Twinkie, n.
1. a mass produced, individually packaged, American sponge cake pastry that is filled with a sweet white cream.
2. a derogatory term used to describe East Asian Americans who do not present "Asian" enough through their dress, speech, or actions.
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/5889e01876090106046b199f34e65632/193d55ad-62e3-416a-aa72-033cb4966d8d_rw_3840.jpg?h=013cfd0f127f2d01a9e29ca1fefed51e)
This series of enamel on copper pins explore what it means to be compared to a standard of whiteness.
This project was born out of my frustrations of having an extremely limited vocabulary and cultural context surrounding the subject. I do not want to be identified as an inauthentic body, yet I recognize my own hesitation to consider myself as fully Korean. With these enamel pins, I wanted to explore the racist implications of being labeled as a twinkie through these cute, wearable icons.
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/5889e01876090106046b199f34e65632/1c1ebfec-4e70-445d-ae71-3c83870035a7_rw_3840.jpg?h=6c6341c1dfcacda8b9b02511cdbcc0d2)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/5889e01876090106046b199f34e65632/a821083d-4d0b-4d34-8196-257304e07d7f_rw_3840.jpg?h=5eb7bade8819d7e83ea6b01fc8b9d2df)
RISD Junior Year. Spring 2018.