Siyun Pan ‘24

Transnational Chinese Entrepreneurs for Sexual Wellness

Siyun "Selene" Pan has been exploring how young Asian entrepreneurs and activists work to demystify sex and create educational resources around topics like pleasure, boundary-building, and self-expression. For her AAPI Experience Grant project, she observed a day in the life of the founder of AFSP (Asians for Sex Positivity), Xixi, a Canadian-American of Chinese heritage.

Xixi invited Selene to participate in her podcast in an episode titled ‘How Do We Define Sex.’ They discussed Selene's experience working for a female wellness brand founded by Asian women, the impact of abstinence-focused and fear-based sex education in their formative years, and the importance of maintaining 'wellness' within the domains of intimacy and sexuality. They also discussed common struggles that Asian women face in accessing wellness resources and a pressing need for comprehensive, inclusive, and culturally sensitive health education.