Rad Chinese Podcast

Shelly Chan creates the concept of “diaspora moments” in her book Diaspora’s Homeland, but what does it mean exactly? Listen in as we chat about how merging branches with git is like a diaspora moment, and so is version control and the importance of re-interpreting the past to change the future to include marginalized people.

We start with the science of how Arctic ice melts, and how Arctic environments are crucial for the health of the entire planet. Then, we compare how about China and Western countries are responding to the crisis as well as the role of indigenous Arctic communities in preserving the environment. Finally, we list the major theories of change for preventing the impending doom.

We read Diaspora’s Homeland to learn how the folks in the Chinese diaspora have and can impact culture and politics in China, even if we’re in America. We read Chapter 1, which covers how coolie labor in the 1800s pulled China from Dynasty rule to modern nation state processes and institutions, and in so doing, altered the very definition of what it means to be Chinese.

Border imperialism is a tool of white supremacy to maintain wealth through capitalism. Given the following formula: Dispossession + Displacement = Capitalism, then Border Imperialism is the set of practices used today to maintain that relationship. In particular, the enforcement of borders by force, by defining citizenship as white, and by punishing migrants/people of color creates a narrative that makes it just to withhold resources from those most hurt by the West. However, this analytical framework provides a coherent way to fight back. Listen in to learn more.

How can we understand Love Life of an Asian Guy’s facebook feed and work in the context of activism that fights for the liberation of all oppressed people? Listen in as we review his recent work and introduce two new concepts to better understand why folks love and hate LLAG. First, there’s Men’s WOE, which is the East-Asian equivalent of white feminism. Second, there’s UNCAGE, an acronym for notable qualities of any activist project.

What do Filipinx and Hawaiian colonial history have in common? And what can Chinese on the U.S. mainland learn from them? Listen as we discuss how Filipinx moved to Hawai’i and the meaning of the word ‘settler’. As Chinese folk, we unpack our reactions to the forever foreigner myth, and how claiming American identity legitimizes American colonization and erases Native history.

What is Asian Settler Colonialism? Listen as we read about indigenous struggle in Hawai‘i and how Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipinix, along with white folks began and continue to colonize Hawai‘i. Even as we are oppressed by white supremacy, we also actively participate as colonizers and thereby have a responsibility to native Hawai‘ians and other indigenous people to undo that harm that we benefit from.

Building on our understanding of what romantic relationships look like without toxic masculinity and the current discourse of Asian American sexuality, how do we assert these values in public spaces? Tune-in as Rad Chinese organizer Alex Au and 2 other folks discuss how.

We review anecdotal examples of how we assert public values in general and how this might apply to toxic masculinity. We consider how the #MeToo movement could be more effective.

After reviewing the progressive AAPI discourse on Asian American sexuality,  2 men and 1 gender non-conforming person ask whether masculinity is even needed in this world. While it seems like you can’t define masculinity without being sexy or validating existing patriarchal norms, maybe you can imagine a world where it just doesn’t matter. Tune-in to hear more.