An identity crisis at the heart of the election; plus, disrupting biracial fantasies

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 27 September 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Following the false allegations against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, the city received over 30 bomb threats, saw school closures and even the cancellation of a celebration for diversity in arts and culture. Host Brittany Luse talks to NPR Immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd about what she's learned from her reporting in the region and how all this could tie into a larger Midwest identity crisis.

Then, Brittany is joined by Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, to talk about how she's seen biracial representation change over the last three decades, and what it means to be in the "Not Like Us" era. They dig into her latest novel and its perspective on racial profiteering.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Look, raising a teen is tough. You know, it's always been hard to be a teenager and it's always been hard to raise a teenager.
0:08.0	I think a lot of parents feel like their kid has broken up with them.
0:11.0	But this school year can be different, with Life Kids guide on supporting your teenager.
0:15.0	Listen to the Life Kit podcast from NPR.
0:19.0	Hello, I'm Brittany Loose, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR.
0:29.1	A show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident.
0:34.0	This week we're connecting the dots between niceness, cannibalism, and Henry Ford.
0:46.8	I know, I know, how are all these things connected?
0:50.1	Well, we're going to find out with NPR Immigration Correspondent Jasmine Garst.
0:54.6	Jasmine, welcome to it's been a minute.
0:56.4	Thank you for having me.
0:57.8	Quick question. When you think Midwest, what comes to mind?
1:02.2	I think the first thing that comes to mind is like this stereotype of niceness, of Midwestern like wholesome niceness.
1:11.0	I think of bad weather because I feel like several times I've been working in the
1:15.0	Midwest and got stuck in like atrocious ice storms.
1:19.7	Okay fair, that's fair.
1:21.5	And then I think I definitely think about a disenfranchised alienated working white class, you know?
1:28.8	I kind of like cue M&M music. Okay, I have to say you gave a much more thoughtful and in depth.
1:38.0	Okay, I have to say you gave a much more thoughtful and in-depth response than I have to that question when I think in the Midwest I think of what you brought up, some of that ideal or that fantasy of the Midwest today.
1:59.0	But first, a horror story. During the debate a couple weeks back we heard a completely unfounded claim
2:05.5	that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating their neighbor's pets.
2:10.3	It's a scary idea for sure, but also one that's not true.
	...

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