclaim the term and showcase the nuances and complexities of the intersection of Eastern and Western culture through storytelling. 

SQSP: How has your vision(s) for Banana Mag changed or grown since the launch in 2014? 

BANANA MAG: Banana has grown from just a print publication that featured friends and family to a community that spans people from around the world. Outside of the print publication, we have thrown events, hosted pop-ups, worked with high profile brands, and so much more. We’ve been so lucky to meet so many amazing Asian creatives along the way. 

SQSP: Banana Mag has an incredible online and print presence. What is the benefit of pouring into both, and how do online and print each play their own unique role for Banana Mag?

BANANA MAG: Our print publication allows us to rally our community around something. This is where we tell our stories and how we spotlight Asian creatives all around the world. However, the reach of a print publication is limited to the amount of copies you print. Having an online presence allows us to reach people around the world who don’t have access to the magazine. 

SQSP: What is the importance of sharing diverse stories across various intersections of Asian identity as a means of creating a voice for contemporary Asian culture?

BANANA MAG: We must have platforms and tell our stories in order to get into the complexities behind our experience—where there are similarities and where they differ. When we first started the magazine, there was a huge absence of storytelling and we had to all identify under a wide umbrella of how our identity was represented in America. And over the years, we have watched things grow from general Asian American storytelling to all the nuanced intersections of the Asian American experience. Now we can tell LGBTQ Asian American stories, Filipino American stories, explore Asian American subcultures, and more. As we continue to put more stories out there, we can continue to show how complex and rich Asian culture is in America. 

SQSP: How have you been staying connected with the community you’ve built around Banana Mag during quarantine? 

BANANA MAG: We were lucky to have managed to launch Issue 006 throughout the stay-at-home quarantine and get the magazine out to our readers. We were unable to celebrate Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month like we normally would, with events and in-person activations, but have been able to stay connected through the influx of virtual conferences and panels!