Listen here:
Episode 1: What does it mean to be an Asian American in the United States of America today?
Episode 2: Why does Asian American representation in the media matter?
Episode 3: Reflecting on our journeys: Where are we now after the Anti-Asian Hate Incident?
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
This series of five podcasts was made possible by an award from our collaborative partners:
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #1: What does it mean to be an Asian American in the United States of America today?
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
This is our first attempt to dive into some of the deeper conversations around identity with a goal to amplify our voices and build a space to share our narratives.
Listen to our podcast here.
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #2: Why does Asian American representation in the media matter?
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
In this second episode, we discuss growing up in the US with a limited representation of our identities in the mainstream media, how it shaped our views about our identities, why is being visible in the media is important for us as Asian Americans, what has changed so far, and what can be done to make media more inclusive.
Listen to our podcast here.
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #3: Reflecting on our journeys: Where are we now after the Anti-Asian Hate Incident?
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
In this third episode, we are going to reflect on where we’ve been since the start of the pandemic; where we are now; and where we see ourselves going as a community.
After a year of anti-Asian hate incidents and seven months after the Atlanta shooting, it has been a difficult time for Asian communities across the nation and even the world. While it’s been a dark period, communities have also come together to support each other and identify interventions to address the hatred and the ignorance.
We believe it is a good time to pause and reflect on our achievements so far. We both have been involved with the community to discuss these incidents and their impacts at various levels including psychological, social, and economic.
Listen to our podcast here.
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #4: Mental health in the Asian American community
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
In the fourth episode of the podcast, we explored issues of mental health in the Asian American community, in recognition of the upcoming World Mental Health Day on October 10. For Asian Americans, cultural stigma, systemic oppression, intergenerational trauma, immigration, and targeted hate and violence, create unique challenges when it comes to the community’s mental health. Despite these issues, Asian American Pacific Islander adults in the U.S. are the racial group least likely to seek mental health services. Our candid conversation is an attempt to challenge some of the stigma that exists in the community when it comes to mental health, and provide resources that the community can access to seek help.
If this episode brings up any issues for you, help is always available. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached nationwide by phoning 988.
Listen to our podcast here.
Resources mentioned in the episode
Denver Asian Collective
https://www.denverasiancollective.com/
NAAPIMHA
Asian Pacific Development Center
Mental Health America
South Asian Therapists.org
https://southasiantherapists.org/
Asian Mental Health Collective
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #5: Entrepreneurship in the Asian American Community
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
Originally, this started as a conversation between two women who identified as being Asian, growing up in the U.S. Now, we have expanded the conversation to individuals who identify as Asian in America, to document their stories and experiences. Our fifth episode of the podcast is a conversation with entrepreneur and business person from the Nepali community, Sunil Pathak. Sunil speaks very candidly about his entrepreneurship journey, detailing the challenges he has faced as an Asian American business person, and how he overcame them, including through the support of the Nepali community. Throughout the episode, Sunil very generously offers his wisdom and advice to others who wish to take a similar entrepreneurial path. If you would like to get in touch with Sunil, he can be contacted at sunilpathak@allstate.com.
We would like to extend a huge thanks to Sunil and his organization ATA Groups and Investment for partnering with Weaving Identities and Ujyalo Foundation to fight racial injustice in Colorado.
Listen to our podcast here.
Asian Sisters Podcast Series
Episode #6: Asian American Representation in Higher Education
Asian Sisters is a podcast series where we will explore what it means to be an Asian American, how we as different generations of immigrants associate with this identity- our challenges and struggles with it, and how we can have more meaningful representation at different professional and personal spheres.
Originally, this started as a conversation between two women who identified as being Asian, growing up in the U.S. Now, we have expanded the conversation to individuals who identify as Asian in America, to document their stories and experiences. Our sixth episode of the podcast is a conversation with academic, Umit Shrestha, who immigrated from Nepal to pursue his higher education in the United States. Umit has a doctoral degree in Sociology and is an Assistant Professor in Global Health at Colorado State University. The episode discusses the challenges that immigrants and people of color face in navigating academic institutions which do not cater for their needs, and the lack of representation of Asian Americans in decision-making roles within academia. Umit also details what is being done currently to make academia a more diverse and inclusive space for both students and scholars, and speaks about the importance of using his position of privilege to create space for under-represented voices in the field. Throughout the episode, Umit also generously shares his advice for others wanting to take a similar path in academics.
Listen to our podcast here.