♪ ♪

♪ ♪

>> Renee: WHERE ARE Y'ALL REALLY

FROM?

THAT'S A UNIVERSAL QUESTION

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ISLANDER

PACIFICKERS ARE REPEATEDLY ASKED

AND THAT'S THE QUESTION TACKLED

IN A NEW PODCAST THAT SHARES THE

EXPERIENCES OF AAPI MEMBERS OF

OUR COMMUNITIES, AS THE

INCIDENTS OF HATE RISE, SOME

KENTUCKIANS ARE WORKING TO BURST

THE MYTHS AND CEMENT THEIR

BELONGING IN A PODCAST THAT AIMS

TO BREAKTHROUGH BARRIERS TO

UNDERSTANDING.

LEARN MORE FROM CHARLENE BUCKLES

AND DAN WU, CHINESE AMERICAN

BUSINESS OWNER AND ACTIVIST IN

LEXINGTON.

THAT'S NOW ON CONNECTIONS.

PAI.

>> Renee: THANK YOU FOR JOINING

US AS WE KICK OFF THE 1th

SEASON OF CONNECTIONS.

I'M RENEE SHAW.

WITH THE RISE OF HATE AND

VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR SISTERS AND

BROTHERS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN

PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES, A

NEW PODCAST IS COMING ON LINE TO

HELP BRIDGE THE DIVIDES IN

UNDERSTANDING.

IT'S CALLED "WHERE Y'ALL REALLY

FROM" AND ANSWERS TO THAT

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION WILL

COME FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF

GUESTS OF THE PODCAST HOST

JOINING ME TODAY, DAN WU, A

LEXINGTON-BASED BUSINESSMAN AND

ACTIVIST CHARLENE BUCKLES, AWE

LIEVILLE-BASED ACTIVIST.

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

DAN HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE, NOT

THAT LONG AGO.

GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> Renee: I CAN'T THINK OF A

BETTER WAY TO KICK OFF THE NEW

SEASON THAN TO HAVE, I DON'T

NOAH YOU CALL THE ENTREPRENEUR

IN MEDIA, MEDIA-PREURS THAT ARE

REALLY PAVING THE WAY YOU ARE

FOR A NEW, FRESH CONVERSATION

ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T

OFTEN GET A LOT OF SHINE AND

RECOGNITION AND NEED TO HAVE

SOME MORE UNDERSTANDING SO

CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS PODCAST

AND IT'S CALLED...

>> WHERE Y'ALL REALLY FROM.

>> Renee: WHERE Y'ALL REALLY

FROM.

I HAVE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION

A COUPLE TIMES AND THIS IS A

SHARED EXPERIENCE.

TELL US THE SIGNIFICANCE,

CHARLENE, OF THE TITLE.

>> WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH

ON THE TITLE AND WE WANTED TO

HAVE A TITLE THAT RESONATES WITH

MOST OF OUR EXPERIENCES IF NOT

ALL OF OUR EXPERIENCES, OF

COURSE WE GET THAT AS

ASIAN-AMERICANS AND PACIFIC

ISLANDERS, WE GET THAT QUESTION

ONE TO A MILLION TIMES IN OUR

LIVES.

>> Renee: MORE ON THE MILLION

TIMES SO I FEEL LIKE IT'S A

QUESTION THAT RESONATES WITH ALL

OF US BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY

EMOTIONS THAT COME FROM WE GET

THAT QUESTION.

HOW DO WE ANSWER THAT?

MOST OF THE TEAM PEOPLE ARE

SINCERE.

>> Renee: THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO

BE DEMEANING THEY'RE JUST

INQUISITIVE OR CURIOUS FOR THE

MOST PART.

>> BUT THERE ARE UNDERTONES AND

IT REALLY PUTS AN OTHERRING TO

THE PERSON THAT IS GETTING ASKED

THE QUESTION.

WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE

SHOW, I HAD A LOT OF FEELINGS

AGAINST IT ACTUALLY BECAUSE I

WAS LIKE I DON'T KNOW I'M STILL

TRYING TO PROCESS HOW I FEEL

WHEN I GET THAT QUESTION ASKED

AND HOW I RESPOND TO IT.

>> Renee: YOU ARE CLOSE TO YOUR

MILLIONth TIME BEING ASKED

THAT, HOW HAVE YOU HONED A

RESPONSE.

>> TYPICALLY IT DEPENDS ON MY

MOOD.

SOMETIMES I'LL JUST SAY I GREW

UP IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY I LOVE

MOVE THERE HAD WHEN I WAS SEVEN.

KENTUCKY IS MOO I HOME.

I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 20

YEARS.

OF COURSE WE HAVE PLAYED THIS

GAME WITH A LOT OF OUR GUESTS

WHO WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE GET

ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN WHAT WE'RE

ARE YOU REALLY FROM HOW MANY

TIMES IT WILL TAKE FOR SOMEONE

TO GET TO WHAT THEY WANT TO

KNOW.

>> Renee: WHO IS ASKING THE

QUESTION, WHAT IS THE

DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE PERSON ASKING

THE QUESTION.

>> SOMEONE FROM THE GROCERY

STORE TO NEW FRIENDS OR

ACQUAINTANCES THAT WE KNOW.

ANYONE AND EVERYONE.

IT USUALLY TAKES PROBABLY I MEAN

DEPENDING ON THE PERSON BUT IT

WILL TAKE THEM ABOUT FIVE

MINUTES OF THEM MEETING ME WHERE

THEY'LL LOOK AT ME AND THEY HAVE

THAT LOOK AT LET ME TRY TO PLACE

YOU AND LET ME ASK THIS

QUESTION.

>> Renee: IT'S IN THEIR MIND,

WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARTICULATE

IT RIGHT OUT OF, IT'S NICE TO

MEET YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO AND

THEN WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

>> AND THE KEY WORD IN THAT

WHOLE TITLE IS THE REALLY.

BECAUSE IT'S THE PART WHERE WHEN

YOU GIVE THEM THE FIRST ANSWER

AND THE FIRST ANSWER IS THE

GENUINE ANSWER BUT IT'S

SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA AND THEY

CAN'T WRAP THEIR HEADS AROUND IT

A LOT OF FOLKS.

THEY WANT TO INTERROGATE, WE

KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE ASKING

AND WE SOMETIMES PLAY THE GAME

AND PLAY COY AND JUST BECAUSE,

YOU KNOW, WE ARE KIND OF TIRED

OF IT WHAT I FIND INTERESTING

WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHO

IS ASKING THE QUESTION, THE ONE

TYPE OF PERSON THAT ASKS THAT

QUESTION THAT I DON'T MIND IS

USUALLY AN OLD ASIAN LADY.

NOW SHE WON'T SAY REALLY BECAUSE

I'LL GIVE HER EXACTLY THE ANSWER

SHE WANTS WHEN SHE SAYS WHERE

ARE YOU FROM.

WHAT SHE WANTS TO KNOW IS CAN WE

SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE.

AND SO THAT WHERE ARE YOU FROM

IS ABOUT CAN WE CONNECT

TOGETHER.

>> Renee: ARE YOU PART OF MY

FAMILY.

ARE YOU KUN FOLK.

>> BUT WHEN WE GET IT IN THE

GROCERY STORE LINE APROPOS

NOTHING, IT'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE

EFFECT, WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO

PUT YOU IN A BOX AND WHEN YOU

TELL THEM THAT'S NOT THE BOX YOU

BELONG IN.

LET'S INTERROGATE THIS UNTIL WE

GET TO THE QUESTION.

SO FOR US, AND I SAID TO

CHARLENE, THE FACT THAT IT

ELICITED SO MANY FEELINGS IN

HER, IT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD

TITLE.

>> Renee: AND ONE PEOPLE OF

COLOR CAN CONNECT TO AS WELL AND

DAN, WHEN WE HAD YOU ON BEFORE

AND MAE SARAH WHO IS THE

CO-CREATOR ALONG WITH STATE

REPRESENTATIVE NIMA WHO WAS THE

FIRST AMERICAN INDIAN TO SERVE

IN THE KENTUCKY ASSEMBLY WHO

HAILS FROM LOUISVILLE.

THE PODCAST CAME FROM WHAT?

JUST RESPONSE TO THE RISE OF

VIOLENCE AGAINST THE ASIAN

AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER

COMMUNITY OR ARE THERE OTHER

REASONS YOU THINK NOW IS THE

TIME TO DO THIS.

>> I HATE TO SAY IT IT PARTLY

WAS TRIGGERED BY THAT I THINK.

THE HISTORY OF ASIAN-AMERICANS

IN THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN KEEP

YOUR HEAD DOWN, STAY OUT OF THE

HEADLINES AND OUT OF THE LINE OF

FIRE UNTIL WE WERE CAUGHT IN THE

LITERAL LINE OF FIRE AND FOR A

LOT OF US EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF

US WERE DOING WORK IN THE

COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS, FOR

A LOT OF US, IT WAS A WAKEUP

CALL FOR LIKE WE ARE NOT AS

SAFE, WE ARE NOT AS PROTECTED,

WE ARE NOT AS HIDDEN AND OUT OF

SIGHT AS WE MIGHT THINK WE ARE

IT WAS VAL BEGANNIZING FOR A LOT

OF US TO SAY LET'S DO SOMETHING

AND THAT CONVERSATION LITERALLY

STARTED AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME

CREDIT BECAUSE NIMA AND MAE MET

BECAUSE OF THIS SHOW.

THEY TALKED TO EACH OTHER AND

THE REST OF US HAD THIS WHOLE

SENSE OF LIKE LET'S DO

SOMETHING.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT

SOMETHING WAS.

WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAS

IT AN EDITORIAL IN THE PAPER,

ORGANIZING A RALLY, PUSHING FOR

LEGISLATION AND SO THEY HAD THE

CONVERSATION THROWING AROUND

IDEAS AND THEY SAID PODCAST AND

MAE SAID PODCAST, LET'S TALK TO

DAN, I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF

PODCASTS AND RADIO SHOWS

THROUGHOUT MY TIME.

AND AS WE WERE PUTTING IT

TOGETHER I WAS LIKE I WOULD LOVE

SOME HELP ON THIS.

THERE IS A LADY I TOOK A SHINE

TO BECAUSE I ATTENDED A PANEL,

YOU KNOW, THIS SPRING ABOUT

ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES, I DON'T

KNOW HER EXCEPT FROM THIS PANEL

I LIKED HEARING HER TALK.

I SAID LET'S REACH OUT TO

CHARLENE AND THAT'S HOW IT

HAPPENED.

>> Renee: BECAUSE YOU SAID AT

THE BEGINNING YOU WERE RELUCK AT

THAT PARTICULAR TIME ABOUT DO I

REALLY WANT TO DO THIS PODCAST

THING.

HOW WERE YOU CONVINCED?

>> IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I DON'T--

I USED TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF

PODCASTS BUT WHEN I HAD CHILDREN

AND LIFE HAPPENED, I DON'T

LISTEN TO ANY PODCASTS AT ALL

AND SO WHEN DAN ASKED ME, I WAS

LIKE ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU

WANT ME TO DO THIS BECAUSE I

COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH

PEOPLE, ONE ON ONE, BUT TO

INTERVIEW, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON I

MUMBLE OFTEN.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF YOU WANT

ME.

AND HE WAS LIKE NO, IT'S GREAT.

JUST COME ON.

COME AND DO THIS I THOUGHT ABOUT

IT A LOT AND AT THE TIME I WAS

IN MATERNITY LEAVE.

I HAVE A SIX MONTH OLD AND I

TOLD DAN YOU HAVE ME FOR A MONTH

AND THEN AFTER THAT, CAN I-- I

CANNOT COMMIT TO ANYTHING.

AND THE REASON I WANTED TO DO IT

LIKE DAN SAID, SOMETHING PARKED

IN ME AT LEAST AFTER THE ATLANTA

MASSACRE, I ALSO WAS THINKING

I'VE LIVED IN KENTUCKY MOST OF

MY LIFE AND I STILL HAVE THE

MOMENT WHERE I THINK OH THERE IS

ANOTHER ASIAN IN THE COMMUNITY

AND WE ARE LIVING IN SILOS IN

OUR EXPERIENCE AND THERE IS

ONLY, I THINK 1.9% OF THE

POPULATION THAT ARE CONSIDERED

AAPI AMERICANS AND WE ARE IN

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AND

TOKENNIZED IN MAGAZINES AND I

THE FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO DO

SOMETHING TO ORGANIZE OR DO THIS

PODCAST WHERE WE COULD REALLY

CONNECT THE AAPI KENTUCKIANS

SAYING YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

YOU BELONG HERE.

WE ARE HAVING THE SAME

EXPERIENCES AND THIS IS OUR

KENTUCKY, TOO.

SO I REALLY FELT LIKE WHEN HE

PITCHED ME THE IDEA, AT FIRST I

WAS LIKE HOW AM I GOING TO DO

THIS BUT THEN WE NEED TO DO THIS

THIS IS FOR LOUISVILLE PUBLIC

MEDIA, PART OF THE PUBLIC

BROADCASTING FAMILY AND WE

COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT THAT

BUT IF IT WAS A VITD YO' THING,

WE HAVE TO HAVE A COLON FOR A

SERIES.

WE WOULD SAY WHAT YOU SAY, I

BELONG HERE, TOO, RIGHT, I THINK

THAT'S A VERY STRONG SUBTEXT OF

I BELONG AND THESE ARE THE

REASONS WHY AND HERE ARE THE

SHARED EXPERIENCES, YOUR FIRST

GUEST IS SOMEONE WHO I DO NOT

HIDE MY ENTHUSIASM AND FAN GIRL

OF WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE WHO HAS

BEEN ON THIS SHOW AND OTHER

PROGRAMS WHERE SHE HAS BEEN VERY

BLUNT AND I'VE SHARED STAGES

WITH HER AND OTHER VENUES WHERE

SHE HAS TALKED ABOUT HER

EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IS IT THAT

YOU GLEANED FROM HER?

WOE DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE

PODCAST BUT WHAT DID SHE BRING

AS THE FIRST GUEST THAT YOU

THINK SETS THE TONE FROM HERE ON

OUT?

>> WELL, WITH HER I WAS VERY,

VERY INTERESTED IN TALKING TO AN

ASIAN AMERICAN PARTICULARLY AN

ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN IN A REAL

VISIBLE PUBLIC POSITION OF

POWER, THERE WAS A NEW YORK

TIMES ARTICLE WHERE IT SAYS

ASIAN-AMERICANS ARE OVER

REPRESENTED IN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

AND SEVERELY UNDERREPRESENTED IN

LEADERSHIP SO WE GET GOOD AT A

PARTICULAR SKILL WHETHER IT'S

TECH OR WHATEVER, MEDICINE AND

WE CAN MAKE IT UP TO IN THE

MIDDLE TECHNICALLY BUT WE NEVER

GET TO THAT TOP RUNG WHERE WE

ARE MAKING DECISIONS AND BEING

THE GATEKEEPER AND SETTING THE

TONE ABOUT WHAT THE INSTITUTION

IS ALL ABOUT SO I WAS VERY

INTERESTED IN TALKING TO HER

PARTICULARLY, SHE CAME IN AFTER

A FIRE STORM OF CORONAVIRUSES

FROM-- CONTROVERSY FROM HER

PREDECESSOR.

I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT

IDEA, TOO.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN THE FACT

THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN,

OTHER MINORITY AND MARGINALIZED

GROUPS, THE WAY WE ENTER A

POSITION OF POWER IS NOT THE

SAME AS OTHER PEOPLE.

>> Renee: AND SHE TALKS ABOUT

THAT AND HAS A TERM FOR IT.

>> THE GLASS CLIFF IS WHAT SHE

CALLED IT THE IDEA THAT YOU

KNOW, IF THERE IS A SEX SCANDAL,

YOU BRING IN A WOMAN TO REPLACE

THAT PERSON IF IT IS RACIALLY

SKINNED, YOU BRING IN A WOMAN OF

COLOR.

THERE WERE SO MANY SCANDALS THEY

BROUGHT IN A WOMAN OF COLOR BUT

YOU ARE WALKING INTO A SITUATION

WHERE YOU ARE PUTTING OUT FIRES,

YOU ARE TRYING TO BRING A NEW

FACE AND IMAGE TO THE

INSTITUTION TRYING TO REHAB

EVERYTHING SO YOU ARE NOT COMING

IN WHEN THE SHIP IS SMOOTH

SAILING.

YOU ARE COMING IN TO RIGHT THE

SHIP AND SO YOUR OPPORTUNITY,

YOUR CHANCE TO SUCCEED IS MUCH

HARDER.

IT'S A STEEPER ROAD AND THEN

WHEN YOU FAIL, IT'S VERY EASY

FOR THE PEOPLE IN THAT

INSTITUTION, THOSE DECISION

MAKERS WHO HIRED YOU TO SAY

WELL, WE TRIED A WOMAN ISN'T

TURN OUT THAT GREAT, LET'S GO

BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL IN A

LOT OF WAYS WHEN WE ENTER THESE

POSITIONS OF POWER AND CHOSEN BY

OTHER PEOPLE WE ARE SET UP TO

FAIL AND IT'S A REALLY TOUGH

SITUATION AND I THINK SHE

RECOGNIZED THAT SHE PUT A NAME

TO IT WHICH I THOUGHT WAS

AMAZING.

AND SO SHE IS COMING INTO IT

CLEAR EYED AND KNOWING WHAT SHE

IS UP AGAINST.

>> Renee: BUT AT THE SAME TIME

THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE HAD

YOU ON A FEW MONTHS AGO, TALKING

ABOUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE

MODEL MINORITY, RIGHT, SO THESE

ARE ALMOST LIKE DICOTOMOUS

CONCEPTS YOU HAVE, THIS GLASS

CLIFF BUT YOU HAD THE PERCEPTION

THAT ASIANS AND PACIFIC

ISLANDERS ARE THE MODEL-- IF

THERE IS GOING TO BE A MINORITY

GROUP, THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD

BE AND LOOK LIKE AND PERFORM

LIKE BECAUSE THEY'RE HIGH

ACHIEVERS AND WE ASSUME THAT

THERE IS A LEVEL OF ACADEMIC

ACUMEN THAT IS SUPERIOR AND ALL

OF THESE THINGS.

SO HOW DOES THAT RECONCILE WITH

THE WHOLE GLASS CLIFF LEXICON?

>> IT STILL FITS INTO, I THINK,

THE LIMITATIONS THAT ARE PLACED

ON US IN TERMS OF THAT MODEL

MINORITY.

WE HAVE CERTAIN LANES THAT WE

ARE ALLOWED IN WHETHER IT'S

MEDICINE OR ENGINEERING OR

ACADEMICS AND WE ARE NOT, YOU

KNOW, POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP

USUALLY ARE LESS TECHNICAL AND

MORE ABOUT MANAGING PEOPLE,

MANAGING MEDIA, MANAGING

IMPRESSIONS, ALL THAT KIND OF

STUFF.

WE ARE NOT SEEN AS HAVING THOSE

KIND OF SORT OF SOFT SKILLS OR

SOCIAL SKILLS SO TO ME, HER

BEING IN THAT POSITION IS STILL

REALLY, REALLY RARE AND IT

DOESN'T FALL IN LINE TO WHAT I

THINK ABOUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT

THE LANES, THE MODEL MINORITY

TRAVEL IN.

>> Renee: AND WE KNOW AS DAN

DESCRIBED, SHE CAME IN WHERE

THERE WERE TURBULENT CHOPPY

WATERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

LOUISVILLE AND EVEN ADDRESSED

THEM HEAD ON WITH THE RACIAL AND

SOCIAL INJUSTICE.

SHOE SHE HAS BEEN FORTHRIGHT

ABOUT SAYING WE ARE GOING TO BE

AN ANTI-RACIST INSTITUTION

THAT'S STRONG, YOU KNOW,

PROACTIVE LANGUAGE AND IT'S LIKE

TAKING OWNERSHIP OF A CHECKERED

PAST AND SAYING WELL, WE KNOW WE

HAVEN'T DONE WAS WE NEEDED TO DO

BUT UNDER MY WATCH WE ARE

SETTING A NEW COURSE SO FOR A

WOMAN OF COLOR TO HEADACHE THAT

PRONOUNCE MANY, HOW RISKY IS

THAT FOR OTHERS WHO MIGHT FOLLOW

HER?

>> IT IS VERY WHISKEY BECAUSE

YOU DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE

ANOTHER PERSON IN YOUR SEAT.

WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING

TO KICK YOU OUT OF THE TABLE AND

CLOSE THE DOOR AND LOCK IT

BEHIND YOU.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE INTERVIEW

IS THAT SHE HAD SAID, SHE TALKED

ABOUT THE GLASS CLIFF AND

CONCEPT THAT'S PRETTY WELL KNOWN

IN ACADEMICS AND IN BUSINESS,

BUT SHE SAID MY GOAL I KNOW I'M

GOING TO FAIL.

I'M SET UP TO FAIL, BUT I WANT

TO MAKE SURE THE PERSON BEHIND

ME IS ALSO A PERSON OF COLOR ON

OR A WOMAN OF COLOR.

I DON'T WANT TO BE THE LAST

WOMAN OF COLOR AT THIS TABLE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE BUST THAT

DOOR OPEN AND MAKE SURE WE BRING

AS MANY PEOPLE BEHIND US AS

POSSIBLE; WHICH I THINK IS A

REALLY REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT.

LIKE YOU KNOW I FEEL LIKE I'M

ALWAYS GOING AT 150% AND I NEED

TO THINK ABOUT, I NEED TO GET TO

THIS POINT AND STAY AT THIS

POINT OR STAY AT THE TABLE BUT

IF I THIS I ABOUT, OKAY, LET'S

BRING AS MANY PEOPLE WITH ME AS

POSSIBLE THEN THEY CAN'T SAY

THIS.

THEY CAN'T CLOSE THE DOOR ON US.

>> Renee: BUT THERE IS THE FEAR

THAT THEY REALLY ONT WANT ONE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Renee: AND MORE THAN ONE IS A

SERIOUS THREAT AND SO CHANGING

THAT MIND SET REALLY A PARADIGM

SHIFT IN THINKING THAT ONE

DOESN'T MEAN THERE IS GOING TO

BE A FUTURE MUTINY HERE, RIGHT?

I MEAN YOU KNOW, THAT GETS A

LITTLE TEDIOUS, RIGHT?

AND FOR SOME WOMEN, THINKING

THAT I WANT TO STAKE MY CLAIM,

CEMENT MY OWN LEGACY, YOU KNOW,

WHOEVER COMES AFTER ME, THEY

HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN THING,

RIGHT?

BUT YOU THINK WOMEN ARE MORE

OPENED UP TO MAKING SURE IT'S

NOT JUST A DOOR BUT A WIDE GATE

THAT IS OPEN.

>> I THINK SO.

I MEAN THERE IS A REALLY GREAT

CONCEPT DECOLONIZING YOUR MIND

THINKING THAT IT IS WITHIN-- I'M

JUST GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF.

IT IS WITHIN MY MIND THAT IT IS

A COMPETITION BECAUSE THERE IS

ONLY ONE SPOT THAT YOU ARE GOING

TO BE THE BEST YOU CAN POSSIBLY

BE BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ROOM

FOR ONE PERSON AND I THINK DAN

IN A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS

BROUGHT THIS UP TO ME BUT YOU

KNOW, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR

MORE.

THERE IS NOT-- YEAH, LIKE YOU

SAID, IT'S NOT JUST A DOOR.

IT COULD BE A GATE OR WHAT HAVE

YOU BUT THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE

COLLABORATION NOT JUST ONE VOICE

WE ARE TRYING TO LIFT UP I'M

GOING THROUGH A PROCESS MYSELF

THINKING I NEED TO DECOLONIZE

THAT MIND SET AND TO REALLY

THINK OF IT LESS OF A

COLLABORATION AS OPPOSED TO A

COMPETITION.

>> Renee: THE TARGET AUDIENCE

FOR YOUR PODCAST, IS IT FOR THE

AAPI COMMUNITY OR OTHERS WHO ARE

NOT PART OF THAT COMMUNITY TO

UNDERSTAND THE AAPI COMMUNITY.

>> BOTH.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION YOU

KNOW, I JUST WATCHED THE NEW

MARVEL MOVIE LED BY THE FIRST

ASIAN SUPERHERO ONE OF THE

THINGS I LOVED THAT MOVIE, THE

MOVIE HAS A SURPRISING AMOUNT OF

DIALOGUE IN MANDARIN WITH

SUBTITLES WHICH, IN THE

MAINSTREAM BIG BILL CLINTON

BUSTER MOVIE THIS DON'T

GENERALLY DO.

WHAT THAT STOWED ME, ESPECIALLY

AS A CHINESE MANDARIN SPEAKER IS

THAT THIS MOVIE IS FOR ME AND IF

EVERYBODY ELSE ENJOYS IT, GREAT

AND THAT'S THE WAY WE LOOK AT

THIS PODCAST AS WELL.

IT'S FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T

HEARD THEIR OWN VOICES MUCH LESS

OTHER PEOPLE'S VOICES THAT SOUND

LIKE THEIRS THAT HAVE SIMILAR

EXPERIENCE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE

NOT IN THIS ABEAN, THAT I MIGHT

FEEL ALONE IN THE SMALL TOWN OF

WILLIAMSBURG, KENTUCKY BUT THERE

ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT GREW

NEWSPAPER SMALL TOWNS THAT HAVE

HAD PARALLEL EXPERIENCE WITH ME

SO FIRST AND FOREMOST IT'S FOR

US.

BUT THE SPECIFIC FROM THE

SPECIFIC IS BORN THE UNIVERSAL A

LOT OF PEOPLE IN MEDIA OFTEN

WILL SAY IF YOU MAKE A FILM WITH

ALL BLACK FOLKS LIKE HOW ARE

WHITE FOLKS GOING TO RELATE TO

IT?

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING DECADES

AND DECADES AND CENTURIES OF

MEDIA THAT'S JUST WHITE FOLKS.

WE CAN STILL RELATE TO THAT.

CAN I WATCH THE WONDER YEARS AND

STILL GET SOMETHING OUT OF THAT

EVEN THOUGH ALL THOSE KIDS ARE

WHITE, RIGHT?

SO IT'S THE FLIP SIDE IS ALSO

TRUE THAT PEOPLE CAN LISTEN TO

THESE EXPERIENCES EVEN IF THEY

DIDN'T EMIGRATE FROM ANOTHER

COUNTRY, THEY CAN UNDERSTAND A

MOM THAT'S ALWAYS TRYING TO

OVERFEED YOU OR SOME SORT OF

CULTURAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU

AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY OR

EXPECTATIONS FROM YOUR PARENTS

OR GRAND PARENTS ALL THOSE

THINGS ARE UNIVERSAL THINGS.

THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE

SAME LANGUAGE AND HAVE THE SAME

FACE OR NAMES AS YOU BUT ALL

THOSE ELEMENTS ARE THERE.

>> Renee: SHARED EXPERIENCES

RIGHT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Renee: HAVE I TO ASK LIKE WHO

IS AFTER Dr. VINDAPUTI AND

OTHER THAN HER, WHO WOULD BE

YOUR DREAM GET IN THE BUSINESS?

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO INTERVIEW

YOUR FIRST SEASON.

>> I HAVE SOMEBODY AND LET'S SEE

IF SHE IS WATCHING THIS SHOW

SCWHRR THAT'S PRESSURE.

>> WE HAVE IN LEXINGTON NOT JUST

ONE OLYMPIAN, BUT TWO.

WE HAVE AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

IN FENCING LEE KIEFFER AND HER

HUSBAND GARRICK WHO WON A BRONZE

IN FENCING.

WE REACHED OUT TO THEM.

THEY UNDERSTANDABLY WERE PLAYING

CATCH UP FROM A YEAR OF TRAINING

FOR THE OLYMPICS.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM AND NOW

THE PRESSURE IS ON.

I'VE CALLED THEM OUT ON PUBLIC

TELEVISION.

>> Renee: YOU HAVE TO SEND THEM

A LEANING TO THE SHOW.

>> TO ME NOT ONLY IS THAT A

TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT, THESE

TWO FOLKS ARE ALSO IN MED SCHOOL

HERE THEY HAVE, I'M SURE

INTERESTING STORIES AS ANYBODY

ELSE I JUST KIND OF WANT TO KNOW

WHAT WERE THE OLYMPICS LIKE.

>> AND PARTICULARLY IN THE COVID

ERA WE ARE IN AND NOT HAVING

FAMILY PRESENT.

THE SHARED COMOB CURIOSITIES

THAT WE ALL HAVE, YOU WANT TO

KNOW AND, YEAH AND AT A TIME

WHEN WE ARE SO DIVIDED, SHAR

MEAN, I MEAN ALONG POLITICAL AND

RACIAL AND ETHNIC LINES, WE ARE

PRETTY FAR APART RIGHT NOW.

HOW CAN THIS BE A BRIDGE

BUILDER?

>> WELL, IT'S INTERESTING

BECAUSE I ALSO-- WHEN WE WERE

TALKING ABOUT THIS SHOW WE

REGARDED ALL 12 EPISODES WITHIN

12 WEEKS.

-- IN TWO WEEKS.

>> Renee: THAT'S AMBITIOUS.

I'M NOT WORTHY.

>> I SAID HAVE I TWO WEEKS

BEFORE I GO BACK TO WORK.

SO YOU HAVE ME FOR TWO WEEKS.

I DO THINK THE STORIES, LIKE DAN

SAID, HE SAID IT INCREDIBLY THAT

THEY'RE UNIVERSAL STORIES I

THINK ONCE YOU HUMANIZE A

CONCEPT, PEOPLE WILL COME

TOGETHER AND CHEER YOU ON THAT'S

THE OPTIMIST IN ME BUT I ALSO

THINK IT'S A PLATFORM FOR YOU'RE

EVERY PERSON.

WE WOULD LOVE-- WE WOULD LOVE TO

GET LEE TO COME TO THE SHOW BUT

WE HAVE A LOT-- WE HAVE AN

EDUCATION AMERICAN MOM WHO IS

TRYING TO RAISE THEIR CHILD IN

LOUISVILLE OR WE HAVE, THERE IS

A LOT OF EVERYDAY STORIES AND A

LOT OF I GIVES A PLATFORM FOR

PEOPLE TO RELATE TO AND

HUMANIZE.

AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT A VISUAL

MEDIUM, YOU CAN TUNE IN AND NOT

KNOW NECESSARILY THAT IT'S AAPI.

>> WE HAVE AN EP SOD COMING, I'M

NOT SURE WHEN IN THE SEASON.

THERE IS A LADY NAMED ANGELIQUE

WEAVER AND I DON'T WANT TO TELL

YOU ANYMORE ABOUT IT BUT IT'S A

GREAT, GREAT LISTEN.

SHE GREW UP IN WILLIAMSBURG

KENTUCKY WHICH SHE TOLD ME IS 1%

NOT WHITE, EYE SMALL COMMUNITY

TO BEGIN WITH 5,000 PEOPLE.

I WAS DOING THE MATH AND I WAS

LIKE YOU ARE ONE OF 50 NON-WHITE

PEOPLE IN THAT PLACE LIKE YOU

LITERALLY COULD NO EVERY

NON-WHITE PERSON IN THE PLACE.

SHE IS PROBABLY THE ONLY ASIAN

AMERICAN THERE.

I WILL JUST SAY THAT AS AN AUDIO

MEDIUM, HER EPISODE IS PRETTY

GREAT.

>> Renee: WE WILL BE LISTENING

TO THAT.

THAT'S THE LUXURY OF HAVING YOUR

OWN PLATFORM YOU GET TO CHOOSE

WHO IS INTERESTING TO YOU AND

THAT CAN VARY AND WHETHER THEY

DON'T WANT TO BE ON TELEVISION

OR DON'T WANT THEIR VOICE TO BE

HEARD.

WE KNOW THERE HAS BEEN

RESISTANCE BY SOME WHO FEAR

TELLING THEIR STORIES THEY FEAR

FOR NOT JUST THEIR LIVELIHOOD

BUT PERSONHOOD AND SAFETY, TO

THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HATE

COULD BE AT SUCH A LEVEL WHERE

IT MUZZLED PEOPLE'S FREEDOM OF

SPEECH, RIGHT?

>> WE HAD A COUPLE OF GUESTS WHO

SAID THEY WERE NOT COMFORTABLE

BEING ON THE SHOW BECAUSE

PARTICULARLY ONE WHO HAS NOT

COME OUT TO THEIR PARENTS YET.

THEY IDENTIFY WITH THE LGBTQ

COMMUNITY AND SO IT WAS GOING TO

BE TO BE ON A PUBLIC PLATFORM,

IT WAS SCARY TORE THEM.

WE REACHED OUT TO SOME PEOPLE

WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

FROM THE THE ASIAN AND THEY HAVE

SAID I'M NOT COMFORTABLE SHARING

THAT STORY RIGHT NOW AND BEING

HERE I THINK IT'S A FEAR.

I HAVE A VERY BIG FEAR OF BEING

VERY OPEN ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE.

I DON'T USUALLY TALK ABOUT IT IN

PUBLIC SETTINGS ESPECIALLY ON

LOUISVILLE PUBLIC MEDIA OR KET.

SO I'M NERVOUS OF FAMILY MEMBERS

WHO SAY WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT?

I'M NOT-- IT IS-- IT'S VERY

NERVE RACKING FOR ME BECAUSE I'M

NOT IN THE PUBLIC EYE BUT IT'S

AN IMPORTANT TIME AND IMPORTANT

MOMENT RIGHT NOW AND THAT

MOVEMENT HAS TO HAPPEN.

>> Renee: WHAT WE DO KNOW IS

THAT TRANSPARENCY MAKES AN

IMPACT AND IT MIGHT BE NEGATIVE

AT FIRST, BUT AT LEAST IT PLANTS

A SEED TO START A CONVERSATION,

EVEN WITH OUR OWN FAMILIES.

NOW IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME

SOME OF US NEED TO HAVE

CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FAMILIES,

IT'S RIGHT NOW BUT THAT'S A

DIFFERENT TOP TOPIC.

ITE HAS BEEN A PLEASURE MEETING

YOU CHARLENE AND DAN, YOU ARE

OLD HAT.

WE WANT TO HAVE YOU COME BACK

AND TEM US HOW IT IS GOING IN A

FEW MONTHS AND OUR BEST TO

EVERYBODY WHO HELPED MAKE THIS

HAPPEN AS WELL THANK YOU FOR

WATCHING THIS EDITION OF

CONNECTIONS, I'M RENEE SHAW.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO US IN PODCAST,

TOO GO ON ket.org.

CONNECT WITH ME ON FACEBOOK AND

TWITTER AND WEBSITE.