Modern Minorities

Latest Episodes:

Beth Nguyen wants (you to learn) her name Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

“It made me think about how our sense of identity really gets mixed up in names that other people give to us.”

She was named Bich Minh Nguyen, but now goes by the name Beth...because, in her own words published in The New Yorker, “America Ruined My Name For Me.” Having a name that is hard to pronounce and rooted in your heritage presents unique and difficult challenges, and it’s an all-too-common experience for many immigrants. Born in Saigon, a refugee, and a mother - Beth is an award-winning author of many novels whose work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Literary Hub. She’s taught at Purdue University and the University of San Francisco and is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin. Beth is at work on a series of linked essays about post-refugee life, titled “Owner of a Lonely Heart” - which we can’t wait to read. Listen to our chat with Beth about growing up between the cultures of two different worlds, and you’ll understand why her name change was necessary.

LEARN ABOUT BETH:

Website
Social Media: Instagram / Twitter
New Yorker article: “America Ruined My Name For Me” (April 2021)
BETH'S BOOKS: Stealing Buddha's Dinner (2007), Pioneer Girl (2014), Short Girls (2009)

MENTIONS:

BOOKS: Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh)
PERSON: Keanu Reeves - because of sequined pillow in her Zoom background

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Svante Myrick wants (police) change Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

“We got ourselves into this - on the left and the right. People want to be safe - so we're proposing something different and better.”

Svante Myrick is the mayor of Ithaca, NY - a role he’s held since 2012 - when he became the town’s youngest Mayor, and the first Mayor of color. Svante has become one of the nation’s earliest elected leaders to put forward one of the most ambitious, concrete plans to change the way we think about community policing - something that has propelled him to the national stage. His proposal to replace traditional policing with a Department of Public Safety and Community Solutions, aims to reduce armed personnel in emergency response. Svante’s thoughtful, informed take on how to take on big challenges at the local level are informed by his experiences as a mixed race kid who grew up facing homelessness, relying on school lunches, and other critical public services. And while his policies are progressive - Svante often says there are 3 political parties in America - Democrats, Republicans, and Mayors - because the real work is local in our communities. He’s also a huge comic book nerd, which means it's only a matter of time before Raman invites him on his OTHER podcast. Svante represents the next generation of politicians, and inspires us all that we change better together, not apart.

LEARN ABOUT SVANTE

cityofithaca.org/131/Mayors-Office
instagram.com/svantemyrick
twitter.com/SvanteMyrick
gq.com/story/ithaca-mayor-svante-myrick-police-reform

MENTIONS:

BOOKS / FILM: Lord of the Rings (“everybody thinks they're Gandalf, but you’re actually Frodo”)
X-MEN: Colossus, Wolverine, Archangel

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Minjae Ormes has grown (up) Visible May 31, 2021

Show notes

“Suddenly the world opens up - you meet people living a completely different life. So we picked up everything, left everything behind and moved.”

Minjae Ormes is a digital, tech, and entertainment veteran - she's the CMO of Visible - one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies. Minjae's worked for YouTube and Ogilvy - working on campaigns for Disney, National Geographic, and the Tribeca Film Institute. But before all that, she moved to the other side of the world (from Korea) when she was just 13 - having to adapt to a new language, new community, and even new holidays (Halloween is the best). As we unpack our tensions of today - you’ll appreciate Minjae’s unique empathy, curiosity, and understanding - born out of sometimes having to see the world from two very different perspectives. And on top of it all, Minjae’s a rad mom, has a rad haircut, and is a big fan of the Colorado Stock Show. So of course we talked a lot about Korean food, Korean donuts, and H-Mart, obviously.

LEARN ABOUT MINJAE

instagram.com/minjaeormes
twitter.com/minjae
thecut.com/2019/11/in-her-shoes-visible-minjae-ormes.html

MENTIONS

Colorado Stock Show: nationalwestern.com
H-Mart (Korean grocery chain): nytimes.com/2021/05/11/dining/h-mart.html
MOVIE: Black Swan (2010): imdb.com/title/tt0947798

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Hear our (AAPI) Red Envelope Stories May 24, 2021

Show notes

To continue celebrating AAPI Heritage Month, we’ve partnered with Red Envelope Stories - a new platform getting a lot of coverage - where Asian Americans share their personal stories - many of which grapple with the modern Asian diasporic identity. Joining us to hear - and talk about - some of these Red Envelope Stories is co-founder Michelle Liu, a student at Brown University. If you enjoy hearing some of thee stories, head over to RedEnvelopeStories.net - where you can sign up for a weekly newsletter of quick, digestible stories to better understand the Asian American experience - ...and of course you can submit YOUR stories =)

LEARN MORE:

RedEnvelopeStories.net
instagram.com/redenvelopestories

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Let’s Talk WARRIOR (+Grounded Geeks) May 20, 2021

Show notes

Chinatown, San Francisco - the 1870s. Everybody was Kung-fu fighting (ok, not everyone, but a LOT of people).

Raman’s been trying to convince Sharon for MONTHS that she needs to watch WARRIOR - the hit show on HBO Max originally created by BRUCE LEE, executive-produced by his daughter, Shannon Lee (no relation to Sharon), and Fast & Furious director Justin Lin.

WARRIOR is a period piece that goes deep on race in America, and has some sweet kung fu, and very attractive (Asian) people. BUT Sharon’s still not watched it, so we invited friend-of-the-Pod Lena Shareef (from our recent Ramadan month episodes) and her brother Aman, who co-host the EPIC podcast “Grounded Geeks” - to make the case, and share THEIR take on why Warrior might just be the best show you (and Sharon) are not watching...

LEARN MORE

Warrior Episode #1 (free on YouTube): youtu.be/1bp8Lfq5rV0
Grounded Geeks Podcast: anchor.fm/grounded-geeks

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Steven Wakabayashi’s (Yellow) Glitter May 16, 2021

Show notes

“Intersectional identities are complex - even Asian identities in the queer community. How do we find space for that?”

Steven Wakabayashi hosts “YELLOW GLITTER” - a podcast exploring the queer Asian experience. Steven’s thoughtful approach to life - and conversation - have created an amazing space for a community that is marginalized, not just in this country, about around the world. As we all know - neither the Asian or Queer communities are monolithes - with so many intersectional nuances that are often glossed over and not understood. You’ll enjoy this mindful exploration with Steven - about misunderstanding, fear, and most of all, love.

LEARN ABOUT STEVEN

stevenwakabayashi.com
instagram.com/stevenwakabayashi
twitter.com/wakuu
Yellow Glitter (podcast): https://apple.co/3ba9yUx

MENTIONS:

BOOK: “The 5 Love Languages” (Gary Chapman): goodreads.com/book/show/23878688-the-5-love-languages
BOOK: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean_Vuong): goodreads.com/author/show/4456871.Ocean_Vuong
PERSON: Margaret Cho: MargaretCho.com

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Margaret Cho’s (Mortal) Minority May 10, 2021

Show notes

“Trying to fit in was just not an option. But in comedy, I could embrace my oddness.”

Margaret Cho, the “All American Girl,” is a Grammy and Emmy Award-nominated jill of all trades who was once told by TV executives to “tone it down.” Despite all of her success, feeling left out and alienated are subjects that are still near to Margaret’s heart, inspiring her to continue lighting the path for underrepresented groups. Listen to our interview with this iconic comedian, actor, musician, advocate, entrepreneur, and artist as we learn about what has made her THE Margaret Cho, a “Patron Saint of Outsiders,” discuss her own podcast Mortal Minority and their Season 2 focus on unpacking historical hate crimes against Asian Americans, her animated film "Over the Moon" on Netflix, and how a recent DNA test reveals that she is, in fact, 100% Chinese (not Korean). We know - so many surprises. There’s a lot more to Margaret Cho than you think.

LEARN ABOUT MARGARET:

Website

Social Media: Instagram / Twitter / Youtube / Facebook

Podcast: The Mortal Minority

MENTIONS:

TV: The Serpent (Netflix)

TV: My Mister (K-Drama)

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Mothers (day) secrets... May 07, 2021

Show notes

We've always known that we would LOVE to have a conversation with our guests' MOMS. So for this Mother's Day, we decided to do just that with THREE key questions. Joining us for a very special episode are the MOMS of Friends-of-the-Pod Buck Rocker, Jay Veraldi, Jieun Kim Kirtley, Dr. Nzinga Harrison, Rajiv Satyal, and Sarah Salem. Happy Mother's Day to ALL the MOMS out there!

LEARN MORE (about our guests's MM Episodes):

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Lets talk (about) India May 04, 2021

Show notes

India is facing an overwhelming COVID-19 surge. Cases continue to rise, with record cases reported daily. Among a decline in cases in February, the government loosened restrictions, so we were all caught off-guard. The country's healthcare system is collapsing, with supplies running low/out, and more and more deaths reported daily. Many of us have family and friends suffering. Along with friend-of-the-Pod (and fellow Desi), we process our thoughts not just on India, but how we need to remain vigilant, and thoughtful about the pandemic around us. We are not out of the woods, by any stretch or measure.

Even with the terrible situation in India, this pandemic is so much bigger. Smarter people are talking about what this means for all of us - so you should go read and listen to what they're saying. Here's a quick summary: https://mobile.twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1388172436999376899

Beyond just getting your vaccine as soon as you can - we need to get still WEAR MASKS, avoid crowds, maintain social distance, and make smart decisions - not just for yourself, but those around us. With India, we are seeing the worst that can happen unfold on the other side of the world.

HELP INDIA: While countries around the globe are sending aid to India, here are a few places YOU can help (list via NY Mag):

Making the Difference is helping provide medical supplies for public hospitals and nursing homes in Mumbai as well as grocery and ration kits to daily wage earners. https://www.donatekart.com/MTD/Save-Patients/
Rapid Response, India’s premier disaster-response and preparedness service, is seeking donations to provide dry food goods such as rice, dal, salt, and sugar to families across India. https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/donate-dry-ration-to-families-struggling-with-hunger-in-covid-second-wave?utm_source=MutualAidIndia
Breathe India, a fundraiser led by Indian Institutes of Technology alumni in conjunction with the SaveLife Foundation, is seeking donations to procure effective distribution of oxygen concentrators to hospitals in Delhi. Lack of supplemental oxygen is currently a massive problem amid the COVID surge in India. https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-arrange-oxygen-concentrators-in-delhi
Seva Kitchen, a nonprofit in Nagpur, is seeking donations to provide meal kits for marginalized communities. https://www.donatekart.com/seva_kitchen/Help-seva-kitchen/?utm_source=MutualAidIndia
Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (TWEET) has been creating and funding shelter homes for trans people in Delhi during the pandemic. https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-shelter-for-transgender-persons-in-mumbai
Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), a children’s rights organization based in India, is collecting donations to help children in poverty-stricken communities with access to meals and education. https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/kscf-for-covid-19-relief
HelpNow is an initiative led by young students in Mumbai to provide quick, 24/7 medical transportation. It is currently seeking donations to ensure adequate supplies and compensate its drivers. https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/getHelpNow
Give India, a crowdfunding nonprofit platform created to support India throughout the pandemic, is currently running fundraising campaigns for oxygen supply, food shortages, and women’s reproductive health amid the pandemic. https://covid.giveindia.org/

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Jason’s discovery (+faith) of Islam May 02, 2021

Show notes

“I was really struck by how universal the message was - and i wanted to be a part of it.”

Jason is a husband. A father. He’s an attorney. He’s also Black..and a Muslim. In a conversation about family, religion, race, and love - Jason shares his journey, how he discovered (and built) a relationship with Islam, and how’s its influenced his life for the better...

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