• KPFA - APEX Express

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KPFA - APEX Express

By: KPFA
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  • Apex Express is a proud collective member of AACRE, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. AACRE focuses on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders committed to social justice.
    2025KPFA 312700
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Political Science
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Episodes
  • APEX Express – 01.23.25 – Hmong Teen Dating Violence Awareness

    APEX Express – 01.23.25 – Hmong Teen Dating Violence Awareness
    Jan 23 2025
    A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. For this week’s episode of APEX Express, we are joined by Yi Thoj and Belle Vang from Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) and Pana Lee and Jennifer Xiong from California Hmong Advocates Network – Building Our Futures (CHAN-BOF) who will go into depth about these very tough but very real and needed conversations about abusive relationships, especially within the Hmong community, where 70% of Hmong Americans are under 24 years old. Important Resources: Hmong Innovating Politics website California Hmong Advocates Network – Building Our Futures website Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships infographic How to Spot Abusive Relationships infographic Do you know someone in an abusive relationship? infographic Are you in an abusive relationship? infographic What does consent look like? infographic Transcript Cheryl: Good evening, everyone! You are tuned in to APEX Express. I’m your host, Cheryl and tonight is an What is AACRE?, you might ask. Well comprised of 11 grassroots, social justice groups, the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) network, leverages the power of its network to focus on long-term movement, building and support for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders committed to social justice. Speaking of AACRE groups, APEX express is proud to be a part of the AACRE network. For tonight’s episode, we will be spotlighting the work of AACRE group Hmong Innovating Politics, also known as HIP. Belle Vang and Yi Thoj from HIP will be in conversation with Pana Lee and Jennifer Xiong from the California Hmong Advocates Network Building Our Futures, also known as CHAN-BOF. They’ll be in discussion on the importance of teen dating violence awareness, especially in the Hmong community as they are among the youngest of all ethnic groups in the United States with about 70% of Hmong Americans being under 24 years old. I know somebody, you might want to learn more about HIP and CHAN-BOF so I’ll let our speakers introduce themselves. And don’t forget. All of their socials and websites will be linked in the show notes. Belle: Hi, everyone, thank you so much for making time in your night to join us. We really appreciate it. Today we’re going to be having a panel discussion in recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. I really want to thank CHAN-BOF for collaborating with Hmong Innovating Politics. We’re very excited to do this collab together. We’re going to do a brief introduction. So, hi, everyone. My name is Bella Gaonoucci Vang. I’m with Hmong Innovating Politics as a Communication and Narrative Manager. If you’re not one of our followers, make sure to follow us. Hmong Innovating Politics is a grassroots organization focused on strengthening political power within Hmong communities through civic engagement. And with that being said, I’ll go ahead and pull in one of our HIP members, Yi. Yi Thoj: Hi everyone, my name is Yi and I use she, her pronouns, and I been a HIP young adult for around three to four years. I’m also working on the Bright Spots project. Belle: And then if we can have Pana join the conversation. Pana: Hi, everyone. I am Pana with CHAN-BOF champion stands for California Hmong Advocates Network Building Our Future. We were two grassroots organizations in community and outreach and this past year we have been able to provide mobile direct services to our Hmong survivors of domestic violence across the Central Valley– so from Sacramento to Fresno. Jennifer Xiong: All right. And that leaves me. Hi, everyone. My name is Jennifer Xiong. I use she/her pronouns and I work as a program specialist with CHAN-BOF and Banak, who actually serves as my supervisor. I’m really excited and happy to be here and really grateful for HIP for giving us a space time and platform to have this conversation Belle: Thank you again CHAN-BOF for collaborating with us here at HIP. We really appreciate all the work y’all do in the community. I know y’all individually are really great folks. I’m really excited to dive into today’s conversation. In your experience, I’m just asking everyone in the panel, where are some cultural norms or expectations within the Hmong community regarding relationships and dating, and that could be anything that you’d like to share from your own personal experiences. Pana: I think I can go. So I think growing up in the eighties, cultural expectations for women, Hmong women, We were expected to just cook, clean, and take care of our younger siblings and our parents. Right? So if you were dating, your relatives would just look down on us. Dating was frowned upon. I remember it was expected that if a guy is interested in you, they would have to come by your parent’s house and your parents would have to ...
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    1 hr
  • APEX Express – 1.16.25 – Pathways To Humanity

    APEX Express – 1.16.25 – Pathways To Humanity
    Jan 16 2025
    A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Powerleegirls Hosts Miko Lee and Jalena Keane-Lee host and Ayame Keane-Lee edits a chat about leadership, growth and change during a time of crisis. Listen to Jalena speak with Meng Hua from Tiger Eye Astrology about her path from palm reading to artistry to bazi. Then hear Miko speak with Zen Master Norma Wong about her new book When No Thing Works. More information about our guests: Meng Hua’s Tiger Eye Astrology Zen Master Norma Wong her new book When No Thing Works Guide to how to hold space about the book Pathways To Humanity Show Transcript Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It’s time to get on board the Apex Express. Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:00:29] Tonight on APEX Express: the PowerLeeGirls mother-daughters team. I’m the editor of tonight’s show Ayame Keane-Lee joined by our hosts Jalena Keane-Lee and Miko Lee. Tune in as they interview our guests about Pathways – internal and external journeys we take to connect to humanity. First my sister Jalena speaks with Meng Yu about her journey as a full time artist and practitioner of the mantic arts. Then Mama Miko speaks with Norma Wong, the abbot of Anko-in about her latest book When No Thing Works. So listen in to APEX Express. First up is Jalena’s interview with Meng Yu. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:01:08] Hello, everyone. I am here with Meng Yu, who is a Chinese astrologer from Tiger Eye Astrology. And today we’re talking all about astrology and learning from the stars and other elements to help guide our life path and our decisions and choices. Thanks so much for being here, Meng. Meng Yu: [00:01:27] Thanks so much for having me, Jalena. It’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:01:33] It truly is. and so I’m curious if you could just start us off talking a little bit, you know, about your practice and how you came to the work that you’re doing today. Meng Yu: [00:01:42] I have been a practitioner of the mantic arts for, over a decade and the mantic arts, include astrology, but also divination. So as part of my practice, I also do I Ching or Yijing divination. and it’s a kind of circuitous way of how I ended up on this path. I’m also a, a full time artist. and you know, that’s kind of how I make my bread and butter. And it’s also. In a way, how I approach, Chinese astrology and divination as well, I guess to backtrack a little bit, I always like to start by honoring my teachers and their lineages. So, primarily my teacher has been Master Zongxian Wu, who is my Bazi teacher and also is the lineage holder of, four traditional schools of internal arts. and then I also have a host of daoist teachers who are also artists. their own right, visual artists, martial artists, writers who live in and embody the Dao. these include Lindsey Wei, Dengming Dao, uh, Tamara Jha, Lily Kai. And so, I also want to shout out to my group. Late sixth great aunt as well. My Leo Gupo, who when I was eight years old, she gave me my first introduction to the art of divination through. palm reading. so she actually taught me, sort of an Eastern style of palm reading at a young age. But growing up, other than that, I, was not influenced by, this, form of, wisdom traditions from my heritage. My parents are, both Chinese and they are both, of the cultural revolution generation, which was a mass genocide that occurred in China, right as they were coming of age. So they’re very, survival oriented, practical people, you know, from Just historically in China, from the fall of the Qing dynasty to the rise of communism, much of the mantic arts traditions, were basically lost in the cultural landscape. So, how I came to this work, was not really so much through my upbringing as, The search for, I guess, healing in my own life experiences and coming to, sort of critical junctures, and crisis, personal crises in my life where I really sought, alternative, dimensions and ways of, reconnecting to my My purpose and just healing in my life. So I, over a decade ago found myself, in the jungles of Peru, having very close, connections to a shamanistic tradition involving plant medicine, which opened me up to really asking, you know, what are the shamanic and animistic roots. of the wisdom traditions from my own heritage. And this brought me to working with the Yijing, as well as Chinese astrology. So that’s, that’s kind of a mouthful. It’s a bit of a long and complicated story, but that’s, that’s sort of the bullet notes version. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:05:18] Thank you so much for sharing that. It’s perfect because my next question...
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    1 hr
  • APEX Express – 1.9.25 – Hindutva & The Far Right

    APEX Express – 1.9.25 – Hindutva & The Far Right
    Jan 9 2025
    A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express we speak with members of We Are Savera about Hindutva and the Far Right. Safa Ahmed from Indian American Muslim Council and Roja Suganthy-Singh from Dalit Solidarity Forum USA join Host Miko Lee for an enlightening conversation. More information about We Are Savera Haf Way to Supremacy Report Savera United Against Supremacy Petition Hindutva & The Far Right Transcripts Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It’s time to get on board the Apex Express. Miko Lee: [00:00:34] Welcome. Tonight on Apex Express, we’re very excited to be talking with folks from Savera, a multicultural, interfaith, anti-caste coalition of Indian Americans and partners standing together in the fight against the rise of the transnational far right. Can you please, my lovely guests, introduce yourselves with your name and your organization? Safa, can we start with you, please? Safa Ahmed: [00:00:58] Hi, everyone. My name is Safa Ahmed. I am the Associate Director of Media and Communications for the Indian American Muslim Council. Miko Lee: [00:01:05] And Roja, can you please introduce yourself? Roja Suganthy-Singh: [00:01:08] My name is Roja Suganthy-Singh, and I represent Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA. I’m the co-founder president, which our organization is also an integral part of Savera, one of the partners. Miko Lee: [00:01:26] Thank you. I know there’s other partners with the Savera, which I’d love you to kind of just name what those other partners are. Safa Ahmed: [00:01:35] Yeah, so there’s multiple organizations within the Savera Coalition have, of course, Indian American Muslim Council, which is the largest and oldest advocacy organization for Indian Muslims dedicated to combating Hindu supremacy in the United States and India. We also have several partners who are also very much involved in that line of work, including Hindus for Human Rights, which is a progressive Hindu organization that is aimed at combating Hindu supremacy using a Hindu voice and also speaking out. Speaking out for other civil rights and social justice causes that impact communities both in the U. S. and India. We have India Civil Watch International, we have Dalit Solidarity Forum, and we also have several other partners, across the spectrum of, identities and communities as well. But those are the main, that are in the core of Savera. Miko Lee: [00:02:21] So this is a broad coalition and we have two of the members here. Since we have you two here today, I’d love to hear from each of you personally. Um, and this is a question that I ask all of my guests, it’s an adaptation of the great poet Chinaka Hodges. And my question is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Roja, can you start please? Roja Suganthy-Singh: [00:02:43] I, like I said, Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA, I’m one of the co-founders, and I’m the president of the organization. And it’s one of the oldest, Dalit rights organizations in the United States, founded in 1999. basically to provide visibility to and engage in activism to condemn discriminations and violence faced by Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, in India. And due to the caste system, which is an ancient system of human classification still practiced in India and today globally as well, Dalits are rejected and socially excluded as outcasts by the rest of the Indian population. So they are everyday victims of structurally embedded discrimination in all social sectors. forced to live in extreme poverty, subject to constant dehumanization and unspeakable violence , my work with DSF has been to provide visibility to, to this issue. And I’ve been working with grassroots leadership in India for over 25 years now, and my academic work also and research is deeply embedded in the intersectional realities and experiences of Dalit women in India. Miko Lee: [00:03:58] Thank you so much. And Safa, what about you? Who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Safa Ahmed: [00:04:05] So I am a second generation Indian American Muslim, and I always talk about Indian Muslims as this community that’s not very well, understood beyond and even in India, actually not many people know that India has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world with 200 million people, which is about 14 percent of the overall population. It is the second largest religious group in India and the largest religious minority group. And like all religious groups in India, Muslims are so diverse in their ethnicities, languages, cultures, and interpretations of ...
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    1 hr

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