MigrAsians

I absolutely love this human being, Shirani M. Pathak, and all the amazing work she has been doing to dismantle trauma resulting from supremacy culture. Shirani is following up her first book Fierce Authenticity with Fierce Authenticity 2.0, adding in critical information and resources about how trauma, tending to our nervous systems, and supremacy culture have to be addressed when it comes to understanding our wounds.

Her transition from her first one to this one is a beautiful demonstration of how we are always in process of understanding our own conditioning within supremacy culture. Shirani has done incredible research for her new book, which she dives into in this episode as well.

Follow Shirani on Instagram @shiranimpathak,  get in touch with her at https://www.shiranimpathak.com/contact, and listen to her podcast Fierce Authenticity. Shirani also interviewed me on her podcast as well, and I love how we fangirl for each other!

And check out my new venture, The Healing Hype! This is my free newsletter about healing and liberation, which is also audio-accessible (you can even add it to your favorite podcast player!) If you're looking to have more conversation about these topics, you can invest in The Healing Hype for $5/month or $50/year. You'll get access to my private chat group and Nisha’s Greatest Hits! - these are my intuitive hits that I dictate and transcribe for you :)  

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So there's good news and bad news. After reflection about what feels aligned for me, I'm ending MigrAsians, BUT there will be 2 more interviews, so stay tuned!

I'm shifting to a new platform that's an audio newsletter (that you can also add to your podcast player) called The Healing Hype. Subscribe today to hear about healing and liberation an an oppressive and work-driven world. And to find more about my coaching and facilitating, visit my website at www.nishaland.com.

Here are awesome Asian-focused podcasts to check out.

• Asian Americana
• Self Evident: Asian America's Stories
• The Bánh Mì Chronicles
• Model Minority, Uniquely American

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CW: Suicide

This episode is very close to my heart. It's about a heavy topic, and I encourage you to take your time listening to it, or step away from it if it's too much.

In this episode, I talk to four people, all of whom have a relationship to suicide. I speak with Monica (they/them), the eldest child of Chinese immigrants and a freelance musician whose flexible jobs allows them to maintain their mental health; Henry Ling (he/him), who identifies as a third culture kid, found support for mental health and suicidal ideation on YouTube; and Avanti (they/she), a South Asian immigrant, who is training to be a therapist but wants to disrupt what therapy can look like in favor of abolition and community care; and Melody Li (佢/any) a therapist who embodies a decolonized perspective.

We talk about the lack of financial and culturally-specific access to mental health care, how suicide is criminalized, and how we can try to look at suicide prevention from a space of care, sharing stories, and slowing down.

Links:

1. Melody Li's mental health directory and community Inclusive Therapists: www.inclusivetherapists.com
2. Nisha's interview with Dr. Jennifer Mullan from Decolonizing Therapy: https://www.thehealinghype.com/p/a-conversation-with-decolonizing

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Hello everyone! MigrAsians is back. Take a listen to hear a pretty big announcement about my life, learn about my coaching work, and get a sneak peek into what this season of MigrAsians will look like.

Thanks for being here <3

Links:

• The Healing Hype - my healing + justice community
• My BIPOC Healing Fund - put "BIPOC Healing Fund" in the memo
• MigrAsians Patreon
• My website
• My Instagram

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I review the season a bit, reflecting on the fact that the majority of these episodes were released during the pandemic! And I'm guessing once I start up again in early 2021, we might still be in some form of the pandemic.

I talk about what we dove into for Season 1 and how I'm shifting Season 2 to be more in alignment with my passions.

Thank you to my parents, my brother, Dalya Guerin, Gina Manola, all my Patreon patrons, Tiffany Wong, Shin Kawasaki, and Quincy Surasmith for your support! So grateful <3

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If you live in LA, you have probably seen an egg with a red yolk plastered on sidewalks and walls. This is the work of street artist Black Palms - @blk_plms on Instagram. Black Palms identifies as Hapa - he grew up in Hawaii and migrated to LA to work in TV production.

In this conversation, we talk about his migration story, how he fell in love with television, transitioned from directing to producing, and how butoh dancing helped him make this transition. You'll also hear the story about how his birthplace was blown up in front of his eyes for an episode of Magnum, P.I.!

And of course, we talk about his street art. What does the red yolk symbolize? How does Black Palms secretively create this art, and has he ever been caught? And why the name Black Palms?

What I loved most about our conversation is how everything we talked about had an artistic lens - TV production, dancing, street art. There was a common thread, and it was clear that Black Palms valued the power of art in everything he does.

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Indian Matchmaking aired on Netflix in mid-July, and every South Asian person I knew binge watched the show which follows Indian matchmaker "Sima from Mumbai" Taparia between India and the United States while she attempts to match clients with their future spouses. Everyone I spoke to had their opinions about this show - some found it entertaining, others found it offensive and cringe-worthy, some found it boring; most found it a combination of all of these. But, more notably, each South Asian person I spoke with noticed how it highlighted upper-caste Hindus with some Sikh representation. The colorism and casteism in the show was hard to miss, at least for someone who identifies as South Asian. For those who don't, it can be hard to see.

There have been essays, opinions, and podcasts about this show already, but I figured I'd chime in as well by chatting with some of my closest friends about it with the help of an amazing guide created by Viraj Patel, who is donating proceeds to organizations that "[fight] anti-caste oppression, survivors of domestic violence, prison abolition, supporting queer communities, and more" - please check this guide out, especially if you identify as South Asian. It provides pointed reflection and asks questions that you may not know the answer to, demonstrating how vast the Indian diaspora is and how privilege contributes to this lack of knowledge.

I spoke to my college friend Dr. Nazia Kazi, author of Islamophobia, Race, and Global Politics, a book that explores Islamophobia through the lens of U.S. Empire, and is lauded by Deepa Kumar, Moustafa Bayoumi, and Arun Kundnani. I also spoke to my high school friend and actor, Mouzam Makkar, who has starred in The Vampire Diaries, Mindy Kaling's Champions, and The Exorcist on Fox. And I also spoke to my college friend, working mom, and writer Iva Shah, who penned her own essay about Indian Matchmaking and her parent's love marriage. Listen up and hear what we have to say :)

I mentioned the following within this episode:

1. Indian Matchmaking Exposes the Easy Acceptance of Caste by Yashica Dutt
2. “Caste and Colourism: Challenging the Standards for Love in Biased Societies" - Facebook conversation

About Nisha
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! Check out my writing and coaching services on my website, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter!

Music
Shin Kawasaki: Find Another Way
CC Mixter: Resonance by Airtone

Cover Art

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In Season 1, Episode 13, I interview musician Shin Kawasaki who sings the MigrAsians song "Find Another Way." Shin came from Japan to Los Angeles to pursue his music dreams as a young adult, and he's basically been here ever since! Until COVID-19 hit, Shin had a Tuesday night residency at The Escondite and talks about how he has been faring during the pandemic.

Shin share's some interesting stories about his family's ancestry and struggles, including escaping what is today, North Korea, and starting out in poverty in Japan. He also discusses his views on Japanese politics and culture. We also get to a few of his new songs on his latest EP Six Songs from Insomnia (Spotify) at the end of the episode. If you purchase his album from Bandcamp, he will match it with a donation to ACLU, LA's Downtown’s Women's Center, and the Little Tokyo Service Center.

Find Shin on Spotify and all the streaming platforms under shinkawasaki.

About Nisha
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! Check out my writing and coaching services on my website, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter!

Music
Shin Kawasaki: Find Another Way
CC Mixter: Resonance by Airtone

Cover Art
Tiffany Wong Art

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I get into more detail about the connection between Black Lives and Asian Lives. I've talked about the connection between Asian American civil rights and Black civil rights. But I wanted to talk more about how this podcast is related.

MigrAsians focuses on learning the migration stories of creative and political Asians. When I talk to my guests, we chat about how their story of migration affect the work they do. But what how are Asian migration stories related to Black stories? Listen up and let me know what you think!

About Nisha
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! Check out my writing and coaching services on my website, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter!

Music
Shin Kawasaki: Find Another Way

Cover Art
Tiffany Wong Art

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suhad Khatib (she/her) is an artist with Palestinian roots who was born in Oman and grew up in Jordan. She is a futurologist, creative director, filmmaker, and public speaker. I connected with Suhad on Instagram @suhadizms. Her art drew me in immediately, and her voice kept me listening.

I have listened to various parts of this interview over and over because I am mesmerized by the way Suhad talks about the world, our futures, and hope. She talks about the Massacre of Lyd, the question of Palestine, the geopolitics of home, the connection between Palestinian and Black liberation, and, of course, her art. We actually recorded this episode before the murder of George Floyd, but Suhad has been an organizer for Palestine long before. And she talks about how her first visit to Palestine was deeply connected to Mike Brown's murder in Ferguson, MO, close to where she was living at the time.

Suhad is thoughtful, genuine, and steadfast in her hope and activism. Take a listen and let me know what you think!

Find Suhad on on Instagram @suhadizms and on her website www.suhadkhatib.com.

Here are some links to what was mentioned during the episode:

1. The Pandemic is a Portal by Arundhati Roy
2. Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis

About Nisha
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! Check out my writing and coaching services on my website, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter!

Music
Shin Kawasaki: Find Another Way
CC Mixter: Resonance by Airtone

Cover Art
Tiffany Wong Art

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.