22. Social Justice with Your Asian Parents ft. Irving Chong (Asians in Space)

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Irving Chong (00:00):
So I think with my mom, she's still very much

(00:02):
thinks and feels about socialjustice as a very person, to
person interactions, as opposedto systemic thing.
But I also can't be like, no,mom, we need to tear everything
down because I know her responsewill be okay, what comes after
And like, she'll expect me tohave an answer for her, which is
ridiculous because no oneperson's.
Can solve all of the injusticein the world.

Kristy Yee (00:48):
Welcome back to another episode of shit.
We don't tell mom today.
We have our friend Irving, wehave been big fans of his
podcast at Asians in space, aswell as his Instagram.
I know Andrew follows hisInstagram religiously.

Angie Yu (01:05):
You make me sound like a little bit creepy there, but
yeah, I think I saw your.
Instagram last year.
You posted something about, abunch of dudes in Vancouver who
dressed up as geishas

for the rugby sevens.

Angie Yu (01:20):
Yeah.
And a friend sent it to me.
And that's when I kind ofstarted following your page,

Kristy Yee (01:25):
this is before our podcast even existed, the idea
of our podcast didn't exist andAngie's been, been following
your work.
So Irving, if you want to.
Give yourself a little bit of anintroduction and maybe tell our
listeners what your podcast isabout and what your Instagram
page is all about.

so the Instagram page came first.
It's called the Asian Canadianbecause somehow that's.
Is a free domain name.
Well, not anymore because I haveit.
Oh,

Angie Yu (01:50):
no.
I'm so surprised

Kristy Yee (01:52):
that that's like so readily available.
That's

that itself speaks a lot.
Yeah.
I think I've had this page nowfor a couple of years.
The reason I started it wasbecause I read Eddie Huang's two
books fresh off the boat andthen double cup of love and I
was like, these are great.
I wish these were around when Iwas 12.
And I was like, is there aCanadian version of this kind of
thing?
So I like just Googled like theAsian Canadian and it wasn't.

(02:16):
So it, took a while for me tolike figure out what the page
was going to be in its currentform, but that was like the
Genesis of it now.
And now it's basically a onestop shop for social justice
things, not just in regards toAsians and the Asian diaspora,
but other marginalizedcommunities where we get so
much.
Of our info from which isbasically indigenous and black

(02:39):
folks.
So, and then Asians in space wasanother extension of that, which
basically was like, how can weexplore these grand ideas that
people may not have the languagefor, but people's like personal
experiences.
Already tie into it, whetherthey realize it or not.
And it was basically an idea ofbuilding our own connective

(03:02):
tissue and connective historyfor people's own personal
stories and lived experiences tomake.
I don't know, a fabric, a moreconcrete fabric of like
millennial, Asian, Canadianhistory, I guess.

Kristy Yee (03:13):
I love it.
It's like, you're, you're makingthis, what are they called?
Those quilts, you know, with allthe little squares

Angie Yu (03:22):
and you're just quilt.

Kristy Yee (03:26):
And you're just tying like all,

Angie Yu (03:28):
you know,

Kristy Yee (03:29):
different people's stories together with what
their, what their own definitionof what it's like to grow up in
Canada as an Asian person.

Yeah.

Angie Yu (03:38):
fresh off the boat.
That was the Genesis of myinterest in being an Asian
American slash Asian Canadian aswell.
Like that book was veryeyeopening for me.
and I think it was eye-openingfor some of my friends as well.
everyone who read that book waskind of blown away really by a
lot of things that Eddie Huanghad to say about what it's like
being quote unquote, a modelminority here in the U S and in

(04:01):
Canada and how there's no matterhow, why adjacent we are.
There's always that bambooceiling.
And it was really when he talkedabout that.
And at the time I was kind of.
Struggling a little bit.
I work as well with the wholebamboo ceiling situation and not
feeling like being able to bemyself at work.
and reading that book was just,yeah, for me, it was like, boom,
like, this is what's missing.
So I relate very, very much towhat you said about reading his

(04:25):
work and then just being like,where is that space for us?

Yeah, I know for me it was the first time I'd be
like, Seeing someone describethemselves as a rotten banana
and like any form of media, butlike, Oh, I've been called that
before.

Angie Yu (04:37):
Have you been called rotten banana before?

Kristy Yee (04:40):
Wow, that's more.

Okay.
So I grew up in Calgary, likeborn and went through high
school on there and.
I don't know, basketball hasalways like, been a big part of
my life, but like growing up inCalgary in the nineties, it
wasn't a thing really.
So people just assumed that Iwas trying to be black because I
put as well.

Kristy Yee (05:02):
Oh my gosh.
okay.
So I haven't read this book.
for all of the listeners andmyself who haven't read the
book, could you tell us a littlebit more about what the book is
about and, and the experiencesfrom that?
Because it seems like for the,both of you Angie and Irving, it
had an impact.

So it's a memoir and it's about Eddie talking
about what it was like growingup as a Chinese Taiwanese
American.
First being born in the DMV andthen his dad just deciding to
move to Orlando, to open up aset of restaurants and then his
experiences of growing up inlike white Orlando, suburbia as

(05:40):
a Chinese Taiwanese kid.
And basically his life storyfrom that point on up until when
he opened Bauhaus.
New York.

Angie Yu (05:48):
Yeah.
He goes into what it was likebeing an Asian American and also
for hip hop basketball.
and I guess just culture.
and for himself, there was noother Asian kids really.
Right.
And he related more to the blackculture growing up in the U S
than the white culture.
Because that's like the underdogculture.
and that's why he related it tomore than the white culture.

(06:09):
And he used to be made fun of.
Like, Oh, who are you trying tobe?
Here's this Asian kid who'sreally into black culture, but
to him, it was like the relatingto the black culture of, you
know, trying to come up in thisworld, built for white men and
trying to be who you are andtrying to fight your
stereotypes, et cetera, etcetera.
That's why he related so much toblack culture And for me

(06:33):
actually Chrissy and I went tothe same high school, but we
went to an East fence school,which here in Vancouver and it's
got some reputations there's,there's a lot of gang activity
and stuff like that.
But I would say the school islike 80% Asian.
It's pretty much like 90%immigrants.
And for me, I grew up listeningto hip hop as well.
And that's where my identitylies.

(06:54):
I love hip hop and now I listento like alternative hip hop and
people are like, what the fuckis that?
but when I read his book, I wasalso like, Oh shit, I can
actually be proud of the factthat I listened to hip hop
instead of trying to hide it,because, you know, I'm just
like, Asian girl driving downKingsway, and then I'm blasting
hip hop from my car to the pointwhere like people roll down

(07:15):
their windows.
I red lights to share theirmusic.
I roll up my windows.
Cause I'm like, I don't wantpeople to be like, who the fuck
does this girl thinks she is?

which, which in itself is a problem.
Right?
Cause like what's wrong withdoing that,

Angie Yu (07:27):
right.
Exactly.
So when I read his book, I, itwas almost like validation.
Like it's okay for an Asianperson to enjoy black culture,
especially if you grew up herein Canada or the U S because for
a lot of us, it's just like,Austria just relate so hard

and like, let's keep it, like, let's keep it
funky.
Like by culture sets the culturein the Western world.
Even if black people don't get.
So most like material rewardsfor doing so.

Angie Yu (07:54):
Mm.
Yeah.
I asked my friend this, I waslike, what would America be like
without black culture?
And he's like,

Oh, Canada would be like,

Angie Yu (08:03):
yeah, let's go with North America.
Like where, or even the UK, likeblack culture is huge in the UK
as well.
Like what would it be likewithout black culture?
He's like

There'll be no music.

Angie Yu (08:15):
Hmm.
not making fun of Austria.
I actually love Austria.
Yeah.
It's great.
But it's like, you know, it'sAustria and I was like, damn.
Yeah, like this book, we'lldefinitely link in our show
notes.
very eye-opening for a lot ofpeople who have read the book.
He's kind of like the, I don'tknow what the equivalent would
be, but.
He was definitely the first inour community, especially in our

(08:36):
generation to really be like,rah, rah.
I'm proud to be Asian.
I am proud to be enthusiasm forblack culture.
I'm here and I'm not going to bequiet.

Yeah.
I would say like my favoritething was the book.
He definitely like Eddie.
Wong's a smart dude, very smartdudes.
He went to law schools inaddition, before he opened
Bauhaus and before he had.
His TV show Huang's world andall of the other things he's
doing right now, but he made itlike his goal to write the book
and to present himself throughhis everyday, his own everyday

(09:07):
language.
And he thought it was importantthat he didn't need to quote
unquote like clean himself upfor like a wider audience.
I'm sure we all know what thatmeans.

Kristy Yee (09:16):
What does that mean to you?
RB?

Oh, keep using him examples.
So the show fresh off the boatis based off of his memoir,
except he asked all of hisinvolvement with it after they
tried to make it a white sitcomwith yellow faces and basically
ABC was like, yo, this is like,the show is still based off your
book, but maybe don't come tothe meetings anymore.

(09:40):
So like after the pilot episode,basically at his involvement
with fresh off the boat, eventhough it's technically a
dramatization of his, likegrowing up in his, in Orlando
he's has no involvement in it.
Because he wanted the show toBrockville flight, hip Parker,
parts of like his childhood,which involves like domestic
violence, which it's a heavytopic.

(10:02):
And with syndicated, like saycommon ABC where shows need to
be like wrapped up in 22 minutesand everything's hunky Dory that
wasn't possible, even though hewanted like, Sure.
He's like you, we can do allthat, but I also want a sense of
like, Oh, things aren't alwayssolved like this, because this
is what real life is.
Yeah,

Kristy Yee (10:22):
They're only showing the one side, like a very Disney
version.

Angie Yu (10:26):
Oh yeah.
It's very ABC.
I watched first couple ofseasons mostly for like
solidarity and also at the timeI really enjoy constant Woo's
role on the show and And I afterhaving read his book and
watching the show, it's likecompletely different.
It's not, you don't evenremember that it's Eddie Hong's
life, except for the fact thatit's all of his brothers names
it's very different.

(10:46):
It's very whitewashed.
It's very play down and youdon't really get a sense of his
struggle at all from the show.
it's very suburbian.
Like you, you watch the show andyou're just like, Okay.
So they talk about things likenot using the dishwasher and
they talk about things likebringing leftovers to school,
but those are so minor comparedto the real struggles of what
it's like to actually grow up,being marginalized and actually

(11:09):
grow up, having being typecastby everyone around you.
Like

it's.

Angie Yu (11:13):
That's all gone.
So you can't, you can not getthat from that show

Kristy Yee (11:16):
that's such a shame because that's where all the
juicy things come in, I think iswhen we showcase things that we
don't normally showcase.
Right.
The darker side of stories.

Angie Yu (11:29):
I'm going to real, real back our conversation a
little bit, because I want, I dowant to introduce you a little
bit more to our listeners aswell.
and you, you know, like, You'rehere in Vancouver

I lived in the lower mainland now for the past,
like decades now.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (11:46):
And how was that transition from Calgary to here?

I mean, I know the rest of Canada views Vancouver
and like the lower mainland asThis bastion of progressiveness
or like, liberalness.
And that's like, yeah, sure.
Just of cities are greener herethan my other parts of North
America doesn't mean that racismdoesn't exist here as well.
But like you two are sayingabout your high school

(12:11):
experience about going to aschool it's like 90%, no white
people.
that was never a thing for me.
And if I have the choice, I'dnever want to move back to
Calgary.

Angie Yu (12:21):
I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, no, it's okay.
Like the way I described whenpeople ask me, like, Like, where
am I from or where my family isfrom.
I tell people about like myparents and my brother.
They're in Calgary, but myfriends in like chosen family,
they're all here.

Kristy Yee (12:35):
Yeah.
Chosen family.

Angie Yu (12:37):
I really, I find it really interesting.
You said that I guess you hadthis idea that Vancouver would
be a lot more liberal and moreprogressive than Calgary.
And I guess in some ways it is,it's like, it's

like Alberta is a conservative province.
there's nothing around it.
It's like, look at anymeasurable metrics that you want
to use.
And the NDP, like being in theprovincial government power was
an exception to like literaldecades of conservative, like
rule.

Angie Yu (13:04):
Do you think that played a lot into your
development into the socialjustice space?

I'm not sure because if I just like stayed.
On the same path as everyoneelse.
I went to high school with thisversion of me probably wouldn't
exist.

Angie Yu (13:19):
Hmm.

Kristy Yee (13:19):
Who do you think you would be if you had stayed in
Calgary?

Angie Yu (13:24):
I

mean, there are

Angie Yu (13:28):
still lots of dickheads in Vancouver.

That was a dismissive answer.
The real answer probably wouldbe someone who's still trying to
find language to describe my ownlived experience.
And wanting to do better, butnot knowing how Would be a
better way.
Yeah.
Right.
Would we have more in depthanswers than just,

Angie Yu (13:53):
you know,

Kristy Yee (13:55):
there's always this surface level answer and then
there's like the, the realanswer underneath it.
Right.

That's what I'm wondering of them would be like,
I would be a dead cat because Iwouldn't be able to like, get
out of.

Angie Yu (14:05):
That space, right?
Like that bubble you've builtfor yourself.

People are like, how did you survive?
Like 10 years of Catholic schoolgrade school in Calgary.
The answer was like a lot ofnecessary internalized racism.

Kristy Yee (14:16):
Mm.
Like self-inflicted racism.

No, in order to just survive because there'd be
like, I dunno, three other.
Asian kids in a class maybe.
And like, I don't know.
I was captain of the basketballteam.
I hung out with black kids.
I didn't hang out with kids frommy school really.
So day-to-day like those eighthours day in and day out, I had
to find out how to adapt myselfto fit in with other people at
school.
So I'd have people to talk to.

Kristy Yee (14:42):
I feel like so many people have done the same thing
as, as a way to protectthemselves and also to fit in is
to, you know, make fun ofyourself so that other people
don't end up making fun of you.

It's like, or it's not even like making fun of
yourself.
It's like what Andrew wassaying, like before a vote, like
if she's like bumping a song,she really likes to roll up her
windows.
It's more so like that.
And like trying to be invisible.
Like being invisible is almostbetter than standing out.

Kristy Yee (15:07):
Ah, so hiding who you are,

Angie Yu (15:09):
that's right.
Being a muted version ofyourself so that you can be
accepted by your environment,which is in your case was a very
white environment that youdidn't relate to.

Yeah, because the way I describe it now, like if
people ask me, how was itgrowing with Calgary?
Like I'd say it was like nice.
And it was fine, then it wasokay.
And like the more distance Ihave from that, it's more so
like, Oh, just.
Not just like the less okay.
It becomes more apparent howless, how not.
Okay.
It was.

Angie Yu (15:34):
That's, you know, that's really interesting
because For a lot of us who grewup in, you know, Asian bubbles,
it can be hard for us to.
understand more, really reflecton our privilege.
Like we were really privilegedto be surrounded by people who
look like us and yeah, likepeople, there was still a lot of
racism.
There was bullying a lot ofmicroaggressions, but at the end
of the day, we have backup.
Like, if somebody made fun of myfriends lunch, I'd be like,

(15:56):
well, fuck off.
Yeah, somebody was still makefun of your lunch, but then your
friends will be like, fuck you.

Sometimes.
Like it's easy to forget justhow in it you are when you're
actually in grade school.
And like now, like with distanceis like, Oh, that's such a small
part of my life.
But when you're going throughit, That's your entire world.
It's a disservice to gradeschool kids to try and tell them

(16:20):
that like none of this wholematter.
when you, yourself are past thatpoint in your life and don't
need to.
Be in junior high,

Kristy Yee (16:28):
because when you're, like you said, when you're in
the thick of it, that's, that'syour whole world, when you're in
high school, that is your wholefucking world.
You don't know anything else.
So all of that shit is importantwhen people think of you is
important trying to findyourself as you're, you know, in
your teenage years.
Yeah.
That's important.
What would you say, growing upin Calgary was one of the most
difficult parts of your

Angie Yu (16:49):
childhood.

I don't know.
It would've been like cool ifother people at my school, like
basketball as much as I do, orit was just how I don't know
what you guys do on theweekends, but I know like, I'd
go for like dim sum with myfamily every weekend, which was
great.
Cause dim sum is the best meal,ever created, but no one else
had that experience.
So when someone's asking me whatI did on the weekend, I couldn't

(17:10):
really say that cause they wouldhave no idea what I was talking
about.

Kristy Yee (17:14):
Would there be any shame in, talking about Chinese
customs and Chinese culture withyour friends, or is it something
that you wanted to hide?
Because.

No.
Cause I feel like my parentsdidn't really have too many
cultural, like touchstones orpractices, obviously like the
big ones, like Chinese new yearbut actual like traditional
things, not really.
I guess another thing was like,I think in junior high, as when
my dad like introduced me toBruce Lee movies I was like, I
don't know, 12.

(17:44):
So Bruce Lee is like, God.

Kristy Yee (17:46):
Yeah, makes sense.

I'd have like white friends come over and
like, I'd want them to likewatch Bruce Lee movies with me
and like they didn't take it was

Angie Yu (17:56):
cool.

I got it.
Just fine.
But also, it was like, Oh, thiswas the one cool, Chinese
person.

Angie Yu (18:04):
It makes you feel lonely.
Right.
Because you're surrounded bythese friends and this is
something you absolutely love,but they don't really take an
interest in it and it can makeyou feel very isolated and very
alienated.
So I understand that.
to be honest, even though I grewup in an Asian bubble I would
say that I grew up with mostlyCantonese and CBC kids.

(18:25):
Like Christie, basically.
So for me, like as somebody whowas born in China and who moved
here halfway through herchildhood, I still had a lot of
things that I missed from myHomeland.
Like things that would kind ofcome up and I didn't really have
anybody to talk about it becausemost of my circles were like
Hong Kong Cantonese like evenyou guys like going to dim sum
my family didn't do that.

(18:45):
Like dim sum's not really partof our traditions.
Right.
and I think one of the thingsabout living in a bubble, any
type of bubble.
So for you, Irving, that wasliving in like a, a white bubble
white suburbian bubble.
And for me, it was living inlike a very.
Concentrate a Cantonese HongKong bubble is a, you can, you
do have those internalized Sofor yourself as internalized
racism and for myself, I don'teven know what color, like

(19:07):
internalized, regional, all ofthem, like it's so specific.
Right.
But I really get it that likefeeling of loneliness that you
felt and I'm glad, I'm glad thatyou settled in Vancouver and
that you're, you're able toidentify those Kind of those
feelings and kind of reconcileyour identity some more.
do you find that running thisInstagram page, the Asian

(19:30):
Canadian, do you find that itover consumes you a lot?
Like, because I know a lot ofthe content is always, you know,
it's very raw and like, how doyou balance your own mental
health?

I feel like since I'm spend 27 hours a day on
social media I've been very goodat one.
I'm not someone who follows,like everything.
Like I'm not on Reddit.
I'm not on any message boards.
I'm not on a forums just causeI'm like it does that.
Doesn't interest me.
It's having people basicallymake noise.
And I feel like for my socialmedia feeds, they are.

(20:02):
Curated to the point where Iknow that if someone tweets out
something or an article or astory that it's not wrong, or
it's not bullshit or whatever.
And honestly, some days if Iscroll like on Twitter for a
minute, and I'm just like, Oh,it's a dumpster fire today.
I'm like, I'm off Twitter forthe entire day.

(20:22):
and other thing is.
I have a rule that if I'm goingto post something on my Asian
Canadian page.
I need to be able to saysomething about it myself,
whether it's a joke or when hecaption a larger idea of like,
how I'm feeling or how itrelates to something else.
But if I can't think of anythingto say, then I won't post it.
I also have the privilege ofbeing a guy on the internet.

(20:44):
So I don't deal with like anytrolls, too much to any of my
posts.
Like a common thing that happensis I'll post something.
One of my friends will sharedwho's a woman or a female or
women identify.
And then a guy will like go intotheir DMS complaining about like
something I posted.
Wow.
Yeah.
Two of the person that sharedit.

Kristy Yee (21:05):
Oh, okay.
Okay.
So it's like what you sharedpeople and then someone else,
like a friend of yours found it.
Interesting.

Valuable,

Kristy Yee (21:14):
reshared it?
Yeah, reshared

Angie Yu (21:17):
it.
And because

Kristy Yee (21:17):
they're a female or a person who identifies as a
female, they got trolled on.

Yeah, but

Kristy Yee (21:23):
you, as the original creator, didn't get trolled on.

Like no one says anything to me, like really?
Wow.

Angie Yu (21:30):
So like take your credibility for it.

Or like, I'm also I'm like, you know, like being
like semi anonymous on theinternet, it's like a nice
thing.
I say that as someone who doeshave a podcast and does like
post writing and stuff, but likestill on.
Yeah.
So that's definitely a benefitfor myself, even though, like, I
wish idiots would just likewrite down whatever they wanted
to say to other people and justthrow it into the sun, but, you

(21:54):
know, whatever,

Kristy Yee (21:56):
I feel like just hearing this story, it sounds
like.
If the messaging, no matter whatthe messaging is, you put a
man's name on it, and then youput the same message, but you
put a woman's name on it.
The way that the message getsinterpreted is different.
It's kind of like that whole,you know, Harvard study with the
resume thing.

(22:17):
Right?
Yeah.
And that's so

Angie Yu (22:19):
fucked.
Oh yeah.
Like we're, we're going tomanage to bring the patriarchy
into every episode.

That's like one of the main tools to oppress.
I don't know.
People,

Angie Yu (22:30):
one gets oppressed mango press.
Like I think some people thinkthat when women or anybody.
Anybody is fighting thepatriarchy.
They're like, Oh, you're tryingto fight me.
I'm like, but you are oppressedtoo.
Like it's a system.

I will say this one thing about the patriarchy,
the patriarchy in itself as aproblem is like a men's issue
because all of these like rightsand things like equal pay that
women are fighting for.
Who do you think installed thosein the first place?

Angie Yu (22:58):
Yeah.
So they are like, some men areprotecting what has already been
put in place for them.
but like, what I mean is like,it affects everybody.
Even if these men don't think itaffects them, they're like, Oh,
I'm protecting something, butthey're actually, they don't
think about what they're losingout on.

No, they're, they're protecting their
proximity.
Or like their very realprivilege that they get from
these things.
And they'd rather not give thatup They're not sure what else
could happen.
So they'd rather just stay withwhat's safe.
That's right.

Angie Yu (23:26):
Yeah.
It's a, it's people arereluctant to change and
everything.

Kristy Yee (23:29):
Well, it's uncomfortable when there's
change involved

Angie Yu (23:32):
or uncomfortable shit.
Yeah.
tell us a little bit more aboutyour podcast.

So I started publishing episodes in January.
and I'm pretty sure everyepisode so far, except for one
has had been a woman or anon-binary person on the
podcast, just because thepodcast is all just me.
So basically I was just like,there's so many podcasts where
it's just dudes talking.

Angie Yu (23:57):
Yeah.
Some of the ones, most of, mostof the ones I listened to other,
you know,

dudes talking, I listened to a ton of podcasts
and a lot of them are just.
Bros being bros.
And it's just like, okay, Ican't have my podcast to be lab.

Angie Yu (24:11):
Yeah.
We don't need another bros beingbros podcast.
Right.

Kristy Yee (24:16):
I want to say, I think there's nothing wrong with
bros being bros type podcast.
Just like, I don't think there'sanything wrong with having like
a family sitcom, but I also feellike there just needs to be more
diversity that's right.
Different place for differentthings.

I, I didn't want to add to the pile of men
already in the podcast world ishow

Kristy Yee (24:37):
you want to diversify the podcast library

Angie Yu (24:39):
by the chickens.
Yeah.

Yeah.
So as a rule for myself, I likeit's changed because of the
pandemic by whatever that I'dhave people on who'd I'd never
like.
Really hung out with or friendswith before.
So I think for the first 13episodes, I had only had like
one good friend on, but everyoneelse, I was like the first time,
like we'd been in the same roomtogether, just like the two of
us or, yeah.

Angie Yu (25:01):
And where do you get your creativity from?
Like your inspiration?

Good question.
I've been listening to podcastsince like 2007, so I don't loud
for, for like a lot.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (25:11):
I didn't even know we have podcasts that like that
long ago.
Cause that was the only one,like the night, like iPhones
came out, right.
Like in

2000.
So before I listen to them on mydesktop or on my laptops.
Wow.
And like they'd have a mediaplayer.
For the thing that you like I'dhave to go to like the website.
And then it's like, it's likeplay and then it's like, yeah,
download.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (25:35):
But it's a little podcast history for our
audience.

So I always knew at some point I'd probably want
to do a podcast, but I wasunsure what I'd want to talk
about, just because sure.
I could talk about things I'minterested in, but.
There's already podcasts.
All of those things add, likethey've been going on for like
so long and their grades they'reestablished and they're
wonderful.
And I firstly like listened tothem and I'm just like, I could

(26:00):
never do this,

Kristy Yee (26:01):
but I want to point out that's a limiting belief.
But I think if it doesn't speakto you, like if you're not like,
Ooh, you know, that's.
That's where I can feel the, thejuices flowing and I get really
hyped and pumped about it.
Like, it sounds like you wouldrather be the listener for those
types of podcasts instead of thepodcaster.

Like I can talk to my friends about what they say
on like those podcasts.
I've I don't personally need todo my own podcast and just
regurgitate ideas or things thatother people who.
Have careers built on the thingsthat they talked about.
Right.
So basically I took a like upperlevel history class that was
history of Eastern South Asiansand in Canada class.

(26:40):
like the main project I had todo.
a field study where I had tointerview I don't know, three to
six people about whatever topicyou wanted it to be.
So I went ambitious with mypaper and wanted to like, define
what is in Canadian, millennialculture.
Like, what is it basically?
So I interviewed like four orfive of my friends And then I
wrote the paper it's up on mymedium page still.

(27:04):
It's called For the culture.
It's like an half an hour rate.
I put a lot of work into it, butbasically, yeah, it's not as a
one.
Like if you, if you read it allthrough in one setting, like
last year

Kristy Yee (27:17):
we will link it in the show notes.

Angie Yu (27:19):
And what is the conclusion?
What is being an Asian Canadian

millennial?
One of the takeaways or likemain ideas of it was like this
idea of what belonging actuallymeans.
And maybe belonging is like lesswhere you're from and more so
where you belong.

Angie Yu (27:37):
Ah,

Kristy Yee (27:38):
that's going to be your takeaway for

this episode.
Yeah.
So culture is less about whereyou're from and more about where
you belong.
So like one of the examples Iused, I can't remember if I used
it in the paper.
I definitely used it in thepresentation.
was ideas around Chinese NorthAmerican food.
So like things like ginger beef,which was invented in Calgary,
allegedly.
Or like general Tso's chicken orlike beef and broccoli, quite

(28:02):
things you can add, like fortunewalk or like Panda express or
whatever.
And it was just like, okay.
These like Chinese chefs cameover to a new like continent
basically, and had to figure outhow to.
Survive with these restaurantsserving like this like new and
like foreign food to a mainlywhite audience.
And then it was like, okay, Ineed to adjust.

(28:25):
Not only the tastes but also theingredients I have at my
disposal to basically inventsomething new.
And in a way I was like, Oh,this is what like Canadian born,
Asian kids are really?

Angie Yu (28:35):
Yup.
Yup.

Kristy Yee (28:36):
I always like to think that the Asian American,
Asian Canadian folks who arepart of the Asian diaspora where
our own special cohort, youknow, and I think that's what
bonds us all across the world isthat

Angie Yu (28:50):
we are.

Kristy Yee (28:51):
The ginger beef,

I'm sure our parents look at us sometimes and
think that,

Angie Yu (28:56):
yeah, yeah.
Especially when we fuck up ourChinese, like I always fuck up a
Chinese phrases and my parentswould just like have the time of
their life.
They still make fun of me forsomething I said when I was
nine.

I don't know if you guys have said this on the
pod before, but Asian parentsremember every single part.
I was like your life and we'llhold every single part of your
life against you for like therest of your life.

Angie Yu (29:20):
Yes.
They have like a little filingcabinet inside their head.

They forgot to, they lost like their keys once.
So I have to ask them if theyhave their keys, like every time
for the rest of their life.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (29:32):
Yup.
Why is this so universal?
Why is this such a universalAsian parent thing?
Like

Kristy Yee (29:37):
maybe it's the way that they were brought up also.
So that's like the only way thatthey know how to parent is to
mimic How they had beenparented.
Right.

Does

Angie Yu (29:44):
your mom know about what you do?
like your passion

projects?
Oh yeah.
Like she listens to everypodcast.
She reads everything.
I write, she watches all of myInstagram stories, which is
weird.
Cause she doesn't actuallyfollow me on Instagram.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (30:02):
Oh my God.
That's so funny.

like when you guys were like, Oh yeah, we haven't
told bikes.
Your parents about your, thepodcast you're doing and stuff
yet.
That was just like, so mindboggling to me just cause I'm
like, I'm pretty sure my mom haslike me on Google alert

Angie Yu (30:17):
oh yeah.
Like my mom reads everything Iwrite on

medium.

Angie Yu (30:20):
that's for sure.
and she shares it with her, likeclassmates back in China.

That's cute.

Angie Yu (30:24):
yeah.
And I I've been holding offtelling her about the podcast
because there's some reallyheavy stuff on here, but I know
that once I tell her about mypodcast, she's going to listen
to it religiously.
So I'm giving her a little breakbefore I bombard her with all
this crap

Kristy Yee (30:41):
also kind of slowly plant the seeds, but then it
doesn't freak her out.
My mom knows that Angie and Iare doing this podcast and she
knows that I have this passionproject.
She doesn't know exactly what itis about.
She doesn't know the name of thepodcast because I don't know how
to translate it in Cantonese.
Oh,

Angie Yu (31:00):
podcasts in Chinese.

Kristy Yee (31:01):
there is a term I Googled I before.
Cause I had to explain what apodcast was.
So it does exist on Googletranslate, everybody.
And then the only thing sheknows about the podcast is that
I tell her it's related

Angie Yu (31:14):
to mental health

Kristy Yee (31:16):
and my work about advocating the importance of
mental health.
So that's all she knows aboutit.

All right.
So my quick point about liketranslating the idea of
podcasts, all podcasts are, isjust like, you know, before TVs,
when people would sit around theradio and listen to shows,
that's all podcasts are.
Yeah.

Angie Yu (31:33):
That's true.

Kristy Yee (31:33):
True.
Radio shows

the radio show.

Kristy Yee (31:36):
We're not creative.
We're just redoing.
What has already been

Angie Yu (31:39):
done?
Yeah.
That's all of human life.

So things I haven't told my mom.
I don't know, like what, like,when we were just like talking
about before, the idea of justlike holding my parents
accountable for theirunconscious bias and like that
learned bias and like how forthem, if they want to learn
those things, it was aconversation I just don't know
how to approach.

Kristy Yee (32:01):
Has it happened at all?

I think the connect exist in that they have
a very, and this is not likespecial to them.
It happens with everyone.
Just the idea of if they'rebeing like anti indigenous or
anti black or like racialstereotyping that.
those things are connected to alarger, global capitalists,

(32:25):
colonial oppressive system.
Then just them being like, Oh,you can't get your hair cut like
that, or else no one will hireyou.

Angie Yu (32:33):
Yeah.

Kristy Yee (32:34):
So what do you say to

them?
for the most part, I just like,let it go.
Cause I'm just like, I don'thave the, to argue with you
okay.
About these things.
Cause it's a very difficultthing to tell someone much less
your parents that like, Oh,actually what you're doing is
actually kind of shitty andjust, cause I don't know how it
is with your parents, but I knowwith mine.

(32:55):
It's like, Oh, if it doesn'tdirectly affect, if they can't
see it directly affectingsomeone, then they just think
it's not a big deal.
Like, my mom's still surprisedthat like Asian people are
getting like harassed because ofthe pandemic.

Angie Yu (33:08):
because it doesn't happen to her in her immediate
friends.

Yeah, or, yeah, I guess.
And I'm just like, mom, likeAsian racism has always been a
thing.
Like the pandemic just gavepeople an excuse to do it more
or in a more like, terrible way.
Right.

Angie Yu (33:22):
Yeah, and that can be hard.
Isn't it funny?
how, because you said your momlike reads your Instagram
stories and she looks at yourInstagram page and reads your
writing.
and of course, like all of whatyou talk about Instagram and
social justice.
So do you think she reads whatyou write?
And will you share, and is shereading it from the perspective
of just like your mom or do youthink it does have some effect

(33:45):
and some influence

on her?
I think it does, but I alsothink that if I have a
conversation cause okay.
So my mom was born in Hong Kong.
So like with all this stuff,we're trying to end the protests
in Hong Kong.
She is very, very much like aboomer.
anti-China in the idea of like,if it's Chinese it's bad without
any nuance to the discussion,which is fine for me, because I

(34:09):
know like other friends, theyhaven't even had like a
conversation about what'shappening in regards to China
and how they are, I don't know,claiming parts of their land
that they say, this is thetires, but whatever.
because they're just like eithertheir parents don't care or they
don't think China's like capableof like such things.
So like, in a sense, like that'seasier for us to talk about,
especially in regards toresistance movements and like

(34:31):
how they relate to like,Movements over here and in other
parts of the world, but thenshe's just so much like
communism is evil and I have toexplain to her like, no, China's
like not actually communists.
That's just what they claim.
But if they kind of fuckingcapitalist

Angie Yu (34:45):
yeah.
Like, come on.
and I I'm actually one of thosepeople that like, like, I hate
politics.
Like not as in like, I hatereading about it, but I just
like politics suck.
And that's the thing.
I try to tell people too, I'mlike, look at China, you think
it's a one party system?
Like, don't be so naive.
Even if it's a quote unquote oneparty system, there's still two

(35:07):
sides.
Right.
And even here, like, yeah, wehave a democracy, but really
whichever province you live in,it basically comes down to two
sides.
that's just politics.

So I think with my mom, she's still very much.
Thinks and feels about socialjustice as a very person, to
person interactions, as opposedto systemic thing.
But I also can't be like, no,mom, we need to tear everything
down because I know her responsewill be okay, what comes after
And like, she'll expect me tohave an answer for her, which is

(35:37):
ridiculous because no oneperson's.
Can solve all of the injusticein the world.
And like I say said like, yes,we need to get rid of capitalism
because it's exploded, putsprofit over people, duh, all
those things.
But like I'm not in economic,like ideologists, I don't know.
What's I'm not going toformulate what comes next.
After that happens.
Or if it happens if ever, So Ifeel like if I don't have an

(36:01):
answer or something better topresent to her, like immediately
after I say something's wrong,then the conversation just
becomes kind of into a loop.

Angie Yu (36:10):
Yeah.
And also like, just from anemotional perspective as well,
like.
Are boomer parents like your momfrom Hong Kong.
Christi's mom from Like Cantonprovince.
And then my parents from likefurther up like near Shanghai
area, they're all, they were allborn into the cultural
revolution.
So they had a really, reallyhard life.
They injured hunger, theyinjured, no loss of like family

(36:31):
members to battles and Wars andstuff like that.
Like, yeah.
To them.
That's a completely differentidea.
And what we have now is so muchbetter that they cannot imagine
us getting rid of what's in

place.
Also, I don't think people inthe West especially understand
just how big.

Angie Yu (36:48):
Oh, yeah.
We talked about this.
Christina and I discussed thiswe equated China to like the
game of Thrones universe and wewere like, Oh, Hong Kong and
people in the South, like inCanton province, you guys are
like the sand Spears.
Yeah, because you guys are alllike merchants.
merchant tree, I think is theword.
not mercenary.

(37:09):
My coworker corrected me onthat.
And like, I'm like kind offurther up where there's like a
lot of water and like the highgarden area, and then you have
Beijing, that's kind of likewinter fell and, and then go
further up, like beyond the walland stuff like that.

So that's a good example, but like, I even use
like a more real life examplewhere it's like, okay, in
Canada, we understand there's adifference between like British
Columbia and like new Brunswick,right?
Like that's the same in China.
there's just not all one, bigred sheet ruled over by Beijing,
as much as the currentgovernment would like you to
believe.

Angie Yu (37:42):
Yeah.

But in China, there's this saying?
It's basically like the sky islarge and the capital is far
away.
So basically it's like, China'slarge.
It's kind of the sky.
And then like Beijing can saywhatever it wants.
Yeah.
But really they can't reallyenforce.
Yeah.
Unless like you start outconcentration counts and like
Uyghur your territories, or ifyou.

(38:04):
Just exile, the Dalai Lama fromTibet, but yeah.
And installing your new one, butyou know, for the most part,

Angie Yu (38:12):
People govern themselves mostly and you don't
want my parents acknowledge thattoo, because when we talk about
things like you know, thedifference between what we know
and what, like you guys in theSouth do, they're like, my
parents were like, yeah, they dotheir own thing.
Right.
And I'm like, Oh, but like, whyis it that.
Cantonese people retain so muchmore of their traditional
culture than we did.
And my mom's like, just becausethey're further away, they're

(38:34):
just further away from Beijing.
They were less control by thecommand economy, by the command,
whatever.
There were just a lot morede-centralized than us, further
up.
And I was like, Oh, thatactually makes a lot of sense.

Kristy Yee (39:21):
So I want to go back to talking about your mom.
whenever I try to talk to my momabout unconscious bias or
learned biases, I feel like it'sworse than pulling teeth and for
my mom, I think it's because.
She first off, she doesn't thinksocial justice is worth it.
Cause she does.
It's not that she doesn't wantto believe in a better future.

(39:43):
It doesn't want to believe likethere's, you know, like not
like, she's like, Oh, you know,inequality is a good thing.
Now.
She just feels like there's nopoint to it.
She's like, this is just how theworld is run like, you know,
you, you can't change the world.
And I'm like, it's true.
Like.
I can't do it by myself as oneperson, but me as one person can
start to spread the ideology ofit and start to spread the

(40:06):
message so that the next personcan do the same.
And then next thing you know,the whole goal is to change the
system as a whole.
Right.
But she doesn't get that.
She's like, she's like, Nope,just, this is the way it is.
Right.
Patriarchy.
That's the way it is.
I'm like,

I like it's, good that people tell other people
that like, you.
Everyone has agency and choice,and those things are true.
However, we do by ourselves havelimits to what we can choose and
how much agency we actuallyhave, because it's easy for
people to do social justicethings.
Or it's easier if you don't haveto worry about your food

(40:41):
security, or if you don't haveto worry about like housing
security or like, if you don'thave a family to take care of,
or like a family member who'slike dependent on you.
Right.
So I don't know.
I feel like things surrounding,like, I'm gonna just call it
like Instagram activism or likesocial media activism, I'm sure
you've all seen it just to belike, I don't know, do it for
like an ego boost or just to beseen that you're doing it.

(41:02):
So like, it can match up withyour like quote unquote brand or
whatever.
Right.
And like, not everyone gets thatchoice.
And I feel like sometimes forimmigrant parents, especially
like they never had that comfortor like the starting point of
that comfort or stability toeven think about those things.
Cause they're just like sofocused on making their lives
here and making sure like theydon't fall through the cracks.

(41:25):
And the way I, I don't thinkI've told my parents this
before, but it's the idea oflike, okay, I already have the
privilege of stability that myparents had to learn and fight
for and work for.
So it's like, I can imaginesomething better than what is
currently, and that's no faultof our parents.
That's just my privilege ofbeing born on this continent as

(41:48):
opposed to.
Coming over here in like mytwenties to go to university,

Kristy Yee (41:52):
Yeah.
Good point like a big part of, Ithink immigrant parents, when
they first come to a new countrywhere they can't speak, the
language is survival.
And like you mentioned, thoseare the things that.
Are going to be priority is, isgetting food on the table,
saving enough money so that,their kids can go to
post-secondary if they can.

(42:14):
and so all of this socialjustice stuff is extra.
It's not even something toconsider.
They don't, there's no capacityto even be thinking about that.

How can you expect to like, change the system when
like, They don't even see orcare about you.

Kristy Yee (42:29):
But I think you're so right.
Pointing out the privilege thatwe have as the offsprings of
these immigrant parents, asAsian millennials, now that we
have the privilege of notneeding to worry about food and
about shelter and clothing.
At least most of us, we have thecapacity to use that space to
now think about social justiceand have more room to be

(42:52):
thinking about the future andhow we can change it.
And blah-blah-blah So do youthink that, is it worth having
these conversations with ourparents or should like,

so ultimately the way I feel about any like, sort
of.
Idea around like whatresponsibly ability to do like
you yourself have to like changesomeone else's mind or whatever
to make, or like make them moreprogressive or whatever you can
do.
You can, like, I could talk tomy parents every day about this
stuff.
I could send them like articlesand things.
I read.

(43:23):
Until, like my data plan runsout.
But like, until that individualthemselves, like shoes to like
change or absorb that info orlike change their way of
thinking, it's like, it's up tothem if they want to do anything
about it or not.

Kristy Yee (43:38):
yeah.

Angie Yu (43:39):
And I think like, what you both have said about how our
parents are so.

Kristy Yee (43:43):
Busy, you know, focused on

Angie Yu (43:44):
surviving or they were so focused on surviving, like
depends on where your parentsare for myself.
Like, there was no way I couldhave talked to my parents about
this social justice stuff, oreven about my mental health or
just about like me doing mypodcast like 10 years ago.
There's like, no way I couldhave even talked to them about
this.
And I think we have to rememberthat our parents are still

(44:06):
growing as well.
And maybe if for those listenersout there who are, you know,
grappling with the difficultiesaround bringing up.
These topics that are importantto our generation, whether that
would be about social justice orinspire to invite invited.
I can't speak today environmentor about like environmental with
them, or like, whatever it isthat you care about or mental

(44:27):
health or whatever it is likecare about.
But your parents don't quitehave that belief in and you want
them to see it your way.
it's like, yes, I agree.
It's ultimately up to ourparents, whether or not they
have that capacity to mentallyprocess the stuff, but we can
also be kind in our cultivationof that conversation with them

(44:50):
and that communication withthem.
Like for myself, I can see thatmy parents are no longer in
survival mode and they're doinga lot better nowadays than they
were a long time ago.
And that's when I can kind ofstart talking to them about this
stuff, because I feel like if Ibrought it up 10 years ago, they
would be like, Like, we're stilltrying to survive, right?
Like, well, they wouldn't saythat, but they would just be
like, well, the fuck are youtalking about, like, we have so

(45:14):
much shit to worry about.
Yeah.
but to be honest, like when myparents were not ready for this
kind of stuff, I wasn't readyfor this kind of stuff

either.
But I think one, like just tonot leave everyone who's
listening, like hopeless.

Kristy Yee (45:28):
Sadness and

sorrow.
Right?
I think one easy way to juststart like, dismantling these
ideas that they might have.
And like, it depends on how openthey're willing to talk about
it, obviously.
But if they say something likethat, you feel like it was off
base or just like, Oh, youshouldn't be saying those things
anymore.
That's why I'm like, why do theythink that.
Because sometimes if you justget someone to examine why they

(45:51):
feel about a certain way andthey talked it through,
sometimes in that explanation ortrying to explain it, they'll
see just how, much bullshitthey're actually saying.

Kristy Yee (46:00):
And that's something that I'm trying to learn really
hard is to come from a place ofcuriosity instead of a place of,
you know, defense

Angie Yu (46:09):
and I feel like it's so easy to just be defensive
about

Kristy Yee (46:13):
things, because it feels like it's an attack on us
as an individual, whether that'scoming from our parents or from
trolls on Instagram.

Right.
Or sometimes it's just like, ifyou're talking about something
that you feel like you're wellversed in.
It's kind of hard to forget whatyou were like before, when you
didn't know these things.
And it's like, Oh, I wasn't bornwith like my Instagram page and
just like posting all thesethings and like saying all this
and like adding to whatever I'mposting, right.
It's like, no, I have to startsomewhere.
And it's like, if we don't giveother people the opportunity,

(46:42):
that same benefit to startsomewhere.
And it's like, what are wedoing?

Angie Yu (46:45):
And I, sometimes I tell, because a couple of people
have approached me and was like,Hey, how did you talk to your
parents about this stuff?
I, I don't, I don't know how totalk to my parents cause I just
get frustrated and I'm like,well, How would you want your
kids in 20 years or 30 years totalk to you about something?
Because we're maybe, yeah, likeright now we know some shit, but
we're going to become outdated.

(47:07):
We're already becoming outdated.
Like gen Z just knows so muchcrap and they're doing so much
shit and we're already becomingoutdated.
I'm like, how would you wantyour kids to talk to you about
things right.
Like, would you want them to bepatient with you and kind with
you or would you want them tojust yell at you until you're
like, okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Let me go cry in my old

people home.

Angie Yu (47:29):
Yeah.
Like as much as I get like thewhole like okay.
Boomer, you know, thing Youknow, if the other person's
being disrespectful, then I getbeing like, okay.
Boomer and like, whatever.
Right.
but I think, especially with ourparents, if you have a good
relationship with them or youwant a good relationship with
them or with your coworkers,with your boss, like whoever it
is in your life.
I just, I don't see a lot ofvalue in shaming people until

(47:51):
they understand.
and I listened to a podcast byBrene Brown about shame and
guilt.
And she talks about this, how,like a lot of social justice
nowadays, like it's become somainstream in our generation,
which is a good thing.
But also because we're alldifferent people everyone's
approach to kind of enforcingtheir belief or sharing their

(48:14):
belief is different.
Some people choose one methodover the other.
Some are more effective than theother, depending on the person
on the other side.
But generally, generally, andBernay Brown.
She does a lot of research onshame.
she says that you cannot shamepeople.
Into doing something becausepeople associate shame with
something that they cannotchange.

(48:35):
So if you make somebody feelshame about the way they think
about black lives matter orabout indigenous people or about
anything they're going to thinkthat that's just the way they
are and it's not effective forthe person who's doing the work
or the person who's trying tolearn the work.
So we're going to link that inthe show notes as well.
It's an episode, it's anotherpodcast by someone named Bernay

(48:58):
Brown.

Also, I will say this idea of being respectful
and things.
If you get angry talking to yourparents about this stuff, like
that's okay.

Angie Yu (49:05):
Yeah, that's right.

Kristy Yee (49:06):
Yeah.
I get angry.

Angie Yu (49:08):
Yeah.
I,

I get like, I get frustrated still, like.
Like now I just like express it,like where I'll just like kind
of stop responding in ameaningful way.
Like, yeah, I'm done talkingabout this.
So it's like, I dunno.
And then progress also isn'tlinear and we all show up to
whatever capacity of the workthat we want to do in whatever

(49:30):
form that is.
Day-to-day and.
Yeah, it's more important to, Iguess if you're actually genuine
about this type of work, it's alot more listening and learning.
I find than actual, forcingpeople to change their minds
because I don't know as much asyou, some people may feel like
my page is like great.
And all it's like, I'm notperfect.
I don't pretend to be.

(49:51):
I don't pretend that I knoweverything or have my pulse on
every single injustice going onin the world.

Angie Yu (49:58):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Who can really,

right.
Like, I don't think that theselike fucking parity tests that
people hold other people to arehealthy or even constructive to
what things are, because I can'tremember who said this and I've
said this before, but.
it was a black activist andbased I'd like the two truths to
activism are, you're going tofuck up and you're going to get

(50:21):
hurt.

Angie Yu (50:21):
What's a, what's a purity test.

So like, you know how in the U S presidential like
Ella race, that Joe Biden,Kamala Harris as his VP.
people are mad that KamalaHarris used to be a prosecutor
and said, describe herself aslike a top cop in America.
And then it's like, okay, fine.
All these things are validcriticisms, but to say like,
you're not going to vote at allbecause it's Joe Biden and

(50:46):
Kamala Harris on the ticket.
Seems asinine to me as someonewho can't vote in that election.
But if I was American, I'd votefor fucking dry lint and glue
over the evil maniac that is inoffice currently.
Right.
but it's like, okay, if notKamala, then like who's this
Perth perfect person that you'regoing to uphold and insert into
the VP position or Biden'sposition.

(51:08):
Because that person doesn'texist because to like be human
is to make mistakes andmovements don't have messiahs.
They aren't dealt on one person.
They are a collective of peopleand no one person is going to
solve everything in the world.
And no matter how good thatperson may seem.
Or make you feel as if they'relike 10, a hundred or a thousand

(51:29):
times better than you.
At some point, they're going toscrew up I have liked an other
like more grounded examples thatmight relate more like, what
does it mean to be like reallyAsian, if you're like Asian
Canadian.
it's like, Oh, you're not,you're not actually Chinese
because the, but you're also notCanadian It's like, what does
authentic mean?
Yeah.

Kristy Yee (51:47):
So everybody fails a parody test anyways,

yeah.
People aren't

Angie Yu (51:51):
yeah, we all have shit.
That's right.

Kristy Yee (51:55):
I know, we talked a lot about your mom and, you
know, talking about the learnedbiases and her unconscious

stuff.

Kristy Yee (52:04):
What would be like the ideal conversation for you?
Like if you were going to havethis talk with your mom, what
would that look like?

I don't know ideal conversation, I guess like what
I said before, and like, if shejust could like, make the
connection between like the ideaof like getting rid of
oppressive systems, isn't justlike, Being nicer taking care of
like everyone individually.
It's more so, Oh, we get rid oflike capitalism.
We get rid of the patriarchywhere you get rid of like

(52:33):
colonialism and all thosethings.
It's not that automatically,it's just a wand and like,
society is perfect and everyoneis okay.
It's just more, so everyone hasthe opportunity to have their
basic needs taken care of, andthen.
With that base.
It's like kind of the idea ofwhat we said before of like
whole Christie and I being bornon this consummate of like

(52:54):
having that privilege ofstability and then being able to
decide what we want from that.
And it's just like giving thatto everyone and that how.
Just cause I don't know ifyou're part of you're homeless
that doesn't make you a badperson.
Yeah.

Kristy Yee (53:09):
Love it.
So good.
Any last partying words andwords of wisdom for our
listeners Irving, before we letyou go on this beautiful.
Sunday afternoon.

Yeah.
We're not fucking pandemic rightnow.
Stop being reckless.
Yeah.
And you know how people duringlike the protests and stuff had
the audacity to tell blackpeople or indigenous people to
have patients about like, Theirtime or like when they'll get
resources and stuff, where'sthat same energy when it comes
to staying at home.

Angie Yu (53:38):
I guess like, you know, we just wished that people
would take.
The amount of fucks they giveto, their social lives and put
that fucks into, you know,spread it.
Yeah.

And I feel like as we get older, Our parents almost
stopped seeming like our parentsand just seem like other, just
like regular people with theirown worries and their own like
ideas separate from, I guess,ourselves as we grow up.
And just because that happens,it doesn't mean that they stop
caring about you and justbecause they don't have the

(54:11):
right answers.
For you like your stage of lifedoesn't mean they don't care
about you anymore either.

Angie Yu (54:17):
Yeah.

Kristy Yee (54:17):
Thank you so much, Irving, for chatting with us and
sharing all of this good stuff.
There's so many good stuff thatI think we're going to have

Angie Yu (54:26):
to do a few quotes.
Yeah.
It's going to be a fun episodeto edit.

No, thank you for inviting me on and I'll need you
to, to come on my podcastwhenever.
It's accessible to meet up inperson again.

Kristy Yee (54:38):
Why end game always game.
Lastly, where can people findyou?
We're going to drop all of thisin the show notes, but where can
people find you

and your work?
Oh my God.
Okay.
So Instagram page is the asianCanadian, except it's at the,
and then ASN Canadian, because Ididn't want to type out.
All of that podcasts.
I've been working on somethingnew, I guess what I could
contribute to ideas around raceand how race are structured in
Canada.
Especially in regards to blackCanadians.

(55:07):
and then yeah, so asians inspaces, that's handled on
Instagram.
You can listen to the podcasts,Apple, Google, Spotify, all
those things.
And then I started streaming onTwitch.
Just because I was like, if I'mat home playing video games
already, I might

Angie Yu (55:23):
as

Kristy Yee (55:23):
well, dude,

if you're interested in that
twitch.tv/swerving three andyeah, I think that's it

Kristy Yee (55:32):
Awesome.
Okay, this is Christie postediting.
We actually did record anepisode on Irving's podcasts and
that's being dropped the dayafter this podcast episode.
is going to be released.
So if you're listening this inthe future, they both probably
exist somewhere on the internet.
We're going to link it in ourshow notes.

(55:52):
So go check that out.
I'm here because all of them,because it's still pandemic
season.
So I'm going to be doing thegood feels.
Feel good, feel good.
Feel good.
Comments.
Blah-blah-blah.
I'm going to be doing the feelgood comments for today.
And this one comes from numberone, tosser, and they left a

(56:13):
comment via Stitcher.
So here we go.
So much fun.
It's so refreshing to hearpeople being that open and
honest, but these two tickets toa new level and managed to make
it seem so normal and easy andlighthearted.
It gives me confidence toembrace some laughter and good
times in my own journey.
Great job ladies.
Smiley face.
Can't wait to hear more.
Thank you so much.

(56:33):
Number one, tosser for that.
That is the whole reason whywe're doing this.
Podcast is to make it fun andlight and still be able to talk
about some seriousconversations.
It doesn't always have to be.
Difficult, even though it feelslike it.
So, thank you so much forsharing that with us.
And if you wanted to leave acomment for us.

(56:54):
Anywhere, either on Apple or onStitcher, or give us a rating
That would be awesome becausealgorithms is a thing we live in
the world of the internet.
So we would really appreciateit.
If you find our content helpfulor enjoyable or entertaining or.
not Leave us a comment anyways.

(57:15):
Thank you so much.
See you soon.
Bye.

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