Audrey La Jeunesse

May 24, 2024 | yr.media | Audrey La Jeunesse |Amber Ly

Once a year, my home is decorated with grapefruits, oranges and wall hangings for the Lunar New Year. We purchase these supplies from Oakland’s Chinatown — its streets decorated with festive banners and lanterns. But for the first time in my life, I celebrated the holiday in China. From the moment I stepped off the tarmac into the Haikou airport in Hainan, I knew the festivities at home would be minuscule in comparison.

Dec 25, 2023 | yr.media | Noumaan Faiz |Nina Roehl |Audrey La Jeunesse |Phoebe Lefebvre

As we usher in the new year, these are some must-listen audio essays from 2023. Hear from YR Media's writers about their thoughts on a variety of issues such as the increase in cost of living to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action. "Now I admit, I didn’t always notice the effects of inflation. I was only six years old during the big financial crisis in 2008. But now as a young adult, I finally understand my parents' frustration when gas prices go up even a few cents.

Dec 14, 2023 | yr.media | Audrey La Jeunesse |Amber Ly

California — As I scrolled through my Tiktok For You page, the phrase, “I am a school shooter” was the last thing I expected to hear. But Jon Romano has been creating social media content about his story for over a year. In 2004, 16-year-old Jon Romano entered Columbia High School in New York with a shotgun. He fired two shots at students and one at a teacher, who he injured. Romano served 17 out of the 20 years of his prison sentence.

May 17, 2023 | yr.media | Audrey La Jeunesse |Amber Ly

College admissions are so competitive these days. And I’ve seen my classmates taking on clubs, leadership roles and volunteering — not because they’re genuinely interested in them, but just to look good for college. I have a lighter schedule than a lot of my peers, and even I often feel exhausted at the end of the week. But I’m really invested in everything I’m doing.

May 15, 2023 | yr.media | Audrey La Jeunesse |Kathy Chaney

For many Asian Americans and other immigrants, self-preservation has been the primary focus to thrive in a new country. But this often leads to perpetuating existing racial hierarchies, such as anti-Blackness. In “Blurring the Color Line,” Crystal Kwok explored the story of her family’s life in Augusta, Georgia, who moved there during the Jim Crow era. While talking to her older family members, she discovered that Blackness was seen as a threat to their success.