What Do You Mean By That?

Latest Episodes:

138: Who Do We Call Americans? with John Tateishi Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

When we first thought about talking to our guest John Tateishi today, we thought about diving into the reparations process that he helped lead for Japanese survivors of the internment camps on American soil - especially as a great follow-up to our conversation with cameron whitten about reparations for slavery. Being biracial Japanese/White women, growing up in the United States meant that the history of internment camps, reparations, and the treatment of Japanese Americans as the "other" were things that we didn't necessarily learn about in school, but knew through our communities. We thought we couldn't speak to a better person about this than someone who had been deeply and critically involved in the Japanese American reparations process from the start.

What we didn't expect, however, was the personal history lesson that we got - from what it was like in Manzanar, to coming back to postwar Los Angeles, to what it means to be an American. You won't want to miss this conversation - in fact, we had to cut it short when we wanted to talk to John for several more hours. Get ready to learn everything you didn't learn in school today.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

John's personal experience as a young person incarcerated at Manzanar - and what it was like returning to society
The makeup of Los Angeles in the post-war period - and how different communities banded together
What John sees as the differences between the successful campaign he helped lead for Japanese American reparations, and what hurdles are facing Black Americans, starting with HR40

About John Tateishi: Incarcerated as a child in one of America's WWII concentration camp, John Tateishi carried that memory with him when he launched the Japanese American reparations campaign in 1978. He directed the public affairs and legislative strategies of the campaign until 1986, two years before the campaign ultimately culminated with the signing of the Civil Liberties Act. Ten years later, he led the JACL's challenge against the Bush administration's policies that targeted Arab and Muslim communities and undermined the civil liberties of all Americans. He is the author of Redress: The Inside Story of the Successful Campaign for Japanese American Reparations (2020).

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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137: Reparations with cameron whitten Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

When you hear the word "reparations" - what do you think? If you're like us, it's probably something you sort of thought about in theory, but realize there's so much to understand that you want to hide. It's not an easy word with an easy answer or a clear path forward, nor is it uncomplicated.

Fortunately, we love to get complicated AND messy on this podcast, and so that's why we're thrilled today to have cameron whitten, the CEO of the racial justice nonprofit Brown Hope and Co-Founder of the Black Resilience Fund on today to talk about reparations, H.R. 40, Portland, and answer all of the questions you may have thought of - or even some that you have not - about reparations.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What the word "reparations" really means when we talk about healing the legacy of slavery
How reparations can actually show up - is it only cash? Who should the recipients be? And how should they be paid for?
What the bill HR 40 entails
The history of Portland and Oregon when it comes to slavery and racism

About cameron:

At the age of eighteen, cameron whitten (all pronouns) worked themself out of youth homelessness in Portland and has spent the past decade giving back to the same community that was here when they needed it most. cameron has been a leader in several movements for social change, served as the Executive Director of Q Center, and is currently the CEO of racial justice nonprofit Brown Hope and Co-Founder of the Black Resilience Fund. They serve on the board of REACH CDC and Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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136: Book Launch Day, ask us anything! Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

It's book launch day! And if you haven't already pre-ordered, it's time that you get your order in for Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism!

And then tell your friends and family today about it so they order, too.

Will make for some good conversations – plus, we'll be opening up a book club conversation with you in November!

What to listen for, in celebration of our book launch, are the answers to a few questions we whittled down from an "Ask Us Anything" 24-hour callout we made on social media and our email list – so you'll get our real, authentic selves in response to YOUR questions.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Questions were:

What were your initial impressions of each other? Was it friend love at first sight?

How do your kids feel about your podcast and your book?

What was your hardest interview and/or episode to record? Why?

Are there any episodes where you wish you had a do-over? Why?

Where do each of you record your podcast? Where are your families then?

How do you envision your work evolving going forward?

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

135: Remember the Titans Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Remember the Titans has the specific scene that happens part of the way through the movie, when Coach Boone gets everyone out of bed in the middle of the night and tells them they're going for a run in the woods. They run to the location of the Battle of Gettysburg. And Coach Boone stands there and he tells them:

"Anybody know what this place is? This is Gettysburg. This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fightin' the same fight that we're still fightin' amongst ourselves today. This green field right here was painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys, smoke and hot lead pourin' right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men: "I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family." You listen. And you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed - just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not. But you will respect each other."

That's a movie, but we're in this same place right now. We've been here throughout the past 5 years and while people have chosen to look away, believing that things are better in 2021 - they're not. Listen to this episode to hear just how bad things have become - and what we can do about it, because while we are in a constitutional crisis, it's not too late to push for change and get loud.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why the 2020 election and January 6 was so much worse than we believed, with the release of the Eastman memo
What is the election reform that certain Republicans are pushing, and why we're investigating election results when no fraud has been established
What's at stake if we don't abolish the filibuster - because right now, it's progress, or the destruction of our democracy
The numbers to call Congress and the White House - and other ways to demand that we remove the filibuster

More resources:

DWW Ep 110: Why we should all care about the filibuster

Kagan's Op/Ed in the Washington Post

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121, the White House at (202) 456-1111, or your Senators or Representatives to abolish the filibuster. Discuss what's at stake (Immigration reform, The For the People Act, The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, Reproductive rights, Gun control, Medicare for All, A Green New Deal, A $15 minimum wage, and the foundations of our democracy).

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

134: Beautiful Country, with Qian Julie Wang Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Sometimes there are those books that are so hauntingly beautiful, disturbing, or touching (or all three) that you can't stop thinking about them for days after you finally put them down after binge reading them. Some of those for us are The Handmaid's Tale, or Americanah, or Song of Solomon. But recently, we found another book that we've been thinking about ever since putting it down - Beautiful Country.

In her debut memoir, which she started writing in 2016 while on the subway on her iPhone, Qian Julie Wang tells her story of being an undocumented seven-year-old who arrives in New York City in 1994 with her parents from northern China - and all of the wonders and heartbreak and LIFE that happens as you come of age in a country that has expressly shown you that you don't belong, in so many ways. Talking to her was like seeing this book come to life - but we didn't just stop with the book. Listen in to hear about Beautiful Country, but also so much more, in this conversation that we didn't want to end.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What it felt like to risk everything and write openly about their move away from China
Experiences growing up living in fear and poverty in New York, and how that's shaped her current career as a lawyer
Her thoughts on Afghani refugees, anti-Asian hate, and what we can all do to better understand the people in our communities

About the book: In Chinese, the word for America, "Mei Guo," translates directly to "Beautiful Country." Yet when 7-year-old Qian is plucked from her comfortable life in China where she's surrounded by friends and family and arrives in New York City in 1994, she finds the roads paved not with gold, but instead crushing fear and scarcity. Her professor parents now work in Chinatown sweatshops and sushi factories. Instead of laughing at her jokes, they fight constantly. She no longer loves school because she's too hungry to pay attention. Her mother, her sole confidante, is too sick to get out of bed, but going to the doctor isn't an option. And most distressing of all: the number one rule in America is that she must go unnoticed—or risk losing everything. It's under this perpetual specter of deportation that we watch Qian Julie come of age. Yet, while Qian Julie's is a story of hopes dashed, it's also one of life lived tenaciously in their stead, with small, vital joys and glimmers of hope: a dollar slice of pizza, Rockefeller Center at Christmastime, a bedroom with her own door, or her very own Tamagotchi digital pet.

About the author: Although the book ends when Qian Julie Wang's family leaves the US 5 years later, her remarkable true story did not end there. She attended Swarthmore College and Yale Law School and, until recently, worked as a high-powered corporate litigator in Manhattan—in fact, she wrote the book almost entirely on her iPhone during her daily subway commute. She is now pursuing her advocacy work full-time and is managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, a firm dedicated to advocating for education and discrimination rights. She regularly speaks and writes on these issues, including recent op-eds for the New York Times and Washington Post.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

133: The Inner Work of Racial Justice, with Rhonda McGee Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Last week's episode was all about QAnon and how conspiracy theories can divide us as a nation. One of the things we think we can do to bridge the divide is bring mindfulness and skills around living with mindfulness into conversations about race, racism, identity, and beliefs - and to do that, we got to speak with an incredible law professor named Rhonda McGee.

In speaking with Rhonda, we learned not only about the role of law in helping - and hurting - racial divides, but we also discussed the role of mindfulness in helping people come into a grounded space to do this work in the first place. Once we added in her own brand of racial awareness called ColorInsight, we left this conversation with not only some reframed concepts but a deeper understanding of why we all need to be doing this work.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How her background in law drew her into mindfulness - this part will blow your mind
For those who are new to mindfulness and new to meditation, Professor McGee leading us through an actual few minutes of meditation!
ColorInsight and what it means to hold race in our bodies
How we can all navigate criticism - from Black people about catering to Whiteness, from White people about being racist for naming White as a race - in a more mindful way

About Rhonda: RHONDA V. MAGEE is a professor of law at the University of San Francisco. Also trained in sociology and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), she is a highly practiced facilitator of trauma-sensitive, restorative MBSR interventions for lawyers and law students, and for minimizing the effects of social-identity-based bias. Magee has been a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Law and Society and a visiting professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

132: Pastels, Pedophiles and QAnon - with Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalen Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

This fall we're focused on hot-button topics. If you remember, we kicked off the fall with a conversation about the census and representation, which then moved into representation in the media and movies with Kamala Avila-Salmon, the head of inclusive content at Lionsgate Films. Today, we're here to talk about another hot button topic that we've all heard about the last couple of years but we've never touched yet on the show: QAnon.

This conversation we're about to share gave us some perspective on what really was happening with the development of the conspiracy theory, what risks we face as a country if we let this fester (it's not good), and what we can each do differently that we weren't doing beforehand.

ALSO - we have one month until our book launch! For those of you who are at all interested in joining our book launch team, email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com for details on what's involved. We'd love to have you be a part of our book community!

What to listen for:

The basic beliefs of QAnon, and what our guests think the harm is from letting the reported 17% of the US adult population who believes in this (baseless) conspiracy theory continue
The influence of women - White women - in the growth and depth of QAnon
What psychological needs QAnon fills for those who have fallen down the rabbit hole
Importantly - what can each of us say or do for those people in our lives who believe in QAnon?

About the authors:

Mia Bloom is the International Security Fellow at New America, professor at Georgia State University, and member of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group. She has authored several books on violent extremism including Small Arms: Children and Terrorism (2019), Bombshell: Women and Terrorism (2011), and Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror (2005).

Sophia Moskalenko is a psychologist studying mass identity, inter-group conflict, and conspiracy theories. She has written several books, including the award-winning Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us (2011) and The Marvel of Martyrdom: The Power of Self-Sacrifice in the Selfish World (2019).

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

131: Representation Matters, with Kamala Avila-Salmon Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

We promised last week in our intro to fall and census conversation that we'd be focusing on some hot button topics that we've seen trending of late.

And representation is a huge one - especially with the recent release of the mostly Asian cast of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - and the question of how people in the entertainment field can get "diverse" movies totally right, or totally wrong.

Today we're talking with the fantastic Kamala Avila-Salmon, head of inclusive content at Lionsgate, about some hard truths around media, entertainment and diversity. In this episode, there's a lot for us to think about as consumers, and as people in our own fields who might want to make change - things to think about to make sure we're not being performative and missing the mark, but instead, digging deep and thinking holistically about changing the narrative.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The state of the entertainment industry when it comes to "diverse" films - how much money is being left on the table right now, who the target audience of these films are, and how to think about casting
The day to day life and specific challenges of someone who brings integrity-filled diversity to the movies we see on our screens
Kamala's theory of change when it comes to racial awareness and racial justice
What we can do as audience members to demand more diversity in films
Kamala's favorite movies!

About Kamala:

Kamala Avila-Salmon is the Head of Inclusive Content at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. She joined Lionsgate from Facebook, where she launched the Marketing Inclusion strategy within their Consumer Marketing team. Kamala began her career in the marketing department of RCA Records, then joined Bad Boy Records; she also worked at Universal Pictures and then moved to NBC Entertainment in TV. Kamala joined Google Play as an executive responsible for marketing campaigns to promote Google Play Music and Google Play Movies, then transitioned to the launch team for YouTube TV.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

130: School's Back In Session (And We're Starting With The Census) Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Hello and welcome to Fall! What we're really excited about - besides our book coming out in mid October! - is our fall lineup of episodes. Now that we're done with our Summer of Action, we're focused on issues that have not only been in our consciousness, but ones that we've been hearing about throughout 2021 and ones that we'd like to highlight for the fall.

In September, we'll be focusing on current events and topics that you may have heard about in the news - including representation in the media, Qanon, and so much more. October will be devoted to all things voting and our political systems as we look at the practical things we all need to be aware of when we vote this November, or in 2022 - or as we read or listen to the news. Finally, in November, we'll be talking to people who are working on transformative change in their own spheres of influence, and see how they got involved in doing this impactful work.

And to kick this off - let's talk about the Census. Because we've learned a lot about who we are and our own communities with the news that's been coming out over these last few weeks.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Our summer recap and what it's like to have some kids back in school!
The overview of our fall lineup
Breaking down the latest census information - how the census impacts policies and elections not just for the next ten years, but for potentially the next hundred
How lawmakers froze the number of members in the House of Representatives at a max - even though that cap is not mandated in the Constitution
And yes, of course, how the demographics appear to be showing a marked decline in the White population of this country - and how that can be both reality and a question of more accurate data

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

129: Is Your Workplace Psychologically Safe? with Jeff Harry Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Let's talk about workplace safety. No, not that kind of workplace safety - we're here to talk about building psychologically safe workspaces, which in our opinion is a crucial conversation especially as we're reimagining workspaces in this era of COVID. And you'll want to hear this WHOLE conversation, because there are knowledge bombs just being tossed around by our guest throughout this entire episode.

Today we're talking to Jeff Harry, who is the founder of Rediscover Your Play, and who works with companies and individuals to help lift their veil of BS in order to make their work more fulfilling and rediscover their joyful purpose, all the while removing what is getting in the way of their success. This conversation got us thinking, and we hope it gets you thinking too.

After this episode, which sadly is the very last in our Summer of Action, our ask is this: tell all your friends to listen to this episode, especially those with workplaces. And take a good hard look at your own workplace. How can you make it more psychologically safe for EVERYONE who works there?

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What constitutes a psychologically safe workplace
How people can navigate toxic situations and have important challenging conversations in a way that gets past performative allyship
Why and how Jeff addresses toxic masculinity in his work
How broad of a concept play really can be, and what are some of the necessary steps to be able to truly play - both at work and in all the other spheres of our lives

About Jeff:

Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by playing. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

Jeff is an international speaker who has presented at conferences such as INBOUND, SXSW, and Australia's Pausefest, showing audiences how major issues in the workplace can be solved using play. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 for his organizational development work around dealing with toxic people in the workplace. His play work has most recently been featured in the Upworthy, Mashable, Shondaland, and the NY Times. He has also been featured on AJ+, SoulPancake, the SF Chronicle, and CNN.

While we spend most of our time pretending to be important, serious grownups, it's when we let go of that facade and just play, that the real magic happens. Fully embracing your own nerdy genius — whatever that is — gives you the power to make a difference and change lives. Jeff believes that we already have many of the answers we seek, and by simply unleashing our inner child, we can find our purpose and, in turn, help to create a better world.

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

Website: RediscoverYourPlay.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jeffharryplays

Instagram: @jeffharryplays

TikTok: @jeffharryplays

Medium: @jeffharryplays

Twitter: @jeffharryplays

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-harry-6991a94/

RESOURCES TO INSPIRE YOU TO PLAY MORE

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Like what you hear? Don't miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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