Are Asian Americans being cut out from the American embrace of Asian culture? And is this really a problem? Teen and Jess talk about the Asian American female critical abhorrence of 'Isle of Dogs,' in particular the character Tracy Walker. The conversation turns towards the bias against women having public conflicts, the concept of Asian American cultural property, and the rising anxiety caused by an American culture that increasingly admires authentic Asian culture.

Intro/Outro Song: Isle of Dogs OST

Intro/Outro Voice Track: Anjelah Johnson and Amy Schumer

TWITTER:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Moeko Fujii's review of IoD: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan

Slate Culture Gabfest podcast re IoD: https://www.wnyc.org/story/spoiler-specials-isle-of-dogs/

Teen's review of IoD: https://www.cinemaescapist.com/2018/04/isle-dogs-metaphor-japanese-politics/

Are Asian Americans being cut out from the American embrace of Asian culture? And is this really a problem? Teen and Jess talk about the Asian American female critical abhorrence of 'Isle of Dogs,' in particular the character Tracy Walker. The conversation turns towards the bias against women having public conflicts, the concept of Asian American cultural property, and the rising anxiety caused by an American culture that increasingly admires authentic Asian culture.

Intro/Outro Song: Isle of Dogs OST

Intro/Outro Voice Track: Anjelah Johnson and Amy Schumer

TWITTER:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Moeko Fujii's review of IoD: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan

Slate Culture Gabfest podcast re IoD: https://www.wnyc.org/story/spoiler-specials-isle-of-dogs/

Teen's review of IoD: https://www.cinemaescapist.com/2018/04/isle-dogs-metaphor-japanese-politics/

For Asian Americans, there is often the question of whether there's a sort of Promised Land, where there is less racism and more happiness. Frequently, Canada is suggested as such a place. Filip and Oxford, who were both born and raised in Canada, discuss the good and bad of life in the True North strong and free.

Intro/Outro Song: Theme from Hockey Night in Canada

Intro Voice Track: Don Cherry on the truth about "Natives" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5p5r6tiK6M&t=2s)

TWITTER:

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

I Wanted To Love Paris, But It Didn't Want Me: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenhchoi/i-wanted-to-love-paris-but-it-didnt-love-me?utm_term=.fnnpy6bYO#.diWx3O1zo

The Lover: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lover_(film)

Hiroshima Mon Amour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_mon_amour

Many Asian Americans see college education, particularly elite college education, as their main pathway to success. But is that true? Furthermore, does the process turn Asian American kids against each other to strive for inclusion in a selective white liberal milieu? Jess, Oxford, and Oriana draw upon their experiences at these types of schools to talk about whether we should idealize these institutions at all.

Intro/Outro Song: "Graduation Song (Instrumental)" by Vitamin C

Intro/Outro Voice Track: 2012 Wellesley High School Commencement Speech by David McCullough Jr.

TWITTER:

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Asian Americans Think An Elite College Degree...: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-lee-ramakrishnan-asian-american-prestige-20180327-story.html

Prescriptive Stereotypes and Workplace Consequences... ("Berdahl Study"): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22506817

"Excellent Sheep" by William Deresiewicz: https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Sheep-Miseducation-American-Meaningful/dp/1476702721/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523842119&sr=8-1&keywords=excellent+sheep

"The Price of Admission" by Daniel Golden: https://www.amazon.com/Price-Admission-Americas-Colleges-Outside/dp/1400097975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523842784&sr=8-1&keywords=price+of+admission

Self-described comedian Esther Ku’s racialized act (that demeans Asians for white audiences) set off a battle on Twitter. The story was picked up by Nextshark and NY Post. Oxford, Teen, and Mark discuss the incident and try to layer some sense over the chaos, including recognizing similar patterns in other minority communities.

Intro Song: "Black Cab" by Higher Brothers

Intro Voice Track: Esther Ku on United Airlines' crimes against David Dao

TWITTER

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Mark (@snbatman)

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Comic Faces Backlash For Racially Charged Tweets: https://nypost.com/2018/04/04/comic-faces-backlash-for-racially-charged-tweets/

Comedian Esther Ku Has a Serious Problem...: https://nextshark.com/comedian-esther-ku-serious-problem-using-racist-self-hating-asian-jokes-laughs/

The Alt-Right's Asian Fetish: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/alt-right-asian-fetish.html

Dating While Asian at Penn: http://www.34st.com/article/2018/02/dating-while-asian-at-penn-the-fine-line-between-fetish-and-preference

This Is Not The Representation I Asked For: https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2018/02/22/this-is-not-the-representation-i-asked-for/

Yellow Fever: https://thenewinquiry.com/yellow-fever/

Meet the White Nationalist...: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/richard-spencer-trump-alt-right-white-nationalist/

Does Lena Dunham Have Yellow Fever?: https://planamag.com/does-lena-dunham-have-yellow-fever-8b6a8f8dd4fd

White Sexual Imperialism (p. 297): https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1243&context=crsj

A Letter To Asian Girls: https://etcetera.org.au/diversity/a-letter-to-asian-girls/

Natalie Tran's "White Male Asian Female" Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chFKDaZns6w&t=1581s

"Big Little Man" by Alex Tizon: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Little-Man-Search-Asian/dp/0547450486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523506933&sr=8-1&keywords=big+little+man

"Black Skin, White Masks" by Frantz Fanon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Masks-Frantz-Fanon/dp/0802143008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523506963&sr=8-1&keywords=black+masks+white+skin

Champagne Sharks Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/champagne-sharks/id1242690393?mt=2

Jess, Filip and Teen continue their conversation on race and class. Does class ascension require letting go of our ethnic identity? Why does not being seen as Asian, but rather just a person, seem neither fully right, nor fully wrong?

Intro/Outro Song: Smoke Weed Everyday

Intro Voice Track: The Joy Luck Club

Twitter:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@whatsupjess)

Filip, Jess and Teen get together to discuss Jordan Peterson. Love him, hate him, or don't know him, the rising influence of Peterson, who occupies some role between public intellectual and national father figure, is something that cannot be ignored. Is this a positive move away from the nihilism and chaos of both the left and right, or is his conspicuous refusal to talk about race something to worry about?

Intro/Outro Song: "Picture" by Kid Rock

Intro Voice Track: Ronald Reagan, January 1989

Twitter:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@whatsupjess)

What is triggering the alt-right outbreak? Is it racism, sexism, or both? Oxford, Teen, and Jess use Angela Nagle’s book "Kill All Normies" and Kristen Roupenian’s short story "Cat Person" as launchpads for discussing this social development that has much relevance for Asian Americans as well.

Intro/Outro Song: "99 Problems (Instrumental)" by Jay-Z

Intro Voice Track: Vice Interview with Jordan Peterson by Jay Caspian Kang

TWITTER

Teen(@mont_jiang)

Jess (@whatsupjess)

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES

The Alt-Right's Asian Fetish by Audrea Lim: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/alt-right-asian-fetish.html

"Kill All Normies" by Angela Nagle: https://www.amazon.com/Kill-All-Normies-Culture-Alt-Right/dp/1785355430/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523509373&sr=8-1&keywords=kill+all+normies

"Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/cat-person

David Chang is omnipresent: ramen joints, fine dining, fried chicken, magazines, and so forth. Now, he has his own Netflix show, “Ugly Delicious,” that is obsessed with the meaning and value of authenticity. Teen, Filip and Eliza discuss what sets it apart from your typical foodie TV series and why David Chang might be the most original Asian American celebrity out there today.

Intro/Outro Song: "Saffron" by MF Doom

Intro Voice Track: Eat Drink Man Woman

Twitter:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Eliza (@aestheticdistance1)

David Chang is omnipresent: ramen joints, fine dining, fried chicken, magazines, and so forth. Now, he has his own Netflix show, “Ugly Delicious,” that is obsessed with the meaning and value of authenticity. Teen, Filip and Eliza discuss what sets it apart from your typical foodie TV series and why David Chang might be the most original Asian American celebrity out there today.

Intro/Outro Song: "Saffron" by MF Doom

Intro Voice Track: Eat Drink Man Woman

Twitter:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Eliza (@aestheticdistance1)