Keziah Anne is an educator and activist based out of Daly City, CA, and she came in to share her thoughts about patriarchy, racism, education, and power.

It's easy to get caught up in the flow of life. New things come and go, and some may really catch your attention.

It's important though to maintain an understanding of the truly important things in life and not get sidetracked pursuing something that isn't really worth the time.

To do that, I think a true and honest discussion must be had with your self in order to shed light on what will really give you fulfillment. It will differ from person to person, but there is an inner voice that must be given space to express itself.

I like to think of it as the Original Self - the conviction and personality we had when we were born.

If you talk to parents, most of them will say that children come into this world with a personality. There is a voice or spirit that embodies a child and drives them towards the fulfillment of their desires.

Over time though, the conditioning of culture waters down and homogenized this voice into one that is more fitting with the masses. I think this denial of the personal voice is what leads to anxiety and disappointment in people's lives today.

The goal now is to cultivate that inner voice by being in constant communion with oneself - to bring out those inner convictions and desires - the ones we were blessed with at childbirth. You can do that through meditation, journaling, therapy, creating art, or whatever else that gets you looking within for answers.

From there, you can have an honest discussion about what is truly important and necessary for you to pursue.

Cut everything else out that doesn't help you grow and improve - that doesn't get you closer to living the life that you want.

Booyah.

 

This is an overview and analysis of Yen Le Epiritu's Asian American Women and Men (Labor, Laws, and Love).

An accurate understanding of inequality is a prerequisite for effective social change.

As an Asian American, and more specifically, as a Filipino immigrant, it's important for me to understand the dynamics of my history and the social conditions that mold my current situation in the United States. From a sociological standpoint, studying the history of inequality can lead to a clearer understanding of what must be done in order to progress forward.

Know History, Know Self

In mainstream education, the history of Filipinos and Asian Americans in the US have been glossed over and degraded into a pitiful representation of the facts. Media also propagates an image of the Model Minority that stereotypes and objectifies Asians in order to effectively assimilate them into a system that does not necessarily benefit ethnic minorities.

This book is a discourse on the histories and cultural conditions that mold the contemporary Asian American.

Overview

Progress can only be made once the intersections between sexism, racism, and classism, are clearly understood. These forms of subjugation not only parallel, but they also intersect and confirm each other.

Historical Perspective

* Asians were brought into the United States and viewed strictly as laborers in the 1800s to the early 1900s; railroad construction and farm labor.

* Specific immigration laws limited the number of Asian women allowed to enter the United States. This led to a bachelor community of mainly male laborers.

* Propaganda and media depicted Asian males as hyper-sexual and malicious; along with anti-miscegenation laws which frowned upon the union of white females and colored men.

* World War 2 shifted power roles within the traditional Asian American family structure, giving wives more independence and children more economic power.

Ideological Racism

* Asian men have been constructed as hyper-masculine in the image of the "Yellow Peril," but also effeminate in the image of the "model minority."

* Asian women have been depicted as superfeminine in the image of the "China Doll," but also as castrating in the image of the "Dragon Lady."

* Both the feminization and masculinization of Asian men and women exist to define and confirm the white man's virility.

* This can lead to decisive material outcomes - Asian American women are intermarrying at a much higher rate than Asian American men, usually with white partners.

Cultural Resistance

Though Asian Americans and people of color have been marginalized in the United States because of ideological distortion, they continue to resist oppression through the creation of media and works of art that expresses their own voices and stories.

The psychosocial form of control conditions the subject minority to become the stereotype. To live it, talk it, embrace it, measure group and individual worth in its terms, and believe it.

Once aware of the inequalities and powers at play, it then becomes the responsibility of those marginalized to take the initiative and break those stereotypes. They must tell their own stories with their own voices.

Support and buy the book.

Notes and transcript.

 

Have you ever tried to get it all just right?

Every single move planned, every outcome readied for, and every possibility covered..

Then something goes wrong.

It doesn’t happen like how you imagined. The cake isn’t delivered on time, the photographer cancels, the text doesn’t get a lol. Then what?

You stress. You think you can fix it. There must be something that can be done. This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen. It’s supposed to be perfect. You were ready.

But that’s life though. Curve balls turn into touchdowns. That 3-pointer hits the rim and the clutch burns out. Oddities that were never expected  become reality.

What then?

JUST BREATHE YOU FOOL

I believe there’s wisdom in letting go and breathing through the troubles. There’s good in being able to let go of expectations. Building something up to the point of hoping for it to happen, longing for it’s manifestation, dreaming of the future - it all detracts from the beauty of the moment. The Power of Now.

Respecting the moment is key to a healthy mindset. Right now really is the point of all creation and action. Nothing happens outside of the present moment. Everything becomes a memory or simply exist as a plan. They all root themselves within the moment’s ticking.

Be aware of your breath, and say to yourself, I'm breathing in.. I'm breathing out.. and be aware of the sensations within your body. Be still.

Now how does perfection play into this?

Pursuing perfection and trying to make the world go according to plan is eventually futile - simply because of the nature of life - it's chaotic, it's hectic, it's unpredictable.

That's life.

What's important is to develop proper mechanisms to process and handle life in a healthy and productive way. That's the key to growth and peace. To fight life's ups and downs is a losing battle. To ride it's waves though can take you on an exiting journey.

So just breathe in and express yourself with passion.

Try yoga. Try mediation. Try rock climbing.

It's all for the taking.

 

 

Back with the revival of the GoodVibesNation podcast!

This time I talk about the importance of just sitting down and doing the work. In my case, it's actually sitting down and recording this episode.

After launching my first attempt at a podcast last year on 30kentertainment, I ran into some roadblocks and life transitions, and I stopped putting out episodes. There was also a desire to continue, but I lacked the actual action to deliver. There were excuses such as me needing to revamp the site, get my life together, get certain interviewees, etc. - all rationalizations as to make me feel better that I haven't done anything.

Well a big middle finger to that! Here's an example of just doing that you've got to do. Doing it so that it's good enough. Chasing perfection is just another form of procrastination.

Wanting to be perfect is based on the desire to look good in the eyes of others. And that's a complete waste of time.

Work on the process of fulfilling your own core desires - and that involves completing the tasks and projects you've set out to do! Seriously, rationalizing out your inaction is just a convoluted way of sucking your own wee-wee - it may feel good, but it's hella embarrassing. And just cause you can, doesn't mean you should make it a habit.

So do you - do what you want. Build on your successes - make it better.

Make yourself happy. Get it!

 

The only person you really got to please is yourself. (4:01)

How can you feed somebody and make sure they’re satisfied if you have only known hunger your whole life? And you don’t even know what being content is. (6:53)

We’re conditioned to look at others for our self-worth. (12:53)

Don’t let anyone else tell your story for you, cause they’re going to get it wrong. They’re not going to have your best interest in mind. (22:27)

 

 

Back with the revival of the GoodVibesNation podcast!

This time I talk about the importance of just sitting down and doing the work. In my case, it's actually sitting down and recording this episode.

After launching my first attempt at a podcast last year on 30kentertainment, I ran into some roadblocks and life transitions, and I stopped putting out episodes. There was also a desire to continue, but I lacked the actual action to deliver. There were excuses such as me needing to revamp the site, get my life together, get certain interviewees, etc. - all rationalizations as to make me feel better that I haven't done anything.

Well a big middle finger to that! Here's an example of just doing that you've got to do. Doing it so that it's good enough. Chasing perfection is just another form of procrastination.

Wanting to be perfect is based on the desire to look good in the eyes of others. And that's a complete waste of time.

Work on the process of fulfilling your own core desires - and that involves completing the tasks and projects you've set out to do! Seriously, rationalizing out your inaction is just a convoluted way of sucking your own wee-wee - it may feel good, but it's hella embarrassing. And just cause you can, doesn't mean you should make it a habit.

So do you - do what you want. Build on your successes - make it better.

Make yourself happy. Get it!

 

The only person you really got to please is yourself. (4:01)

How can you feed somebody and make sure they’re satisfied if you have only known hunger your whole life? And you don’t even know what being content is. (6:53)

We’re conditioned to look at others for our self-worth. (12:53)

Don’t let anyone else tell your story for you, cause they’re going to get it wrong. They’re not going to have your best interest in mind. (22:27)

 

Push past your comfort zone!

Listen to my admittance of failures - laugh - and then hopefully avoid them yourself.

I talk about a failure in BJJ, a failure in high school, a failure in ego, and an overall failure in life.

But then I move past it and try my best to improve.

Hopefully you can enjoy my embarrassing stories and get something good out of them.

Peace be with y'all!

Podcast Music Picks:

Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin) - Swedish House Mafia

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaSjeCFnlE

Take Over Control (feat. Eva Simons) - Afrojack

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adGVpCsf9N4

Earthquakey People (feat. Rivers Cuomo) - Steve Aoki

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE3GjPCYo2g

Ladi Dadi (feat. Wynter Gordon) - Steve Aoki

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_m-iHG5pWU

Eyes (feat. Mindy Gledhill) - Kaskade

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7RyZ4Zf4Dk

Push past your comfort zone!

Listen to my admittance of failures - laugh - and then hopefully avoid them yourself.

I talk about a failure in BJJ, a failure in high school, a failure in ego, and an overall failure in life.

But then I move past it and try my best to improve.

Hopefully you can enjoy my embarrassing stories and get something good out of them.

Peace be with y'all!

Podcast Music Picks:

Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin) - Swedish House Mafia

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaSjeCFnlE

Take Over Control (feat. Eva Simons) - Afrojack

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adGVpCsf9N4

Earthquakey People (feat. Rivers Cuomo) - Steve Aoki

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE3GjPCYo2g

Ladi Dadi (feat. Wynter Gordon) - Steve Aoki

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_m-iHG5pWU

Eyes (feat. Mindy Gledhill) - Kaskade

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7RyZ4Zf4Dk

Discomfort can be an indicator of what is necessary for you to face.

Sometimes in life it's good to step out of one's comfort zone and try something new. Doing something uncomfortable can be a way to confront your boundaries and expand your capabilities.

Listen as I expound on this subject a little bit more.

Note, I have to correct my dog in the middle of this podcast. Check out Leerburg for advice on the proper way of correcting and training dogs. Good discipline leads to a well-behaved and happy dog.

cunnylinguist @ the dog park ?

A post shared by Christian G. (@kuyachris) on May 20, 2012 at 6:21pm PDT

Discomfort can be an indicator of what is necessary for you to face.

Sometimes in life it's good to step out of one's comfort zone and try something new. Doing something uncomfortable can be a way to confront your boundaries and expand your capabilities.

Listen as I expound on this subject a little bit more.

Note, I have to correct my dog in the middle of this podcast. Check out Leerburg for advice on the proper way of correcting and training dogs. Good discipline leads to a well-behaved and happy dog.

cunnylinguist @ the dog park ?

A post shared by Christian G. (@kuyachris) on May 20, 2012 at 6:21pm PDT