Asian Stories

Asian Stories highlights the voices, cultures, and narratives shaping the Asian experience across the globe. From heritage and tradition to modern identity and creative expression, this category explores the depth and diversity of Asian communities through storytelling, profiles, and cultural insight. It celebrates both legacy and evolution—offering a nuanced look at the people, perspectives, and moments that define Asia’s influence in today’s world.

A side-by-side portrait of a woman in a black outfit and a red velvet dress, posing against contrasting dark and light backgrounds.

Rising Star: Catherine Lily Thomas

Catherine Lily Thomas is a young artist and rising runway model. At age 18, she’s 5’10” exceptionally tall as a lifetime ballerina. Her passion is to pursue psychiatry to help people with mental distress. As an activist for climate change and sustainability, she produced her first documentary while attending summer school at Stanford University in 2022.  I met her at a conference in Napa when she was only 12 years old and did an impromptu photoshoot (her first one). Over the years, I’ve seen her blossom into a young woman.

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A diptych of a man in professional attire posing for a headshot next to a graphical overlay with text promoting a guide.

David Wong, the Qi Master

David Wong is an inventor, author, martial artist, qi gong practitioner and visionary entrepreneur. He is the founder of Qi Life, a company that develops frequency therapeutic technologies for personal wellness. 

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Amber Liu – Please Don’t Stop the Music!

A California native, Amber Liu was discovered at the age of 15 at SM Entertainment’s global auditions in Los Angeles. Following a move to South Korea, she debuted in 2009 as a member of the female group f(x). The record-breaking electro-pop-based K-pop group quickly became one of the industry’s most popular and award-winning. In 2015, Amber’s first solo release, the critically acclaimed album “Beautiful”, debuted at #2 on Billboard’s World Albums chart, with the title track’s music video, released the same day,  garnering more than 1 million YouTube views in its first day of release.