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Stories

July 22, 2023

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Michelle Jing Chan is a Chinese American artist and children’s book illustrator who, in an interview with Asian Hustle Network, opens up about her mother’s remarkable journey as a first-generation immigrant and the profound impact it has had on their relationship.

Michelle’s mother, May, is a survivor of Mao Zedong’s reign. She emigrated from Guangzhou, China, to California, facing numerous challenges along the way. She pursued her passion for fashion, but eventually put her dreams on hold to raise Michelle and her brother in Colorado.

After retirement, May embarked on a new venture where she creates Chinese-inspired baby clothes and puts them up for sale. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people showing keen interest in purchasing her creations.

In this article, Michelle shares a heartfelt glimpse into her mother’s story and their shared journeys. Join us as we explore May’s experiences as a first-generation immigrant, from surviving challenging times to embracing a new life in the United States.

HER MOTHER’S IMMIGRANT JOURNEY

Michelle: I’m a Chinese American artist and children’s book illustrator. I grew up in Colorado and now live in the Pacific Northwest. Although my background is in engineering and business, my passion is in art and storytelling–particularly in stories that empower queer and Asian youth to be their authentic selves.

My mom is a first-generation immigrant who grew up in Guangzhou, China, and emigrated to California in her early twenties. In China, she and her family survived Mao Zedong’s reign and the struggles that it brought, including facing famine, almost losing one of her sisters in an accident at a labor camp, and being targeted by Red Guards for my grandfather’s opposition to Mao during the Cultural Revolution.

When they emigrated to the US, they lived near LA and had a robust community of other Chinese immigrants. However, my mom and her family were poor and didn’t speak English. The rest of her family all found service jobs. Similarly, my mom worked as a waitress at a restaurant near Hollywood.

PUTTING DREAMS ON HOLD

Early in the morning before the restaurant opened, she would attend adult English classes. She always had an interest in fashion and it became even stronger after working near Hollywood and seeing designers and celebrities come into the restaurant. She saved up enough money to go to school and study fashion design. During that time, she continued to work at the restaurant on weekends and at a fashion company after school.

After completing her program, she planned to enter the fashion industry in California. However, she met my dad, a first-generation immigrant from Hong Kong, through a family friend. They got married and she moved to Colorado where my dad lived, and they had me and my brother shortly afterwards. In Colorado, opportunities in fashion design were much scarcer than in LA.

She decided to put her own dreams on the back burner and became a stay-at-home parent, dedicating the next decade and a half of her life to raising me and my brother. It wasn’t until I was in high school that she started working again, and she didn’t return to the fashion industry until a few additional years later.

MICHELLE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOM

Growing up, I was very close to my mom, but I don’t think I fully grasped the emotional weight of what it must have been like for her to sacrifice her career for her children. I definitely took for granted the fact that my mom was always able to pick us up after school and had the time and energy to make clothes and Halloween costumes for us, tailor clothes if they didn’t fit, and come up with other creative craft projects to keep us entertained.

As an adult now–especially as a creative myself–I understand more fully how isolating and difficult that sacrifice must have been. Also, our town in Colorado is conservative and not very diverse, so the adjustment for her coming from LA must have also been challenging and lonely. What strikes me now is how unselfish and giving she is. She has never voiced resentment for the educational or creative opportunities that I’ve had even though she didn’t have access to those same doors herself.

While my parents and I didn’t see eye to eye on my career in children’s book illustration at first, they are now some of my biggest cheerleaders. In fact, being in a creative career myself has allowed me to bond with my mom in a new way as she is embarking on her own creative journey. We can now connect over our creative passions, which is a new dimension to our relationship that didn’t exist before.

CREATING CHINESE-INSPIRED BABY CLOTHES

My mom loves kids and designing kids’ clothes. As I mentioned earlier, she made clothes for us growing up–including many of our Halloween costumes! She also loves Chinese fashion and still has suitcases of clothes from her life in LA. As she and my dad are now retired, pursuing this new venture seemed like a natural integration of these interests.

She uses Gerber brand onesies and transforms them into Chinese-inspired designs by adding ribbons, gold fabric, and traditional qipao-style buttons. She sews all these designs by herself in my childhood home.

She’s blown away by the response to her shop so far and is still processing the influx of orders! (Thank you again to the AHN community!) She wants to expand into clothes for toddlers and perhaps someday, older kids as well. In my eyes, the sky’s the limit for her and her talent and I’m excited to see where she goes from here.

VALUES MICHELLE INHERITED FROM HER MOM

The biggest thing she has taught me is how to have a strong work ethic. My mom, dad, and my grandparents work harder than anyone I know. Now as an adult, I carry that with me always.

MICHELLE’S MESSAGE TO HER MOM

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my brother. I know it’s a debt I will never be able to repay, but I hope I can give you a small fraction by supporting your creative dreams like you’ve come to support mine.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE

Instagram: @michellieart

Twitter: @michellieart

Tiktok: @michellieart

Website: michellejingchan.com

CONNECT WITH MAY

Instagram: @pandacub.babywear

Website: etsy.com/shop/PandaCubBabyWear

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Some artists create for attention or fleeting trends, but Trysen creates with intention, guided by a deep sense of responsibility to the culture that shaped him. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, he learned that Aloha is not just a feeling, but a way of living rooted in care, respect, and connection.

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1. Reviving Local Stories Through Murals

 

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At the core of Trysen’s work is listening. On Kauaʻi, he spends time learning from residents about their histories, struggles, and sources of pride before creating any artwork. This approach reflects the values he also brings into Inspire to Create Media, where storytelling always begins with people.

The murals that follow are rooted in real voices. They transform blank walls into visual records that help locals feel represented and allow visitors to understand the island through the community’s lived experience.

 

2. Designing With Aloha in Mind

 

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Aloha influences how Trysen collaborates, how carefully he considers each element, and how much intention goes into every decision. Design, for him, is about respect as much as aesthetics. That same mindset shapes the design work produced through Inspire to Create Media. 

Whether creating branding, apparel, or custom visuals, his goal is to make work that feels warm and grounded. Each piece is designed to reflect care, balance, and a sense of home rather than fleeting trends.

 

3. Empowering Youth and Community Spaces

 

Photo courtesy of Trysen Kaneshige (fourth from left), Founder of Inspire to Create Media

Beyond client work, Trysen uses both his art and his studio to invest in the next generation. Through partnerships with schools and wellness programs, Inspire to Create Media supports projects that turn shared spaces into places for expression and growth.

By involving young people in the creative process, he helps build confidence and identity. These initiatives focus less on the final product and more on giving youth a voice and a stronger connection to their roots.

 

4. Building a Global Bridge From Island Roots

 

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While his work is deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi, its reach continues to grow beyond the islands. Through collaborations with global brands like Volcom and OluKai, Trysen shares an authentic island perspective with a wider audience.

These partnerships amplify his message without compromising its foundation. By staying grounded in culture, he shows that it is possible to connect with the world while remaining true to where you come from.

 

Photo courtesy of Trysen Kaneshige, Founder of Inspire to Create Media

 

Carrying Aloha Forward

At its core, Trysen’s work—through his art and his studio, Inspire to Create Media—is an ongoing act of care. Through each project, he honors his home, uplifts his community, and uses creativity as a way to carry Aloha forward with intention, respect, and lasting impact.

More than anything, his work reflects a belief that culture is something you actively protect and pass on. By choosing collaboration over ego and meaning over trends, Trysen ensures that Aloha is not only preserved, but lived, felt, and shared with future generations.

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  • 3 min read
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From Jackie Chan’s Assistant to Building Paire: How Nathan Yun’s Vision for Better Essentials Became a $15M a Year Brand

Nathan Yun did not start his career thinking he would one day build a consumer brand. His early years were spent on film sets and in editing rooms, learning how stories are shaped and how audiences respond to them. Working as an assistant to Jackie Chan gave him a front-row view of storytelling at its highest level. He watched how a single film could reach millions of people and create a shared emotional moment across cultures.

Yet over time, he noticed something that stayed with him. The inspiration was real, but it faded quickly. Once the credits rolled, people returned to their usual routines. That contrast made him question what lasting influence really looked like. Was it found in big, unforgettable moments, or in the small things people interacted with every day?

Paire grew out of that question, built not around trends or marketing tactics, but around everyday essentials, starting with socks. If stories could move people for a moment, Nathan believed products could shape how they lived every day.

From Film Sets to Daily Habits

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Instead of chasing trends, the brand focused on fit, fabric, and longevity. The goal was simple: to make essentials people would reach for again without thinking.

Nathan Yun (right), Founder of Paire

Learning How to Build Before Building His Own

Before launching Paire, Nathan spent five years at furniture startup Brosa, where he learned what it takes to grow a business beyond an idea. As the company expanded from a ten-person team to more than one hundred employees, his role evolved from content creation to leading brand and marketing.

During that time, he saw how forecasting affected inventory, how data guided growth, and how pressure increased as operations scaled. He also witnessed what happened when demand moved faster than systems, and how costly it could be to build those systems too late.

Those experiences shaped how Nathan approached entrepreneurship. He did not want to build Paire on instinct alone. He wanted a clear understanding of supply chains, margins, logistics, and customer behavior before committing to his own brand.

Nathan Yun (far right), Founder of Paire

The Trip That Made the Mission Personal

The purpose behind Paire became clear during a trip to India. Away from polished storefronts and online campaigns, Nathan saw the fashion industry in a very different light. He witnessed environmental damage near production sites and spoke with workers whose livelihoods depended on high-volume manufacturing.

“That experience made it clear something needed to change,” Nathan explains. What stayed with him most was how disconnected these realities were from everyday shopping habits.

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Nathan Yun (left), Founder of Paire

Earning Trust Through the Product Itself

Nathan understood that values alone would not earn loyalty. The product had to prove itself in everyday life. The team spent months refining fabric blends, improving breathability, and testing durability through repeated wear and wash cycles.

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What the Creator Economy Really Needs in 2026

The creator economy is no longer a niche corner of the internet. It is a $250 billion industry, powering modern marketing, culture, and commerce. Yet for the creators at its core, the experience often remains unstable and fragmented. Inconsistent rates, shifting platform demands, and “gifting” budgets paired with outsized expectations have left many navigating an ecosystem that hasn’t caught up to their value.

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1. Stronger Structure for a Growing Industry

 

Photo courtesy of Vivian Kwan (center), Founder of Meraki Group

While creator content has never been more polished, the backend of the industry remains disorganized. Uneven pay scales, scope creep mid-campaign, and unclear paths to professional growth are still common. Creators are often met with constant brief changes or “gifting” requests that require high-level deliverables without fair compensation.

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The Next Era: Purpose Over Pressure

As we look toward 2026, the transition from a “Wild West” to a professionalized industry requires more than just better tools—it requires a fundamental shift in how we value the humans behind the content. 

Meraki sits at the center of this new era, bridging creative passion with real professional growth. By pushing for fair standards, ethical representation, and sustainable careers, Meraki does more than manage creators; they help protect the future of creative work.wi

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Where Identity Begins

Growing up in Australia as part of a small minority shaped Samantha’s early understanding of identity. It taught her what it feels like to search for belonging, to look for pieces of yourself in the world and not always find them. Those early lessons sat quietly in the background as she moved into adulthood.

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But Samantha kept going. She kept refining the vision, pushing through setbacks, and holding onto the mission that started it all. And she didn’t do it alone. Throughout the long nights and the uncertainty, she was supported by a husband working multiple jobs so she could stay focused on building the brand their daughters—and so many other children—deserved.

A Brand With a Bigger Purpose

Today, Joeydolls has sold over 15,000 dolls and earned major recognition. But those numbers only tell part of the story. At its heart, the brand is Samantha’s answer to a question that began during one of the hardest moments of her life: How do we help children grow up seeing their cultures celebrated, not erased?

Joeydolls stands as that answer—a way for children to see their cultures reflected with pride, dignity, and everyday joy. What started as a search for her own daughters became a mission to help thousands of children feel seen, valued, and connected to where they come from.

A single doll can seem small. But for many families, it’s a beginning. And for Samantha, it’s proof that representation—when created with care—can grow into something far bigger than one person’s story.

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