Event Diaries: Food For Thought - Perception of Self
On Sunday, November 10th, 2024, Asian Girls Ignite (AGI) students embarked on a food-filled adventure through Denver, visiting three incredible AANHPI woman-owned spots. The day was centered around conversations about self-perception, diving into topics like beauty standards, social media, and friendships.
We wanted the students to experience:
⭐ Explore self-perception in relation to beauty standards, social media, and friendships.
⭐ Build empathy through shared experiences with their peers.
⭐ Create a safe space to share openly and vulnerably about personal journeys.
Led by Team AGI, the event combined meaningful conversations with creative activities, offering AANHPI girls and gender expansive youth in grades 9-12 an opportunity for reflection, connection, and growth.
Setting the Stage: Creating Norms
To foster open and vulnerable sharing, we began by collectively setting norms for our discussions. Students were invited to agree on expectations to create a safe and respectful space. Some standout norms included:
Listen without judgment.
Be open to hearing different perspectives.
What happens at AGI stays at AGI.
This foundation allowed for meaningful and honest dialogue throughout the day.
Stop #1: Beauty Standards at The Station by Moonshoot with Pastries from Banh and Butter
Our first location was The Station by Moonshoot, where we gathered and indulged in pastries from Banh and Butter, a bakery founded by Thoa Nguyen in Aurora, Colorado. While enjoying these delicious treats, we began unpacking beauty standards. Students then split into two groups:
9th & 10th graders with Co-Founder and COO, Mehgan Yen.
11th & 12th graders with Mentorship Program Coordinator, Jihee Yoon.
Each group created a Top 10 List of traits they found beautiful in others. There were no rules—just thoughtful collaboration. Afterward, Jihee and Mehgan guided them through reflective questions like:
How does social media influence beauty standards?
How do colorism and other societal expectations shape our views on beauty?
Who in your life models self-love?
Beauty Standards Craft
Students wrote letters to their younger selves, reflecting on their evolving self-perception and listing qualities they now recognize as beautiful within themselves.
On the Road: Music & Connection
Between stops, our bus transformed into a mobile dance party! Students belted out tunes by Sabrina Carpenter and danced to the viral APT choreography, creating moments of pure joy and connection. In many AANHPI cultures, music and dance are powerful tools for bringing people together, fostering a sense of community and celebration.
Whether it’s through traditional dances passed down through generations or modern choreography shared across social media, these forms of expression serve as a bridge between individuals, reminding us of the shared rhythms that connect our lives. On the bus, this energy translated into laughter, movement, and a vibrant display of the unity and joy that music and dance inspire.
Stop #2: Social Media & Boba at Tea Street
Next, we visited Tea Street, co-founded by Victoria Lam in Denver, Colorado, for boba and a deep dive into how social media impacts self-perception.
The first social media post to appear was this one from Yoshihiro Akiyama — who else loved him in Physical 100 Season 1?
Abigail Regucera, AGI’s Marketing Manager, and Hannah Chen, Community Manager, led group discussions where students:
Analyzed a post from social media.
Wrote down assumptions they made about the person behind the post.
Rewrote those assumptions as if the person were a friend.
This exercise revealed how easily perceptions shift and sparked dialogue about digital literacy, mental health, and self-comparison.
Social Media Craft
Students did Polaroid Affirmations. They paired up to take Polaroid pictures, exchanged journals, and wrote notes of appreciation for their partners.
Stop #3: Friendships & Food at Yuan Wonton
We ended the food adventure at Yuan Wonton, owned by Penelope Wong in Denver, Colorado, to explore the role of friendships in shaping self-perception.
Groups led by Co-Founder and CEO, Joanne Liu, and Marketing Coordinator, Jinny Choi, anonymously shared confessions about friendships, sparking discussions on:
Reciprocity in relationships.
The meaning of being a "girls' girl."
Qualities we value in friendships and ourselves.
Friendships Craft
Students created Appreciation Bracelets or keychains for someone who affirms their identity, setting intentions with gratitude notes before weaving their creations.
Closing Circle
We like to end every event with a closing circle. If you’re unfamiliar with closing circles, it’s our way of wrapping up in community by sharing a collective breath and voicing our head (something we learned), heart (something we felt), and hands (something we’ll take action on).
For this event, we centered our reflections around the theme of “Self-Perception and Community.” After each stop, we asked students to take a moment to reflect in the journals provided at the start of the day.
These prompts were designed to deepen their connection to the themes we explored:
After discussing beauty standards, students reflected with the prompt:
📝Write down 1 new thing you noticed or learned more about yourself today, based on the discussions. Do you feel like the person you are today would protect, encourage, and uplift your younger self?After unpacking social media, students considered:
📝Write down how you felt after receiving the Polaroid Affirmation from your partner. How does this compare to the way that being on social media makes you feel?After exploring friendships, students wrote:
📝Write down 1 way you will show up for a friend or person that you admire. How will you remind them that you love and see them, while also honoring your own boundaries and staying true to who you are?
During this Self-Perception and Community-themed Closing Circle, we heard heartfelt reflections like:
“I learned how much social media affects the way I see myself, but also how I can practice kindness toward myself and others online.”
“I felt supported hearing how other students also struggle with beauty standards and friendships.”
“I’m going to take action by being more intentional in my friendships and expressing gratitude to the people who make me feel seen.”
These reflections beautifully tied together the day’s journey, reminding us all of the strength found in vulnerability, connection, and shared growth.
Reflections from Team AGI
Our Co-Founder and CEO, Joanne Liu, shares these reflections on the event:
"We've gone through various iterations of our high school program, but this event made me think for the first time, ‘This is it.’ I’m so proud of our team and so grateful for our Program Coordinator, Annabel Kaey, who just gets it. I am even more inspired to do this work because of you!"
This event was a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and intentionality. From thoughtful conversations about beauty standards and social media to heartfelt crafts and connections formed over food, the day was filled with moments that reaffirmed why we do what we do at AGI.
We are especially grateful to the incredible AANHPI woman-owned businesses that welcomed us with open arms and delicious food: Banh and Butter, Tea Street, and Yuan Wonton. Your contributions not only nourished us but enriched our discussions and inspired our students to think deeply about their identities and connections.
Team AGI is deeply thankful for the students, families, and partners who made this event possible. Seeing the impact of this program inspires us to continue building opportunities for reflection, growth, and community.
Feeling inspired and want support our programming?
Make a donation today!
$10 funds one student’s workshop materials (art supplies, STEM kits, books, etc.) and goes a long way to make programs like these magical.
About Asian Girls Ignite
Founded in October 2020, Asian Girls Ignite is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for AANHPI girls and gender-expansive youth to celebrate their individual and collective power. We use storytelling to empower the next generation to write their futures in their own voice. Our programs and events nurture social-emotional learning to help our students grow in resilience, empathy, and self-awareness.
