Open Call for Submissions

Chinatown Futures is a zine initiative that seeks to archive and amplify Asian American voices and experiences during a time of critical social change and rapid community response.

With the past year not quite a distant memory and with the future hazy and uncertain, we’ve decided to embrace and explore RITUALS/REMEMBRANCE for our second edition zine. Timed with the Chinese Tomb-sweeping Festival ( 清明 ) we want to use this space to take a moment to reflect upon not only this past year, but also the rituals, meaning-making activities, and stories you hold sacred for yourself, your loved ones, and your culture.

Call for Submission:
We invite you to submit something that resonates with you around this theme. Drawings, oral history, writing, photographs of mementos or heirlooms, family recipes…our methods for creating and maintaining rituals and remembrance are endless! We are prioritizing submissions from Asian American voices from across the country, and embrace the multitudes of experiences, languages, and identities.

Our Mission:
Beyond the spatial delineations of a physical neighborhood, Chinatown is near and dear to our hearts for the memories and experiences that we share collectively with our family and friends. In the onset of COVID-19, Chinatown is rapidly transforming as community members find new ways to support one another in tandem with the shuttering of beloved community landmarks and businesses. This duality of importance needs to be documented and told.

Who is behind Chinatown Futures?
Chinatown Futures is a volunteer-based zine initiative dreamt up by three individuals working in the arts and cultural sphere.