The choice for the name Banana is meant to be an inside joke. For anyone who has ever been called a ‘banana,’ you know that it’s a nickname that has been given to many first generation Asians growing up in a western world, like us. It’s not meant to be derogatory, but celebratory. Birthed in Chinatown NYC, Banana strives to navigate through the blurred Eastern and Western boundaries and create a voice for contemporary Asian culture. We want to use the magazine as a platform to feature, celebrate, and join the conversation with Asian creatives in a journey to define our collective identity. 

Whether it is rediscovering your grandma’s herbal soup recipes, exploring current Asian beauty culture through an editorial, or commissioning original artwork to represent the dichotomy that can exist between two cultures, our content aims to cover all things AZN.

Kathleen Tso + Vicki Ho