About the Session:

Season 3, Episode 2: Femifesting Anti-Fascism - Transnational Visions in Greece and the United States

In the second episode of season 3, christina talks with researchers, Anna and Myrto, who are based in Athens, Greece. They share how the Feminist Autonomous Center for Research (FAC Research) subverts typical forms of knowledge production. We also chat extensively about the issues facing activists in Greece and the United States in the midst of xenophobia and rising fascist sentiment. Anna and Myrto share what kind of collective lessons we can learn from experiences in both countries. 

Get to Know the Guests:

Anna Carastathis (she/her) is a political theorist. She received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from McGill University; her M.Sc. in Gender Studies from the University of the Aegean; and her B.A. (Honours) in Philosophy from the University of Alberta. Anna has worked in various institutions in Canada, the United States, and Greece. She is the author of Intersectionality: Origins, Contestations, Horizons (University of Nebraska Press, 2016), and co-author of Reproducing Refugees: Photographìa of a Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield International, 2020). Anna is a yoga practitioner (since 1999) and teacher (since 2013, certified by the Los Angeles Centre for Yoga) in community spaces.

Myrto Tsilimpounidi (she/them) is a social researcher and photographer. They received their Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Sussex, her M.A. in critical global studies from the University of Exeter, and her B.Sc. in economics and development studies. Their research focuses on the interface between urbanism, culture, and innovative methodologies. They are the author of Sociology of Crisis: Visualising Urban Austerity (Routledge, 2017); co-author of Reproducing Refugees: Photographia of a Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield International, 2020); and the co-editor of Remapping Crisis: A Guide to Athens (Zero Books, 2014) and Street Art & Graffiti: Reading, Writing & Representing the City (Routledge, 2017). Myrto is happy near the sea, and dreams of a feminist kite-surf collective.

Learn more about FAC:

Sources mentioned in the podcast:

Credits:

About the Session:

Season 3, Episode 1: Femifesting a New World

In the first episode of season 3, christina talks with her friend, Christine Juang about how we’re thinking about our country’s future. Christine teaches us about the concept of femifesting and how we can utilize it as a framework for envisioning our futures, and how to take the necessary steps that move us from feelings of despair to hope.

Get to Know the Guest:

Christine Juang is an advocate for a reimagined world of embodied healing, free from abuse & violence. She's currently the Parent-Child Education Manager at Safe & Sound, working to strengthen families & prevent child abuse. Outside of work, she is passionate about empowering & mobilizing the AAPI community as the Director of Volunteer Management for the SF Chapter of Project by Project, and lead facilitator for AAPI Solidarity Circle. Christine resides on Ohlone & Ramaytush land (currently known as San Francisco) with her beloved bearded dragon, Drogo, and her calathea plant oasis.

Learn more about some of Christine’s work through Project by Project.

Sources mentioned in the podcast:

Femifestation Blog by Lotus Wong

Erika Lee’s book, The Making of Asian America: A History

Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, The Body Is Not An Apology

Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast episode featuring Sonya Renee Taylor

Shengxiao Yu’s Website

In season two’s third episode, I talk with my name twin, Kristina Wong, about her work as a performance artist and comedian. We discuss dealing with the exotification of Asian womxn through her projects, how she uses comedy as a mechanism for activism, and her newly released web series, Radical Cram School (a training ground for young Asian American girls and gender fluid children)! We also delve into her most recent project, Kristina Wong for Public Office. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Kristina Wong was featured in the New York Times’ Off Color series “highlighting artists of color who use humor to make smart social statements about the sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways that race plays out in America today.” She is a performance artist, comedian and writer who has been presented internationally across North America, the UK, Hong Kong and Africa.  Most recently, her solo theater show The Wong Street Journal was presented by the US Consulate in  Lagos, Nigeria. She’s been a guest on late night shows on Comedy Central and FX. She’s produced a viral web series called How Not to Pick Up Asian Chicks and has just released RADICAL CRAM SCHOOL. Her newest performance project is “Kristina Wong for Public Office”– a simultaneous real life campaign for Public Office and performance art piece. 

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Follow Kristina Wong on Social Media: Twitter: @mskristinawong Instagram: @mskristinawong Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilovekristinawong Website: http://www.kristinawong.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kristinawong

In season 2’s long-awaited 2nd episode, we’re talking all things Asian American in Hollywood. Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen, sociologist, professor at Biola University, and author of Reel Inequality, and I talk about race in Hollywood and Crazy Rich Asians. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers! 

Listen to the session wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe for the latest episodes! Follow Seats at the Table on Twitter (@seatsatthetable) and Instagram (@SATTpodcast) for more updates. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen is a sociologist and pop culture geek. She is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism (2016), the first book to examine the barriers actors of color face in Hollywood and how they creatively challenge stereotypes. She also pioneered the first study of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on television and the 10-year follow-up study, Tokens on the Small Screen: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on Prime Time and Streaming Television. Nancy is an expert scholar and speaker on race and media, appearing on BBC World TV, NPR, Teen Vogue, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post among others. She is a regular contributor to HuffPost. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Biola University.

Follow Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen on Social Media: Twitter and Instagram: @nancywyuen Website: www.nancywyuen.com/

In season 2’s kickoff episode, Christina chats with Deepa Iyer, a Senior Fellow at Race Forward, writer, activist, and lawyer. They talk about solidarity in Asian communities, her book We Too Sing America, and mentorship for womxn of color. 

Listen to the session on wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe for the latest episodes!

Follow Seats at the Table on Twitter (@seatsatthetable) and Instagram (SATTpodcast) for more updates. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American writer, activist, and lawyer. Deepa began her work in national and local Asian American organizations in Washington, DC. In the wake of 9/11, she helped to shape the formation of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national non-profit civil rights organization, which she led for ten years. Deepa is the author of We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Race Forward, working on movement building projects related to multiracial solidarity practices. 

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Follow Deepa on Social Media: www.deepaiyer.com Twitter: @dviyer 

Listen to the Solidarity Is This podcast: www.solidarityis.org 

Buy her book: We Too Sing America; South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future (The New Press) 

Read her Letter to the Revolution: http://letterstotherevolution.com/deepa-iyer

In the eighth session of Seats At The Table, Christina chats with Janet Chang, a San Francisco-based technology entrepreneur turned personal performance coach for socially conscious entrepreneurs. Janet & Christina talk about mental health, depression, and harassment in the workplace.

Get to know the guest: Janet Chang is a technology entrepreneur turned personal performance coach for socially conscious entrepreneurs. During her foray into technology, she served as Interim CEO for serial entrepreneur and public figure Derek Sivers, the Amazon bestselling author of China Startup Guide, and marketing and technology consultant to both SMBs and the Fortune 500. Her research in women's hormone health and healing from PTSD, depression, and anxiety has been featured by Stanford University, UCLA, The New Scientist, Daily Mail UK, and Marie Claire. Janet is also a passionate supporter of the LGBTQ community, workplace harassment protection, and holistic mental health advocacy. 

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Special thanks to: Janet Chang Connect with Janet via her social media channels: http://janetchang.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.chang | https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetchang | https://medium.com/@janet Janet's Coaching Calendar: clarity.fm/janetchang 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the seventh session of Seats At The Table, Christina chats with Altaira Hatton, a mediator, negotiator and facilitator. We chat about conflict resolution and her identity as a person with a disability working and how it impacts her work as a mediator. PS: The volume is pretty low on this session.  I did my best to edit, but turn up your volume if you can! 

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Get to know the guest: Altaira Hatton is a mediator, negotiator and facilitator. She's a former database specialist and international entrepreneur, and has moved between the US West coast, Europe, the Caribbean, and Argentina. To date, she has mediation training from the American Arbitration Association, Humboldt Mediation Services, the Clingendael Institute, and from the Geneva School of Diplomacy.  She lives in Monterey, CA with her Belgian Malinois, and she spends her free time hiking, gardening, and cooking for her friends. 

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Special thanks to: Altaira Hatton http://altairahatton.com/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the sixth session of SATT, Christina pulls up a seat for Shengxiao Yu. Shengxiao shares insights about global health & international development, her immigration story, and Eastern Asian representation in popular media. About Shengxiao: Known to different people by different names, Shengxiao, also known as "Sunshine" and "Sole," has traversed the globe in pursuit of true understanding of global inequity and the common threads that connect humanity. Fluent in Mandarin, English, and Spanish, Shengxiao’s life has been characterized by the languages she’s absorbed through her immersion in different cultures, and the people whose stories she nestles in her heart along the way. Shengxiao currently serves as the Director of Partnerships at GlobeMed, an organization that seeks to transform the global health system by training young people to build relationships and engage in fruitful collaborations with community leaders. In her free time, Shengxiao looks at the world from upside down (literally) as she carves her six-pack doing aerial silks. She also enjoys photography, traveling for both work and pleasure, as well as nourishing conversations. You can take a peek into the profound conversations she has with fellow movement-builders by following her blog This Journey is Ours. 

Special thanks to: Shengxiao Yu & This Journey is Ours https://thisjourneyisours.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thisjourneyisours/ https://www.instagram.com/thisjourneyours/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits