Finding a Penfriend in Best! Letters from Asian Americans in the Arts An open letter to n+1’s new anthology, which explores themes of racial aggression and privilege as well as celebrating solidarity Dear Best! Letters from Asian Americans in the Arts, First, a confession: I am not Asian American. (I was born in London, am Chinese and monoracial, and have lived in both New York and Hong Kong, where I’m currently writing this letter.) Asian American identity politics is, generally, a no-go area for me: it is a delicate space; I do not want to intrude. I think of one particular literary magazine whose submission page includes the lines: ‘Do not send ideas about people and events in Asia unless they convey something about the Asian diaspora that resonates with the Asian American experience.’ Interesting. I wonder who decided that division – not unification – defined experiences of colonialism, oppression, pain and resilience? (You know the answer, as do I.)