Poet Cathy Park Hong on ‘Minor Feelings’ and Anti-Asian Racism in the Age of COVID

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2020

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In her new book of essays, "Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning," poet Cathy Park Hong weaves memoir with cultural criticism to explore topics of racial identity, shame, politics and capitalism. Hong describes “minor feelings” as "emotions built from the sediments of everyday racial experience and the irritant of having one’s perception of reality constantly questioned or dismissed.” It’s a feeling that’s particularly acute during the pandemic, which she says has “unmasked” a vicious anti-Asian racism. We'll talk to Hong about the book, Asian American identity and anti-Asian racism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Every runner knows the moment when everything clicks.
0:04.0	When your legs lock into a rhythm, the aches float away and doubts fade.
0:08.0	Replaced by a feeling of euphoria.
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1:02.7	From KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim.
1:07.9	Coming up on forum, we talk with writer Kathy Park Hong about her new book titled, Minor Feelings, An Asian American Reckoning.
1:10.6	It's a collection of essays where she explores the complexities and contradictions of an Asian
1:15.2	American identity.
1:16.5	Hong describes minor feelings as, quote, emotions built from the sediments of everyday
	...

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