ABC stands for American Born Chinese and applies to anyone born in the US who identifies as Chinese. Growing up, I never faced an issue for being Chinese, but at the same time, I was never sure where I fit in. Am I American? Or am I Chinese? I never felt Asian enough for my Asian friends who brought rice for lunch and spoke another language at home or traveled to Asia often. And yet, I enjoyed occasionally bringing leftovers or dumplings for lunch, to which my non-Asian friends thought was special and cool, they wish they could have noodles for lunch, when really it was just leftover from dinner a couple nights ago. It was just lunch.

In early 2020, my grandmother passed away, and with her, 100 years of knowledge and recipes were lost too. I hadn’t been close to her, the language barrier between us was a chasm that I didn’t cross too often until it was too late. In an effort to keep what we had lost, my family combed through Internet recipes, YouTube videos, and my dad’s vague recollections to recreate favorite recipes.

Through this publication, I want to create a printed documentation of recipes not typically found on cooking sites. From my experience, Asian food is only featured or included in a magazine to highlight the New Year, or when certain foods have been deemed "trendy." I also want to include articles about life as a Chinese American, and the importance of food in Chinese culture to show readers that they are not alone in their struggle of identity and to teach them a little more about their culture.

ABC is a magazine for people who feel caught between two cultures but don’t feel good enough for either. It is curated more for young adults, those who grew up not speaking the second language everyone else seemed to speak, who feel too American among their family, and those who wish they could eat the comfort foods of long lost recipes. This is a documentation of traditional and favorite recipes gathered from other Chinese families that aren’t found on ordinary cooking sites. Food plays a large role in Chinese culture, and it is a connection that doesn’t require words, an especially important aspect for those who can’t speak the same language.

Through these recipes, my hope is that readers are able to feel more connected to both their heritage and their family. In addition to recipes, there are also articles about Chinese culture for readers to learn more about their heritage and stories from other ABCs that might sound familiar, proof that they are not alone.