Dana provides us with some reflections and meditations on this season of ODA so far, inspired by some of the discussion around Asian joy in the last episode with Mihiri Tillakaratne and Noel Alumit. She talks about Asian American versus Asian Diaspora being claimed by some of our conversation partners on the podcast. Dana also talks about a colleague Gary Okihiro, who passed away on May 20th, and his deep impact on expanding the field of Asian American studies to go beyond solely the history of oppressed minorities.
Co-Host: Reverend Dana Takagi
Dana (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and also a zen priest. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian Am history at UC Santa Cruz, she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. Zen practice since 1998.
Check out more of Dana's work:
2022: Sutra and Bible: an Interview with Duncan Ryūken Williams
2020: Most Intimate, Ordinary Way, Recollections of Katherine Thanas (co-eds. with Eugene Bush; 2nd printing 2022)
Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers & Practitioners