Escape From Plan A

Jess and Teen assess just how bad things have gotten in America, not just for Asian Americans but on the whole. The American ideal of optimism and progress seems to have been destroyed once and for all. But this seemed to have been a dream that only the top tenth of Americans could achieve at any one point in time. What does it mean to be in that top tenth? How do they control where we go from here? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Trump Orders Meat Plants to Stay Open in Move Unions Slam (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/trump-says-he-s-issuing-order-for-tyson-s-unique-liability) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

And we thought the Global Financial Crisis was bad. Chris, C.S., and Christina (a Plan A co-founder making a long-awaited return after some time away!) discuss the generational ramifications that COVID-19 will have on Millennials and Gen Z in terms of our values and dreams. Is the Millennial ideal of "do what you love" truly dead? Will Gen Z be the first generation to know nothing but American decline? What new demands will be placed on identifying as "Asian American"? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: C.S. (@c_taniguchi) Chris (@JesuInToast) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Is This the End of Influencing as We Knew It?:https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/04/influencers-coronavirus-arielle-charnas-escape-new-york Mira Jacob's NYT Coronavirus Comic Twitter Reaction: https://twitter.com/mirajacob/status/1248772510365011969?s=20 John Cho's article in LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-04-22/asian-american-discrimination-john-cho-coronavirus SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Mark, Filip, and Chris get together to talk about all the shameless gaming they've been doing during the lockdown and focus in particular on Sleeping Dogs, the excellent open world driving game about a 2nd-generation Asian American undercover cop who goes to Hong Kong to infiltrate the Triads. In addition to discussing the game, they talk about how they related to the Asian American male protagonist and his story. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Mark (@snbatman) Filip (@filipgwriting) Chris (@JesuInToast) REFERENCED RESOURCES: What Sleeping Dogs Gets So Right About Being An Asian American by Kevin Wong: https://kotaku.com/what-sleeping-dogs-gets-so-right-about-being-an-asian-a-1644011008 Revisiting Sleeping Dogs or Why The Movie Won't Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN1TPqVdpPo SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Diana and Teen talk about living in an age of pessimism. We are told constantly to look on the bright side, even as we are inundated with horribly depressing news. The total failure of our government, the rise of fascist anti-Chinese racism, the collapse of the progressive movement, all topped off by an economic depression. But look at these people sing on their balconies! And how these cops rode in formation to celebrate a child's birthday! Where do we go when optimism is a cracked veneer of bullshit, and pessimism is objectively justifiable? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Diana (@discoveryduck) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Liza is back! And with Filip and Chris, the three of them discuss four important Asian American YA books that span three decades: Marie G. Lee's "Finding My Voice" and "If It Hadn't Been For Yoon Jun," Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese," and Randy Ribay's "Patron Saints of Nothing." Issues discussed include how to read older works in the context of their time and whether POC writers are automatically qualified to write characters of their own race. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Eliza (@aesthdistance1) Filip (@filipgwriting) Chris (@JesuInToast) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Best Asian Americans Book of 2019 | Aesthetic Distance: https://aestheticdistance.com/blog/top-books-2019 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Doug Kim and Andray Domise join Teen to kill some time during the ongoing lockdown to talk about economics, UBI, and what went wrong with Andrew Yang's entire campaign. Also, is there such a thing as a true Biden supporter? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Andray Domise (@andraydomise) Doug Kim (@sweetjustice) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Chris, Jess and Mark talk about what's stressing them out during the coronavirus lockdown. Jess dissects the so-called $2 trillion bailout package and how it's going to decimate small businesses. In addition, secession, while seemingly laughable even half a year ago, doesn't sound so crazy now in light of Jared Kushner's use of "our" during one of the recent, daily White House press conferences. We also have a wry chuckle at how a silly movie like Demolition Man suddenly doesn't seem too silly anymore. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Chris (@JesuInToast) Jess (@cogitatotomato) Mark (@snbatman) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Small Business Administration CARE Act Information website (https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options) Fed taking PPE supplies from Massachusetts (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/27/nation/states-intense-chase-protective-equipment-coronavirus-isnt-only-rival/) Modern US piracy of PPE supplies, this time from France (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/02/global-battle-coronavirus-equipment-masks-tests) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Shin joins the podcast to talk with Teen about the politics of the Korean American left, how that informs views on the complex history of the Korean nation and the United States. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Shin (@ReclaimKorea) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Apologies for the late episode -- everyone's been pulled in a million different directions so we couldn't get one up for this Sunday. Teen gives a quick update on the situation in Elmhurst, New York (the "epicenter of the epicenter") as well as what he is thinking in light of the first completed murder of an Asian American in this surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Bellingham physician who decried lack of coronavirus protections is removed, sparking protest (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/emergency-physicians-group-calls-on-state-attorney-general-to-investigate-bellingham-doctors-firing/) Dy Douangkeo's GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/dy039s-autopsy) Consider donating to "Stir Fry Meals on Wheels" (https://abc7ny.com/6055868) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

We're honored to have Kaiser Kuo (Sinica podcast, Supchina, Chinese Metal pioneer) join Jess and Teen to talk about the extent to which the media's portrayal of China is a relevant political issue affecting the lives of Asian Americans. Kaiser has a deep background in Chinese politics, especially with the way Western media covers it. With many seeking to place blame for the covid-19 pandemic, this could not be a more urgent issue. Many thanks to Kaiser for jumping on. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Kaiser(@KaiserKuo) Jess(@cogitatotomato) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: "Why Did The Coronavirus Start In China" by Yi-Zheng Lian (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-china-cause.html) "Democracies Are Better at Fighting Outbreaks" by Ariana Berengaut (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/why-democracies-are-better-fighting-outbreaks/606976/) "China Bought the West Time. The West Squandered It." by Ian Johnson (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/opinion/china-response-china.html( "Two Women Fell Sick From the Coronavirus. One Survived." y Sui-Lee Wee and Vivian Wang (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/13/world/asia/coronavirus-death-life.html) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)