Turning Red, Forgotten Children, Spa Victims Remembered
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everyone,
Look out for the three of us next week on the Fascinating Podcast, which we all had a ton of fun recording today. The conversation ranged from random interesting bits of pop culture to all of the deepest subjects you’re used to us discussing. We know you’ll love it! And now, to this week’s highlights.
Suzie’s recommendations:
The false gospel of the American Dream perhaps rings most hollow for those who seek refuge in the United States from regions ravaged by American foreign policy, only to have domestic policy further dehumanize them. This gut-wrenching exposé by ProPublica sheds light on the failure of the American government to care for unaccompanied Afghan minors seeking asylum after the recent rise of the Taliban and pullout of US forces. These children have been imprisoned in shelters scattered across the country for months now. Some have resorted to violence, and others have attempted suicide. In one facility, some report violence from staff and sexual assault perpetrated by other minors. The article illustrates how islamophobia and xenophobia can transform even children into perceived threats in the eyes of their caregivers. As people called to care for the stranger and sojourner in our midst, most of all the least of these, we must seek to shed light on and to overturn systems and perspectives that dehumanize and destroy.
Lent is a time when we meditate on the intersection of life and death, lament and hope. This recent Lenten reflection by former Shake the Dust guest, Shadia Qubti, is a beautiful reminder of how fragile, baffling, and essential hope is. Shadia speaks as a Palestinian Christian and longtime advocate for peace and reconciliation between Israel and Palestine. Hers is not a superficial cry for hope in the spirit of American triumphalism. Rather, it is a challenge to decolonize our hope and deepen our solidarity. “Hope is an existential battle,” she shares, “My disillusionment is the beginning of my hope.” The talk is sponsored by Sabeel-Kairos, a faith-based network of communities, churches, organizations and individuals advocating for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. You can listen to the entire event or tune in for Shadia’s 15-minute segment beginning at 4:47.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
During Lent, I have reflected on how Jesus and many of the disciples suffered brutal beatings, abuse, and death while in state custody. Then I heard the story of Larry Earvin, a man beaten to death by prison guards just months before he was to be released. This season of NPR’s Motive podcast dives deep into the small town prisons that undergird the prison-industrial complex in Illinois and shines a light on the spaces where cameras don’t capture what happens. As someone from one of these small towns in Virginia, I yearn for a humanizing narrative of all those involved. Matthew 25 counts prisoners among those with whom Jesus most closely associates. What would it look like for us to see Jesus in those that stand condemned and are cast aside? Though it doesn’t end with listening, I believe it begins there.
Turning Red is a new Pixar movie about a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl who is coming of age and dealing with all of the things that come along with that – boys, hormones, friendships, and differentiating from her parents. The reason I think it is worth the time, energy, and thought to watch is because it unabashedly highlights subordinated narratives in American media. First off, the family is religious, but not Christian. Second, this young girl is from Canada. Third and fourth she’s Asian and female and the film does not translate or educate its audience on any of these identities that are rarely front and center on screen. If we are to participate in the ministry of reconciliation and bear witness to the diversity of the kingdom of God, making ourselves comfortable with and appreciative of those around us who embody gifts from God that we don’t possess is imperative. This film is an informative, entertaining opportunity to do just that.
Sy’s recommendations:
You may recall from our Shake the Dust episode on the foster care system our discussion of the assumptions, prejudices, and doubts constantly plaguing the mostly poor people and BIPOC parents from whom the system believes it must protect children at all costs. This is a story about the tragic consequences of the other half of that problem. What happens when a wealthy, white mother who knows how to deploy her many resources is actually abusive toward her teenage daughter? A recent New Yorker article attempts to retell a story you may have already heard. Originally, many outlets presented the story as a rich, white girl fabricating a tale of abuse to get into a good school and win a Rhodes Scholarship. Now, the Rhodes Scholarship revoked, her undergrad Latin honors stripped, and her M.S.W. in jeopardy, the girl tells the story of her years of physical and sexual abuse culminating in her mother convincing the media, Ivy League schools, prosecutors, family courts, and just about everyone else that it was all a lie.
We recently passed the one-year anniversary of the shootings in Atlanta, and I wanted to share two particularly powerful reflections by Asian-American women. The first is from Kathy Khang, one of the hosts of the Fascinating Podcast that we just recorded. She talks about the fear the Atlanta and subsequent killings created in her community, and how much sense those murders make if you understand how racism and church purity culture combine to affect Asian-American women in particular. The second is by Elaine Hsieh Chou. It is partially about the Atlanta shooting, but more broadly, it’s about the truly horrific ways that white men exoticize and demean Asian women. She takes the reader through experiences of hers and women she knows, but also dives deep into darker corners of the internet to reveal both the exploitation there and the people finding each other to heal. It has a content warning on it, but I will add that this one is a truly rough read. Both of these are necessary reads though as more and more Asian-American writers and activists attempt to shine a light on oppressive aspects of our culture we have ignored for far too long.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team