Episode 114: Alt-Right Asian Fetish, Temporary Protected Status, and Raw Water

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the Asian fetish of some alt-right white nationalists, President Trump’s plan to revoke protections for Salvadorans, and the raw water craze.

 

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

 

• White nationalism is not necessarily incompatible with heterosexual romantic attraction to Asian women, Audrea Lim wrote in the New York Times. Niki referred to Asian women’s complicity in this dynamic as akin to that of alt-right women more broadly, as discussed in Harper’s. Natalia and Niki referred to this Plan A article explaining how anti-Asian gender stereotyping also marginalizes Asian-American men. Niki referred to Jeffrey Guo’s reporting in the Washington Post that it wasn’t unique drive among Asian-Americans that made them a “model minority”, but the gradual diminishing of anti-Asian racism. We all recommend Ellen D. Wu’s book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority.
• The Trump administration has announced that it will revoke “Temporary Protected Status” for nearly 200,000 Salvadorans who benefit from it. Niki cited Carly Goodman’s Washington Post article pointing to the origins of TPS.
• “Raw water” is all the rage among a certain subset of the wellness world, reported publications from the New York Times to the National Review. Natalia cited Tamara Venit Shelton’s Public Seminar article about the origins of the obsession with “natural living.”

 

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Kathleen Kelly Janus’ new book Social Startup Success.
• Neil discussed the controversy over this New York Times obituary of LDS president Thomas Monson. He also referred to this catalog of all obituaries of LDS presidents.
• Niki shared this New York Times article about #MeToo pioneer Patricia Douglas.