Do you think cookies can tell stories? Jasmine Cho, 35, does.
A baker, artist, entrepreneur and activist, Cho tries to spread knowledge about social justice issues and diversity through the delicious medium of cookies.
It was in high school that she discovered her love of baking. At a sleepover a friend taught her how to make a dessert, "sort of demystifying baking and that whole process".
Later, Cho realized her second passion: learning more about her Asian, American culture. An elective in college that taught Asian-American immigrant experiences brought an emotional moment for her. "So many emotions came up that I just couldn't articulate. It was like this mix of anger, of relief, empowerment, sadness..." Cho said.
Cho realized she could combine these two passions to educate others about influential Asian American people and showcase matters that were important to her. With her online bakery, she designed cookie portraits about people she admired and posted the images on Instagram. "I don't think I ever really knew how to communicate these stories until I found cookies," Cho said. "Cookies are just so disarming. Who doesn't like cookies?"
One cookie that Cho has identified with deeply is one she made of George Helm, a Hawaiian activist in the 1970s.
"It's insane the amount of injustice that the native Hawaiian population has faced as well through the whole annexation (吞并) of the kingdom. There were so many horrific stories that I heard about nuclear testing and the fallout ( 核爆炸后的沉降物) impacting native Hawaiian populations in all of this," Cho said, "George Helm was one of those activists who really represented the spirituality of the native Hawaiians and the connection to their land, to nature."
Among her amazing cookie art are other political figures such as Larry Itliong, a Filipino-American labor organizer, and pop culture figures such as Keanu Reeves, a Canadian actor.
Cho hopes her cookie art continues to inspire people to be creative and think positively.
"Instead of trying to think of something new and original, just look inward and see, maybe there's already a passion or a love that you have," Cho said. "Use that for something that will serve the world in a better way."
