Dear Readers,

As a member of New York University's on-campus print media community, GenerAsian has always been mindful of its responsibilities to deliver laudable news and features to its student body audience. We have strived to carry out the goals of its founders to use this publication both as a forum to voice the concerns of the Asian-American community at NYU, and as a liasion through which other student groups can synergize its efforts to provide resources and services to this community. Through the years, we have also been conscious of and amazed by the power a publication can have in conveying ideas and in setting agendas. This is just a small microcosm of the influence that larger media conglomerates possess in shaping the opinions of society. It is for this very reason that examining both the way the media is structured and the messages it perpetuates will help us understand the prevalence of certain ideologies over others.

Since GenerAsian is the only Asian-American interest publication, we have tried to paint different portraits of the modern lives of Asian-Americans today vis-a-vis hard news, features, personal interviews, reviews of books and restaurants, and creative expressions. We believe these portraits are incredibly important in helping society recognize and appreciate the diversity of the Asian-American community. It is our perceived uniformity that is well represented in mainstream media sources, an idea that GenerAsian desires to invalidate through this spring issue about Asian-Americans and the media. GenerAsian does not merely concern itself with stereotypes in the media, which is an issue that has been examined numerously before, but concentrates on the value and necessity of exhibiting divergent images in media. The value and necessity lies in the fact that tolerance and awareness may be acheived in society, if the media chose to implement their power in a way to engender societal good.

Sincerely,
Lina Zhou
Assistant Editor-in-Chief, 2003

MISSION STATEMENT
To unify the diverse population of Asian American students across campus by providing a common forum through which they can be kept informed about social, political, and cultural activities on and off-campus, as well as express their own thoughts and matters of interest to the student body.