The Shimanchu squat.

Or the "Asian squat," apparently.

I was perched like this once during college when one of my instructors came up to me and asked, “Why do Asians sit like that? Everyone did when I went to Japan. I can’t do it. It hurts too much.”

This is in fact a pose I like to inhabit from time to time, mostly if there’s no place to sit and I don’t want to plant my ass on the floor. I didn’t know until the above interaction that this was an “Asian thing.” I’ve heard since then from several non-Asians that it does hurt for them to try to squat like this. Malcolm X even talks about this in his autobiography (an incredible book you should all read if you haven’t, by the way), when he goes on one of his international trips.

Anyway, if you like this image, I’ve just released it as a print on my INPRNT shop. There are a couple of different sizes you can choose from.

Also, I’ve landed my very first in-person solo art exhibition. It’s going to be titled The Breadless Circus. It’s scheduled for February 2023. More on that later.