A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Important Links: Queer Hmong Intersectional Pride Instagram Hmong Innovating Politics Instagram Hmong Innovating Politics Website Transcript: Cheryl: Good evening, everyone. You are tuned in to APEX Express. I’m your host, Cheryl Truong and tonight is an AACRE night. What is AACRE might be asking. Comprised of 11 grassroots, social justice groups, the Asian Americans for civil rights and Equality Network– AACRE– leverages the power of its network to focus on longterm movement building and support for Asian Americans committed to the fight for social justice. Speaking of AACRE groups. APEX Express is proud to be apart of the AACRE Network. Joining us for tonight’s show from Yokuts also known as Fresno, california is my special, big hearted friend Shai Chang from Hmong Innovating Politics. Also known as HIP. Shai, do you mind introducing yourself? Who are you, who are your people, and where do you come from? Shai Chang: Yes, thank you so much for having me on the show. My name is Shai pronouns are they and them. I’m located in Yokuts Valley, currently in Fresno, California. I’m actually working with Hmong Innovating Politics located both in Sacramento and Fresno. I’m in the Fresno. And officially, just recently in October, I got my name title changed to be the Trans and Queer Fresno Community Organizer. So I am so ecstatic to be doing the trans and queer work in the Central Valley, yeah, born and raised in Fresno, Hmong, Southeast Asian, and really, actually I was born in a house. The rest of my siblings were born in the hospital. We were actually, the reason why was because we were trying to go to the hospital and my dad was like, Oh, wait for me, wait for me, wait for me, and couldn’t wait any longer. Cheryl: And then you just popped out. You couldn’t wait any longer. Did your dad make it in time? Shai Chang: I think my dad made it in time, but only in time for us to come out. Cheryl: I didn’t know that about you, Shai, that you were a home birth. How many siblings do you have? Shai Chang: I have five other siblings. We were all born one year apart. Honestly, like, growing up, I really loved the idea of, Oh, we’re all born one year apart. It’s so nice. My siblings were so close. And now I’m looking back, Oh my gosh, my mom. Oh Cheryl: my gosh. are any of your siblings also trans or queer? Shai Chang: No, um, one of them is queer, but, the rest of my family is, actually very progressive and a great ally to me. So I’ve been very privileged and blessed. Cheryl: Do you think that’s a common Hmong queer experience to have supportive and progressive parents? Shai Chang: so I’m not actually out to my parents or my grandparents or my uncles or some of my aunts. I am out to my siblings and so I think it’s very interesting and I’m still grappling along with that as well. I think there is internal work to be done. It’s that both I think it’s, this is a reality of some things. It’s that outside of the community, I’m queer and trans and at home, I’m very much having to play a role. My dad is a shaman and so he does do, they do come from a lot more like traditional values and conservative values. And at the same time, they are progressive on things. I think that they understand racial issues. But not gender issues. So you can wear, for example, I would say like my aunt, she it’s like progressive and the most conservative ways, so it’s like. Oh yeah, I’m totally okay that you’re gay, Shai, but if my kids wore earrings, that’s too feminine. Cheryl: Thanks for sharing that shy. It’s sounds like you’ve had to navigate a lot of different spaces, also expectations. I’m curious, what was it like growing up queer in Fresno? Shai Chang: I think that it has really shaped me because I feel like I came into my queerness and my transness so late. I feel like I came into being who and knowing who I am or what I am so late into my life. It wasn’t until I was much more exposed into the organizing work over in the Bay Area. And so obviously big props to Lavender Phoenix. Cheryl: Love them. Shout out Lavender Phoenix. Shai Chang: And just really seeing so many of the organizers really live and their truth and who they are. And I. And having to also trying to figure out what that means for myself as well. Also knowing that How many other like Hmong trans queer folks are also might be going through the same thing as well. And so there is a definitely a strong sense of unwelcome this or not even unwelcome this, but not the intentional welcome. Right. When we think of radical welcome. From Lavender Phoenix, there is a lack of radical welcomeness within our Hmong community, and so, especially for trans and queer folks, and it wasn’t...
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