51. Stopping Hate w/ Yan Sham-Shackleton, Tanya Ko Hong, Atia Sattar, & Jen Sopchockchai Bankard

Content warning for discussion of racism, harassment, sexual violence, and mass shootings.

In Episode 51, we’re joined by past and future guests Yan Sham-Shackleton, Tanya (Hyonhye) Ko Hong, Atia Sattar, and Jen Sopchockchai Bankard to discuss the recent shootings in Atlanta, GA, and Boulder, CO, and the rising wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States. This was a sobering conversation, and we’re very grateful to all of our guests for taking the time to discuss these painful events with us.

Here at Writing Remix we stand with the AAPI community and denounce all acts of anti-Asian racism. We must be aware of the language being used to speak about this event as well as the language not being used. We name the racially motivated shootings that occurred in Atlanta as an act of white supremacist terrorism. May the victims rest in power: 

Soon Chung Park, age 74
Hyun Jung Grant, age 51
Suncha Kim, age 69
Yong Yue, age 63
Delaina Ashley Yaun, age 33
Paul Andre Michels, age 54
Xiaojie Tan, age 49
Daoyou Feng, age 44

Resources/ Readings for Being an Ally

• StopAAPIHate.org
• There’s been a rise in anti-Asian attacks. Here’s how to be an ally to the community.
• Black and Asian American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List 
• A reading list to help understand anti-Asian racism in America (Vox)
• How Racism and Sexism Intertwine to Torment Asian American Women
• Jean Chen Ho’s Sex Work is Care Work 
• Yves Nguyen (Red Canary Song) speaking to NPR
• ‘A specific kind of racism’: Atlanta shootings fuel fears over anti-sex-work ideology

Please also see this longer list of resources compiled by the USC Writing Program’s Diversity Committee.

People, Texts, and Organizations Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Episode 20: Revaluing Free Speech with Yan Sham-Shackleton
• Episode 45: Building Bridges with Tanya Ko Hong
• USC Norman Topping Student Aid Fund
• BIPOC Mindfulness Group
• Minari (2020 film) directed by Lee Isaac Chung

“[Hyun Jung Grant] raised two children by herself as a single mom, and I could feel the weight of her heart…I could see her proud face, her happy face, sparkling eyes. She’s so proud [of her sons]…It’s heartbreaking.” @TanyaKoHong

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“I think we need to go deeper…It’s not just stop Asian hate. It’s stop hate.” @TanyaKoHong

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“There’s so much pain around…the embodied experience of being a certain way and having been discriminated against in a certain way because you look a certain way.” -Atia Sattar

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“I feel there’s a bigger conversation about gun control…Living in different countries where there are no guns, I’m never afraid to walk out in the street, and I am afraid to walk out in the street in America because of guns, regardless if I’m Asian or not.” @YanShamS

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“There’s so many small incidents that were in and of themselves fairly benign but that really contributed to me always feeling like an outsider.” @Sopchockchai

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“When the teacher was calling the names and he stopped, then I knew it was my name.” @TanyaKoHong

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“I think it’s very important to connect the generations and communicate and speak out and listen.” @TanyaKoHong

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“These conversations need to be had regardless of [the shooter’s] motivation.” @YanShamS

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“It’s not about some bad eggs…It’s about a system that allows such things to happen. A culture where this is the way that we have thought about Asian women or this is the way that they can be perceived. You can’t separate the racism from the sexism and the sexualization.” -Atia Sattar

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“This type of stuff is always wrapped in politeness and niceties.” @Sopchockchai

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“We have to find a way from our personal healing to coming together and fighting for social justice and policy change.” -Atia Sattar

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“I find myself being less pessimistic about the possibility for change because I have to be. Because I have to believe.” -Atia Sattar

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“The way that racism plays out a lot of ways pits minorities against each other…and I think it’s a way that we are kept apart from each other so that we don’t fight together.” -Atia Sattar

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“Something I’ve been trying to do…is just allowing for the students to talk more about their names and where they’re from and to normalize the pronunciations.” @Sopchockchai

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“Whiteness is so strong here [in the U.S.].” @YanShamS

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“Asians are seen as one group here, where we’re actually really diverse and disparate and all from different countries…and we all speak different languages and have different histories.” @YanShamS

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“It really becomes personalized for me because I know the stories and I witness their lives.” @TanyaKoHong

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“I would hope that people don’t just think of [racism] as something that’s overtly violent.” @Sopchockchai

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“If you’re saying where are you from originally, the implication is you can’t be from here.” @Sopchockchai

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“I really hope what comes out of it is a larger conversation about gender, race, and also sex work…There’s a lot to unpack in this story, and what I really hope is these conversations have been raised and will be continued. ” @YanShamS

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This episode was recorded on March 22, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod.