WEBVTT - Right-Wing Plants in Left-Wing Demonstrations -- A Conversation with Asian Soph

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<v Speaker 1>Keep on riding, would have says. We continue to broadcast

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<v Speaker 1>the balance and defend the discourse from the hip hop

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<v Speaker 1>Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher. I'm your host,

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<v Speaker 1>Ramsey's Ja.

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<v Speaker 2>He is Ramsey's Jaw. I am q Ward. You are

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully still tuned in or really just now tuning into

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<v Speaker 2>Civic Cipher.

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<v Speaker 1>Either way, we appreciate you and the time that you're

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<v Speaker 1>spending with us. And today's guest, who is a social

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<v Speaker 1>media influencer that goes by the name of Asian Soap.

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<v Speaker 1>She can be found online at the handle at Asian Underscore,

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<v Speaker 1>self sph or at Mixed Present and she is one

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<v Speaker 1>such individual who speaks on the mixed bipod multiracial experience

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<v Speaker 1>in the United States. And we are having just a

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<v Speaker 1>grand time talking with her about the state of the world.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, things have been better, but I think

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<v Speaker 1>that there's a sense of calmness that comes with at

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<v Speaker 1>least understanding the nature of the problem, and she certainly

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<v Speaker 1>help us get to the bottom of a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>the goings on. Before we continue our conversation, it is

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<v Speaker 1>time to be aba, become a better ally. And today's Baba,

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<v Speaker 1>we want you to visit stopaapihet dot org. It's been

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<v Speaker 1>a while since we've mentioned this org, but they are

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<v Speaker 1>one of our favorite orgs to support, and so I'll

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<v Speaker 1>share from their website. In the face of inhumane mass deportation,

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<v Speaker 1>raids on places like fruit farms and family homes, militarized

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<v Speaker 1>force against peaceful protesters, and a sharp escalation of Trump's

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<v Speaker 1>authoritarian political agend of millions of people, including many Asian

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<v Speaker 1>Americans and Pacific Islanders, decided they had enough. From Los

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<v Speaker 1>Angeles to San Francisco, and from Houston and Philadelphia, nationwide

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<v Speaker 1>protests bought together people of all backgrounds shouldered to shoulder

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<v Speaker 1>with Black, Indigenous, and Latino communities. They showed the world

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<v Speaker 1>what solidarity looks like and proved to each other that

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<v Speaker 1>they are stronger when they stand together.

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<v Speaker 3>The numbers add up.

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<v Speaker 1>According to the latest data from State of Hate Report,

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<v Speaker 1>more than nine to ten aapi adults believe in the

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<v Speaker 1>importance of cross racial solidarity, and more than eight and

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<v Speaker 1>ten believe it is necessary to end racial discrimination. Trump

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<v Speaker 1>is working over time to divide us against each other

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<v Speaker 1>any failing on all accounts. This means people cannot give

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<v Speaker 1>up now. We must continue to hold the line with

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<v Speaker 1>other communities. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and all others

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<v Speaker 1>need to keep joining protests, calling lawmakers, organizing communities, and

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<v Speaker 1>showing up for immigrant neighbors as would our closest friends,

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<v Speaker 1>because the fight for justice isn't over and we need

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<v Speaker 1>each other to continue pushing back against the abuse of

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<v Speaker 1>power against our communities. Data and research, policy and advocacy,

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<v Speaker 1>community care, and strategic communications are all ways that AAPI

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<v Speaker 1>or stop AAPI dot org uses your investment to make

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<v Speaker 1>an impact in the community. So do us a favor.

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<v Speaker 1>Visit STOPAAPI hate dot org and make a donation, or

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<v Speaker 1>if you can't do that, figure out some other way

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<v Speaker 1>to get involved again stop AAPI hate dot org. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>so self, let's switch gears because you have been on

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<v Speaker 1>the ground in Los Angeles. So I know that everyone

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<v Speaker 1>knows about.

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<v Speaker 4>The ice raids and the protests and so forth, but

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<v Speaker 4>not everybody has been able to get a first hand

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<v Speaker 4>account of what it was like to be on the ground.

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<v Speaker 1>So one of the things that we learned in twenty twenty,

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<v Speaker 1>because Q and I were both out protesting during the

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<v Speaker 1>racial reckoning of twenty twenty, Black Lives Matter movement.

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<v Speaker 3>Is that we could be out there with our children.

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<v Speaker 3>We could be out there.

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<v Speaker 1>Holding hands, singing songs, chanting Kendrick Lamar lyrics and all

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<v Speaker 1>that sort of stuff, and we'd go home after the

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<v Speaker 1>protest was over, after we'd reached the end and everyone

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<v Speaker 1>had dispersed, we would see on the news that it

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<v Speaker 1>was a riot or otherwise some form of some mischaracterization

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<v Speaker 1>of the event that took place. Like we could see

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<v Speaker 1>like I got an afro, So it's really easy to say, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>look at me, I'm in the corner right there, So

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<v Speaker 1>I was these are the protests we're ed.

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<v Speaker 3>I ain't see your riot at all.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, So again based in LA getting a chance to

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<v Speaker 1>go out to these protests, you know, I want you

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about what it's like on the ground, what

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<v Speaker 1>you've seen out there, and give you a chance to

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<v Speaker 1>really establish a factual narrative that is not secondhand for

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<v Speaker 1>our listeners.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, well, first and foremost anyone who's not actually here,

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<v Speaker 5>I always say they got the second last opinion because

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<v Speaker 5>you don't actually know you know what I mean, And

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<v Speaker 5>it's exactly what you said, Like it's beautiful community is

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<v Speaker 5>people coming together you know, we're demanding justice and dignity

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<v Speaker 5>and chain and trying to protect people in our community

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<v Speaker 5>and obviously pushing back against you. I mean, this was

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<v Speaker 5>part of the No Kings protests as well too, And

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<v Speaker 5>all it is is being in community with one another

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<v Speaker 5>almost always, like people are usually dancing, there's usually music,

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<v Speaker 5>like I have been at a myriad of protests that

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<v Speaker 5>are all different, and they usually involve a lot of joy,

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<v Speaker 5>and you can be there with your kids. A lot

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<v Speaker 5>of people were there with their kids, and oftentimes what

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<v Speaker 5>happens this is not a new tactic. Calling protests a

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<v Speaker 5>riot is just this classic tactic to delegitimize them. And

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<v Speaker 5>I've organized a number of rallies and marches and vigils

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<v Speaker 5>and all kinds of things, and what I see on

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<v Speaker 5>the ground is intention and care and community. It's very organized,

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<v Speaker 5>is very peaceful, but the media often zooms in on

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<v Speaker 5>the bad actors, and law enforcement is known to provoke,

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<v Speaker 5>can escalate as it always has. I mean, when you're

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<v Speaker 5>rooted in being slave catchers, it's rotten to the core

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<v Speaker 5>rights I'm just saying. And then that also it's known

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<v Speaker 5>historically that not only has law enforcement and government agencies

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<v Speaker 5>infiltrated a lot of these movements, but also the far

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<v Speaker 5>right to create chaos and to shift the narrative. It's

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<v Speaker 5>not new. It happened with the Black Panthers, it happened

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<v Speaker 5>with labor re unions, happened in Selma, happened in all

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<v Speaker 5>of these major movements. And these far right agitators come

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<v Speaker 5>in and infiltrate to cause chaos, and it gives the

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<v Speaker 5>cops a reason to justify a crackdown. It gives you know,

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<v Speaker 5>the National Guard or whoever's getting called in a reason

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<v Speaker 5>to have violence. And they don't reflect the heart of

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<v Speaker 5>the movement when this happens, and people it's just people

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<v Speaker 5>demanding dignity and justice and change, like I said. And

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<v Speaker 5>the media does such a great job at zooming in

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<v Speaker 5>on the wrong thing and talking about the wrong thing

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<v Speaker 5>all the time, and that's exactly what we're seeing. And

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<v Speaker 5>so people get this narrative that spoon fed to them,

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<v Speaker 5>and it shows how easily they fall for propaganda. And

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<v Speaker 5>that's how I feel about that.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it's a really interesting thing happening.

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<v Speaker 1>Now.

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<v Speaker 2>We talk about the muzzle velocity with which the president

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<v Speaker 2>has disrupted and really terrorized marginalized groups in this country

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<v Speaker 2>since he was re elected. And what I know about

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<v Speaker 2>our president, what I think a lot of people know

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<v Speaker 2>but some won't admit, is that he's not that bright,

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<v Speaker 2>he's not that intelligent, he's not that structured, he's not

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<v Speaker 2>that he didn't have his ducks in a row in

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<v Speaker 2>that way. So you'd imagine that there had to be

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<v Speaker 2>some pre planned, you know, maybe nine hundred million page

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<v Speaker 2>document that may have already been written, so that by

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<v Speaker 2>the time he became president, maybe all the steps that

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<v Speaker 2>he needed to take would already be laid out, and

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<v Speaker 2>he'd be able to very very efficiently execute something like

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<v Speaker 2>what he's doing now. Now, if only any of us

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<v Speaker 2>could have saw something like that coming before he got

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<v Speaker 2>elected and warned everybody about it, so that we could

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<v Speaker 2>have prepared ourselves and maybe made some different decisions. But

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<v Speaker 2>we didn't have that insight. We weren't able to warn people,

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<v Speaker 2>and we weren't able to let people know what was coming.

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<v Speaker 2>So now it's like a oiled machine. And even things

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<v Speaker 2>that are already diabolical in nature, you dig one layer

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<v Speaker 2>lead one layer deeper, or you flip through a couple

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<v Speaker 2>hundred more pages, and you realize that it's even more

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<v Speaker 2>nefarious than you thought. So what we see and those

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<v Speaker 2>of us who are frustrated, angered, hurt, terrified at the

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<v Speaker 2>possibility of what might happen to us and our families

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<v Speaker 2>with these ice raids, and with the way that immigrants

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<v Speaker 2>and just people of color in general are being treated.

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<v Speaker 2>They're not just singling out immigrants, They're using immigrants as

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<v Speaker 2>an excuse to really snatch up whoever they want, citizens

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<v Speaker 2>and non citizens alike. That by itself seems cruel enough,

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<v Speaker 2>but you start flipping through these pages and you realize

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<v Speaker 2>that there are people who are involved in a far

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<v Speaker 2>more nefarious and capitalistic way that might benefit in ways

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<v Speaker 2>you never imagined from being able to, you know, perhaps

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<v Speaker 2>snatch people off the streets and turn them into free labor.

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<v Speaker 2>I was wondering if you may have heard anything about

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<v Speaker 2>something like that possibly going on in our country, as

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<v Speaker 2>ice and people dressed as ice just our cart blunche

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<v Speaker 2>to snatch people off the street, out their cars, and

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<v Speaker 2>out of their homes.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, I mean just talking about the ice detention

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<v Speaker 5>centers themselves, which, by the way, a lot of these

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<v Speaker 5>popped up so fast. I mean, we can't like give

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<v Speaker 5>people housing. But somehow we can create these centers like

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<v Speaker 5>so quick. But they's just a humanitarian crisis. And they're

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<v Speaker 5>detained without due process, which is unconstitutional. In the constitution,

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<v Speaker 5>you don't have to be a citizen to get certain rights,

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<v Speaker 5>and a lot of people just don't know enough about

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<v Speaker 5>the constitution and I think that's a huge problem. But

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<v Speaker 5>they're detained without due process. The conditions are horrid. It's

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<v Speaker 5>a dollar a day, you know, for labor, five dollars

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<v Speaker 5>per phone call. I mean, we see that. I mean,

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<v Speaker 5>it's just basically like the prison system. Essentially, it's minimal

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<v Speaker 5>medical care. You know. Some people were talking about they

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<v Speaker 5>haven't been fed. Some people were talking about they were

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<v Speaker 5>snatched up and held in abasement and not fed. Families

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<v Speaker 5>didn't know where they were. And these centers are run

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<v Speaker 5>very much by for profit companies that with government contracts

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<v Speaker 5>that require them to stay full. There's quotas, and people's

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<v Speaker 5>freedom is directly tied to a business model, much like

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<v Speaker 5>the prison system.

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<v Speaker 3>Same way.

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<v Speaker 5>So if someone has proven to be wrongfully detained, they've

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<v Speaker 5>still endured a system designed to dehumanize them. And it's

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<v Speaker 5>not just about immigration policy. It's incarceration for profit, which

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<v Speaker 5>is very much a legacy of the United States. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, I don't know what even else to say, Like,

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, there's not enough words in the language, in

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<v Speaker 5>the English language to talk about how despicable I think

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<v Speaker 5>all of this is.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, this is why I think the protests are

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<v Speaker 1>so necessary and why I think, you know, conversations like

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<v Speaker 1>these are necessary.

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<v Speaker 3>Right now.

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<v Speaker 1>You know there, you know, there's one half of the

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<v Speaker 1>country that is controlling all the levers of government, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's up to the rest of us to ensure that

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<v Speaker 1>this doesn't become the norm for this country. Those of

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<v Speaker 1>us that still believe in the promise of this country,

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<v Speaker 1>those of us who are born here or not, that

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<v Speaker 1>have a vested interest in the success of this country,

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<v Speaker 1>it's up to us to.

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<v Speaker 3>Protest. That's what we that's what we're able to do.

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<v Speaker 1>And for those of us that feel that we're under

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<v Speaker 1>a hostile government, it's still, for the most part, technically

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<v Speaker 1>legal for us to do that. I want to circle

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<v Speaker 1>back though, because you mentioned something that I think a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people maybe don't realize. First, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>connect a couple dots. You said something about, you know, tactics,

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<v Speaker 1>right wing tactics that they'll use to change narratives, co

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<v Speaker 1>op narratives, you know, rebrand things, et cetera. And to

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<v Speaker 1>their credit, they're very good at that. You mentioned, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>people on the right fil trading movements, you know, protests, etc.

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<v Speaker 1>Police infil trading movements. And this is something that I

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<v Speaker 1>remember too. I was in like the discord chats, and

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<v Speaker 1>like I got into the deep end real early because

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<v Speaker 1>I was on the radio. So they were like, hey, look,

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<v Speaker 1>we could trust you, so look out for these people.

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<v Speaker 1>They usually wear these type of shoes and blah blah blah,

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<v Speaker 1>and you could see them out there and they would

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<v Speaker 1>whisper in our ear. Hey, that guy is probably one

0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:32.640
<v Speaker 1>of them. So anyway, I have not yet come across

0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:40.280
<v Speaker 1>the same type of kind of underhanded strategies used by

0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:44.240
<v Speaker 1>folks on the left, folks who are more progressive in

0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:47.280
<v Speaker 1>terms of their politics. I don't know if there were

0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:52.600
<v Speaker 1>any leftists on January sixth at that protest. They were

0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.520
<v Speaker 1>also trying to set it off and trying to you know,

0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.320
<v Speaker 1>create friction unnecessarily. I think that those were all bona

0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:04.920
<v Speaker 1>fide right wingers doing exactly what their boss told him

0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:08.880
<v Speaker 1>to do, and indeed, in any movement, I haven't really

0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:13.839
<v Speaker 1>seen that, but I will say that the opposite. You know,

0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.520
<v Speaker 1>I was at a No King's protest in Phoenix and

0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.400
<v Speaker 1>there was a gentleman that came out. He was wearing

0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:24.400
<v Speaker 1>a gentleman loosely, but he came out and he was

0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:28.080
<v Speaker 1>wearing a some sort of I don't know what this

0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:29.840
<v Speaker 1>shirt said, I forget, but it had some sort of

0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:33.240
<v Speaker 1>message on the shirt that implied that he was a

0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:36.880
<v Speaker 1>right winger. But you wouldn't know because you know, there's

0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:38.800
<v Speaker 1>a lot of American flags out there, and indeed I

0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.360
<v Speaker 1>love that effort for folks to reclaim the American flag

0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:44.000
<v Speaker 1>for all of us, not just for the right wing.

0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:45.680
<v Speaker 3>But this guy's out there.

0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:47.840
<v Speaker 1>He's got a full face mask, like full ski mask on,

0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:50.200
<v Speaker 1>which again there are some people that that's how they

0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:54.680
<v Speaker 1>move nowadays, right, But he gets out there and he

0:14:54.840 --> 0:14:58.960
<v Speaker 1>like starts picking a fight with somebody. Was super weird.

0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.680
<v Speaker 1>And you know, of course there's the shouting, the back

0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:04.880
<v Speaker 1>and forth. But he's there all alone at the No

0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:08.880
<v Speaker 1>Kings protest, so everybody there is on one side of

0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.880
<v Speaker 1>this topic. He's out there on his own starting a

0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:19.040
<v Speaker 1>fight that that turns into like a fistfight, and you know,

0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:21.840
<v Speaker 1>the guy ends up losing that fight. Indeed, there were

0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:23.960
<v Speaker 1>other people that jumped in to try to break the

0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:25.760
<v Speaker 1>fight up, but this was a bigger guy, so he

0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.360
<v Speaker 1>had a couple of people on him just to tone

0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:32.680
<v Speaker 1>him down. He would say he got jumped, but you know,

0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:34.880
<v Speaker 1>I don't know what he expected to come out there,

0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:37.800
<v Speaker 1>and it'd be like seven thousand people versus him. You know.

0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:43.000
<v Speaker 1>But anyway, once he gets up, after you know, his defeat,

0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:49.400
<v Speaker 1>he pulls out a gun. Everybody starts running okay, and

0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:52.920
<v Speaker 1>you know, people start telling the police, oh, he's got

0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:56.360
<v Speaker 1>a gun. He's got a gun. Cop jumps out, chopper

0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:59.200
<v Speaker 1>on deck, runs into the crowd, grabs him, arrests him.

0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:00.960
<v Speaker 3>Brings him to the car. Now I saw this happen.

0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:01.880
<v Speaker 3>I got a video of it.

0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:06.200
<v Speaker 1>And people in the comments section we're trying to say, oh,

0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:08.040
<v Speaker 1>y'all jumped in when he was out there, you know,

0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:11.040
<v Speaker 1>the political opposition, They were saying all that type of stuff.

0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:16.880
<v Speaker 1>But I suspect that he was one such infiltrator or

0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:20.440
<v Speaker 1>a counter protester that didn't come out there to hold

0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:23.960
<v Speaker 1>a sign and you know, be accounted among the numbers.

0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:28.360
<v Speaker 1>He came out there to actually start friction. Now, because

0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:30.960
<v Speaker 1>I know that this has happened with individuals. Indeed, that's

0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:32.840
<v Speaker 1>the most recent example I've seen, but I've seen it

0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:33.640
<v Speaker 1>happen with police.

0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:37.200
<v Speaker 3>I've seen police throw rocks, you know, like all kinds

0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:37.600
<v Speaker 3>of stuff.

0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:43.720
<v Speaker 1>And I know that there's this narrative on the right

0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:47.320
<v Speaker 1>that you know, there's LA is this lawless land full

0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:53.200
<v Speaker 1>of agitators and rioters and whatnot. I guess what would

0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:55.600
<v Speaker 1>you if you could talk to a person who consumes

0:16:55.640 --> 0:17:00.200
<v Speaker 1>far right content, what would you say to them if

0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:04.320
<v Speaker 1>they were legitimately curious about the nature of not just

0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:08.400
<v Speaker 1>the protests, the recent protest, but protest from more progressive

0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:10.200
<v Speaker 1>groups in general. What would you say to a person

0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:12.080
<v Speaker 1>be willing to listen but has that viewpoint.

0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:16.639
<v Speaker 5>Well, I usually am like, do you want like a

0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:18.880
<v Speaker 5>short answer or a long answer? A longer answer would

0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:22.639
<v Speaker 5>include more historical facts. But for the most part, what

0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:25.840
<v Speaker 5>I would tell somebody is, don't believe what you see

0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:29.160
<v Speaker 5>in a ten second clip. You know, come to the protests,

0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:32.200
<v Speaker 5>see the organized Like when I say community people are

0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:35.200
<v Speaker 5>handing out water, they're handing out food, they're taking care

0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:38.760
<v Speaker 5>of each other there. When you organize, often you have

0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:41.640
<v Speaker 5>to coordinate, like people to keep you safe and medics,

0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.919
<v Speaker 5>and there's a lot of translation being done for elders

0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:48.560
<v Speaker 5>or people who may not speak English. It's protecting each other.

0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:54.800
<v Speaker 5>And you see the love and the acknowledgement land acknowledgments. Yeah,

0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:58.080
<v Speaker 5>like you see the love and the rage that drives

0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:00.639
<v Speaker 5>people to be in the streets. Not for destruction, but

0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:06.000
<v Speaker 5>it's for dignity. And you know, another thing to do

0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:10.000
<v Speaker 5>is to ask why don't just take things at face value?

0:18:10.119 --> 0:18:13.800
<v Speaker 5>Ask why? And ask who is benefiting from you believing

0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:17.400
<v Speaker 5>this narrative about it? You know, the real issues are

0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.800
<v Speaker 5>not broken windows, They're not any sort.

0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:22.280
<v Speaker 3>Of property on fire.

0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:28.479
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, the broken system is the issue. The system that

0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:30.840
<v Speaker 5>made the protest necessary is the issue.

0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:32.200
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, very good place.

0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:35.800
<v Speaker 5>And I think a lot of people just again, they

0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:38.440
<v Speaker 5>take a lot of things at face value and are

0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:40.480
<v Speaker 5>very much not interested in doing their own research and

0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:43.800
<v Speaker 5>critically thinking, which is really upsetting because you miss out

0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:46.879
<v Speaker 5>on the opportunity to really grow as a person and

0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:48.280
<v Speaker 5>to really expand your worldview.

0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.200
<v Speaker 3>All right, well, let's shift gears here.

0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.719
<v Speaker 1>Do us a favor, and because there's there's a lot

0:18:59.720 --> 0:19:06.080
<v Speaker 1>of conversations in different like racial groups, and you're one

0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:09.119
<v Speaker 1>such person that might be able to speak to the

0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:13.000
<v Speaker 1>experiences or the conversations being had in one such group,

0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:16.879
<v Speaker 1>discuss what the implications are for Asian Americans to join

0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:22.920
<v Speaker 1>this movement or what the consequences could be if they don't.

0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:28.760
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, honestly, not just for Asian Americans, for all people

0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:37.000
<v Speaker 5>who are in a marginalized identity group. At the end

0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:41.400
<v Speaker 5>of the day, all of this is rooted in racism.

0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:45.000
<v Speaker 5>It all goes back to colonization, it all goes back

0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:47.959
<v Speaker 5>to slavery, it all goes back. It's all motivated by

0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:53.199
<v Speaker 5>the same things. And you know, Asian Americans actually have

0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:58.440
<v Speaker 5>a very long, powerful history of solidarity with other marginalized identities. Yes,

0:19:58.520 --> 0:20:01.840
<v Speaker 5>I know, yeah, from the Third World Liberation Front and

0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:04.200
<v Speaker 5>the Black Student Union at.

0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:06.760
<v Speaker 3>San Francis very good, the Udi.

0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:10.760
<v Speaker 5>Kochiyama standing beside Malcolm ed you know, Grace Lee Boggs

0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:14.399
<v Speaker 5>and her husband. But too often that history has been

0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:19.280
<v Speaker 5>hidden and instead we're fed this myth of the model

0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:23.280
<v Speaker 5>minority to be a wedge between us and other communities

0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:25.119
<v Speaker 5>of color. And a lot of it, at the end

0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:27.280
<v Speaker 5>of the day, is rooted in anti blackness, and anyone

0:20:27.280 --> 0:20:32.159
<v Speaker 5>who doesn't understand that the only reason we have the

0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:34.600
<v Speaker 5>ability to be citizens and to vote and to have

0:20:34.640 --> 0:20:36.560
<v Speaker 5>the rights that we have is because of black people

0:20:37.040 --> 0:20:40.600
<v Speaker 5>just doesn't know enough about our history. And if we're

0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:43.080
<v Speaker 5>not asking the question of why and who does this

0:20:43.160 --> 0:20:47.119
<v Speaker 5>benefit for us? To not be aware of this stuff again,

0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:51.040
<v Speaker 5>you you can be so easily swayed and conditioned into

0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:53.719
<v Speaker 5>believing things that are not rooted in reality, and then

0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:55.800
<v Speaker 5>you end up voting against your best interests. Like those

0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:59.240
<v Speaker 5>Asians who voted against affirmative action and did that whole lawsuit.

0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:01.959
<v Speaker 5>They just took the word of the white man, and

0:21:02.000 --> 0:21:06.560
<v Speaker 5>that's we got to stop taking else But anyway, joining

0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:10.760
<v Speaker 5>the movement isn't just about you know, being transactional or

0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:13.080
<v Speaker 5>showing up for ourselves. It's about showing up for others.

0:21:13.440 --> 0:21:16.640
<v Speaker 5>It's about reclaiming our own history and our own dignity

0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.840
<v Speaker 5>and our own collective liberation. Because it's really true that

0:21:20.960 --> 0:21:24.080
<v Speaker 5>saying unless we're all free, no one's free. And if

0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:27.840
<v Speaker 5>we stay silent, if we at the end of the day,

0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:30.879
<v Speaker 5>risk being used as pawns and systems that were not

0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:33.199
<v Speaker 5>built or designed for us at all, they are not

0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:36.320
<v Speaker 5>built or designed to protect us. And unity at the

0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:38.320
<v Speaker 5>end of the day is power and we need each

0:21:38.320 --> 0:21:42.119
<v Speaker 5>other now more than ever. And if you're not going

0:21:42.160 --> 0:21:45.120
<v Speaker 5>to show up now, don't ask people to show up

0:21:45.359 --> 0:21:47.040
<v Speaker 5>when it's you that's on the chopping block.

0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:49.840
<v Speaker 3>Just can't be like that.

0:21:50.920 --> 0:21:56.080
<v Speaker 1>Well, those are some powerful words and then words that

0:21:56.119 --> 0:21:58.280
<v Speaker 1>we all can use, not just one community, but all

0:21:58.320 --> 0:22:01.560
<v Speaker 1>of us can use. So unfortunately we're out of time.

0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:03.160
<v Speaker 1>I'd love to keep talking to you, so we're gonna

0:22:03.200 --> 0:22:04.600
<v Speaker 1>have to have you back on the show. But I

0:22:04.640 --> 0:22:06.000
<v Speaker 1>appreciate the time that you spent.

0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:06.480
<v Speaker 3>With us today.

0:22:07.040 --> 0:22:09.359
<v Speaker 1>Do us a favorite before you jet shout out all

0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:11.520
<v Speaker 1>your social media how folks can tap in with you

0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:14.720
<v Speaker 1>and keep up with all the content that you're putting out.

0:22:15.440 --> 0:22:19.200
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, so you go find me at Asian sof Asian Underscore,

0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:23.480
<v Speaker 5>s oph on TikTok and Instagram. I actually do prefer

0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:27.280
<v Speaker 5>TikTok more. And then you can also find me at

0:22:27.320 --> 0:22:30.320
<v Speaker 5>Mixed to Present on Instagram as well too.

0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:34.760
<v Speaker 1>Okay, and don't forget you can follow us on all

0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:37.919
<v Speaker 1>platforms at Civic Cipher. You can check me out. I

0:22:37.960 --> 0:22:41.240
<v Speaker 1>am Rams's job on platforms.

0:22:41.119 --> 0:22:43.360
<v Speaker 2>I am Qward on all social media as.

0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:44.560
<v Speaker 3>Well, and do us a favorite.

0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:47.280
<v Speaker 1>Hit the website Civiccipher dot com and you can submit

0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:50.120
<v Speaker 1>any questions topics you want us to cover, make a donation,

0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:55.040
<v Speaker 1>download any previous episodes, and anything else that you need

0:22:55.119 --> 0:22:57.600
<v Speaker 1>is right there, and we're coming back at you next week,

0:22:57.600 --> 0:22:57.920
<v Speaker 1>all right,