In a market saturated with publications geared toward all types of people and their interests, Asian American magazines are elbowing for some room on newsstands. And while many of us grew up with nary a publication with our face in sight, there are now more than a handful of covers featuring Asian Americans that plan to stick around for the long haul.

According to a 2004 study by the Magazine Publishers of America, nearly three out of four Asian American adults are magazine readers. On average, Asian Americans read eight magazines a month. Just three years ago, the buying power of Asian Americans in the U.S. exceeded $254 billion annually, according to the study, and Asian American spending could reach up to $528 billion by 2009.

Although, as we at KoreAm have experienced, our audience is out there, but advertisers aren’t buying and here’s why: Despite our numbers and spending power, Asian Americans are grouped in with the white demographic. Our consuming patterns do not stand apart from the mainstream like the African American and Latino communities. Which is why advertisers know that if they stick to mainstream publications, they’ll end up hitting our demographic anyway, essentially killing two birds with one stone. And since it’s all about money, they’d prefer to spend less to get the same job done.

And while subscribers of Asian American publications are loyal, their numbers do not impress advertisers who are looking for six-figure circulations.

Still, that hasn’t stopped these publications from covering a broad spectrum of topics to fill the void mainstream magazines often miss. Whether it’s cheeky takes on cultural issues, hard-hitting stories about immigration, hate crimes and politics, or profiles on the Asian American celebrity du jour, all aim to reflect the Asian American experience.

 

East West
Bridging a gap
Launched: 2003 online, 2004 in print

While a reporter for a daily newspaper in Arizona, Anita Malik couldn’t always relate to her paper’s lifestyle coverage. Having studied business and journalism, the Scottsdale,

Ariz., native decided to dictate her own coverage by creating East West magazine, which debuted online in 2003.

Malik, whose parents emigrated from India, says she figured a Web-only launch was the safe route, a test to see if there was a market for stories that celebrated the Asian American community. After eight months, the magazine went to print.

Like similar publications, East West, now a bimonthly, is driven by freelance contributions from around the world. Only a few live in Arizona, where the magazine is based. Circulation figures have doubled to 20,000-plus in less than four years.

“Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the Asian American community while also illuminating issues for Westerners interested in the East,” Malik says. “For us, it’s always twofold.”

Recent stories include a cover story on Miss Universe Riyo Mori, a first-person take on haggling with merchants in Los Angeles’ Chinatown and a short profile on Amara Karan, a British actress of Sri Lankan descent who appears in Wes Anderson’s latest film “The Darjeeling Limited.”