Her “art-ivism” has taken her interesting places. In 2019, she wrote and illustrated a children’s book, “Role Models Who Look Like Me.” In the last few years, she has made over 20 virtual and in-person appearances at universities, elementary schools and conferences. If she isn’t giving a speech, she’s leading a cookie-decorating workshop.
The biggest thrill is when young Asian Americans, particularly females, feel inspired.
“They tell me things like, ‘I learned more in your 15-minute talk than I have in my whole class that’s about Asian American history,’ or something like that,” Cho said.
At a time when demanding to see Asian American history included in school curricula can get you branded as “woke,” even Cho’s seemingly innocuous cookies can be a target. Ahead of a university visit last February, someone Cho thought was a student journalist asked to talk to her. Cho later learned that person wasn’t a student but part of a far-right group. The school decided to increase security for the event — something that stunned her.
“It’s just cookies,” Cho said. “But, not to diminish the intent of what I’m actually using the cookies to do… Unfortunately, even something like cookies could be seen as a threat because of what they symbolize.”
They’re definitely not just cookies. They can evoke poignant moments.
Cho made a cookie portrait of Betty Ong, an American Airlines flight attendant who died on 9/11. Ong was credited as the first person to raise the alarm about the terrorists’ hijacking, passing along crucial information from a phone on the ill-fated plane. One of her nieces spotted Cho’s creation on Instagram and contacted…
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