Color Outside the Lines
Asian Diaspora Group and Individual Coaching to help you break free from the myth of the model minority. Let’s rock the boat!
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Dear fellow Asians,
Finally break free from the Myth of the Model Minority!
Let’s design your most vibrant life aligned with your unique experience of the world.
Isn’t it time we rock the boat?
As Asian socialized as girls/women, we’ve been conditioned to be nice, quiet, and polite. We’re rewarded for chasing other people’s version of success. We’re pressured to not stand out or dare we dishonor ourselves (or, worse yet, our families!). The thing is, I know you’ve got important things to say and incredible gifts to share. Shed external expectations and own your power as the badass, creative that you are (even if you don’t think you’re creative)!
Color Outside the Lines
Join me for a group coaching program for Asians in the diaspora socialized as girls/women who are ready to bust the Model Minority Myth and live, work, and lead from their most authentic, fully-expressed selves.
Any of these sound like you?
This is for you if you relate to any of the following:
You feel like you don’t belong in a world designed by and for the dominant White patriarchal culture.
You’re fed up with feeling invisible and having others assume they can walk all over you or take, take, take.
You’re sick of compartmentalizing and playing small to fit the acceptable roles in your work, family, home, community, and/or personal life.
You’re tired of being the “token” Asian and crave community, connection, and equity.
You’ve had enough of all the appropriation of Asian traditions and the resulting cognitive dissonance from feeling you needed to downplay or hide your cultural practices to be “safe.”
Whether you feel disconnected from your heritage or comfortable in your Asian identity or somewhere in between, you yearn for a space to continue healing and evolving with fellow creative Asians.
Imagine how validated and empowered you’d feel being part of a group of Asians socialized as girls or women, who just get it (without explanation!) and who are choosing to buck the system to live their most liberated life, which in turn helps to liberate others.
This is the circle I longed for where I could grow and learn in community with a mentor who innately understands the specific challenges we face as Asians.
I know what it’s like to be a heart-centered, creative Asian wanting to impact change in a patriarchal, White-dominated society that treats us like delicate, docile China dolls who need to stay quiet in the corner.
Fuck that shit, right??! Say YES to the model minority mutiny and to proudly living out loud!
You’ll learn how to:
Give yourself full permission to be uniquely YOU and let your most vibrant, creative self shine. The pressure to assimilate and perform can go piss off!
Speak truth to power and have the courageous conversations needed to be in right relationship with loved ones, colleagues, and your community. You can stop silently biting your tongue or second-guessing yourself AND you can discern when indirect communication or your introspection and deep listening will best serve.
Make a career out of your passions and authentically lead a heart-centered, values-based business that’s aligned with your intrinsic version of success. Finally stop tolerating your “respectable” role when what you really want is work that’s purposeful, non-traditional, creative, artsy, or woo-woo. BTW, a fulfilling side gig, creative personal projects, and/or fun hobbies are great options, too. You’re in charge of designing your ideal life!
Embrace the unknown and honor your energy and natural rhythms so you can say so long to the White supremacy culture of control, perfection, and striving.
Express your emotions and directly ask for what you want. For many of us feelings were off limits growing up; but when we can mindfully and compassionately give them space we tap into a well of wisdom.
Draw clear boundaries, prioritize self-care, and practice self-compassion so that you can be more present and available to yourself and, in turn, to others.
Reclaim your roots and ancestral resilience, and heck, why not even justly and intentionally channel your righteous rage while we’re at it!
What past participants have to say
“It has felt freeing and comforting to be heard and seen by people who understand me in some really core ways. I don’t have this kind of community in the rest of my life, so this time and space together has felt like a balm during a stressful and tumultuous time in my life..”
Laura Burns
radicalbodylove.com
“Being in regular community with other creative, intelligent Asian women who understand my lived experience without explanation has helped me not only weather the last few months but encouraged me to lean into my cultural identity.”
Joy Agcongay
gentlemarketing.com
“I met amazing Asian women who although are in different situations than myself, brought me new perspectives both in the personal and business aspects. Jenn was very supportive holding the space throughout.”
Karla Magpayo
Any Questions?
What do you mean by the Asian Diaspora?
This refers to anyone of Asian descent who is living outside their ancestral land(s). Some examples include: a third-generation Chinese-American living in California, a Vietnamese immigrant living in Toronto, Canada, or someone of European/Indian heritage living in London, England. Please keep in mind that I (Jenn) am a U.S.-born Asian, so I will lead from that lens of lived experience. BTW, if you live in the country of your ancestral lineage and that area has a history of being colonized by Westerners (for example, Hong Kong, Singapore, or the Philippines) and you identify as marginalized in the ways described on this page then you may benefit from this program as well.
I’m bi-racial or multiracial. Would this be for me?
Yes. If you identify as Asian or part-Asian, you can benefit from this program. I’d love for you to participate!
What’s the Model Minority Myth and why is it harmful? I thought being referred to as the ‘model’ was considered a compliment.
The Model Minority Myth falsely claims that if Asians can achieve financial and educational success through hard work and discipline, then other minorities who aren’t doing as well only have themselves to blame because they must doing something wrong. We’re not being complimented; we’re being used as a pawn to keep other BIPOC down! This antagonistic narrative was created and popularized by dominant White culture during the 1960’s in response to the perceived “threat” of the civil rights movement. It ignores systems of oppression that deliberately disadvantage Black communities while it denies the full picture of the Asian-American/Asian immigrant experience and, among many other things, lumps all Asians together as prosperous despite some Asian-American populations living in high poverty levels. While Asians may sometimes receive a conditional “Honorary White” label, we are also perceived as forever foreigners who aren’t fully accepted by or represented in the dominant culture. The myth pigeonholes Asians as studious, industrious, computer geeks, dutiful, docile, etc. and stereotypes Black communities as being lazy, unintelligent, flawed, criminal, etc. by comparison. When we, as Asians, overlook this devastating dynamic and unconsciously or willingly benefit from it, we unfortunately perpetuate anti-Blackness and systems of oppression (and I doubt you want to do that!). Let’s help ourselves and our BIPOC siblings break free! For more in-depth and nuanced explorations, do a search on “Model Minority Myth” or check out the books The Myth of the Model Minority by Rosalind S. Chou and Joe R. Feagin, Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong, or Yellow by Frank Wu.
I’m an Asian transracial/inter-racial adoptee/I grew up in a non-Asian family/household, and/or I feel removed from my Asian ancestry. Would I get something out of this program?
Yes! Even though you may not have been raised with strong Asian cultural ties, you grew up in a White-dominated society that perceives and portrays Asians in certain ways that maintain racial hierarchy. Asians and non-Asians alike are impacted by this social conditioning. So, even if you yourself don’t feel particularly Asian, if you present as Asian to others, you’re likely to be on the receiving end of their social conditioning and conscious or unconscious bias regarding Asians. There may also be ways in which you’ve unconsciously internalized racism against Asians through this societal conditioning.
While I can’t speak directly to the adoptee experience, I’m committed to holding your experience with compassion and care. My hope is that through the work in this program that you are able to reconnect in meaningful ways to your Asian roots and that you feel a sense of belonging within this intimate circle of fellow Asians on the journey of rediscovery with you.
I’m not Asian, but this sounds amazing. Can I join?
No. While I’m delighted you’re interested in this program, alas, this particular offering is intentionally a space for Asians socialized as women or girls only. As a marginalized community it’s rare for us to have a dedicated and safe enough container to explore our Asian identity/experiences together and we appreciate you honoring this affinity space. If you’re BIPOC please consider my 1:1 somatic coaching offerings or the waitlist for BIPOC affinity group coaching. And hey, if you have Asian friends socialized as women or girls who you think would love this, please send them our way! Thanks!
What do you mean by socialized as women or girls?
I’m referring to those who’ve been conditioned/socialized as girls in childhood and/or as women in adulthood by their families, society, culture, etc. since we’ll be exploring aspects of identity and our early conditioning in this particular program.
Who can I contact if I have more questions?
You can send an email to Jenn at hello @ jenniferayakolee.com or use the Contact form on this site. Thanks.
Ready to break free
from the stereotypes?
We’ve been told our whole lives to keep our heads down and defer to others (especially authority and our parents), to be good students and get good jobs, to blend in and don’t cause trouble.
Many of us have even been taught to not see color and that our “success” proves anyone can reach their dreams if they just work hard enough. Sadly, we (and the rest of society) have been duped by this insidious Model Minority Myth that pits us against other races (and other Asians), promotes anti-Blackness, and tries to keep BIPOC in place with bogus “color lines.”
Well, screw those lines! I’m gonna show you how to break free and live life in full color!