I may start to sound like a broken record each issue, but — once again — I’m so proud to bring you the exciting, one-of-a-kind content that makes up this magazine we call Culturs. As you know, the missing “e” in our name stands for the hidden diversity of our readers — evidenced in the varied visual, hidden and multiplicity of identity in this and every issue.
As you can see in “Praise for the Spring Issue,” (page 8), this publication brings such joy to so many (myself included) to finally, finally, finally see, read, watch (online at cultursmag.com or on our YouTube channel) and experience the beauty of the in-between. The stories are so rich and the experiences so powerful; it is an honor to be the one to make this vision a reality.
We went a little different direction this time around by going the way of the multicultural superhero. At WonderCon in Anaheim, Calif., USA, I had the pleasure of meeting The Creative Extreme, creators of more than 600 globally diverse superheroes and villains, (cover story, page 77). As expected, the conference was a people-watching cosplay feast for the eyes, and for some, the soul.
We had the pleasure of connecting with the multicultural crew from ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I fangirled at actor Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame and swooned at the ground-shaking bass in veteran sci-fi movie actor Kevin Greivioux’s voice (Underworld is one of my favorite movie franchises of all time). Myriad multi-talented, global, multicultural in-betweeners could be found at most every turn.
With the unprecedented success of the Black Panther movie in the Marvel Universe and Crazy Rich Asians, Hollywood has finally taken notice that movies featuring casts of color are viable money-making powerhouses. In the same way that the NBC television network’s “This is Us,” series and ABC’s “Fresh off the Boat” and “Modern Family” truly shows the varied, multi-dimensional, un-cookie-cuttered lives many of us live, they also show audiences yearn for content to which they can relate.
SeriesFest (page 90) — touted as the Sundance of television series — shows the trend continues, with diverse, multicultural content featured from around the globe. From web series features to streaming like Facebook Watch, global series presentations and U.S. network television with an exclusive premiere of NBC’s “New Amsterdam” (page 92) there’s some amazing storytelling coming at you this fall -— no matter where you live.
Along those same lines, we continue to tell the stories of some amazing Third Culture Kids (TCKs), including Military B.R.A.T.s, diplomat kids, Cross-Culture Kids (CCKs), multiethnic and multiracial families this issue (start on page 26). On the Shoulders of Giants (page 28) begins the amazing tale of a first-generation American Japanese family where descendants relay the heroic deeds of their patriarch fighting for the U.S. in World War II while, simultaneously, his future sister-in-law lived in a U.S. internment camp because of her heritage. Dr. Rhonda Coleman talks about the stress of alternating among two or more languages or language variations during conversation, or code-switching, as it’s something many of our readers experience in everyday life (page 260).
Write us at info@culturs.org or tag us on social media @cultursmag or #cultursmag and show us who you are; let your voice, and your story, be heard.
CLICK HERE to Subscribe to our historic print publication and experience it all for yourself!
This was an engaging read that dived into the realm of culturally diverse superheroes and went on to cover film and television. The word choice was fresh and upbeat which made this exciting to read and kept me on the story. The feature image is attention getting and made me wonder what the rest of the story would tell me. At the end, there was an invitation to further explore the site and follow Culturs on social media which creates a relationship with the reader. I did feel that the incorporation of more visuals throughout the story would have made for a better display. Any shots from the event in California would have been nice to see.