Bamboo Girl Zine

First appearing as a feature issue within the zine Outpunk, Bamboo Girl was created by Sabrina Margarita Alcantara-Tan due to the inability to find reading that spoke to her personal experience within the Riot Grrrl movement and punk scene as someone of Filipino and white descent. The manifesto for Bamboo Girl states: “Challenging racism, sexism, & homophobia from the Filipina/Asian Pacific Islander (API)/Asian mutt feminist point of view since 1995.” Tan found herself fighting against the stereotype of the “weak” Asian woman, shaped by the violence she experienced within her family home. This fueled her valid anger, often leading her into fights to defend against sexist encounters. Punk was supposed to be a space to let it all out, but due to the inherent sexism and racism within the scene, that space often felt small. The expressive black-and-white illustrations feature multi-perspective, striking depictions of an Asian girl fighting back. Despite the lack of color, the boldness and loudness of her expression still protrude from the work, leaning into the ethos of Riot Grrrl and the zine’s purpose. Bamboo Girl became an outlet and a voice for all WOC, especially Asian American women, to confide in and see themselves further represented within the community.