On the one hand, it's super shitty that it takes atrocious human behavior to get people to talk about something. On the other; I'm grateful that the talking is happening at all.
The past couple of weeks have been especially harrowing for the Asian community. Personally, it has brought forward so many realizations and memories. In the words of friend + memoirist Nefertiti Austin, retelling and reliving traumatic stories requires so much emotional labor. I have been next level exhausted. Yet I also feel grateful. Here's why:
CNN invited me to write a rapid response piece that culminated in my first byline for the outlet, How parents can support kids through (and beyond) the latest wave of anti-Asian American violence. I lead the piece with what has become known as the soda can story; a story I first shared here in this newsletter with you. There are actionable tips in that post for all parents, not just Asian parents.
I did an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered (How To Talk To Kids About Anti-Asian Racism), which was obviously a huge honor because hello, NPR nerd, and an added gift of that opportunity was meeting fellow guest Nicole Chung (I ordered her memoir right after we finished recording). The NPR broadcast is an 8-minute listen that all humans (not just parents) can learn from. I think I need to make myself a shirt that says, “It's high time to get uncomfortable.”
I also recorded a podcast on Monday with Dr. Robyn Silverman (How to talk to kids about Asian-American violence and racism) if you want a deeper dive on tips and want to hear my voice along the way. Big ups to Robyn; we recorded at 5pm on Monday and she had the interview live Tuesday morning. I'm extra exhausted just thinking about that.
And I have been thinking a lot about my long delayed connection to the Asian community and my gratitude for my mom, the original Korean Empress Warrior. The picture above is from her 43rd birthday (about one year before the soda can incident). Now living life as a mom in her 40s in a somewhat racially evolved yet still very broken world (if you read this email before Saturday morning you can see an example of broken-ness in my Instagram Stories), I am in even deeper awe of her.
