One thing I love about being born in May... it’s also AAPI Heritage Month!
You hear all the time about how we’re not a monolith, and that’s true, but I also like to expand that thought beyond just playing defense. We’re a multiverse! There are so many threads and storylines that make up the AAPI culturescape. I made this drawing just to highlight three!
This week also happens to be Nurses Week. The least accurate thing about most medical TV dramas is that IRL, half that floor would be Filipina nurses. But why so many? The episode “Why Are We Here?” of the Code Switch podcast does a great job with that story.
All around Southern California, you’ll notice that 80-90% of donut shops are ran by Cambodian families. What’s up with that? It’s a story of migration, family and community support, and grit. I highly recommend the documentary The Donut King, rentable on Prime.
One other story of interest... Thai restaurants. Thai food is pretty well known around the US, even in places that don’t seem to have that many Thai people. This isn’t just an odd random happening, but part of a strategic move by Thailand to influence the world via food diplomacy. I’m working on a script for a video about that right now and even though it’s a bit further down the pipeline, I’m already excited about it. Stay tuned!
Happy #AAPIHeritageMonth–these are just three of the many, many stories of how our elders reshaped the world we live in. Got any favorite AAPI docs, podcast episodes, or other recs?
Create the World Anew