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<![CDATA[THE BIZZ USA - Latest Bizz]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:57:47 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[The Evolution of Eurocentric Beauty Standards]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:40:10 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/the-evolution-of-eurocentric-beauty-standards

September 22, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Aaryana Sharma

The 21st century is the age of challenge and change. More than ever, we are challenging past social norms and redefining future rules, regulations and criteria, which couldn’t be more applicable to Eurocentric beauty standards. Ever since the age of colonization and the age of European dominion, certain standards of intellectual capacity and beauty were defined by European colonists. Intellectual capacity is often defined as the ability to speak and understand a European language-- namely English in British colonies--and the ability to adhere to bias and norms of white beauty standards. Today, these are referred to as Eurocentric beauty standards.

These beauty standards and intellectual criteria had detrimental effects on the societies they colonized. For example, concepts like “Fair and Lovely” replaced traditional beauty standards in regions with people of color. By focusing on these beauty standards, people of color often feel insecure and feel the need to fit into the molds of Eurocentric beauty. Unfortunately, markets have capitalized on the demands of Eurocentrism, resulting in brands producing wide varieties of whitening creams and supplements to adhere to these beauty standards.

But the problem lies further than the need to look “fairer”. Eurocentric standards also affect how individuals of color perceive certain bodily features. For example, many south Asians find their nose structure to be problematic. Many believe their nose is too large or oddly disproportionate from the rest of their face. Their perception happens to support the standards of Eurocentric beauty in which facial features are smaller and more subtle. However, this feature has been celebrated throughout South Asian history. This can be identified particularly in Mughal paintings which feature women with large, slightly pointed noses, adorned with jewels and ornamentation. These pieces of art celebrate and admire the beauty of South Asian biological features, challenging Eurocentric beauty ideologies. A tribute and thesis on the development of Eurocentric beauty standards in relation to South Asian interpretation of the nose by Simrah Farrukh can be found here and here.

But this is not a single-sided story. As mentioned previously, this is a trend seen in various regions. Along with questioning features such as the nose, in many African cultures, their hair is seen as a symbol of representation and unique identity. As white colonizers took over empires in Africa, they imposed Eurocentric standards of long, straight hair as opposed to the different traditional styles indegenious Africans used as a symbol of their culture. Even today, Eurocentric beauty standards result in many individuals of African descent to adopt practice, such as straightening their hair. Typical hairstyles like “locks” have been considered unprofessional, highlighting the continuity of Eurocentric influence in modern day society.

Similarly, artists such as Frida Khalo of Mexico resisted colonial movements by expressing her opposition to Eurocentric beauty standards. Her art featured portraits of herself with visual facial hair to represent natural beauty, and disencourage Eurocentric standards.

But Eurocentric beauty standards are slowly diminishing. As a result of social media and the instantaneous, long-lasting influence by diverse groups of people, pre-existing hierarchies in beauty are being redefined. Movements for inclusivity and body positivity encourage the representation of models and artists of color, the acceptance and understanding of traditional customs, and the ability to educate through authentic narratives. Slowly we can dismantle the definition of beauty, redefine, and radicalize our reality. One individual at a time.

]]><![CDATA[Small Business Spotlight 24: Revoteen]]>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 20:44:21 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/small-business-spotlight-24-revoteen

August 25, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Haarika Kalahasti

Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted many small businesses, individuals have begun to step up to promote change. Another inspirational organization that emerged during this pandemic is Revoteen.

Revoteen is a social networking platform that allows students to connect with one another and get connected to various opportunities of interest. With their easy-to-use app, students (both high school and college students) can display their passions and interests on their unique profiles, showcase opportunities with one another in a welcoming way, and build meaningful connections with each other. Their mission is to foster a community where students can interact, connect, discover their true passions, and help maximize each others’ potential. This impactful platform was founded by Aditya Jain, a rising high junior from the Bay Area who has a passion for business and entrepreneurship, in May of 2020. With the outbreak of the pandemic, he and his co-founder noticed the difficulty of students having a student-to-student interaction with one another regarding opportunities. “So we thought to ourselves, ‘what if we could build a platform where students could interact with each other in a similar manner to LinkedIn and keep that sense of community that Instagram fosters?’ So then, we started building a team, prototyped the idea and built it off that”, Jain says. As of right now, Revoteen has a base of over 1,700 students across 45 countries, and hope to spread its reach across more countries in the foreseeable future!

What you may be surprised to hear that their app was created by their team of high school students! After a period of prototyping what the users would like, they conducted Beta testing with a select group of people to get feedback on the app before publishing. After the beta testing and several fixes, they officially rolled out the app this past February. This app has several beneficial features, including the profile page, the home page, the trending page, and the curated page. With a user’s profile page, users can see any posts displayed, interests, education, accomplishments, and other information displayed by a user. The team curates the posts displayed on the home page for the user based on their profile information and interests. The trending page displays the hot posts at the moment for anyone to discover. Lastly, the curated page offers a way for organizations to be featured. They provide a small tidbit about a few organizations per week to allow others to learn about them and get involved if interested in them! Besides just the app, Revoteen also sends out weekly newsletters to their users and subscribers regarding extra opportunities and events and spotlight a few other organizations.
Interested and want to get involved? Luckily, Revoteen has quite a few positions available for its team, with some including an ambassador, web developer, marketing specialist, and more! For more information on the various positions available, please check out this page.

The Bizz USA recommends that you check out Revoteen and get involved! Their passion for helping students connect with each other and find opportunities in the world needs a bit more of, and it’s impressive to see young leaders like Aditya Jain make a difference.

Extra Segment: Entrepreneur’s Corner with Aditya Jain

A mini excerpt from the interview with the co-founder and CEO of Revoteen, Aditya Jain (AJ), interviewed by Haarika Kalahasti (HK), the Founder of The Bizz USA.

Q (HK): "What has been your biggest reward and challenge?"
A (AJ): "My biggest reward was opening up the app. When you open or just look at something you created for such a long time, you get that feeling of the hard work paying off. Just knowing someone else is benefiting from something you worked hard on is the best feeling and something that a lot of entrepreneurs feel as well. The biggest challenge for us has been working with a developing team. There are minor holdups, but at the end of the day, with our growth and impact, I knew it’ll work out in the end."

Q (HK): “If you had to give advice to aspiring, young entrepreneurs, and business owners, what advice would you give?”
A (AJ): "I would say to start something you know you are genuinely passionate about. We go to school and work for eight hours right? You don’t want to come home and start working again. You don’t want to do something where it feels like it’s a task or a commitment. You want to do something you’re genuinely interested in, so it doesn’t feel like a hassle anymore. You can spend all the time, and it will just feel like you’re having fun. Only partake in something you want to do, and guaranteed, it’ll pay off. "

Check out Revoteen here:

Website
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

]]><![CDATA[Make Media More Colorful]]>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 19:37:08 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/make-media-more-colorful

July 14, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Aaryana Sharma; Edited by Haarika Kalahasti

Inspired by The New York Times’s “Learning Network'' headlines, we decided to investigate whether TV captures the diversity of America and if TV is still “too white”. Growing up in the United States, many immigrants, children of immigrants, and people of color struggle to find themself in mainstream media. While books, movies and shows with people of color do exist, they are often difficult to find on media outlets or are not given the same recognition as media produced by a typical white individual. However, we are beginning to finally see that this trend is changing.

From Nicola Yoon’s “The Sun is Also a Star'' novels, to Mindy Kailing’s “Never Have I Ever”, immigrants and people of color are beginning to recognize parts of themself in mainstream media. Disney launchpad films “Growing Fangs”, “American Eid”, “The Little Prince(ss)”, and “Dinner is Served” featured upcoming directors of color and their authentic stories.

How come we’ve never actually seen ourselves in the media before? We’ve always existed, but the majority of the time, people of color are stereotyped or misrepresented. We’ve begun to notice particular character cliches, such as a person of color acting as a side character to a white lead, in a lesser preferred occupation or lower social status. Even in children’s shows, such as Jessie and Phineas and Ferb , each of the characters fit the stereotypical “role” they were “supposed to play”. For example, Ravi embodied a stereotypical Indian character with a thick accent whose only interest seemed to be academics. Zuri embodied a stereotypical African American character who was known for her sassy attitude. Phineas and Ferb’s Isabella and Baljeet followed similar character stereotypes.

But it’s getting better right? Definitely. Over the past few years, we’ve noticed more diverse representation in media and more creators and artists recognizing the need to showcase authentic narratives. In new media like Never Have I Ever, Sound of Metal, the Kite Runner, Raya and the Last Dragon, The Hate U Give, On My Block, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, authors and creators of color are slowly beginning to rewrite the narrative encompassing a more realistic, multifaceted story. Characters often overcome stereotypical barriers while preserving their cultural traditions and are often seen participating in religious or cultural ceremonies at home, while engaging in school events, or passions, indicating that dual identities can indeed be fostered.

What’s next? We know these narratives are only starting to be more inclusive, but there sure still is a long way to go. One story isn’t going to destroy stereotypes or reverse stigmas about assumed traits. Now that we have begun to tell more authentic stories to a mainstream audience, we need to encourage storytellers and artists to share their personal experiences. Many storytellers hesitate from sharing their experiences due to fear that their stories won’t be understood, or that there is no audience to recognize particular traditions. But, we exist. People of color, immigrants, and members of minority and marginalized communities are ready to be represented in mainstream media. It’s up to us to make media more colorful.

]]><![CDATA[The COVID-19 Delta Variant]]>Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:48:09 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/the-covid-19-delta-variant

August 12, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Isabelle Sitchon

“What’s this cold that’s been going around?”--many have been asking on TikTok. Despite being vaccinated, abiding by COVID-19 regulations, and staying a six feet distance away from people for more than a year now, it seems that more and more people are getting sick.

   The question is: why has such a cold been spreading around?

   Well, outside of coronavirus, there are other illnesses that are also contagious--such as the common cold. If you have the vaccine, the CDC does not require you to wear a mask in public places (aside from certain businesses and workplaces that require masks). As more people obtain the vaccine, the less you will see people wearing a mask. Thus, we are more prone to regular sicknesses like fevers. Masks have helped immensely not only in preventing the spread of COVID-19 but also from other infectious illnesses as well.

However, the pandemic is not over. Recently, there has been an alarming outbreak of COVID cases in U.S. hospitals--and this is because of the Delta Variant.

   Discovered first in India, the Delta Variant has quickly spread across the world, infecting 96 countries, including the United States. The variant is said to be more contagious than the regular virus strains, spreading the coronavirus even faster than before.

"...we know that where the Delta variant is identified, it really rapidly takes off and spreads between people more efficiently than even the Alpha variant that was first detected around December, January 2021,” WHO’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said.

  The Delta Variant has been labeled as a “variant of concern” by the CDC, showing evidence of increased transmissibility, disease severity, and decreased effectiveness of treatments/vaccines. A study made by the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the variant “could be more infectious during the early stage of infection.” The study proposes that it has a potential higher viral replication rate than the original COVID variant, meaning that a person with the Delta Variant is likely to be more infectious.

This variant was first detected in the United States back in March 2021. Now, recent spikes of the Coronavirus have shown that the variant has become the most dominant COVID strain in the U.S. From June 20 to July 3, an estimated 61.7% of the proportion of COVID cases were of the Delta Variant, according to the CDC.

  The people who are most at risk for the variant? Unvaccinated individuals.

   According to the New York Times, many central/southern states, namely Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, are facing extreme numbers of COVID cases. Coincidentally, these states also have lower rates of vaccination. Without the vaccine, there is less protection against the highly infectious Delta Variant. A study published by Nature Research shows individuals with just one dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine barely inhibited the Delta Variant, while 95% of those with two doses of the vaccine were able to defend against the variant. Although the vaccines may seem stronger against the original virus strains as opposed to the new delta strain, the vaccines still provide adequate protection against the incredibly transmissible variant.

“...when it's your turn, get vaccinated. We know that the vaccines are incredibly effective at preventing severe disease and death,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said.

It’s important to note that the Delta Variant is a hindrance to our efforts to proceed towards a new normal again. Many people are at risk, including the young generation. A study conducted by the Imperial College London in the U.K. found that those aged below 50 were 2.5 times more likely to obtain Delta. In order to lower your risks and help our nation decrease rates of COVID, protect yourself by wearing masks, abiding by essential guidelines, and keeping up with the new information.

Most importantly, get your vaccine! If you haven’t obtained your vaccine yet, you can visit Vaccines.gov, the CDC website, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find a vaccine location near you.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/5-things-to-know-delta-variant-covid
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/science-in-5/episode-45---delta-variant
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html#Concern
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#nowcast
https://virological.org/t/recent-evolution-and-international-transmission-of-sars-cov-2-clade-19b-pango-a-lineages/711
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03777-9
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2107799
https://theconversation.com/delta-variant-makes-it-even-more-important-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-even-if-youve-already-had-the-coronavirus-164203
https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/handle/10044/1/89629

]]><![CDATA[The Body Positivity Movement]]>Wed, 04 Aug 2021 16:49:30 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/the-body-positivity-movement

June 6, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Malita Zara Ali ; Edited by Adya Kumar

Beauty is subjective. So many factors come into play when defining beauty such as culture, country and time of living. But ultimately, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
However, this becomes hard to believe when faced with ever changing standards, especially for women. Today’s beauty standards for women incorporate a “Barbie” or “Bratz”, doll-like aesthetic. This is characterized by a defined jawline, big lips, thin nose, flawless skin with no stretch marks or imperfections, and an “hourglass” figure with a small waist and flat stomach and fuller breasts, hips and butt.

Keeping up with these unattainable standards has caused a massive wave of insecurity and dissatisfaction with oneself, but fortunately inspired a wonderful response: the philosophy of body positivity. Body positivity refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size, and appearance. More specifically, body positivity includes:

Appreciating unique aspects of one’s body
Gratitude for the functions a body can perform
Admiration for parts and features of the body, even if they differ from societal ideals
Comfort and confidence within one’s body

Body positivity is a process and requires self-compassion and acceptance. While body positivity and acceptance is most certainly difficult, it can lead to improved well-being and mental health and encourage society to be more inclusive and accepting.

Social media has played a vital role in the rise of the body positivity movement. While many influencers or celebrities like the Kardashians have set unrealistic and idealistic beauty standards, such as Doja Cat, Lizzo, Anne Hathaway, Serena Williams and other celebrities have spoken out on body positivity and the challenges that they have encountered to inspire audiences who have been negatively impacted by the false images displayed on social media.

The beauty industry and the media has bombarded young girls and women with the western idea of beauty on a global scale. Victoria Secret, a fashion company known for their lingerie clothing and for the famous Victoria secret runway show, for example, does not cater to plus size women in order to maintain a certain image, which in hindsight is degrading and toxic. The fashion industry is so toxic that model Filipa Hamilton was fired by Ralph Lauren for being overweight for their standards. Over the years, people no longer have the patience to digest these unachievable standards.

Dove was one of the first brands to explicitly use body positivity in its messaging, and was soon joined by other brands, and media outlets and influencers, who all used the language of body positivity without truly championing the message behind the term. In doing so, they marginalized the very communities the movement was meant to uplift.

A report published by Common Sense Media found that more than 50% of girls and nearly 33% of boys between the ages of 6 and 8 felt that their ideal body weight was less than their current weight. Results also revealed that 25% of kids had tried some type of dieting behavior by the age of seven.

Weight stigma can hurt more than just feelings— negative messages about weight are bad for physical health as well. Messages on weight and body size can be hard to avoid, there are things you can do to tune out the noise and embrace your body in its current state. Here are some of the following:

1. Remember all bodies are different and you are beautiful!
Weight stigma can lead to low self-esteem and higher rates of depression. For instance, some would go through days without eating just to look like a model in a magazine, which leaves anyone feeling hopeless and not having any form of logic to carry out day to day tasks. Such practices can evolve into dangerous eating disorders, which are then hard to recover from. It’s important to remember that all bodies are different and unique and meant to look the way it looks.

2. Don’t just be focused on BMI
Most of us have used a body mass index, or BMI, metric before- maybe at school or on a chart used to determine whether you're in a "healthy" weight range. Some pro athletes, can be obese based on their BMI because of all the muscle in their body. Zooming in on BMI alone can add to weight stigma and actually make people avoid behaviors that promote good health, such as cancer screenings or other preventive health care.

3. Focus on well-being by practicing healthy behaviors, regardless of weight.
We all decide on our well-being. Making small changes such as going for walks or adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can help with making your well-being transition smooth. Making these small changes to your lifestyle and eating behaviors will lower your risk from becoming part of the NCD statics. Remember should only change for your self, not for society.

4. Learn to combat weight stigma with self-acceptance and compassion
Don't beat yourself up if you struggle with body image sometimes. If you want to change, take baby steps and make sure it’s for yourself well-being. Instead of letting the scale determine whether it's going to be a good day or not, put your scale away. Regardless of your weight and appearance, remember to practice self-compassion and treat yourself well.

The body positivity movement aims to help people understand how popular media messages contribute to the relationship you have with your body including how you feel about food, exercise, clothing, health, identity, and self-care. By better understanding the effect that such influences have, the hope is that people can develop a healthier and more realistic relationship with their bodies. No matter your body type, skin color, fashion sense or gender orientation, this movement seeks to include everybody who dares to step outside of the perfect image of skinny, muscular, tall, fair-skinned people that the media inaccurately represents.

]]><![CDATA[Small Business Spotlight 23: Future Athletes Association]]>Sun, 25 Jul 2021 20:51:01 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/small-business-spotlight-23-future-athletes-association

July 25th, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Haarika Kalahasti and Adya Kumar

Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted many small businesses, individuals have begun to step up to promote change. Another inspirational organization that emerged during this pandemic is Future Athletes Association.

Future Athletes Association (FAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to assist the sports journey of future athletes. To do so, they aim to collect athletic equipment, expand injury prevention knowledge, and promote sports participation in high schools. The nonprofit was created by a rising high school senior Jason Cai, from Southern California, who has a passion for both sports and business. He suffered from a few knee injuries while playing sports, and according to him, while resting, he felt terrible because he couldn’t play and realized how important sports were to him. After research, he found that 50% of injuries can be prevented with knowledge and equipment, and so, he decided to create Future Athletes Association to provide young athletes with the knowledge and equipment they need to prevent injuries. With FAA, he hopes to reach a nationwide audience to contribute to reducing the rate of injuries.

As mentioned earlier, to prevent sports-related injuries, they raise donations to collect and buy equipment, educate on injuries and prevention, and encourage sports participation. They collect donations for protective athletic equipment for schools that don’t have them or use monetary donations to buy low-income schools. So far, they’ve donated over 200 pieces of equipment, and their volunteers have made over 6,000 masks to support high school sports teams in California! In addition to the immense equipment aspect, Future Athletes Association also hosts guest speaker events to educate students on sports injuries and injury prevention. Some of their past events include their webinar with Anthony Watson, a former olympian, and Dr. Carlo L. Sayo, an orthopedic physical therapist. They plan to host many more guest speaker events with more experienced professionals in the future! Lastly, through community service events like fundraisers, they collect donations and equipment to distribute. As of now, the Future Athletes Association is mainly based in the California area but has some chapters both nationally and internationally. They have chapters or school clubs of the FAA, where members and chapter heads work collaboratively to fulfill FAA’s mission locally.

Interested and want to get involved? Luckily, Future Athletes Association has both leadership and membership positions available! If you’re solely interested in becoming a member, apply here! If you’re interested in creating a branch of Future Athletes Association in your local community, apply here!

The Bizz USA recommends that you check out Future Athletes Association and get involved in any way you can, whether donating, volunteering, becoming a member, or starting a chapter! Their passion for educating and assisting future student-athletes across the globe is something the world needs a bit more of, and it’s impressive to see young leaders like Jason Cai make a difference.

Check out Future Athletes Association here:

Website
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok

Extra Segment: Entrepreneur’s Corner with Jason Cai

A mini excerpt from the interview with the founder of Career Bound, Jason Cai (JC), interviewed by Haarika Kalahasti (HK), the Founder of The Bizz USA.

Q (HK): What has been your biggest challenge and biggest reward?
A (JC): “Our biggest challenge was functioning virtually. Because of COVID-19, we had no in person events. We planned on doing youth sports camps, fundraising, and other in person events. However, with the COVID situation slightly improving, we are planning to potentially host an event, although this is subject to change. Our biggest reward thus far has been actually donating to lower income athlete teams. One organization actually donated $3,000, which we greatly appreciate and value.

Q (HK): “If you had to give advice to aspiring, young entrepreneurs, and business owners, what advice would you give?”
A (JC): “If you’re an entrepreneur, your team is your most important aspect. Don’t get friendship involved. When I started, I tried to get some friends involved, but it was unprofessional and didn’t work out. Before you start, pick the best team and the best people to surround yourself with and then that’s how you can succeed with the organization. Another piece of advice is to keep going. If you fail or lose followers, keep going and working hard. "

]]><![CDATA[Small Business Spotlight 22: Career Bound]]>Sun, 18 Jul 2021 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/small-business-spotlight-22-career-bound

July 18th, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Haarika Kalahasti

Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted many small businesses, individuals have begun to step up to promote change. Another inspirational organization that emerged during this pandemic is Career Bound.

Career Bound is an international student-led non-profit that aims to help high school students discover their potential careers. “For students that don’t know what they want to major in or do, we provide them with opportunities like webinars for them to meet different professionals in the field to discover their interests. For the students that do know what they want to know, we’ll provide the opportunity for them to connect and network with these professionals and help them gain skills they can use well into their careers“, says founder and executive director Jina Jiang, a high school graduate from Tennessee who plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania to study business in the fall. Jina started Career bound during the summer of 2020 when she noticed people around her began to lose their jobs because of COVID-19. She wished there was a career platform everyone could go to for everything, skills they need, connect with professionals, and network, so she created just that. “We’re always asked, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’, but we don’t really know. People just expect us to find out what we want to do without getting the proper resources to do so. With Career Bound, we’re trying to provide a resource for you to use, but it’s more of a community for all people to support one another through college, career, and beyond.”

To help high school students discover new careers and make professional connections, they host informational webinars and workshops, post informational resources on their social media page you need to succeed in your career, and plan to open a community platform! Career Bound hosts monthly webinars with professionals in different careers to allow students to understand different career paths. Details for upcoming and past webinars are found on their Instagram, and to view past webinars, visit their youtube channel! In addition, they post a variety of resources on their Instagram, including “what you need to know” about certain career fields” and “careers that best match your personality type”. Please consider looking into these helpful resources if you feel as though you are confused about your future career or just want more information! Lastly, a major project they are working on releasing soon is a launching community network that will connect students with professionals. Career Bound plans to have a network of professionals in various careers ready to assist students with any questions they have or post job and internship openings for them to gain experience from!

Interested and want to get involved? Luckily, Career Bound has both leadership and membership positions available! For the position descriptions, check out this link and apply here.

The Bizz USA recommends that you check out Career Bound and get involved! Their passion for helping students across the globe find their future careers are something the world needs a bit more of, and it’s impressive to see young leaders like Jina Jiang make a difference.

Check out Career Bound here:

Website
Instagram
Youtube
LinkedIn
Beacons (link hub)

Extra Segment: Entrepreneur’s Corner with Jina Jiang

A mini excerpt from the interview with the founder of Career Bound, Jina Jiang (JJ), interviewed by Haarika Kalahasti (HK), the Founder of The Bizz USA.

Q (HK): What has been your biggest reward and challenge?

A (JJ): “My biggest reward is the people I get to meet. I met amazing team members and new friends I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It’s also been great meeting the professionals and learning about new career fields and jobs. The most challenging aspect is with expanding outreach because I don’t have a lot of experience with getting the word out. But I’ve learned a great deal about how to because of Career Bound. Engagement is our challenge right now, but we’re trying the best we can!”

Q (HK): “If you had to give advice to aspiring, young entrepreneurs, and business owners, what advice would you give?”

A (JJ): “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s important to understand that you should have team members and advisors to help you along the way. Doing everything by yourself will lead to burnout and exhaustion, and you may even lose interest.

]]><![CDATA[Unwrapping American Eid with Aqsa Altaf]]>Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:21:01 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/unwrapping-american-eid-with-aqsa-altaf

July 14, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Aaryana Sharma and Haarika Kalahasti

Disney’s new short film series, Launchpad, released May 28th, 2021 and is definitely worth watchin, and we, The Bizz USA, got to get in on the new project. We had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Aqsa Altaf, the director of American Eid (a short film on the Launchpad series) and got some behind-the-scenes information on her inspiration for the piece, the impact Aqsa hopes her film has, misrepresentation in the media, and so much more! Shot in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential elections, American Eid celebrates the diversity of different cultures and the magic of storytelling in today’s society.

The film features Ameena, a nine-year-old girl who wakes up on the morning of Eid and realizes she still has to attend school. Unlike in her home in Pakistan, Eid is no longer a public holiday and Ameena is unable to celebrate with family and friends. Ameena makes it her mission to make Eid a public holiday by starting a petition within her school. Meanwhile, Ameena’s older sister Zainab tries to hide her traditions and fasts outside of school. In “American Eid”, Ameena and Zainab come together and embrace their new home as their new home begins to accept them.

Faced with similar challenges as Ameena and Zainab in “American Eid”, Aqsa moved to a different country where she was unable to find a close-knit group of friends and family to practice her traditions with.

“I was born in Pakistan, Sargodha Pakistan, and I moved to Kuwait and was raised there but my parents…both my parents were migrant workers in Kuwait so I was raised in Kuwait my whole life and I immigrated to [the] US when I was 21. And I immigrated alone, like my family was still back in Kuwait at that time, and I remember every Eid - this is supposed to be like my “new home” right - but every Eid and Ramadan I didn’t have a community to celebrate with. “

Because of assimilation pressures, Aqsa felt the need to stay quiet and practice her traditions independently, but soon realized that she had the ability to share her experiences and educate those around her. “I kind of started out as Zainab, where I’m like “maybe I should assimilate maybe I shouldn’t talk about it” to becoming Ameena where I’m like “I want to talk about it, I want to tell everybody about it, I want to make a film about it” ‘cause there’s been no film about Eid. The experience comes from that same idea of like “if home is not a place where you can celebrate what means so special to you, then is it really home?”.

“That’s the heart of the story at the end of the day. And I realized… in order for me to accept home, the home has to accept me for who I am.”

We also talked about the problematic consequences of filtering American Eid through the lens of a Western audience, a practice commonly done when trying to make a story more inclusive. While this may make the story easier to understand it also dismisses the authentic elements of the narrative and erases the cultural nuances which were the highlight of the piece.

“I never wanted to say “this is for an American audience”... This story had to be authentic, you know. Obviously it’s for everybody, but I didn’t want to filter it through one gaze. I remember as I was writing the story I kept on thinking like “oh do I need to filter this for people to understand what Eid is, should I be comparing this to Christmas”,for example, right. And I realized like, why do I need to do that? I had grown up watching so many stories on Christmas from Disney, and I never got it filtered to me… but I understood what the stories were about because it was told through a character.”

Mini Q & A Session with Aqsa Altaf

This segment is an excerpt of the Virtual Roundtable event we participated in with writer and director Aqsa Altaf for American Eid on June 30th.

American Eid Virtual Roundtable

Aqsa Altaf

Q: When did you realize you wanted to become a film director?

A: "The biggest thing I realized is the power of it. I grew up in a society where we were just treated like second class citizens in Kuwait and people’s passports were taken away and it was so normalized like “oh your passport taken away as an insurance that you wouldn’t run away” and I remember thinking “oh that’s how the world functions'' until I watched film and TV. So the bubble I was raised in was bursted because of something I watched. And I thought [to myself] “that’s a power, that’s the power of film and TV.
Imagine the amount of change you can bring if somebody that looked like me was on the screen and a girl was watching this and was questioning her societal injustices as a result.
And that’s when I realized the power of mainstream film making and how much we can get people to start questioning things around them that are not necessarily right. That’s when my love for filmmaking started. "

Q: What was the best part of creating “American Eid”?

A: “I would say the fact that there was a Disney castle logo at the beginning of the film followed by an Eid story. That was something I always wanted as a child-- just to see that. It’s just so meaningful because it’s such a big brand. To have it associated with something so special to us, makes it even more global.
It just feels like we’re sharing it with the whole world and something about that is so beautiful. I think that would be very special.”

She added that along with the Disney brand, her colleagues and peers began to recognize the importance of her traditions and become more respectful of these diverse cultures. Aqsa reflects that the feedback she received on her film made her feel like she was finally home. It also made her realize how much closer immigrant families are than she first presumed. “I was like ‘this is my story’ … and when I shared the film, everybody was like “I experienced the same thing, this is my story too”. It just goes to show how universal our experiences as immigrants are and as finding our home in this home is and I think something about that is so beautiful and all the cast had that in common.

Aqsa finished our discussion by restating a powerful idea that she had just started to create the first series of Muslim representation in mainstream media.
“Just one story isn’t enough. All these years our stories have not been told by us, and inherently because of that there’s a glass ceiling of who we are created by others for us and every story we tell, even if it features a Muslim protagonist, and doesn’t necessarily have to do with identity, humanizes it and cracks that glass ceiling a little.

And one story isn’t going to completely crack it, but if we tell like a hundred stories, it’s eventually going to crack that ceiling, and that’s what I hope to do .”

Aqsa Altaf is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California who tells underrepresented stories for the immigrant diaspora. Her short film “One Small Step” was played at the American Pavillion at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and was shortlisted for the BAFTA film awards. Additionally Aqsa was nominated for the Young Director Award at Cannes Lions in 2019. Currently she’s working on her first feature film and TV series based on her short “Heat” with a major studio. Find more of Aqsa’s work here. Her short film, “American Eid” is now streaming on Disney+, so be sure to check it out!

]]><![CDATA[Schools Around The World]]>Wed, 07 Jul 2021 19:06:25 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/schools-around-the-world

July 7, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Isabelle Sitchon

In the United States, the school year has ended, and summer has begun. Local pools are opening to the public, beaches are starting to pack with people, and ice cream trucks are booming with business. However, many students in various countries are writing down notes in class right now. For some, summer break isn’t until later, and for others, their summer break is about to finish.

   The world may teach some of the same concepts and subjects, but each country has a different school system. Around the world, the way people learn and teach is majorly different in comparison to the United States. Despite our differences in education, each and every country establishes guidelines, regulations, and routines within their school system in order to properly prepare their students for a life ahead. With that being said, here are some countries that run their education system a bit differently:

South Korea
   This leading high-tech country has garnered a reputation for having an extremely hard working culture. This is no different in the nation’s youth--most schools in South Korea start their school year during March. On a typical school day, many go to “school after school”, or namely, cram school. They end their day around 10 or 11 P.M., and get up early in the morning to go to school again. Studying culture is prominent in South Korean high schools, which is also common in many other Asian countries. It’s also encouraged even within the home, as many parents encourage their children to “study instead of doing chores” starting from middle school. According to studies conducted by the Korean National Statistics Office and Hofferth and Sandburg, South Korean students spend at least twice as much time studying mathematics than U.S. students. The young generation in South Korea are held up to high expectations, and with that comes a mountain of educational productivity and success.

Italy
   After middle school, promising youth in Italy move on to specialized high schools to pursue a career at an early age. Students can choose between three types of high schools: “Liceo” (Lyceum), which specializes in humanities, science, languages, or art, “Instituto Tecnico” (technical institute), which specializes in studies such as economy, administration, technology, etc. and is paired with a three to six month internship, and “Instituto Professionale” (professional institute), which specializes in practical studies such as engineering, agriculture, gastronomy, etc. While the American students spend four years in high school, Italian students can spend up to five years there. And the reason being? Certain high school classes prepare students for qualifications and focus on specific careers. For example, Italian students may take “Istituti Tecnici” (Technical Institute) to get ready for a vocation.

Finland
   Finland is known to have one of the best education systems in the world, but what exactly does Finland do differently? Compared to the rigorous study routines in places around the world, Finland is a bit more relaxed when it comes to education. There are no standardized exams; instead, students have a more flexible learning environment. The Finnish education system is based on the principle of “lifelong learning”, which encourages people to continue and advance their education. Children start school later than most, with the average age to start school being six or seven years old. In addition, the amount of homework given to students is minimal. The younger generation is taught by highly-trained teachers, most with a master degree or equivalent qualification. With such a system, students are able to healthily balance their life and their education.

   Around the world, everyone--not just students--is learning each and every day. No matter which education system you’re in, continue to study not just for your future, but also to improve yourself and the environment around you.

References

]]><![CDATA[The B.T.S of "a butterfly story"]]>Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:24:12 GMThttps://www.thebizzusa.com/latest-bizz/the-bts-of-a-butterfly-story

June 24, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Aaryana Sharma; Edited by Haarika Kalahasti

As a South Asian teenager growing up in the United States, I quickly found that it’s often difficult to find appropriate South Asian representation in mainstream media. Books, even books written by South Asian authors, often “white-wash” their main characters and erase authentic experiences from the characters’ narrative in order to make them more “American” to make them “appeal” to a larger crowd. White-washing is a process by which publishers encourage the writer to add more vague experiences, which attempt to resonate with a larger diaspora than unique, authentic experiences which reflect individuality and specific cultures. While this may make the novel sell better, it often makes the minority reading the novel feel misrepresented.

As a writer and a victim of white-washed novels, I wanted to rewrite the narrative to include authentic, personal experiences and problems I had seen in the community. At the same time, I didn’t want my story to reflect a Bollywood drama, typically a storyline with intense drama and bias. Instead, I wanted to tell a more unique story: one with South Asian teens in an LGBTQ relationship, and another that reflects our lives as children of immigrants, the generational gap with grandparents, the feeling of having a dual identity, the stark new experiences which do not resonate with our parents’ experiences, and the newfound feeling of individuality.

I began writing “a butterfly story” after one of my close friends shared her own experience with coming out. Inspired by our conversation, I wanted to write about a South Asian LGBTQ relationship. I wrote the story in poems because I feel as though that poems are more intimate than typical paragraphs or stories. Inspired by “Wonder” by R.J Palacio, I wrote the book from different perspectives, allowing each character’s narrative to be fully illustrated, to highlight multiple sides to the same situations. As explained in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer known for her short stories and non-fiction novels, and the common South-Asian stereotype, a single story can be misleading and more than often, not explain the entire narrative.

As I wrote “a butterfly story”, I made sure to include realistic conversations and normalized interpretations of LGBTQ relationships. I understood from my peers and the media that LGBTQ experiences are often seen with a feeling of hesitation, but also with an overall understanding and acceptance. I portrayed this normalized viewpoint in my book by making sure the main character was accepted and acknowledged in their household, not rejected. While I understand that isn’t always the case, I believe that the more normalized a situation or relationship is, the more understanding people are of it.

When it came to sharing my story on a larger platform, I was interested in self-publishing from the start. I decided to self-publish on the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing portal. Now, the paperback version can be purchased on Amazon here under my pen-name “Aary”.

While I understand that my story alone has limited power, I hope that it sparks LGBTQ+ South Asians to share their authentic experiences and add to the important narrative. The first step to increased representation is the integration of minority characters with unique experiences in mainstream media. By taking this first step, I invite others to share their stories. These stories will add to the immigration diaspora’s diverse narrative and encourage others to contribute their authentic experiences without being westernized by publishing agencies.

If this interests you, we highly recommend checking out "a butterfly story" and consider purchasing it here!

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