TELLING AMERICAN STORIES THROUGH THE LENS OF IMMIGRANTS
Launching in 2019 with the story of Asian American zine GIDRA we are proud to share that in the past five years from the Cambodian immigrant community in Long Beach to Cholula 'The Mother of Sauce' we have explored dozens of American stories across North America.
As UPRISERS celebrates 5 years as a small business dedicated to innovation and sustainability we continue to remain dedicated to telling untold stories. In May 2024 we launched three projects that dive into our roots as American immigrants, collaborating with legacy businesses Suehiro Cafe and the Southern California Flower Market; and on May 26th we launched #WeAre1924 - our '100 YEARS. 100 PORTRAITS' project that aims to capture 100 portraits of American immigration stories by November 16th 2024.
Scroll to read and learn more about each campaign.
As a lifestyle brand committed to building a more sustainable future we know how important it is to learn from our history so that we can build a better future. The 1924 Immigration Act took people and turned them into statistics and case numbers, robbing them of their identity and erasing the impact of immigrants on America’s development and culture.
Through #WeAre1924, our exploration of our roots aims to give a voice to these untold stories of American history.
Be a part of #WeAre1924 and share your story with us.
In May 2024, we revisited one of our first legacy business collaborations and continuing to tell the story of the Southern California Flower Market as it fights for its existence in a rapidly developing downtown Los Angeles.
“In a rapidly developing downtown we don’t know if the flower district will continue to exist. For the past five years I have worked with my team to document and tell the story of a piece of history that could have gone overlooked. It is my hope that this contribution to historic preservation will shed light on our history before it gets displaced by rising rents and inflation. The more we are a part of this story the more we recognize how complex and messy it is to solve. The solutions are all imperfect but there’s value in trying and that’s what makes our community so beautiful.” — founder of UPRISERS and 4th generation Japanese and Okinawan American, Michelle K. Hanabusa
The Ltd Edition UPRISERS x Gardens & Seeds collaboration with The Southern California Flower Market is available online and in-store at PACSUN.
A percentage of proceeds will benefit Kizuna —a 501(C)3 non-profit organization building a future for the community through the education, empowerment, and engagement of the next generation.
We are also incredibly proud to share our latest project, a priceless collaboration with legacy business Suehiro.
The problems are complex and the solutions are all imperfect but there’s always value in trying and that’s what makes our community so beautiful.