Self Evident: Asian America's Stories

Amidst the ongoing crush of anti-Asian violence in America, Producer James turns to a personal source of restoration: ska music (yes, that ska music). When he was a teenager, the do-it-yourself ska scene — and an indie record label called Asian Man — taught him to take racism seriously, embrace the road less traveled, and never wait for anyone else’s approval to be himself. But as James starts connecting with all of the Asian American ska fans he’s met over the past few years, he also starts to question how much his own memories are wrapped in a black-and-white-checkered blanket of nostalgia. Eventually, these connections all lead to Mike Park, Korean American founder and still-only-employee of Asian Man Records — and Jer Hunter, a younger Black and queer musician who’s carrying the torch for ska music as a home for anti-racist activism. And the more these conversations peel away the layers of nostalgia surrounding ska, the more James believes that this oft-misunderstood subculture has something real to offer in a world that can feel like it’s crumbling beneath our feet. Resources WATCH: “Racism in East London,” an episode of the 1970s docuseries Our People by ThamesTV WATCH: The entirety of Dance Craze, the documentary about 2-Tone that hooked Mike Park (and countless others) on ska music WATCH: Skatune Network’s life-giving cover of the Koopa Troopa Beach theme from Mario Kart 64 LISTEN: Ska Against Racism 2020, the benefit compilation by Bad Time Records, Ska Punk Daily, and Asian Man Records LISTEN: SKA DREAM by Jeff Rosenstock LISTEN: “Five Miles to Newark,” the full-length debut album by Chris Erway’s high school ska-punk band, Taxicab Samurais LISTEN: Mike Park chats with Charlene Kaye on The Golden Hour podcast READ: “Tracing Ska Music’s Great Migration” by Evan Nicole Brown for Atlas Obscura READ: “The Chinese Jamaicans: Unlikely Pioneers of Reggae Music” by Tranquilheart for Spinditty READ: “It Came From the Garage: Celebrating 25 Years of Asian Man Records,” a comic by JB Roe READ: In Defense of Ska by Aaron Carnes READ: “Skatune Networks’ Jer on Pushing Ska Forward” by Eve Sicks for Reverb.com READ: “Ska’s New Generation is Here to Pick It Up Pick It Up” by Arielle Gordon for Stereogum  READ: “Ska is Thriving Right Now: Here’s a Look at the DIY Scene That’s Keeping It Alive” by Andrew Sacher for Brooklyn Vegan  Credits Produced, written, and sound designed by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu, with help from Cathy Erway Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Fact checked by Tiffany Bui and Harsha Nahata “No Guarantee” written and performed by James Boo, feat. Dorian Love on bass and Chris Erway on trombone, trumpet, and alto saxophone Ska Dream by Jeff Rosenstock; original compositions for “No Time to Skank” and pickitup” licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Music provided courtesy of Asian Man Records: “Still Down for Tomorrow” by the Bruce Lee Band “Signature” and “You Don’t Know” by The Chinkees “Riptide 28” and “Sultan’s Cross” by Let’s Go Bowling “David Duke Is Running For President,” “Pabu Boy,” “Onyonghasayo,” and “Thick Ass Stout” by Skankin’ Pickle “Mutually Parasitic,” “Achilles’ Dub,” and “Stash” by Slow Gherkin Photos of Mike Park courtesy of Mike Park Photo of Jer Hunter courtesy of Rae Mystic Photo of band huddle at Ska Dream Nights by listener Frank Chan Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda About Self Evident is a Studio To Be production. Our show is made with support from PRX and the Google Podcasts creator program — and our listener community.

The Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of caregiving work — and the ways that this work is overlooked, under-resourced, or placed as a burden on families without a sense of fairness or compassion. In this episode we’re sharing two stories that show people taking on the role of caregiver, and asking: Who gets to be healthy in a world that leaves so many people with family as their only lifeline? “My Heartbeats”: When Indian American filmmaker Tanmaya Shekhar moved his life from Kanpur to New York City, he was running away from family and dreaming of standing on his own two feet. But when the first wave of Covid in India put both of his parents in the hospital, he found himself in a race against time to reunite with them — and then a slow process of rethinking his life’s path, as an immigrant and as a son. “Delma and Delvin”: Guest contributor Angela Edward shares a day in the life of her aunt Delma, a middle-aged Micronesian mom whose full time job is taking care of Delvin — her 30-year old son who has always lived with cerebral palsy. After being hospitalized for Covid, Delma invites Angela over to spend time with Delvin and share how it feels to be senselessly locked out of the American healthcare system. Resources, Reading, Viewing, and Listening Take our listener survey! LISTEN: For Micronesians by Micronesians podcast READ: “How Decades of Advocacy Helped Restore Medicaid Access to Micronesian Migrants” and “Hirono Seeks to Restore federal Benefits for Pacific Islanders from COFA Nations,” by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat READ: “A Historical and Contemporary Review of the Contextualization and Social Determinants of Health of Micronesian Migrants in the United States” by Davis Rehuher, Earl S. Hishinuma, Deborah A. Goebert,and Neal A. Palafox for the Hawai’i Journal of Health & Social Welfare READ: The Husk, a newsletter covering Micronesian people and happenings WATCH: “Reflections at 29,” a documentary short by Tanmaya Shekhar about the costs and regret of living as an immigrant filmmaker in the U.S. SUPPORT: Donate to the Hemkunt Foundation, which has been helping Indians survive, recover from, and weather the impact of Covid-19 Credits Produced by James Boo, Emily Cardinali, and Angela Edward Edited by Julia Shu Fact checked by Tiffany Bui and Harsha Nahata Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda About Self Evident is a Studio to Be production. Our show is made with support from PRX and the Google Podcasts creator program — and our listener community.

For so many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Spam is a beloved classic food, showing up in everything from musubi to fried rice. But behind that nostalgia is a history of war and colonization, and the inheritance of both favorite foods and hidden traumas. Korean American playwright Jaime Sunwoo’s surreal new play, Specially Processed American Me, takes a close look at Spam’s legacies, and the lost stories of her own family — who’ve migrated twice over two generations, from North Korean to South Korea, then from South Korea to the United States. While sharing behind-the-scenes previews of the play, Jaime and Cathy talk about the challenges and rewards of interviewing older generations, and how those conversations have helped her process her own identity as an Asian American. Specially Processed American Me is co-produced by Dixon Place, Ping Chong and Company, and Free Rein Projects. You can learn more about Specially Processed American Me and find tickets to the show (debuting Jan 27 - Feb 19 in New York City) at speciallyprocessed.com. Resources and Reading READ: “SON OF SPAMMEAT-PACKING HEIR GEORDIE HORMEL HAMS IT UP IN PHOENIX SOCIETY,” a funny and interesting profile of George A. Hormel II LISTEN: “Tater Pie,” sung by the Hormel Girls WATCH: Time for Talk - Hormel Girls of the 1950's WATCH: South Korea's love affair with Spam  WATCH: Why SPAM Is So Popular In Guam WATCH: ACP Live Presents: Jaime Sunwoo Credits Produced by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu, with help from Harsha Nahata Fact checked by Tiffany Bui and Harsha Nahata Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda Specially Processed American Me co-produced by Ping Chong and Company and Free Rein Projects (production photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Community Producer Rochelle Kwan (a.k.a. YiuYiu) invites three of her favorite DJs to curate our first annual mixtape — and chat with them about how we can use music to reconnect our diaspora communities, across generations and borders. Our first annual international, transnational mixtape features musical selections from YiuYiu (of NYC Manhattan Chinatown), Les Talusan (a.k.a. Les The DJ of OPM Sundays), Arshia Fatima Haq (of Discostan), and Roger Bong (of Aloha Got Soul). The 22 specially curated tracks on this episode span the South West Asian / North African (SWANA) region, Hawai’i, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and their global diasporas. Just as each song and record comes with its own stories, this mixtape weaves in the personal stories that brought Roger, Les, Arshia, and Rochelle to music and DJing today. Need more music? Did we miss a favorite track of yours that the world absolutely needs to hear? Then check out our public Spotify playlist (a totally separate, community-sourced playlist that we’re pairing with this mixtape) to hear a bigger range of tunes from Asian and Pacific diaspora cultures — and add your own favorites! Resources, Reading, and Music READ “Vinyl-Only Nights Return to D.C.” by Haley McKey for District Fray Magazine READ "How an obscure '80s album helped this father and son connect" by Aparita Bhandari for CBC/Radio-Canada  READ + LISTEN “Kalapana's 1974 debut: the record that forever changed Hawaii” by Aloha Got Soul READ + LISTEN "Chinatown Records" by Rochelle Kwan for The Vinyl Factory LISTEN - DJ Muro - Hawaiian Breaks (with tracklist) by Aloha Got Soul LISTEN - OPM Sundays w/ Les The DJ & Joel Quizon on Twitch LISTEN - Phambinho w/ YiuYiu for NTS Radio LISTEN - My Father's Favorite Music by Discostan LISTEN - Disco Se Aagay by Nermin Niazi and Feisal Mosleh for Discostan LISTEN - Pacific Sounds (inspired by the sounds of Hawaii and the Pacific) SUPPORT Aloha Got Soul and Aloha Got Soul Bandcamp SUPPORT Discostan and Discostan Bandcamp SUPPORT YiuYiu Add your own diaspora tracks to our public Spotify playlist! About the DJs Les Talusan a.k.a. Les The DJ Les The DJ aka Les Talusan is a DJ, photographer, curator, teaching artist and organizer whose practice immerses people in the joy of discovery, empowerment, and community. This approach is informed by Les’ own story of resilience, liberation and courage as an immigrant, mother and v/s. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Les fell in love with music at a young age, DJing at local clubs and playing in bands. Les has lived in Washington, DC for over 20 years and continues to expand their talents, performing behind the decks in the U.S. and abroad. Arshia Fatima Haq - @discostan | @arshiaxfatima Arshia Fatima Haq (born in Hyderabad, India) works through film, visual art, performance, and sound, in feminist modes outside of the Western model. She is interested in counterachives and speculative narratives, and is currently exploring themes of embodiment, mysticism, indigenous and localized knowledge within the context of Sufism. She is the founder of Discostan, a collaborative decolonial project and record label working with cultural production from South and West Asia and North Africa. She hosts and produces radio shows on Dublab and NTS, and has produced episodes for KCRW's acclaimed "Lost Notes" podcast series. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally at museums, galleries, nightclubs, and in the streets. Roger Bong - @alohagotsoul | @rogerbong Roger Bong launched Aloha Got Soul as a blog in 2010 after graduating college with a journalism degree and — more importantly — after hearing DJ Muro's Hawaiian Breaks mix. Roger's love for story, sound and design has turned the blog into an independent record label that champions all genres and generations of music from Hawai‘i. He and his wife run the label from Honolulu. Rochelle Kwan (a.k.a. YiuYiu) - @rochellehkwan Rochelle Kwan, also known as YiuYiu, is a cultural organizer, oral history educator, and DJ based on Lenape land in NYC’s Manhattan Chinatown. Bringing together her backgrounds in organizing, history, and music, she trains everyday people to build multigenerational oral history projects and engage with their communities as classrooms. As a cultural archivist, DJ, and dancer, she works to amplify arts and culture as essential to community resilience and foster intergenerational relationships and dance floors. Rochelle’s also the Community Producer at Self Evident, where she leads our budding oral history program and helps to grow our listening party program through partnership and collaboration. Credits Produced by Rochelle Kwan and Julia Shu Music curated by Les The DJ (a.k.a. Les Talusan), Arshia Fatima Haq, Roger Bong, and YiuYiu (a.k.a. Rochelle Kwan) Edited by James Boo, with help from Sheena Tan Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda About Self Evident is a Studio To Be production. Our show is made with support from PRX and the Google Podcasts creator program — and our listener community.

Daphne Chen always held a special place in her heart for the Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. Growing up in Ohio, she’d listen to their greatest hits before falling asleep, clinging to their pop songs as one of her only genuine links to the island and the culture her family had left far behind. So years later, when Daphne realized that those greatest hits were actually covers of American pop songs by Destiny’s Child and the Legally Blonde soundtrack, she suddenly had a lot of questions... not just about S.H.E., but about why idolizing a Taiwanese girl group was so important to young Daphne in the first place. In this episode, we're sharing three conversations about the need to see and hear ourselves in popular culture — and the limitations of what pop culture can do to meet those needs. After Cathy chats with Daphne about their Asian teen idols in music, our intern Alex Chun calls up his favorite OnlyFans star, Cody Seiya, to unpack how watching queer porn has played such an outsized role in their own understanding of intimacy. Then, producer Harsha Nahata meets with two Indian diaspora culture writers to compare how — even with their differing upbringings and vastly different relationships to Bollywood movies — they began to question the role and the power of the Bollywood industry. Credits Produced by Julia Shu, Harsha Nahata, and Alex Chun Edited by James Boo and Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda Self Evident is a Studiotobe production, made with support from our listener community. This episode was made with support from PRX and the Google Podcast Creator Program. Resources and Reading LISTEN — A totally legal way to listen to “Girls’ Dorm” by S.H.E. WATCH — “Know Your Chicken” music video by Cibo Matto SUBSCRIBE — Cody Seiya on OnlyFans READ — Coming Out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt READ — “The Urgent Question Gay Asian American Men Are Asking Themselves” by Richard Morgan for Esquire READ — “Consuming Diaspora” by Mitali Desai for Kajal Magazine READ — “The Specter of Caste in Silicon Valley” by Yashica Dutt for the New York Times READ — “‘Shining Indians’: Diaspora and Exemplarity in Bollywood” by Ingrid Therwath

This Fall many public primary schools in the U.S. switched back to in-person learning. But that can mean very different things for students, teachers, and parents — depending on their school system, local political environment, family resources, or language needs. We started getting word from listeners about their back-to-school experiences in July, and checked in with them as these first few months of the school year unfolded. Cathy and our team found out how a Chinese American mother of three navigated the anti-mask and anti-CRT activity surrounding school reopenings in Arizona; learned about the hidden harms of this transition from immigrant mental health advocates in New York City; and heard how having an immunocompromised family member affected an Indian American family in Minneapolis. While these conversations are by no means comprehensive, a recurring theme in these conversations was a sense of loss, which many students haven’t had the space to properly heal from. Credits Produced by Julia Shu and James Boo Edited by Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Fact checking by Harsha Nahata Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda Resources and Reading WATCH: “Towards An Inclusive Reopening: The Mental Health Needs of Asian Children” discussion panel by the Asian American Federation, Sapna NYC, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Hamilton-Madison House, and the Arab American Association of New York READ: “Anti-mask school law isn't justice, safety for our kids” by Yvonne So for the Arizona Daily Star READ: “Asian American young adults are the only racial group with suicide as their leading cause of death, so why is no one talking about this?” by Amelia Noor-Osho for The Conversation READ: “New York’s Once-Thriving Asian Businesses Struggle to Recover From 4,000% Unemployment Spike” by Amy Yee, Adre Tartar, and Christopher Cannon for Bloomberg READ: “Digital Literacy in New York’s Asian American Community” by Juo-Hsi (Sylvia) Peng for Advancing Justice | AAJC READ: “Teens in America: How the Covid-19 Pandemic is Shaping the Next Generation” by Maria Abenes for Psychiatric Times

This is the second part of a two-part story. If you haven’t heard part one, “Don’t Eat Nazi Shit Melons,” you can listen to it here. After the arrest of Indiana University Professor Cara Caddoo, the Mayor of Bloomington doubled down on anti-protest rules and police presence in the Bloomington City Farmers Market. But this failed to satisfy local activists calling for the removal of “Identitarian” Sarah Dye — and failed to mollify right-wing groups who were now turning Dye into a White nationalist media icon. As it became clear that the city wouldn’t change its position, differences between different groups of anti-racist activists became clear as well. And as Bloomington Police continued to arrest protestors in the market, local Black Lives Matter core council member JadaBee found herself at odds with her friend Abby Ang, who continued to amplify Sarah Dye’s links to the American Identity Movement while navigating the tense boundaries between “free speech,” “unacceptable protest,” and “arrestable offense.” Eventually, multiple new markets took root — including The People’s Market, a cooperatively-run alternative to the Bloomington City Farmers’ Market and co-created largely by BIPOC community members (including Abby and Jada).  Some in Bloomington would consider this addition of new markets to be a successful result of the farmers market protests of 2019. But for the local farmers and activists who continue to grow that alternative at great expense, the experience has left lasting scars and raises ongoing questions about what it takes to truly dismantle White supremacy. Credits Produced and written by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu Fact checking by Harsha Nahata Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda Resources and Reading “Bloomington 2019: ‘The Year of the Farmers’ Market Controversy’” by Ellen Wu for Limestone Post Magazine “Identity Evropa’s Neo Nazi Organizing Plans Revealed in New Leaks” by Freddy Martinez, Caroline Sinders, and Chris Schiano for Unicorn Riot Black Lives Matter in Bloomington archive of blog posts and open letters “Man Drives SUV at Anti-Fascist, No Space for Hate Protestors Near Bloomington Farmers Market” by Lydia Gerike for the Indiana Daily Student “Five Protestors Arrested at Farmers Market” by Jeremy Hogan for the Bloomingtonian “Ethos of New People’s Market Focuses on Food Justice, Mutual Aid” by Ellen Wu for Limestone Post Magazine “A Graduate Student in the (Farmers’) Marketplace of Ideas” by Abby Ang for In the Middle “Confronting White Supremacy: The Negative Peace of White Liberalism” by JadaBee for Black Lives Matter B-Town IN “Food Justice Locally Part 2” by the Black Progressives Podcast feat. JadaBee, Lauren McAllister, and Martin Law

In the summer of 2019, a public fight unfurled in Bloomington, Indiana — over accusations that Sarah Dye and Douglas Mackey, who sold produce at the city-run farmers’ market, were members of an organization classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League as a white nationalist hate group (an association that would soon be confirmed). Abby Ang, a graduate student at Indiana University in Bloomington who had also become a community organizer, picked up on a series of chat leaks and reports from local farmers and activists about Sarah Dye, taking action to further publicize this connection and pressuring the city to remove Sarah and Doug’s farm from their market. But when the city refused to do anything of the sort, Abby found herself in a fast-moving conflict that included the full spectrum of American politics: liberal elites, progressive organizers, antifascist activists, right-wing militias, farmers, customers, police, Black Lives Matter leaders… and of course, White nationalists (or in this particular case, as they preferred to be identified, White Identitarians). The story eventually hit mainstream national news, the farmers’ market became a political battleground, and an Asian American professor was arrested by Bloomington Police — showing what it really looks like to wield White power in America. Credits Produced by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu, with help from Cathy Erway Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Production support from Alex Chun Fact checking by Harsha Nahata Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Our Executive Producer is Ken Ikeda Resources and Reading “Bloomington 2019: ‘The Year of the Farmers’ Market Controversy’” by Ellen Wu for Limestone Post Magazine “What if Your Farmer Is a White Nationalist?” by Kayte Young for Earth Eats, WFIU “I Yield My Time” statement during LAPC public hearing on June 2, 2020 “Federal Charges Filed in Carmel Synagogue Hate Incident” by U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Southern Poverty Law Center brief on Identity Evropa / American Identity Movement Anti-Defamation League brief on Identity Evropa / American Identity Movement “Identity Evropa’s Neo-Nazi Organizing Plans Revealed In New Leaks” by Chris Schiano and Freddy Martinez, for Unicorn Riot No Space for Hate web site and “Market in Context” Timeline “Video: IU Professor Arrested After Demonstration at Farmers’ Market” by Adam Pinsker for WFIU (original video by Dina Okamoto)

Why do Asian Americans have such deep relationships with fruit? Cathy goes on a quest to find the answers — starting with her friendly neighborhood fruit vendor, Cece, then spending time with friends and listeners in our extended podcast fam. Along the way, she hears stories about family heirloom trees, mango sharing techniques, persimmon obsessions, and an unbridled love for durian. Then, she calls up food writer Priya Krishna and heritage farmer Kristyn Leach to unpack all the personal stories she’s heard. As Cathy learns the ways that Asian Americans across the country have instilled a reverence for fruit and upheld countless rituals with it in their lives, she realizes that our tastes are even more deeply rooted than we might think. Credits Written by Cathy Erway Produced by James Boo, Harsha Nahata, and Julia Shu Edited by James Boo and Julia Shu Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Shoutouts Big thanks to everyone who shared their fruit stories and fruit feels with us for this episode: Ahmed Ali Akbar Ann Duong Dorothy Faye Pirtle Jack Shu Jenn De La Vega Jenn Wong Kristyn Leach Merk Nguyen Nidhi Prakash Niha Reddy Priya Krishna Raman Sehgal Stanford Chiou We couldn’t fit everyone into the final cut, but you can see and hear bonus stories on our Instagram, using the hashtag #MyImmigrantFruitStory. Reading, Listening, and Resources "If I'm Cutting Fresh Fruit For Dessert, I Probably Love You" by Priya Krishna for Bon Appetite "A Bowl of Cut Fruit is How Asian Moms Say I Love You" by Yi Jun Loh for TASTE "How the simple art of cutting fruit can be an act of love" by Daniela Galarza for The Washington Post “The Loquat, San Francisco’s Secret Fruit, Is Hidden in Plain Sight” by Jenn Wong for Mission Local “Bok Choy Isn’t ‘Exotic’,” by Cathy Erway in Eater Check out Priya’s recipes in her cookbook, Indianish “Underground Aams Trade,” by Ahmed Ali Akbar for Proof (America’s Test Kitchen) Grow your own East Asian heritage crops and cook from recipes at Kristyn Leach’s Second Generation Seeds

When producer Erica Mu moved back to her hometown in 2014, she said goodbye to a past life without any idea what exactly her new life should look like. Looking for the most grounded place she could find, she went to the local mall early one morning, turned on her tape recorder, and started talking to everyone she could meet. As Erica made her way through this sprawling landscape of mostly Chinese businesses in one of the most East Asian cities in the country, she peeked in the dreams, annoyances, and love lives of dim sum diners, shop owners, security guards, young children, young parents, weightlifters, all-night partiers, and one very skilled harmonica player. But as she grasped for some universal truth that would tie all the threads of the mall, Erica realized that the unpredictable, unresolved mess of everyday life is exactly what makes it something to treasure. Credits Produced and written by Erica Mu Edited by Liz Mak Co-produced by Rebecca Kanthor and Paulina Hartono Major recording help from Leslie Chang and Alyssa Kapnik Samuel Immense story input from George Lavender Final edits by James Boo and Julia Shu Music by Podington Bear Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Shoutouts Big thanks to everyone who spoke with Erica during her time at the mall for this story! Support from the California Council for the Humanities, and advisors: Al Letson Catherine Ceniza Choy Wei Li Oliver Wang Leila Day Support from the Association of Independents in Radio, Mentor Martina Castro Support from Third Coast International Audio Festival and Radio Residency Fiscal sponsorship from Visual Communications, developing and supporting the voices of Asian American & Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists Countless friends and colleagues who have given their time to talk about all our stories

What happens when you come to America to marry the person you thought would take care of you, only to find yourself in an abusive family, losing all sense of self? Guest producer Rosalind Tordesillas brings us this story about Joy, a woman whose dream marriage turned into a nightmare — and the advocates for survivors of domestic violence who helped her through the long journey to becoming whole. Immigrant women like Joy often have an especially hard time getting help with domestic abuse because of immigration status, language, and cultural issues. Unfortunately, every one of these challenges has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading Joy and her advocates at the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK) to speak out. In this episode, they share how Joy dealt with her situation and reveal the critical role that social workers, advocates, and lawyers play in supporting survivors who have no other path forward. WARNING: Skip minutes 10:00-17:30 if you do not wish to hear descriptions of domestic abuse, including some graphic descriptions of violence. If this is an especially tough subject for you to hear about, then you may want consider skipping this episode. Resources and Reading If you are experiencing abuse or want to help someone who is, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). The Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (includes a 24-hour multilingual hotline for Boston area residents) “A Pandemic Within a Pandemic — Intimate Partner Violence during COVID-19” “Study Finds Rise in Domestic Violence during COVID” by Alan Mozes for WebMD “Why Can’t the Senate Pass the Violence Against Women Act?” by Jay Willis for GQ U.S. Department of Justice Memo on the implications of Congress’ failure to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act  since 2019 Credits Produced by Rosalind Tordesillas Edited by James Boo and Mia Warren Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound This episode was made in partnership with Feet in 2 Worlds, a project that brings the work of immigrant journalists to digital news sites and public radio. Since their founding in 2004, Feet in 2 Worlds has brought the work of immigrant journalists from communities across the U.S. to public radio and online news sites. Shoutouts Thanks to Cristina Ayala (co-executive director) and the staff of ATASK for helping us produce this episode. And big thanks to Blair Matsuura, one of our biggest supporters on Patreon! If you want to join Blair in supporting our mission and making our work sustainable, please become a member at patreon.com/selfevidentshow.

During this year’s protests for Black lives, the national conversation was filled with calls to have uncomfortable conversations about anti-Blackness. This push, to talk about racism with our loved ones, has been both championed and criticized — but how do these conversations actually go down, and where do they lead? To find out, we spoke with three cousins who created a conversation toolkit for Filipinx families, and made the nerve-wracking decision to test drive on a video call with their entire extended family. Then we caught up with two friends who grew up in a redlined suburb of Detroit, to learn how their experiences with present-day school segregation have shaped their expectations about what’s needed to move towards justice. To unpack our own thoughts on all of this, we hopped on the phone with our show’s co-founder, Talisa Chang, to hear about her experiences leading an abolition reading and discussion group for the past six months. Along the way, we grappled with how these conversations can feel like way too much to handle, yet perhaps not enough to make a difference — and ultimately, how keeping these conversations going can help give Asian Americans the resolve and capacity to act in defense of Black lives in America. Reading and Listening “We Cannot Stay Silent About George Floyd,” by Hasan Minhaj for Patriot Act A Conversation on Race & Anti-Blackness: The Filipinx Family Edition by Ivy, Patricia, Anthony, and Paul Ocampo “Letters for Black Lives,” by Quincy Surasmith for Asian Americana “About Those ‘Letters to My Asian Parents About Anti-Black Racism’,” by Andy Liu for Time To Say Goodbye “To Indian Americans for Black Lives Matter, On Doing the Hard Work,” by Maya Bhardwaj for Overachiever Magazine “What Detroit Tells Us About How America Divides its Black and Brown Communities,” by Harsha Nahata for The Juggernaut “Black flight to Suburbs Masks Lingering Segregation in metro Detroit,” by Mike Wilkinson form Bridge Michigan South Asians for Black Lives: A Call for Action, Accountability, and Introspection by Thenmozhi Soundararajan for We Are Your Voice “Your Anti-Racism Books are Means, Not an End” by Saida Grundy for The Atlantic “Are Prisons Obsolete?” by Angela Davis “How We Show Up” by Mia Birdsong Credits Produced by James Boo, Harsha Nahata, and Julia Shu Edited by Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Shoutouts Thanks to the Ocampos (Anthony, Ivy, Patricia, and Paul), Maya, Ragen, and Talisa for speaking on this episode! We’re also grateful to Marissiko Wheaton for introducing us to Anthony Ocampo, and to Gilded Audio for helping us record with the Ocampo cousins. And big thanks to Annie Tan, Audrey Agot Fox, Ceci Villaseñor, Christynn Morris, Elisa Rapadas, Jenny Lee, Kaitlyn Borysiewicz, and Parag Rajendra Khandhar for sharing their experiences with us as we were reporting this story. You can see and hear some of those experiences on Instagram and Facebook (follow @selfevidentshow). Special shoutout to Jack Shu, one of our biggest supporters on Patreon. If you want to join Jack in supporting our mission and making our work sustainable, please become a member at patreon.com/selfevidentshow.

During the 48 hours of uncertainty after November 3, 2020, our producer James called over a dozen people — not to talk about Trump vs. Biden, but about the more systemic problems that would stick with us after all the votes were counted. These conversations with family and friends led him to reexamine a pivotal moment in his civic education: When he founded a chapter of the Junior State of America in the midst of the 2000 Presidential race, and learned that the act of democracy was a lot tougher than it seemed. After speaking with Cris Aguila and Karl Kristian Flores (two of our youngest voting-age listeners) about their frustrations with our we vote for President, James dug up the phone number of the high school student who leads the same Junior State chapter that he had started a generation ago… and ended this week of cynicism with a surprising moment of hope. Reading and Listening “Stacey Abrams on minority rule, voting rights, and the future of Democracy” on the Ezra Klein Show by Vox Media “Are Asian Americans the Last Undecided Voters?” by Hua Hsu for The New Yorker  Cathy Park Hong and Ayad Akhtar discuss Ayad’s new novel, “Homeland Elegies” on the Bookable podcast by Loudtree Media “Grassroots Organizers Flipped Georgia Blue. Here’s How They Did It,” by Anoa Chang for Truthout “Lessons From the Pacific Islands — Adapting to Climate Change by Supporting Social and Ecological Resilience” by multiple researchers for Frontiers in Marine Science “Can I Tell You Something?” a book of poems by Karl Kristian Flores Resources for Action “The Work Will Continue After Nov 3. Here’s how you can stay involved” by Anjali Enjeti for Mic “My Role in a Social Change Ecosystem: A Mid-Year Check-In” by Deepa Iyer A list of Georgia BIPOC-led voter outreach organizations that you can support right now with donations and volunteer work, created by They See Blue Georgia “Craft Talks 4 Georgia,” a series of audio craft talks to raise money for Fair Fight, to ensure the right to vote for marginalized and disenfranchised people in the Georgia run-off elections in January 2021 Credits Produced by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Shoutouts Thanks to everyone who hopped on the phone during the 48 hours after the election, to share their in-the-moment feelings and their experiences with voting: Alex Laughlin Dorian Love Justine Lee Melissa Sebastian Marissiko Wheaton Rachel Ramirez Sidharth Gupta

How can Asian American communities create safety, when the harms of racism and xenophobia are so deeply rooted in our society? We’ve spent time unpacking the simplistic solution of hate crime enforcement, then learning how local activists rallying against anti-Asian hate often reveal a much deeper history of neglect and under-resourcing of immigrant communities. In this third of three episodes on community responses to anti-Asian racism during the pandemic, we speak with four people — Rachel Kuo of the Asian American Feminist Collective; Sammie Ablaza Wills of API Equality in Northern California; and Suja and Iram Amir from American Muslims Uncovered. From seeking non-policing solutions for conflict management, to helping intergenerational communities understand how to express what they need most, to challenging the racism that festers in schools across the country, each voice in this episode challenges Asian Americans to ask for fundamental change in how we achieve safety for our communities. Credits Produced by James Boo and Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Shout Outs Thanks to Rachel Kuo and the entire leadership of the Asian American Feminist Collective, Sammie Ablaza Wills of APIENC, Suja Amir of the Asian & Latino Solidarity Alliance of Central Virginia, and Iram Amir of American Muslims Uncovered for sharing their time with us. Self Evident is a Studiotobe production, made with the support of our listener community. Our show was incubated at the Made in New York Media Center by IFP.  Resources, Reading, and Listening “We Want Cop-Free Communities: Against the Creation of an Asian Hate Crime Task Force by the NYPD” by the Asian American Feminist Collective “Internal Affairs Investigating Columbus Park Incident” by The Lowdown “Charges Dropped in New York City Jaywalking Incident” by ABC News “Trusting Abundance: A Conversation With Sammie Ablaza Wills” by Lia Dun for Autostraddle “Race, Policing, and the Universal Yearning for Safety” featuring Phillip Atiba Goff for the Ezra Klein Show “The Store That Called the Cops on George Floyd” by Aymann Ismail for Slate

The rise in xenophobic harassment, discrimination, and violence against Asian Americans during the pandemic has led to a rise in neighborhood watch groups in historic Chinatowns and other Asian immigrant communities across the country. While these groups have made headlines for speaking out against racism, their motivations and actions reveal a deeper story about the pain of underserved communities and the role of policing in those communities. In this second of three episodes on community responses to anti-Asian racism during the pandemic, we report on three neighborhood watch groups in historic Chinatown neighborhoods: the Manhattan Chinatown Blockwatch, the SF Peace Collective, and the United Peace Corps. The diverging approaches that they take reveal how much American communities rely on a “law-and-order” definition of safety.

Two incidents of anti-Asian racism — the beating of an elderly grandfather in a San Francisco park and the harassment of a mourning son in a New York pharmacy — reveal an ugly side of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first of three episodes reporting on Asian American responses to anti-Asian hate incidents. Share your thoughts on the stories with us by emailing community@selfevidentshow.com. To support our ongoing mission and work on stories like these, join our membership program via Patreon. Credits Produced by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Reporting and production assistance by Prerna Chaudhary Interview recordings by Sonia Paul Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Sound effects by Soundsnap Shout out to Cynthia Choi at Chinese for Affirmative Action SF for her help with research and reporting Sojung Yi and Charles Wang for sharing their stories with us and with the rest of the world Our intern Prerna, who learned roughly two million new skills to help us report, produce, and edit this episode Resources and Reading To report a micro-aggression, bullying, hate speech, harassment, or violence incident, fill out a form at Stop AAPI Hate (multiple languages provided). Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources to Stand Against Racism  Bystander Intervention Trainings To Stop Anti-Asian/Xenophobic Harrassment by Hollaback! I’m an Asian American doctor on the front lines of two wars: Coronavirus and racism by Sojung Yi, for The Lily Asian Americans Face Dual Challenges: Surging Unemployment and Racism By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil and Kimmy Yam, for NBC News “As anti-Asian hate incidents explode, activists push for aid” by Anh Do, for the Los Angeles Times Self Evident is a Studitobe production, made with the support of our listener community. This episode was made with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, and from the National Geographic Society’s Emergency Fund for Journalists. Our show was incubated at the Made in New York Media Center by IFP.

You’ve said the words, “Black Lives Matter.” You’ve put your money where your mouth is. You’ve shown up for the marches. What next? What exactly is the change we’re showing up for, and how exactly can we commit to making that change in our own communities? In this bonus episode, we’re passing the mic to Jaime Sunwoo (a Korean American interdisciplinary artist and former housing advocate) and Brandon West (a longtime Black organizer for democracy rights and racial justice). Jaime and Brandon’s experiences in community service, city budgeting, and organizing work clarify why and how today’s movement for racial justice is asking us to defund the police. Resources and Links Jaime Sunwoo (@jaimesunwoo) worked in homeless services from 2015-2017. She's a multidisciplinary artist and is developing Specially Processed American Me, a performance project on the significance of SPAM in the Asian diaspora. You can learn more about her at jaimesunwoo.com. Brandon West (@btwest) is a campaign manager for voting rights at the Center for Popular Democracy, and collaborates with a great many community organizers in Brooklyn. He’s also a candidate for New York City Council, which you can learn more about at westforcouncil.com (full disclosure: our Managing Producer James Boo is Brandon’s roommate, and volunteers for Brandon’s campaign). Both Jaime and Brandon support the work of Communities United for Police Reform, a coalition of community groups seeking to defund the New York Police Department and create greater accountability for police misconduct. Jaime worked as a housing advocate for Breaking Ground, a non-profit organization that provides housing and wraparound services to over 8,000 New Yorkers a year. The Brooklyn Liberation march for Black trans lives ended up attracting an estimated total of 15,000 people. Many organizers intersecting with that action support the repeal of “Walking While Trans” laws across the country. You read about the underlying issues here. If you’re still looking for ways to learn and donate in support of Black lives, then check out our latest newsletter for a curated list of some of our favorite works (almost all by or centering Black voices) and Black-led groups. Credits Produced by James Boo and Julia Shu Edited by Julia Shu, with assistance from Prerna Chaudhury Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love Thanks to Dolly Li of Plum Radio for helping us record some of the protest tape heard on this episode!

The struggle to save lives from COVID-19 is far from over, and neither is America’s struggle against racism. As we report on hate crime and anti-racist action, Cathy and James hop on the phone and check in with a couple of our friends in podcasting: Paola Mardo (who tells stories from the Filipino diaspora on Long Distance) and Ahmed Ali Akbar (who covers the social, cultural, and political experiences of American Muslims on See Something Say Something). We took this time to unpack the ugly, reckon with the bad, and speak to the good that we hope comes out of this pivotal moment in history. We hope you’re all getting the support you need out there, and would love to hear from you — just write to community@selfevidentshow.com, and please take care. Resources and links: “COVID-19 is not the great equalizer” — a short piece from Marketplace showing how hard this pandemic is hitting communities of color and the working poor. If you want to dive into reports focused on anti-Asian racism and Asian American efforts to save lives from COVID-19, Next Shark has been relentlessly covering these beats. Big thanks to them for taking on all of the work required to keep this up. We shared a list of anti-racism resources in a recent newsletter. Since circumstances evolve day by day, we’ll continue using the newsletter to bundle and share resources that might help you get through it all. You can sign up for that here. Paola (@paolamardo) is working on a new episode of Long Distance about health care workers on the front lines. You can hear the full story of her recent encounter with racism here. Ahmed (@radbrowndads) is working on “M Train,” a 6 part miniseries focused on Muslim life in New York, made as a collaboration between See Something Say Something and BRIC. You can listen here. Cathy (@cathyerway) covered new efforts to save Manhattan Chinatown’s local businesses for NYMag’s Grubstreet. You can read that story here. James (@actualjamesboo) wrote these show notes. If you’re wondering why he’s not a Governor Cuomo fan, read this Gothamist news piece and this op-ed by Prasanna Shah. Credits Produced by Julia Shu Edited by Julia Shu and James Boo Sound mix by Timothy Lou Ly Self Evident theme music by Dorian Love

We asked our listener community, “How did you learn where you come from?” What came back was a wide range of personal stories about how tricky it can be to access our heritage. From kids going to culture camp, to adoptees making journeys to their birth countries, to Asian Americans of all ages realizing that they’re inevitably going to lose a piece of themselves — we explore how we fit in with what came before us and figure out what comes next. We need your help! Please take this 1-minute survey, so we can have better conversations with partners and sponsors and keep this show growing. It’s fast, easy, and anonymous. Resources and Recommended Reading Misha recommends that Self Evident listeners check out episode 2 of Tell Them, I Am, “Deana.” Read some of Ansley’s poetry, accompanied by her own visual artwork, on Culturestrike. If you’d like to participate in Henry’s Chinese geneaology workshop, e-mail Henry [dot] Tom [at] Cox [dot] net. Mark, one of the voices on today’s episode, has told the full story of his trip to find his birth record in Korea on this episode of the Escape from Plan A podcast. Check out Leading Youth Forward, Chicago Desi Youth Rising, NQAPIA, and APIENC to see examples of Asian American spaces for cultural and political education. To learn more about “Love Boat” and how it’s impacted Asian Americans, check out Valerie Soe’s documentary, Love Boat: Taiwan, which is touring film festivals across the country. Shout Outs Shout out to Yin Kong and Yin Mei of Think!Chinatown for inviting us to the workshop where we met Henry Tom. Thanks to everyone from our listener community who shared their experiences with us in the making of this episode: Alice Chou, Davey Kim, Gabor Fu, Jenni Wong, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Lily Susman, Lori Wanko, Mark from Plan A, Mark Zastrow, Merk Nguyen, Michelle Chu, Rekha Radhakrishnan, Waverly Colville, and Win-Sie Tow. And very special thanks to our advisors for this season of the show: Alex Laughlin, Anika Gupta, Blair Matsuura, Christina Choi, Davey Kim, and Ted Hsieh. Credits Produced by James Boo Edited by Julia Shu and Cheryl Devall Editorial support from Davey Kim Production support by Jaye McAuliffe Sound engineering by Timothy Lou Ly Theme music by Dorian Love Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident is a Studiotobe production. Season 1 is presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the Ford Foundation, and our listener community. Our show was incubated at the Made in New York Media Center by IFP. About CAAM: CAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing, and exhibiting works in film, television, and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamedia.org. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CAAM provides production funding to independent producers who make engaging Asian American works for public media.

Under the Trump administration, the United States has pushed aggressively to deport Southeast Asian Americans with criminal records. Hurt that members of the Vietnamese community would support this action, guest producer Thanh Tan (creator of the podcast “Second Wave”) seeks out the people at risk of deportation — and the organizers fighting to keep them in the only home they’ve known. Along the way, she learns to embrace a new direction for Vietnamese Americans confronting the deeply rooted narrative of “the good refugee.” We need your help! Please take this 1-minute survey, so we can have better conversations with partners and sponsors and keep this show growing. It’s fast, easy, and anonymous. Resources and Recommended Reading Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. "Know Your Rights" resources to prepare for ICE raids written in Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Chinese, Dar/Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Karen, Khemer, Korean, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese, compiled by the Asian American Federation in NY. Primary sources: The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which laid much groundwork for today’s deportations The 2008 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam President Trump’s Jan 25, 2017 Executive Order on Border Security and Immigration Enforcement President Trump’s Jan 25, 2017 Executive Order declaring that the presence of “removable aliens” from “foreign nations that refuse the repatriation of their nationals” is “contrary to the national interest” Text of President Trump’s Jan 27, 2017 Executive Order temporarily ceasing admission of refugees to the United States (a.k.a. “the travel ban”) Migration Policy Institute dataset on U.S. annual refugee resettlement ceilings and refugee admissions, starting from 1980 ICE datasets on deportations from FY 2011 through FY 2018 Reporting and analysis on the federal government’s role in detention and deportation of immigrants: “City of Fear” by New York Magazine and The Marshall Project “The Disastrous, Forgotten 1996 Law That Created Today’s Immigration Problem” by Dara Lind, for Vox “ICE and the Banality of Spin” by Eileen Guo, for Topic “U.S.: 20 Years of Immigrant Abuses,” a summary of reports by Human Rights Watch on harm caused by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act Reporting and analysis on the detention and deportation of Vietnamese Americans and Cambodian Americans: “As Cambodian Deportations Resume, Community Looks for Ways to Cope” by Agnes Constante, for NBC Asian America “Deported: A Grassroots Movement” (5-part docuseries) by Sahra V. Nguyen, for NBC Asian America “Fear Grips Immigrants Who Fled Here to Escape Genocide” by Matt Driscoll, for The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington “A State of Captivity: Immigrants Detained Repeatedly for Old Crimes” by Anjali Enjeti, for Guernica Magazine “Trump Is Pushing Vietnam to Accept Deportees Who Have Lived in the US for Over 20 years” by Dara Lind, for Vox “Trump Moves to Deport Vietnam War Refugees” by Charles Dunst and Krishnadev Calamur, for The Atlantic “The U.S. Ambassador Who Crossed Trump on Immigration” by Mike Ives, for the New York Times Shout Outs John Woo and Kerry Donahue voiced the English translations of Thanh’s parents. Thanks to Julia Preston and Willoughby Mariano for their advice on reporting this story. Credits Produced by Thanh Tan and James Boo Edited by Julia Shu and Cheryl Devall Production support by Austin Jenkins, Jamala Henderson, Kevin Rinker, and Merk Nguyen Sound engineering by Timothy Lou Ly Theme music by Dorian Love Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound Self Evident is a Studiotobe production. Season 1 is presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the Ford Foundation, and our listener community. Our show was incubated at the Made in New York Media Center by IFP. About CAAM: CAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing, and exhibiting works in film, television, and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamedia.org. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CAAM provides production funding to independent producers who make engaging Asian American works for public media.