Homecoming

The South Asian Youth Initiative (also known as SAYI) is an annual conference organized by South Asian student leaders from different colleges in the U.S. with the purpose of creating community amongst young South Asians and South Asian Americans while also serving as a forum for activism, discussion, and solidarity. This week, Saket Malhotra (Yale ‘23) and Maya Shah (Yale ‘23), the co-directors of SAYI, come onto the podcast to talk about their experiences with SAYI, their plans for SAYI 2021 (which will take place April 10th and 11th), their upcoming Caste 101 and Beyond the Gender Binary workshops, and how they’re trying to tackle and have discussions about different issues within the South Asian community.

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

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SAYI website: https://southasianyouthini.wixsite.com/mysite

SAYI Instagram & Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/southasianyouthinitiative/, https://www.facebook.com/sayi2021

Register for SAYI’s Caste 101 Workshop on 1/22 at 5:30 PM EST: https://tinyurl.com/SAYICaste101

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Thanks to mariokhol and Pixabay for the music!

Thanks for tuning into the second part of the affirmative action series! This week, I am joined on the podcast by Eden Senay and Nina Todd, the co-presidents of the Black Student Alliance at Yale, and Kevin Quach and Michelle Liang, the previous co-moderators of the Asian American Student Alliance at Yale! Together, we have a conversation about how our perceptions of affirmative action have changed throughout time, misconceptions about affirmative action, the Yale DOJ lawsuit, media coverage of affirmative action and how it takes away attention from other necessary work, our ideal college admissions and education systems, discussions we’ve had about affirmative action in our own spaces, and more.

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I also wanted to briefly say something about the violence and domestic terrorism that took place at the Capitol this past week. For the past couple of days, I’ve felt such overwhelming anger and sadness that I haven’t really been able to say anything eloquent out loud or on social media. But I wanted to be transparent on this platform—in every way possible, the Homecoming Podcast absolutely condemns this behavior and these white supremacist ideologies. Those people aren’t patriots, they weren’t just “protestors.” The fact that there were Asians and Asian Americans there, too, and some of the Capitol police and security officers were willingly taking selfies with the rioters, and the police seemed to offer little resistance...I’m just so disappointed and disheartened, and I have so many questions. For now, please, everyone, check in with friends and family members in Washington D.C. and others living in places where riots occurred. I hope you all are taking time to sit and process things, reflect, learn from new things popping up on social media and the news, and take care of yourselves. I’m still sitting here trying to process things, but if you need support or someone to talk to, you can definitely reach out to me.

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

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Follow BSAY on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bsayale/

Follow AASA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaleaasa/

Affirmative action resources doc I’ve put together (includes history, Harvard case, Yale DOJ lawsuit, about Edward Blum, and more): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pt55QhpN4-8iIhisi5WzuIwM0pBm8X6kpA_s9vkLCh0/edit?usp=sharing

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Thanks to mariokhol and Pixabay for the music!

WELCOME TO SEASON 2 OF HOMECOMING!!! The Season 2 opener kicks off an informative two-part series on affirmative action, an extremely relevant topic in the U.S. and the Asian American community. Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard will likely go to the Supreme Court, and decades of precedent for affirmative action policies are at stake. But what is affirmative action? And what has been the role of Asian Americans in affirmative action policies in college admissions?

In part 1 of the series, Janelle Wong, a professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland and an expert in political attitudes and their relationships with race and religion, joins me to talk about the origins and misconceptions of affirmative action, SFFA v. Harvard, the Yale DOJ lawsuit, and the role of Asian Americans in these cases and policies.

Next week, in part 2, a few student leaders and I will debrief and have a conversation about affirmative action, education equity, and how we’ve navigated (conversations about) college admissions in our own circles.

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

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Affirmative action resources doc I’ve put together (includes history, Harvard case, Yale DOJ lawsuit, about Edward Blum, and more): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pt55QhpN4-8iIhisi5WzuIwM0pBm8X6kpA_s9vkLCh0/edit?usp=sharing

Read more about Professor Wong and her work: https://amst.umd.edu/faculty/janelle-wong/

National Asian American Surveys on AAPI opinions on public policy issues for which Professor Wong was the principal investigator: http://naasurvey.com/data/

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Thank you to mariokhol and Pixabay for the intro and outro music!

Season 2 of Homecoming starts THIS SATURDAY, January 2nd! In the trailer, here what Homecoming is all about and some of the featured topics of the season. GET EXCITED, and see you all soon!!!

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

Music credit goes to JuliusH

In this episode (which I hope will be the start of a new off-season series of life updates, in which I bring friends of mine onto the podcast to have casual and fun conversations about anything and everything), Sam, my good friend from high school and a current sophomore at McGill University, and I catch up for the first time since our graduation! We talk about our first years in college, philosophy, how we’re dealing with current events, classes we’re taking, parenting, and reading for fun again during quarantine.

Disclaimer: I talk about this in the beginning of the episode, but Sam does not identify as a person of Asian descent. In the new off-season life updates series, I will not be limiting my guests to only those who identify as Asian. Listen to the episode to hear more :)

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

I hope everyone had a safe and restful Thanksgiving. Here is some information and funds that directly support the Navajo Nation, the White Mountain Apache, the Hopi Reservation, and the 20 Pueblo Nations that you can donate to (thank you to Kinsale Hueston for putting this together): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IG9uNbKF_xxdNWXB667YxBuRbnnRUDOnf6PcPGGECeI/edit?usp=sharing

Happy November! In this off-season episode, Linda Hower Bates, a parent of two residing in Rhode Island, joins me on the podcast to talk about growing up biracial, how she’s navigated conversations about race and racism with her parents and now her kids, how she’s stayed recharged during the pandemic, and why voting is important to her!

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content!

You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod.

Connect with Linda if you have any questions: https://www.instagram.com/lindahowerbates/

November 3rd IS IN JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS, so make sure you have a plan to vote if you haven’t made one already! Visit https://www.vote.org to locate your polling location, check your voter registration, and find many more voting resources!

It’s the official Season 1 finale episode! Thank you all for your support, listens, and comments/kind words throughout this entire time. 22 episodes and 27 guests—it’s been an incredible season! I’m so excited to come back in January with Season 2 (I’ve already started planning for it and listen to the recap to hear some topic ideas and goals I have moving forward). Homecoming will still be active on social media during the off-season, so reach out if you have any questions or comments. Please also click on the Homecoming Linktree below if you are interested in being a guest or suggesting a topic for us to cover!

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content! You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod

The deadline to register to vote is fast-approaching for all states! Register to vote & tell your friends and family, too! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN--are you voting in-person, voting early, via absentee ballot? Find your state’s voter registration deadlines for various upcoming elections here: https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

Ways that you can support the Black Lives Matter movement & resources/articles on Black and Asian solidarity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P6mr1TFS-27MUAlYMg94XUMXxS0TnCWFTw85R0BX7v8/edit?usp=sharing

My last guest for this season is Simi Shah, Harvard ‘19, from the media platform Trailblazers! Simi has experience working in both the finance and media industries, so listen to hear more about her time as a South Asian woman with Girls Who Invest and her particular firm post-grad, what it was like to make that leap from finance to media earlier this year, how media fulfills her entrepreneurial spirit, and the amazing platform, Trailblazers, dedicated to trailblazing by and for South Asians, that she recently created!

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content! You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod

More info on Trailblazers/to listen to their podcast: https://linktr.ee/trailblazersmedia

Sign up for Trailblazer’s newsletter: https://trailblazers.substack.com

The deadline to register to vote is fast-approaching for all states! Register to vote & tell your friends and family, too! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN: are you voting in-person, voting early, via absentee ballot? Find your state’s voter registration deadlines for various upcoming elections here: https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

Ways that you can support the Black Lives Matter movement & resources/articles on Black and Asian solidarity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P6mr1TFS-27MUAlYMg94XUMXxS0TnCWFTw85R0BX7v8/edit?usp=sharing

This week, Alysha Siddiqi and Kiran Masroor, both sophomores at Yale University and the President and Vice President, respectively, of the organization Yalies for Pakistan join me on the podcast! They talk about what it was like growing up Pakistani American in their respective hometowns, the really exciting events Yalies for Pakistan has coming up, and how they’re planning on running the organization remotely.

Yalies for Pakistan is an organization at Yale dedicated to bringing Pakistan to campus through cultural celebration, social justice and advocacy, and educational initiatives. Check out their fundraisers and social media below.

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content! You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod

Register for Yalies for Pakistan’s COVID-19 Fundraising Concert with Ali Sethi, Jimmy Khan, and Zeb Bangash on 9/20: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTjfeonUEN6QtmvIx9-JNytiFbXqDrwevSbcVfCbBBvo6JEA/viewform

Buy art for Yalies for Pakistan’s COVID-19 Relief Fundraiser: https://yaliesforpakistan.wixsite.com/2020

Follow Yalies for Pakistan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaliesforpakistan/

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ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? Find your state’s voter registration deadlines for various upcoming elections here: https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/PrimaryElections.htm

Ways that you can support the Black Lives Matter movement & resources/articles on Black and Asian solidarity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P6mr1TFS-27MUAlYMg94XUMXxS0TnCWFTw85R0BX7v8/edit?usp=sharing

In this second episode with Polynesian filmmaker and visual storyteller Conrad Lihilihi (see the episode two weeks ago to listen to part 1), Conrad goes in-depth into the creative process of making his new docuseries about the Hawaiian language and the 1896 Hawaiian language ban (see link below to watch). He also talks about whitewashing in Hollywood, his favorite Hawaiian tradition, and advice he’d give budding filmmakers and creatives.

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Follow Homecoming on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homecomingpod/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homecomingpod) to get to know our guests better, receive quick access to updates, and see behind-the-scenes content! You can also find resources from all of our episodes so far here: https://linktr.ee/homecomingpod

About Conrad and his work: http://www.conradlihilihi.com

Watch Conrad’s docuseries “Language of a Nation”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD1xmjbv548&list=PLAg164PfIkZ8SZvl9E8AU5mck2MXHrogw

Watch the trailer for Conrad’s new film “The Mainland” to premiere later this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzLFxRgo1a0

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? Find your state’s voter registration deadlines for various upcoming elections here: https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/PrimaryElections.htm

Ways that you can support the Black Lives Matter movement & resources/articles on Black and Asian solidarity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P6mr1TFS-27MUAlYMg94XUMXxS0TnCWFTw85R0BX7v8/edit?usp=sharing

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Some amazing Pacific Islander podcasts/organizations to follow:

Deep Pacific Podcast: http://deeppacific.org

South Pacific Islander Organization: https://www.southpacificislander.org

Oceanic Art Collective: https://oceanicartcollective.com

Women of Oceania: https://www.instagram.com/womenofoceania/

My Pacific Sister: https://www.instagram.com/mypacificsister/