Sherry C. Wang’s media work on anti-Asian racism and COVID-19
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Dr. Sherry C. Wang’s publicly-accessible media work on anti-Asian racism
(updated Nov 2021)
(updated Nov 2021)
2021
- 1/24/2023: I was interviewed by KQED The Forum: Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay Reeling After Mass Shootings to talk about the aftermath of the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shooting that happened back to back, and its impact on the Asian American community.
- 1/25/2023: I helped to conceptualize the article writing in the The Atlantic: The Cognitive Dissonance of the Monterey Park Shooting to talk about the psychological process, impact, and confusion in the aftermath of the Monterey Park shooting.
- 1/26/2023: I was interviewed for the Chinese Daily newspaper to emphasize the value of Chinese Americans seeking mental health, particularly in the aftermath of the Monterey Park shooting.
- 6/21/22: I was invited to the CNN podcast, "Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta" to talk about anti-Asian hate, racism, and racial trauma.
- 4/13/2022: I was part of a Grace Under Pressure Series (Town Halls on Mental Health), entitled, Taking Time To Breathe: Mental Health Providers and Mental Health alongside other mental health care providers to talk about our perspectives on the pandemic, racism, bias and mental health. Also available on YouTube and with ASL.
- 10/15/2021: I was quoted in a New York Times article, Hate Crimes and Pandemic Lead More Asian Americans to Seek Therapy to talk about what it means to address the mental health and well-being of Asian Americans in the midst of hate crimes and the pandemic.
- 9/29/2021: I was invited to the podcast, “SuperPsyched with Adam Dorsay,” to talk about Being an Ally to Asian Americans. I discussed what it means to be an upstander and asked for greater societal responsibility to engage in cross-racial coalition-building to combat anti-Asian racism, xenophobia, and anti-Blackness.
- 7/14/21: I was interviewed by the "Inclusivity Included" podcast to speak on the the topic of “Cultivating the mental health and well-being of diverse employees.” In this episode, I discuss the disparities in BIPOC mental health to emphasize the challenges of healthcare access, such as the difficulties of finding culturally sensitive care. I urge companies and corporations to address issues related to access and stigma and to attend to BIPOC well-being rather than only shine light on BIPOC distress and illness.
- 6/26/21: I am one of the organizers and presenters of the Academics for Black Lives Matter: BIPOC Solidarity Immersion: Challenging Anti-Blackness and Working Toward Collective Liberation, a 4-hour immersion event to address BIPOC solidarity to combat anti-Blackness. Links to follow!
- 6/21/2021: East Side Stories interviewed me for their documentary, entitled "Everything you need to know about Asian-American racism and activism" -- available on youtube!
- 6/18/21: I was interviewed by NBC Bay Area about the racial trauma that BIPOC experience after a video went viral with Latinx man, Antonio Chavez interrogated in Pacific Heights, CA, by a White man, Eli J. Horowitz, who threatens to call the police after asking him to verify his identity.
- 5/29/2021: I gave an hour-long keynote presentation to the North American Chinese Psychological Association, Global Asian Summit, entitled, Asian empowerment in the midst of anti-Asian racism. The presentation is online and translated (in real time) in Mandarin, Chinese! The day-long conference was an opportunity for Asians, worldwide to collectively talk about race, ethnicity, identity, and community, to highlight Asian identity in the diaspora.
- 5/24/2021: I wrote an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle that integrates my own life experience with my research on anti-Asian racism & COVID19. In short, my message is that anti-Asian racism & racial trauma is nuanced. I therefore ask for every single person's advocacy to fight racism & white supremacy together! The article is entitled: What's it like to walk in an Asian American's shoes? No one bothers to ask. So I did.
- 5/19/2021: I was a panel speaker at Reed Smith’s 2021 international Mental Health Summit, entitled "Making a positive impact on the mental health of diverse employees". This one of the 1st law firm conferences addressing mental wellness in the legal profession & wider business community! What was exciting about this event is that the audience wasn’t BIPOC employees. It was administrators, HR staff members, and the people high above who can make institutional changes for BIPOC staff. All of the presentations are available online!
- 5/8/21: I offered a 2-hour continuing education (CE) session for psychologists, entitle at the Wright Institute, entitled, “Social Justice & Advocacy for Asian Americans Amidst Anti-Asian Racism: What Clinicians Need to Know,” CEFlyer_SherryWang.pdf (wi.edu)
- 5/14/21: The Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health 2021-2021 Convening Series invited me to be one of their panel speakers at an event, entitled COVID-19's Impact on Immigrant and Refugee Communities Part 2: Asian Immigrants’ Access to Health Care and Mental Health Services in the Midst of Virus-Blaming and Increased Racism and Xenophobia. Link to this video will be available in June 2021.
- 4/29/2021: I had the honor of doing a 1:1 interview with the infamous Helen Zia to talk to her about Asian American activism, intersectionality, and how to sustain social justice & advocacy work over time. The event is entitled, “Combating Anti-Asian Hate - Past, Present, and Future of Asian American Activism” and is available in youtube!
- 4/18/2021: Did y’all catch my 5-minute segment on KCBS Radio on Sunday morning? I gave some tips + recommendations for how we can talk to our kids about anti-Asian racism: How To Talk To Your Kids About Anti-Asian Hate And Racism. Spoiler: We have to talk about it. We have to initiate it. And we will play a role in showing our kids how to cope with the fear + anxiety of the unknown without blaming themselves. We can teach them how to help others, how to intervene, and to try to stay as safe as they can.
- 4/14/2021: Joining filmmaker, Renee Tajima-Pena (UCLA), director of Who Killed Vincent Chin? and producer of the PBS series Asian Americans for a discussion featuring 3 SCU faculty: Juliana Chang (English), James Lai (Ethnic Studies), and Sherry Wang (Counseling Psychology), moderated by Judy Tzu-Chun Wu (UCI). SCU’s Barbara Molony (History) will provide an introduction: The event was entitled: The Urgency of Now: Responding to Anti-Asian Violence in the U.S.
- 4/9/2021: I was interviewed for an article in the APA Monitor, entitled, The mental health impact of anti-Asian racism. I talk about my research and what I am learning from my data on anti-Asian racism during COVID19 and emphasize the detrimental impact of the model minority myth, the lack of a victim-centered approach to addressing anti-Asian racism, and the need for more bystanders to intervene.
- 4/2/2021: Did you catch me on Fox11 Good Day LA's #StopAsianHate special? It was dedicated to discussions and stories surrounding combating Asian hate, and I was invited for a 10 minute segment to talk about the model minority stereotype and how detrimental it is to Asian Americans. I was featured with journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Maki Hsieh from Asian Hall of Fame.
- 3/26/2021 & 3/29/2021: I have 2 articles in the Chinese American newspaper... written in Chinese! They are available in simplified and traditional text and printed in the Taiwanese and Chinese newspapers. Both pieces integrate a personal spotlight with my message to the Chinese American community. I provide tips on self-protection, emphasize the importance of mental health and professional counseling services, the need for solidarity within our Asian pan-ethnic group, and I urge us to fight against anti-Blackness and to unite together to combat white supremacy with cross-racial solidarity. The shortened version is here (仇恨犯罪造成亞裔恐懼 鼓勵尋求心理專業諮商),and translates into: "Hate crimes create fear amongst Asian Americans and professional mental health services are encouraged." The longer article (台裔心理諮商師 戮力為亞裔療傷止痛) details more of my professional biography to integrate a longer-version of the recommendations I describe above, and the title translates into, "Sherry Wang, Taiwanese born psychologist, addresses the pain and healing of Asian Americans."
- 3/24/2021: I'm on a podcast! Brooklyn Arts Media or Brooklyn Information and Culture invited me to be on their podcast episode on the rise of hate and racist attacks against the Asian community in the U.S. I was interviewed for BRIC Radio and in this podcast, I talk about my definition of anti-racist education, the history of the yellow peril, my concerns that we deny the "American" nature of hate crimes, and what we need to do to move forward together.
- 3/23/2021: I was quoted in Vice Canada, in an article entitled, "Anti-Asian hate is skyrocketing in Canada: Here's how communities can fight back". In this article, I answer the question of "how do we combat anti-Asian racism?" to emphasize the need to build community solidarity, reject stereotypes like the model minority myth, and to intervene on each others' behalf.
- 3/23/2021: Ariyang TV in South Korea reached out to ask if I could contribute my views for their show, Global Insight, their news program. They wanted to ask me about the mass murder of 8 victims (6 of which were Asian American women), where I would be able to talk about the gendered racism targeting our community members. I was on the same episode with Jonathan Choe from Komo News in Seattle, Washington. It was exciting to have 2 Asian Americans for this! The episode, entitled "What's fueling anti-Asian hate crimes in America?" is also available on Youtube.
- 3/18/2021: The USC Annenburg Cross-Cultural Student Association in partnership with the Annenberg chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association invited me to join their panel to discuss the rising cases of violence against Asian Americans during the pandemic. The topics we discussed addressed Asian American identity, media portrayal of anti-Asian hate crimes, mental health implications, and opportunities for cross-racial advocacy and solidarity. Other panelists include Anh Do, LA Times metro reporter, Jon Funabiki, retired professor of journalism, Joyce Jang, USC SCAPE co-president, and Christina Yang, Advancing Justice - LA's general counseling and pro bono director. Video is not yet released, but the article write-up can be found here!
- 3/17/2021: I was interviewed by a Swiss journalist to explain the anti-Asian violence in their publication, Le Temps. Following the phone interview, we actually went back and forth several times so that I could make sure that she understood the nuance in what I was telling her. The article is entitled, "Une inquiétante vague de racisme anti-asiatique déferle aux Etats-Unis" and is available in French. Because the article may not be accessible online due to a paywall, you can contact me for the PDF.
- 3/13/2021: I was interviewed by a Russian journalist from Sputnik News in Moscow Russia to explain the anti-Asian hate in the U.S. Out of all the interviews I have done so far, I was most impressed by how nuanced our conversations were, and how much detail I was able to provide-- and for it to be published! Check out this article, entitled "Asian Americans targeted over 'yellow peril' also face COVID-19 scapegoating".
- 3/11/2021: I was invited by the #EFTC Equity Flattens The Curve Network for a 30 "spotlight" webinar to discuss the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes and violence since the start of the pandemic. As a member of the #EFTC, I am proud to be part of a network of social and behavioral scientists, advocates, activists, and community-serving practitioners, all working together to reduce the bias, stigma, and discrimination related to COVID19 to advance health equity. My 30 minutes video is publicly accessible here: “EFTC check-in with Dr. Sherry Wang on the anti-Asian violence in the COVID19 pandemic”. Additionally, as the chair of APA CEMA (Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs), I also had the opportunity to test out slack and to provide a 30 minute Q&A session following the interview.
- 3/7/2021: I was interviewed and quoted in an article entitled, “Rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes may lead to mental health crisis” from ABC News. I emphasized that part of our experience of racism is our invisibility, of not being seen, of being treated in a colorblind way, and consequently, our struggles, our suffering, and our pain are also never recognized.
- 3/3/2021: From Busan, South Korea, I was interviewed by BeFM, a public English radio station in SOuth Korean, to discuss the topic of "Rising Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans." Also interviewed in this segment, was Connie Chung Joe from Advancing Justice-LA!
- 2/18/2021: Our KQED Forum interview on anti-Asian violence resonated so much with the station that the digital news team did a write up of it! The article is entitled, "Tip of the iceberg: How effects of anti-Asian attacks run deep".
- 2/16/2021: This was a 52 minute interview that I did on KQED The Forum with a panel discussing "Brutal attacks against Bay Area Asian Americans spur calls for action statewide." Other panel members included Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI hate, David Chiu, CA assembly member representing district 17 in San Francisco, and Grace Won, radio host and producer of KALW.
- 2/11/2021: I was interviewed by ABC 7 for their 5pm news segment on: "Psychology professor discusses layers of racial trauma experienced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander community" in response to the influx of attacks against Asian American elders in the local Bay Area and across the US.
2020
- 11/11/2020: Released in November via Instagram, "Asian We Stand" is a video that began with the advocacy efforts of Asian American actresses/celebrities: Nicole Kang and Midori Francis, who wanted to do something about the increasing anti-Asian hate crimes. They wanted to provide something for the public and they interviewed Asian Americans in education, healthcare, entertainment, food, and fashion, and I was honored to be part of it!
- 8/5/2020: I was asked to provide a mental health webinar for the Asian American community at Reed Smith Law Firm. The session was entitled, "Self-care in the midst of racial trauma, anti-Blackness, and anti-Asian harassment: A space for AAPI reflecting and processing." This was a session designed for Asian American professionals to integrate social justice advocacy with the need for self-care given that the audience are those already working at the forefront of advocacy and law.
- 6/18/2020: I was invited by my alma mater (Smith College) to be featured in the alumnae quarterly issue (as part of a special issue on COVID19). My interview, entitled, "Racialization of Infectious Disease" came out on this day and is now available online!
- 6/11/2020: I was invited to facilitate a processing space for AAPI faculty and staff at De Anza & Foothill Community College for an event, entitled, "At the intersections of anti-Blackness and anti-Asian harassment: AAPI community processing space". This was a space for Asian American professionals to reflect on our pain, sadness, solidarity, and need for self-care in order to continue the work of caring and speaking up for each other.
- 6/1/2020: I was interviewed and cited in an article entitled, “Fighting inequality in the face of COVID-19” as part of a special report from the American Psychological Association (APA). I highlighted the structural nature of oppression and the need for solidarity in addressing ethnic minority health disparities. I also spoke about the unique experiences of Asian Americans and the need for bystander interventions in addition to speaking out against anti-Asian hate crimes.
- 5/26/2020: As part of a town hall series hosted by Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), the Division on Women (DOW) hosted a 90 minute panel discussion entitled, “Feminist leadership in a time of ambiguity” featuring three of the past AAPA female presidents, Drs. Reiko True, Christine Iijima-Hall, and Gayle Iwamasa. Drs. Michi Fu and I facilitated the event and we reflected on history and offered tips and recommendations for how to best navigate this period of ambiguity through solidarity and advocacy as AAPI and AAPI women. The Zoom session was recorded and the link will be provided shortly!
- 5/22/2020: I partnered with @Asianmentalhealthproject, @Iamnotavirus and @aKDPhi as part of their event entitled, “solidarity in sisterhood” to talk about AAPI feminism and solidarity. It was my first IG Live event and the recording will be available!
- 5/15/2020: I was invited by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to present on a panel, entitled: “Go Back to Your Own Country: Conversation on Race and Racism during COVID-19” where we provided a 2 hour webinar to discuss the impact of racial bias and healthcare disparities on our collective communities. The session offered 2 free continuing education credits to psychologists and the other panelists included Drs. Miguel Gallardo and Stan Huey, and was facilitated by Drs. Tonya Wood (CPA President) and Michi Fu. I spoke specifically about the impact on Asian Americans and discussed some of the ways in which psychologists can and should engage in social justice and advocacy activities outside of the clinical setting.
- 5/5/2020: I was interviewed by APA on “How psychologists can combat the racial inequities of the COVID-19 crisis” and cited in this article that appeared as one of the “6 things psychologists are talking about” series. I specifically highlighted the need for bystander interventions against stigma, xenophobia, and racism in order to prevent blaming and burdening those who are already victims.
- 4/15/2020: I was interviewed for an article entitled, How to Cope with the Added Anxiety of Being Asian-American During COVID-19, and cited here.
- 4/7/2020: I did a webinar for APA Div 17 on the topic of challenging xenophobia and racism in the time of COVID19. A panel of counseling psychologists provides concrete actions that can be engaged at individual and systemic levels to challenge racial injustice and promote healing during COVID-19 (my specific section begins around the 39:18 mark)
- 3/18/2020: I was asked to return to the May Lee show (a show for/on/by Asian Americans) for a video interview to discuss the impact of social distancing, isolation and overall disruption. I highlighting how scary of a time this is for everyone, especially Asian Americans who must fear for their psychological and physical safety (my section begins at 30:04).
- 3/5/2020: This is a 20-minute podcast interview with my university (Santa Clara University), discussing how we can come together as a community instead of ostracize, discriminate, and shame each other.
- 2/22/2020: This is a live, 5-minute radio interview on KCBS following-up on the SF Chronicle op-ed article I wrote on racism and what we can do in those moments of feeling reactive.
- 2/21/2020: I was interviewed in a “How to Bay Area” KCBS podcast, in a one-hour long discussing how Bay Area residents can better respond to the Coronavirus risks. The podcast featured another guest, with my section beginning at 22:22.
- 2/12/2020: This is my SF Chronicle op-ed, entitled, "How to contain the virus of racism during coronavirus outbreak".
- 2/11/2020: I was interviewed by the American Psychological Association on an article discussing the escalation of fears and bigotry in the face of the Coronavirus fears. I provided information from my role as a psychologist to quell anxiety about the epidemic.
- 2/7/2020: This is a video interview for the May Lee show (a show for/on/by Asian Americans), distinguishing fact vs. fiction with the coronavirus. This episode includes a medical provider's perspective at the beginning, followed by mine to discuss the impact of racism on the Asian community (my section begins at 31:17)!
- 2/5/2020: This is a 13 minute interview that I did with KQED The Bay, discussing the role of racism in the coronavirus outbreak and what it is like to be Asian facing xenophobia and discrimination in the epidemic!