Single Asian Female
Encyclopedia
Single Asian Female is an American
webcomic depicting Asian Americans. Ethan Lee, an Asian American, created the storyline, and Lanny Liu, a Chinese American
freelance illustrator, created the artwork. Some comics of Single Asian Female were printed in Hardboiled, an Asian-American newsmagazine of the University of California, Berkeley
.
. Jennie is fourth generation Chinese American
; her great grandparents arrived to the United States at Angel Island
and settled in Chinatown, San Francisco. Jennie grew up in Richmond District, San Francisco. At UC Berkeley she majors in Asian American studies. Lee said that her name derives from "Jennie Low's Chinese Cuisine," a restaurant in Mill Valley, California
where Lee had patronized.
Other characters include:
Low family:
Friends:
, an Asian American man and a graduate from University of California Berkeley, formed the concept in 2003. Lee said that he wanted to distill the material he learned in Asian American studies classes into "a form that's easy to read and understand." By the time of the publication of the comic, Lee became a graduate student at San Francisco State University
. Lanny Liu, the illustrator, graduated from the Academy of Art University
with a degree in traditional illustration.
Lee originally planned to make the protagonist an Asian American male, but Lee believed that the concept was, in the words of Angela Pang of AsianWeek
, "difficult and limiting." Lee gave the comic a female protagonist so it could more effectively discuss issues pertinent to Asian American women. As an example he cited a plotline about "white guys with Asian fetishes" asking Asian American women to date them. Jeff Yang of the San Francisco Chronicle
said "Also, as some on the Web have suggested, people are a lot more likely to read a strip with an Asian American female protagonist -- just like they're more willing to watch news with an Asian American anchor, or more likely to accept an Asian woman as a romantic lead." Lee argued that Asian American viewpoints are not represented in American newspaper comics, and that he wanted to represent Asian American viewpoints through his webcomic. According to Lee, ideas forming the plotlines originate from his family, friends, the internet, and news sources.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
webcomic depicting Asian Americans. Ethan Lee, an Asian American, created the storyline, and Lanny Liu, a Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
freelance illustrator, created the artwork. Some comics of Single Asian Female were printed in Hardboiled, an Asian-American newsmagazine of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
Characters
The comic stars Jennie Low, a 21-year old university junior attending the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Jennie is fourth generation Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
; her great grandparents arrived to the United States at Angel Island
Angel Island
Angel Island may refer to:* Angel Island , a landmass in San Francisco Bay** United States Immigration Station, Angel Island, a museum and former facility* Angel Island , by Inez Haynes Gillmore...
and settled in Chinatown, San Francisco. Jennie grew up in Richmond District, San Francisco. At UC Berkeley she majors in Asian American studies. Lee said that her name derives from "Jennie Low's Chinese Cuisine," a restaurant in Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
where Lee had patronized.
Other characters include:
Low family:
- Jennie's mother
- Jennie's father
- Kyle: Kyle, Jackie's brother, attends Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and majors in engineering - Tina: Tina is Jackie's older sister.
Friends:
- Marie: Marie is a classmate and friend of Jennie.
- Jackie: A single mother who has a daughter, Jackie is older than Jennie and is one of her friends.
- Malcolm: Malcolm is one of Jackie's classmates. He majors in political science and African American StudiesAfrican American studiesAfrican American studies is a subset of Black studies or Africana studies. It is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to the study of the history, culture, and politics of African Americans...
. Lee says "He's radical, and has been called an extremist. To that he replies, "Well, black people are in an extremely bad situation, so yes, you can call me an extremist."" - Rob: Jackie dates Rob, a White AmericanWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, for three weeks
Development
Ethan Lee, a resident of the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, an Asian American man and a graduate from University of California Berkeley, formed the concept in 2003. Lee said that he wanted to distill the material he learned in Asian American studies classes into "a form that's easy to read and understand." By the time of the publication of the comic, Lee became a graduate student at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. Lanny Liu, the illustrator, graduated from the Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University
The Academy of Art University , a for-profit university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens...
with a degree in traditional illustration.
Lee originally planned to make the protagonist an Asian American male, but Lee believed that the concept was, in the words of Angela Pang of AsianWeek
AsianWeek
AsianWeek was a widely circulated publication of Asian American news, across all Asian ethnic groups, providing coverage of Asian-American issues such as the killing of Vincent Chin, Asian American college admissions, and quotas on Chinese students in competitive San Francisco examination schools...
, "difficult and limiting." Lee gave the comic a female protagonist so it could more effectively discuss issues pertinent to Asian American women. As an example he cited a plotline about "white guys with Asian fetishes" asking Asian American women to date them. Jeff Yang of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said "Also, as some on the Web have suggested, people are a lot more likely to read a strip with an Asian American female protagonist -- just like they're more willing to watch news with an Asian American anchor, or more likely to accept an Asian woman as a romantic lead." Lee argued that Asian American viewpoints are not represented in American newspaper comics, and that he wanted to represent Asian American viewpoints through his webcomic. According to Lee, ideas forming the plotlines originate from his family, friends, the internet, and news sources.
External links
- Single Asian Female (Archive)
- Website of Lanny Liu