01. Asian Fetishization through Oriental Tropes

Welcome to K(no)w History, K(no)w Self! The first episode of our podcast analyzes the history of Asian immigration to the U.S, through policies such as the Page Act of 1875, Expatriation Act of 1907 and the War Brides Act of 1945. We believe that understanding these policies, which greatly impacted Asian immigration, as well as the perception of Asian women in this country, is crucial to understanding the context behind the Atlanta shooting and other hate crimes against Asian women. In this episode, we interview Grace Poon Ghaffari (she/her), who is a sexual violence prevention specialist, anti-racist educator, trauma-informed healer, and a Ph.D. student. She also works at Stanford as the Assistant Director, Education & Outreach Manager for the Office of Sexual Harassment/Assault Education & Response. Our interview with her connects the impact of harmful legislation and Oriental tropes to our experiences as Asian women and potential solutions for healing cycles of violence.