About Us
Maggie & Tiffany
Maggie was born in Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles at the age of eight. Growing up in the U.S., she struggled with adapting to cultural differences. At school, she tried to fit into a Western environment, while at home she lived with Eastern values and expectations. Being between two cultures often felt confusing and difficult to navigate.
Tiffany was born and raised in California. Her experience was different. Instead of adapting to a new culture, she slowly felt herself losing connection with Eastern culture and language. As time passed, it became harder to speak Chinese and stay connected to cultural traditions.
Even though our experiences were different, we noticed the same problem. Eastern culture is often misunderstood or simplified, and many immigrant teenagers feel disconnected from their cultural identity.
We created ArtRoot to address this.
This magazine uses teenagers’ daily life to connect with Eastern culture. Our goal is to explain cultural differences in a real and relatable way, help Western readers better understand Eastern perspectives, and create a space where immigrants and second-generation students can reconnect with their culture and feel proud of it.
ArtRoot is built around high school life — honest, creative, and youth-driven. Through stories, art, and collaboration, we hope to make culture more understandable and more personal.
​Our primary audience is Western readers, while also welcoming local students and students from China as both contributors and readers. Our goal is to create a shared space where anyone is able to have their perspectives valued and heard. Each issue is shaped through cross-cultural collaboration and bringing together students from different backgrounds to exchange ideas and experiences.