The disturbing surge in anti-Asian violence in the wake of the pandemic has been well-documented—so where do we go from here? In this episode, the final installment of a three-part series, we look at the community responses to anti-Asian violence in Southern Nevada: Self-defense classes, a rise in Asian American gun ownership, protests, and more. We ask some hard questions about the pitfalls of activism in this moment—and how we move forward.

This bonus episode accompanies episode 5: A year and counting of COVID in Las Vegas: The overworked. In that episode, Dr. Andrew Reyes, a professor of nursing at UNLV, tells us about the mindfulness exercises he is creating for healthcare workers—we developed one of the exercises he sent us into a scripted meditation, with a bilingual English-Tagalog track. We hope this meditation is helpful for you, whichever languages you speak, whether you work in healthcare or somewhere else.

The pandemic has had long-lasting and ongoing effects on healthcare workers around the world—but in the U.S., it's affected Filipino nurses in particular. Filipino nurses make up just 4% of nurses but accounted for a stunning 33% of nurse deaths in the early months of COVID. How has this affected the mental health of Filipino healthcare workers in a city like Las Vegas, where the Filipino population is our largest Asian ethnic group? And what are advocates doing to help?

The pandemic had catastrophic effects on the country as a whole—and Las Vegas in particular. Pandemic unemployment is a lingering issue here—why do Asian immigrant women have the highest rate of long-term pandemic unemployment? How are mutual aid organizations like the Ninth Island Aunties and an Asian food pantry helping community members get through the lean times—and overcome the shame of accepting help?

"Home Means Nevada" is our official state anthem—but is that true for everyone? Why are Asian Americans so often told to "go home," no matter how long they've lived here? In this episode, we examine the history of Asian migration to the West, and why this perception of Asians as the perpetual foreigner has deep roots in American history.

According to the most recent Census data, the population of Pacific Islanders in the U.S. has risen nearly 30% in the last decade—in Nevada, it's risen by 60%. What draws Pacific Islanders here? Why has Las Vegas earned the nickname "the Ninth Island," and is that really an appropriate term? And how are Pacific Islanders staying connected to their cultures here in the Mojave Desert?

Language barriers can create serious issues in medical, business, and education settings. A new Nevada consumer protection bill addresses this—great news for some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. According to U.S. Census data, those who identify as AAPI have the highest rates of Limited English Proficiency. But when you break down those numbers, "AAPI" as a monolithic category starts to look a lot more complex.

Welcome to Exit Spring Mountain, a new podcast from Nevada Public Radio about Asian American Pacific Islanders in Southern Nevada.