Far too many times in life, our narratives get told by others. Sometimes, being a passive passenger in the journey can feel the safest and most comfortable...until you realize the consequences of not speaking up on your or your community's behalf. Like misinformation, isolation, erasure, and even the exploitation of narratives to serve another's agenda. We're all becoming much more keenly aware of how this has been playing out for real all around us, and many of us are wondering how to approach it. In this episode, Minji sits down with Emily Inouye Huey, author of the moving YA novel "Beneath the Wide Silk Sky" - story about a Japanese American teenager named Sam who is navigating her young life in the wake of Pearl Harbor during WWII. Together they talk about Emily's personal process as a writer and as a Japanese American person unpacking very real family history that she's digesting. They go into the ups and downs of learning, embracing, and finding courage to share stories that mean so much, and how these stories can be vital contributions to culture, politics, and our own personal growth. Emily shares her thoughts on the recent book bans spreading across America, and what's at stake if we don't stand up for truth, accessibility and education.

Timestamps:

00:00-10:15 - Introduction to episode & Emily featuring Uzuhan's "Uzutrap"

10:15-52:42 - Part 1 of conversation with Emily

52:42-54:42 - Break

54:42-1:17:00 - Part 2 of conversation with Emily

1:17:00-1:22:57 - Outro featuring Melissa Polinar's "Another Universe"

Follow Our Guest Emily Inouye Huey:

https://www.instagram.com/emily_inouye_huey/

https://emilyhuey.com/

Follow Minji On:

• Instagram (@minjeezy)
• Instagram (@firstofallpod)

▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" & "Another Universe" by Melissa Polinar

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▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Audio Engineer @marvinyueh

Producer @DaEunKim

Social Media Manager @JulianaDeer