Oakland, California, April 2005—Hae Yuon Kim, a Korean American artist and graphic designer, is launching a new line of greeting cards designed to appeal to the Asian American community and beyond. “Chopsticks, Please” aims to fill the void in the marketplace for greeting cards depicting people of Asian descent, while using a fresh design sense that crosses all cultural lines.
     Contemporary photographs and illustrations appear on the cards, which are designed for every occasion from birthday to new baby congratulations. The line also includes cards for specific Asian holidays, such as the Lunar New Year, the Harvest or Moon Festival, and the Korean 1st Birthday Feast. Some cards spotlight familiar Asian customs, such as taking off your shoes when you enter a home and the giving of money in red envelopes to promote luck and good fortune. The core of the card line features cards for children, either as the recipient or the sender.
     Kim immigrated to the U.S. from Korea at age six, growing up in an all-white suburb of Chicago. Her family would occasionally dine out at the town’s lone Chinese restaurant, who set their tables with forks and knives. As a young girl, she distinctly remembers how she would have to ask for “Chopsticks, please.”
     When Kim became an aunt and a mother, she noticed how hard it was to find Asians portrayed on greeting cards. “Everyone wants to see themselves reflected in the larger culture, even children,” she says. “In creating this line, I want Asian Americans to see reflections of themselves and their universe in the cards they give and receive.”
      Other lines within the Chopsticks, Please brand will serve specific audiences. The Lucky Family line reflects the specific needs of Asian-born children adopted by American parents; Hapi Hapa cards are aimed at the growing population of children of partly Asian descent. The irreverent humor of the F.O.B. line picks up on amusing Asian cultural practices or styles and draws parallels to contemporary American life and popular culture; Disco Lantern cards use groovy designs fusing traditional Asian elements with modern aesthetics. 
     There are almost twelve million Asians in the United States, six percent of the population. This market is young, educated, affluent, and bilingual, but underrepresented in media and advertising. It is this sector that Chopsticks, Please seeks to engage, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. “These cards aren’t just for a niche market. People of all backgrounds will find them appealing because they depict universal themes and situations,” says Kim.
      Kim studied at Stanford University, where she received a B.A. in Studio Art in Painting and Printmaking (1985). In 1995, after a seven-year stint as a graphic designer at Macworld magazine, she launched Tobi Designs, a design firm whose roster includes the San Francisco Opera and Chronicle Books.