
Escape From Plan A
Escape From Plan A Podcast
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Latest episodes

Jan 25, 2021 • 1h 40min
Ep 232: Capitol Hill Riots Pt. 2 (by Patreon Request)
By patron request, we are releasing Part 2 of Episode 232 as a free episode.
Teen and Jess discuss the events of 1/6 and take a stab at what might be in store for the rest of 2021. Tl; dr -- get that bag, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
All bonus episodes are available for Plan A patrons at www.patreon.com/planamag. Join the Patreon today!
CORRECTIONS:
Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value-add created by production of goods and services in a country. For more information, refer to Citations Needed Ep. 108: How GDP Fetishism Drives Climate Crisis and Inequality (citationsneeded.libsyn.com/episode-108…-inequality)
TWITTER:
Teen (@mont_jiang)
Jess (@cogitatotomato)
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Jan 18, 2021 • 1h 3min
Ep. 232: Capitol Hill Riots - A Glimpse Into A Chaotic New Year? Pt. 1
Teen and Jess discuss the events of 1/6 and take a stab at what might be in store for the rest of 2021. Tl; dr -- get that bag, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
This is Part 1 of the episode. Part 2 is available for Plan A patrons at www.patreon.com/planamag. Join the Patreon today!
CORRECTIONS:
Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value-add created by production of goods and services in a country. For more information, refer to Citations Needed Ep. 108: How GDP Fetishism Drives Climate Crisis and Inequality (https://citationsneeded.libsyn.com/episode-108-how-gdp-fetishism-drives-climate-crisis-and-inequality)
TWITTER:
Teen (@mont_jiang)
Jess (@cogitatotomato)
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Jan 13, 2021 • 1h 56min
Ep. 231: Quitting Your Startup To Play Cyberpunk
Filip gets together with Jess to talk about his decision to leave the startup he cofounded: How it compares to working in big tech, what’s wrong with venture-backed startups today, and how Asian Americans can capitalize on the leverage they have to do more meaningful work in the world. Oh, and they shoot the shit on that whole Cyberpunk fiasco, and the problems with video game and movie production.
If you’re not interested in video games, skip ahead to 16:20.
TWITTER:
Filip (@filipgwriting)
Jess (@cogitatotomato)
REFERENCED ARTICLES:
America Has Central Planners. We Just Call Them 'Venture Capitalists.' - https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/12/wework-venture-capital-central-planning.html
Cover Image from Katie Tiedrich on Twitter
https://twitter.com/katietiedrich/status/1338675155409776643
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Jan 11, 2021 • 1h 20min
EFPA Book Club ep. 1: The Curious Parallels Between Trump’s “Coup” and Bacon’s Rebellion
Q, Elaine, and Gavin discuss chapters 1-5 of Settlers, by J. Sakai. We break down the book’s analysis of America’s white mythos and how it is still directly applicable to current events, such as the MAGA riots at the Capitol last Wednesday.
It’s increasingly clear that the settler attitude Sakai described has not changed in 400 years and that continues to prescribe how white America makes its decisions. What happened at the capitol wasn’t a coup or insurrection. It didn’t challenge the class interests of power, the petit bourgeoisie just want their slice of the pie. Focusing only on the racism of the white working class is a shallow argument because it’s not the racism that’s the problem, it’s the class alliance underlying the racism.
Settlers explains the desperation, fears and aspirations of the settler-aspiring class, why radical organizing tends to drift toward liberalism and the neocolonial policy of installing a petit bourgeoise ruling class as representatives of POC groups inside and outside the US. This includes every form of representation politics from representAZNs to Syngman Rhee. To understand what is happening, and for us to organize effectively, we need to understand real US history, not just the white revisionist version, or ethnic studies offshoots.
Support us on Patreon if you enjoyed this episode. We'll be back this week with Bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/planamag
REFERENCES:
West Bank Robbery Podcast (https://west-bank-robbery.captivate.fm/)
Interview with J Sakai by Decolo (https://soundcloud.com/decolo/j-sakai)
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Jan 4, 2021 • 2h 28min
Ep. 230: The Simpathizer
After an extended hiatus because he ran out of things to say, Teen joins Diana to talk about Asian RadLibs vs. Tankies. Seems like everyone has something to say about the 'Tankies' these days. And it's mostly RadLibs doing the talking, on their vastly bigger platforms. But Tankies have social media esp Twitter as an outlet, where the playing field is more even.
Teen and Diana do a deep dive into the psychology of RadLibs, the point that Tankies are trying to make, and trying to answer the question: how can one find actual pride in being an Asian American?
Support us on Patreon if you enjoyed this episode: https://www.patreon.com/planamag
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Dec 28, 2020 • 1h 12min
Ep. 229: The Manufactured Crisis - Adopted Without Citizenship, Part 2
Adam is joined by guests Joy Alessi, Raana and Sungkwan Jang in the second installment of our series on the issue of Adoptees Without Citizenship. In this part, we review the progress that was made in advocacy for an adoptee citizenship bill this year and also the challenges that were faced. We also discuss the expectations for 2021 and give our end of year thanks to all the volunteers and organizations that worked tirelessly on this issue.
TWITTER:
Adam (@snbatman)
REFERENCED RESOURCES:
USA Today article: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/12/16/international-adoption-does-not-guarantee-adoptees-us-citizenship/6310358002/
Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC): https://kagc.us/
Adoptee Rights Campaign: https://adopteerightscampaign.org/
Adoptees For Justice: https://adopteesforjustice.org/
GUEST BIOGRAPHIES:
Sungkwan E. J. Jang - Serves as the program director at the Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC), the largest nationwide network of Korean American voters and a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he directs legislative relations, public relations, digital strategies, and education programs, with an emphasis on organizing youth voters. Since 2016, Sungkwan has worked with over 1,500 undergraduate students from 120 universities in voter registration drives, guest lectures and workshops, and civic action training. He has worked on the Adoptee Citizenship bill for the last two years.
Joy Alessi - An adoptee from South Korea, Joy discovered that she had not received U.S. citizenship during her U.S. adoption or thereafter. Since learning that thousands of international adoptees share similar legal failures, Joy has worked to educate both advocates and policymakers of the problem’s adoptees face without citizenship protection. As Executive Director of the Adoptee Rights Campaign, Joy’s work focuses on building effective resources for impacted adoptees and supporting passage of the Adoptee Citizenship legislation.
Raana - An impacted adoptee, she has been advocating for U.S. citizenship rights with Adoptee Rights Campaign since 2016.
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Dec 21, 2020 • 1h 53min
Ep. 228: Beyond Stinky Lunch Stories (ft. John)
John, Michelle, Arnav and Diana daydrink and talk about Asian cooking, restaurants, and food racism beyond crying about our stinky lunches. American attitudes about Asian cuisines reveal more about deep-seated ideological and infrastructural issues in the US than about Asian countries or people.
This is Part 1 of the 4-hour holiday episode. In Part 2, available on the Plan A Magazine Patreon, we talk about more food stuff, and John gets very, very drunk. Join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/planamag
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Dec 14, 2020 • 1h 6min
Ep. 227: Lies Detected in Western Media About China, Part 1 (ft. Josh C.)
Banner art: "Masks" by Wai Lin
Writer and media critic Josh C of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR.org) talks to Diana about his work all year uncovering the lies and racist bias in western media coverage on China's COVID response. Josh also shares tips on how to critically review media for yourself, and how he stays motivated to do this important work.
This is Part 1 of the episode. In Part 2, available on the Plan A Magazine Patreon, we discuss China more broadly and play the game "What Would You Do If You Were An Imperial Propagandist?" Join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/planamag
TWITTER:
Josh C. (@JoshC0301)
Diana (@discoveryduck)
REFERENCED RESOURCES:
Donate to FAIR: https://www.cambeywest.com/EXT/?f=donate
Josh's China COVID articles:
1.) https://fair.org/home/no-china-didnt-stall-critical-covid-information-at-outbreaks-start/
2.) https://fair.org/home/debunking-trump-and-corporate-medias-who-china-coverup-conspiracy-theories/
3.) https://fair.org/home/coronavirus-alarm-blends-yellow-peril-and-red-scare/
4.) https://fair.org/home/why-its-wrong-and-racist-to-blame-covid-19-on-chinese-wet-markets/
5.) https://fair.org/home/evidence-free-lab-leak-speculation-boosts-trumps-xenophobic-approach-to-coronavirus/
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Dec 7, 2020 • 1h 56min
Ep. 226: Finding Yingying (ft. Jenny Shi)
Director and producer Jenny Shi joins Dave, Kin, and Diana to talk about her feature-length documentary Finding Yingying. Finding Yingying is about the life and death of Zhang Yingying, a Chinese visiting student at University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne, who was kidnapped and murdered June 9, 2017. The film poignantly focuses on Yingying and her family, challenging traditional crime narratives, and interlaces Asian American issues such as media representation, school funding, sexual violence, and bridging cultural gaps.
Finding Yingying premiers December 11. For more information, go to www.findingyingying.com.
join the Escape From Plan A Patreon at www.patreon.com/planamag
TWITTER:
Finding Yingying (https://twitter.com/YingyingFilm)
Jenny Shi (https://twitter.com/jiayanjennyshi)
Professor Kin Cheung (https://twitter.com/ProfKinCheung)
REFERENCED RESOURCES:
Student visa rule change unfair, foolish, by Kin Cheung: https://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-opi-international-students-cheung-20200714-nrpcalcqdzblbjvqulqjnkzrwa-story.html
Revisionist History, what's wrong with the LSATs and how to improve higher ed:
http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/32-the-tortoise-and-the-hare
Man Who Killed Korean Woman 'just felt like it,' Brisbane Times:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/man-admits-killing-korean-woman-in-queensland-20180806-p4zvrl.html
Annie Le's article on petty crime at Yale: https://www.webcitation.org/5jnWl6Nsz?url=http://bbs.yale.edu/images/B10_1.pdf
Norcal Rapist Trial just concluded. Convicted on all counts! Should receive life in prison. Sentencing next month: https://www.kcra.com/article/norcal-rapist-trial-verdict-roy-waller-nov-18/34715221
Three University gynecologists sexually assaulting Asian students at USC, UCLA & Columbia, each over 30 years of abuse.
-USC: https://nextshark.com/usc-gynecologist-george-tyndall-target-chinese-students/
-UCLA: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/us/university-of-california-settlement-gynecologist/index.html
-Columbia: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/us/columbia-university-ob-gyn-robert-hadden/index.html
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Nov 30, 2020 • 1h 2min
Ep. 225: V for Vaccine, Part 1
Jules, Michelle, Peter and Diana take a deep dive into the latest on COVID vaccine development (as of November 19). Why are the vaccines closest to approval from US companies mRNA-based? Why isn’t the US supporting COVAX, the international vaccine accelerator? We discuss the long, continuing legacy of white nations using POC as lab rats to advance medicine, what we’re suspicious of and optimistic about vaccine prospects.
This is Part 1 of the episode. To enjoy Part 2, join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/planamag
REFERENCED RESOURCES:
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Development, Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2798-3
COVAX, World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax
SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS:
editor.planamag@gmail.com
EFPA Opening Theme:
"Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)