This Story Has Not Been Told

Kat Liu is an artist who describes her photography and videos as a way of exploring her identity as a Taiwanese-Chinese American woman, as well as themes of body image, cultural assimilation and fetishization. Kat's interview deals with many topics relating to Asian women and their bodies. These themes are intimately connected to the historical and contemporary violence inflicted upon Asian women. As Kat acknowledges in the interview, this violence can be explicit and lethal, such as in the case of the March 16 Atlanta spa shootings. However, violence can also be subtle, insidious. Kat shares her own experiences dealing with the sinister voyeurism of cyberstalkers who objectify and fetishize her, even as she tries to take ownership of her body through her artwork. Violence can take form in the comments we make about Asian women’s bodies, even when we have no intention of hurting them through our remarks. Kat’s story is also about how Asian women challenge this violence and demand that we be seen as so much more than sexual objects or pretty faces, all in the hope that the rest of the world will catch up with our humanity. 

To check out Kat's artwork: http://www.kat-liu.com/
Support Asian American nonprofits and orgs: 
#Hate is a Virus: https://hateisavirus.org/
Asian Americans Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
NCAAT (North Carolina Asian Americans Together): https://ncaatogether.org/
SEAC (Southeast Asian Coalition): http://www.seacvillage.org/seac-street-food-festival-2017/website-builder/home
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Follow the podcast on Instagram @thisstorypod

Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels. Remember their names. Remember how they were killed. Remember the history of anti-Asian racism in this country, or the cycle of violence will never be broken. 

Support Asian American non-profits: 

#Hate is a Virus: https://hateisavirus.org/
Asian Americans Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
NCAAT (North Carolina Asian Americans Together): https://ncaatogether.org/
SEAC (Southeast Asian Coalition): http://www.seacvillage.org/seac-street-food-festival-2017/website-builder/home
Stop AAPI Hate: Website currently down but in the mean time, check out https://caasf.org/stop-aapi-hate/ 

Jang Yoon tells his story of growing up as a closeted, gay Korean immigrant who, after coming to the U.S., was immersed in a Christian community—a go-to hub for a lot of Korean immigrants. Jang recalls how the church discouraged all kinds of sexuality, especially homosexuality. In some ways, Jang felt “relief” being part of a community that didn’t discuss sex—it meant he didn’t ever have to address why he wasn’t bringing home girlfriends or talking about being attracted to women. At the same time, it was agony for Jang to conceal his identity and not able to fully express who he is. However, as Jang grew up, encountered new experiences, and eventually moved to Durham where he found the House of Coxx—the drag house that another guest of the show, Stormie Daie (episode 2), is a part of—he started to live what he now calls “his best gay life.” Today, Jang is a part of the House of Coxx community and a budding drag queen who goes by the name, Li’l Dumpling and you can tell even in his tone of voice, that there is a difference in how Jang feels now that he has found his people and explored his sexuality. At the same time, Jang’s story reminds folks grappling with their sexuality that it’s ok to come out at your own pace; that even the agony of silence comes with certain kinds of relief. 

Follow Jang/Li'l Dumpling on Instagram (@qlildumpling) and Tiktok (@qlildumpling69)
Instagram: @thisstorypod

As a continuation of The Now Times, a series where I look at how people’s lives have changed during the pandemic, I spoke with 13 year-old Harper Mooney who shares what it’s like being a kid during COVID-19. Like many of us, Harper’s life has changed significantly: her schooling is entirely online, person-to-person contact is limited to immediate family, and she was unable to visit her grandpa when he passed away in 2020. Alongside these challenges, Harper feels that the last year has also brought new phases of growth. Modern teenagers like Harper face pressure and expectations from all sorts of sources: friends, classmates, social media. For Harper, the pandemic has made her take a step back from these voices and she has determined—on her own terms—who she wants to be. Harper’s story is full of wisdom about reckoning with our flaws and strengths, and offers a lesson in how we can learn to be ok with ourselves. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thisstorypod

Alicia Best is one half of A Different Thread, a duo that draws its influence from Irish, English, Celtic, and Appalachian folk, country, and blues. Alicia is from North Carolina but she certainly isn’t rooted there. Alicia is a “musical nomad” who for years has made her living by backpacking from country to country playing music. In fact, she met Robert Jackson, the other half of A Different Thread while playing on the streets of Ireland, having just spent some time in Guatemala. Alicia’s life sounds charming and she loves what she does, but part of her story  comes with certain struggles, such as how you survive as a musical nomad when much of the world is shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alicia also talks about the challenges she has faced a woman in the world of music, dealing with the misogyny and sexism in the industry. Today, she’s challenging this sexism through a project called the “Answer Song Anthology,” where she lends voice to the women who have long been sung about in Americana music but have never been given stories of their own. To check out the amazing music of A Different Thread, you can look them up on YouTube, Spotify, and they’re on Instagram and Twitter @ADiffThread, and I’ve included links to websites and Patreons: 

Website: http://www.adifferentthread.com/bio
Patreon for the Answer Song Anthology: https://www.patreon.com/answersonganthology
Patreon for A Different Thread: https://www.patreon.com/adifferentthread


Follow the podcast on Instagram: thisstorypod
Questions, comments: [email protected]

***PLEASE NOTE: This episode contains discussion of rape, molestation, and trauma. The topics of this podcast may be difficult for some audience members to listen to.*** 
Kae Withers tells a profound story of pain and adversity as she recounts her teenage years living in a neglectful, abusive household. Sold to men by her mother to feed a drug addiction, Kae had two children at a young age and spent much of her life in what she calls "survival mode," finding ways to take care of them without support. After years of struggle, Kae has found a safe home, a good job, and is surrounded by people who love her unconditionally. The challenge she faces now is how to transition out of survival mode and to let go of the intense sense of control that she maintained to keep her once chaotic life together. As she says in the interview, this is a scary thing to do: how do you let go of control when it was so essential for protecting yourself and your family, when it was something that saw Kae through the darkest period of her life? While Kae’s story is heart-wrenching, she hopes that by starting to let go of the tight grip she has had over her past and opening up about her trauma, that other people who are in similar situations can find meaning and healing from the story she shares. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thisstorypod
Questions, comments can go to [email protected]

H’Rina DeTroy is a Montagnard American writer and author of an award-winning essay, "The Vengeance of Elephants." Montagnards are the Indigenous people of Vietnam and though many Americans don’t know about this history, they were important allies to the U.S. during the Vietnam War. H’Rina’s writing captures the silences surrounding our knowledge of Montagnards, raising questions about whose story gets to be told and who has the authority to have their story heard.  H’Rina reflects on how silence about her community and its nuances impacted her own life as she navigated experiences like her mom's trauma from the war and the tensions within her home without guidance or a clear narrative. These encounters have shaped H’Rina’s writing and her desire to use literature as a way of searching for healing, truth, and identity. To learn more about H'Rina's work see the links below: 
Website: https://hjdetroy.wixsite.com/mysite
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hrinadetroy?fan_landing=true
Workshops: https://hjdetroy.wixsite.com/mysite/multi-verses-our-origin-stories
https://hjdetroy.wixsite.com/mysite/workshop-apocalypse-never

As a continuation of "The Now Times," a series which looks at people's lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, I interviewed Dylan Pak and Bre Miranda Pak. Dylan and Bre talk about what it was like getting married and shifting all of their plans. Their story though, is about so much more than a pandemic wedding. Bre and Dylan have been together for over 11 years, since they were teenagers growing up in California. As teenagers, they were remarkably different from one another had to learn to appreciate how each one loves over time. They say that so many parts of their relationship didn’t go as they initially hoped: they had to move far apart from one another when they first started dating; Dylan's proposal plans nearly disintegrated. Bre remembers how their wedding day initially felt a little like a joke as it transformed from being a ceremony, to a simple document-signing that was ordained by an old college friend who both Bre and Dylan had initially turned down many times over when he asked to ordain their wedding. At the end of it all, Dylan and Bre say that though their wedding didn’t go as planned, it turned out in a way that was just right for the two of them. After all, their story is about the love that each one has for the other. Pandemic or not, wedding ceremony or not, that love continues to grow. 

After falling in love with playing the violin as a child, Kelsey Milian and her family tried to find a way to continue her music education once her school's arts programs shut down. She shares her story of how she and her family became founding members of the Miami Music Project, a now-thriving community music program in Florida that. Kelsey’s story is about how important music has been throughout her life as she was a member of her college orchestra and post-graduation decided to enroll in an Ethnomusicology PhD program. At the heart of her story, right alongside the music, is how vital community has been for Kelsey. Kelsey names all of the people—her parents, her teachers, her friends, her mentors—who have supported her and helped her chase her dreams. Her story captures the fact that while each of our stories is our own, they also couldn’t happen without our loved ones and communities lifting us up and providing guidance. In the vein of the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” Kelsey conveys that it takes an orchestra to raise a violinist. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisstorypod/
Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisstorypod
Comments, questions, recommendations for guests: [email protected]

Sean Fitzpatrick, a successful artist whose repertoire includes snow sculpting, sand sculpting, 3D chalk art and much more tells his story of how he became an artist after working in the auto industry for 20 years. Sean’s career change may seem abrupt, but he talks about how he always loved art. Sean’s dad was seriously ill for as long as he could remember before passing away when Sean was 17. From a young age, Sean would draw pictures to put a smile on his dad’s face. He says that his dad wouldn’t be surprised that Sean eventually came to be an artist. Sean’s story reflects a great deal of perseverance: he makes it clear that becoming an artist was no easy feat and that there’s no such thing as overnight success. It’s also a story of guts and Sean’s advice for people who are thinking about pursuing their passion is, “If you see a fork in the road, take it.” 

Check out Sean's business at: https://www.fitzysnowman.com/
Follow the podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisstorypod/
Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisstorypod
Comments, questions, recommendations for guests: [email protected]