'Like a cooked tomato': Why drinking can feel isolating when you have 'Asian glow'

I remember the first time I drank alcohol.

I was 17 years old, at my cousin's house, and we were sitting in the living room watching TV.

We decided to bring out some coolers to share amongst ourselves, and I remember it tasting just like apple juice. It was sweet, it was delicious, and honestly, it didn't feel that strong at all.

Though as I kept sipping, my body started feeling very uncomfortable. Chills went down my spine, my body felt hot and I was starting to get a headache. 

But most obvious of all, I was turning bright red.

​I later learned what I have is known as "alcohol flush reaction," a condition that causes splotches to develop in the face and body after drinking alcohol. It can also lead to nausea, vomiting and headaches. Since it happens predominantly amongst Chinese, Korean and Japanese people — 36 per cent of East Asians experience the condition — it has been informally dubbed as "Asian glow."

According to Dr. Peter Lin, a family doctor in Toronto, I react this way because my body isn't able to efficiently process alcohol.

"When alcohol goes into our body, we have two enzymes that take care of it," Dr. Lin said. "The first enzyme breaks down alcohol and it makes this kind of toxic stuff. And then there's a second enzyme that gets rid of the toxic stuff."

I lack that second enzyme, called Aldehyde dehydrogenase. As a result, my body builds up a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde, which is what causes flushing in the body, as well the other side effects. (A study last year found that alcohol may cause four times more DNA damage in people with alcohol flush reaction.)

When I asked Dr. Lin why I have this condition while others don't, he told me I likely inherited a defective gene from one of my parents. 

Having seen my dad turn red when he used to drink alcohol (he doesn't anymore), I most definitely got it from him.

Below: See how other people's faces compare after they drink alcohol

'A cooked tomato'

Despite drinking for the past 10 years, I still get self-conscious about my Asian glow.

People often ask me if I am physically OK whenever it happens because they think I'm drunker than I am. I've once even been compared to a "cooked tomato." It's partly why I avoid drinking alcohol in social or professional settings.

The moment that makes it unbearable is when they start, like, touching your face.- Josephine Tse

Others who get Asian glow admit they sometimes get self-conscious, too. 

My friend Josephine Tse, who is also Chinese, said she doesn't mind explaining the Asian glow to people who are curious. However, there have been times when people went too far.

"The moment that makes it unbearable is when they start, like, touching your face," she said. "That's the part that gets to me."

Samantha Edwards, who is half Japanese, said she is most nervous about her red face at networking events.

"People, I think, tend to take you less seriously," she said. "They see your face is red, and it just makes you feel kind of bad and, like, immature or something."

I feel like it was like a weakness.- Jae Park

Jae Park, who is Korean, said that as an Asian man, drinking with non-Asians can sometimes come with a certain amount of "macho-ness."

"You want to drink just as much as those other guys can, but sometimes I feel like the redness keeps me from being able to do that," he said.

"I feel like it was like a weakness."

Coming to terms with my 'Asian glow'

Part of my anxiousness when it comes to my Asian glow is because there hasn't been much representation in the media of Asian people.

It was only in the last year or so that I noticed the Asian glow being talked about at all.

While co-hosting the 2019 Golden Globes, Canadian actress Sandra Oh handed out Pepcid AC, an antihistamine medication typically used for heartburn, and told the cast of Crazy Rich Asians to take it to avoid the dreaded "Asian flush." Some people take antihistamines to stop the flushing, but Dr. Lin warned that they don't actually prevent other damaging symptoms, and they may actually lead someone to drink more alcohol by masking the redness.

And in a 2017 episode of Fresh Off the Boat, Eddie Huang (played by Hudson Yang) has a bonding moment with his dad when he discovers he has the Asian glow for the first time.

Seeing these moments in pop culture helped me feel seen as an Asian person. While I can't do anything about it, my Asian glow is part of me. It's part of what makes me different.

Inspired by Fresh Off the Boat, I too decided to connect with my dad.

When I asked him whether he feels proud that he's passed on his Asian glow to me, he simply said, "But you can save a lot of money!"

And you know what? I will take that as a win.

To hear the full documentary, tap or click the Listen link at the top of the page.

About the Producer 

Samantha Lui became a journalist with the goal of being a TV reporter. Somehow along the way, she ended up in radio and hasn't looked back since. Now, she works as an associate producer on CBC Radio, working with programs like Cross Country Checkup and As it Happens. Before that, she worked as a reporter for CBC Sudbury. Apart from journalism, she loves movies and finding good places to eat. If she's feeling brave, she might even order an alcoholic drink to go with her meal. Follow her on Twitter @samanthalui_

This documentary was edited by Alison Cook.