A mainstay of Asian herbal traditions and cooking, the perilla leaf symbolizes wellness and protection – just like the vitality and lifeblood that we have received and co-created through Asian American feminist world building and community care. The perilla leaf can be used to wrap meat, be pickled in vinegar, shredded into a stew, used as a garnish, and brewed to ease discomfort and warm the body in traditional medicine. The leaf has a peppery, earthy flavor – grounding us in where we all come from and where we’ll all return one day. We love perilla as a symbol of vitality, renewal, and culture we can infuse into this project of storytelling, exploration, connection, and community.
The perilla project is a space to reflect on political issues and questions from a feminist lens; uplift organizing and cultural work; share books that we can’t put down; and be in conversation with other artists, writers, and organizers. 🍃perilla project🍃emerged from period of chrysalis for our collective where we desired ways to regenerate energy for feminist conversation. We have found ourselves seeking conversation and connection around the things that deeply shape our lives: care, parenting, intimate relationships, organizing, and more. This project reflects a hunger for what we have always sought to foster: an Asian American feminist public to learn, process, and build with.