Monday Matter: A gentle COVID-19 edition from your contributing editor
Your weekly Foreign Bodies roundup
Every Monday, we send subscribers and gift recipients of immigrant mental health newsletter Foreign Bodies stories we recently inhaled and adored. This is also a chance to do some housekeeping and give shout-outs and all that jazz.
First things first
A little housekeeping
Doing things a little differently today
I know we’re all used to hearing from our beloved leader Fiza, but this week, pardon a brief takeover from one of your contributing editors, Farah.
The world — taxing on the best of days — has been an exceptionally stressful place to be recently. The constant influx of bad/conflicting news, a rapidly spreading mutating virus, workplaces shuttering, governments declaring national States of Emergency, closed airports and no pasta in the supermarkets to top it all off.
It’s understandable if you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed. You’re not the only one.
What I love about Foreign Bodies is its commitment to its community and sharing their stories and understanding their troubles. So this week, I think Fiza and I are both cool with doing things a little differently. We’re still sending out our Monday Matter, but we’re stuffing our newsletter full of the stories and resources that we’ve found helpful this week. The last thing you need is to feel worse about the state of the world, so most of our picks are lighter than our normal fare.
If you want to reach out with how you’re doing, let us know on the 4n forum or feel free to respond to this email. And in the interim, here are multiple 20-second long songs you can wash your hands to if you’re weary of singing “Happy birthday” over and over.
Resource(s) of the week*
Something helpful and interesting and cool *getting me through this covid-19 doom-n-gloom
19 Books That Have Helped People Through Some Seriously Tough Times (Amber Brenza, SELF): As much as my fellow introverts might enjoy cancelling plans, we also know social distancing is difficult. Books make it a little easier. As Brenza says, “A book can transport you from the pesky thoughts antagonizing your mind and into an entirely new landscape in someone else’s magical, fictional world.”
Headspace (meditation app): From Fiza (because we know you want to hear from her ;)): Especially helpful if you want just a little meditative help managing your anxiety, your panic attacks or your anger. During all this chaos, I’ve used it to help me doze off at night and, because I tend to experience the worst flare-ups when my mental health is suffering, I’ve used meditative apps like Headspace to help divert attention from intense chronic pain. Free Weathering the Storm collection available for all.
Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety Toolkit (Shine + Mental Health America): Free resources to help you manage any anxiety you might be feeling, with daily meditations and expert Q&As. See snapshot below:
Read this!
Stories we’re loving
How Meditation Helped Me Feel More Comfortable in My Body (Melissa Hung, Catapult): “This is not a miracle story. Meditation did not change my life. I did not turn into a person who wakes up and meditates first thing in the morning. I do it sporadically. I’m still in pain. And yet, it shifted something in me.” Read here.
On a new podcast about Asian American identity, we talk about the struggle to feel we’re ‘enough’ (Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times) “And so many of my Asian American friends have spoken of not being Asian enough and not being seen as American. If we all feel this way, maybe we’re having the wrong kind of conversation.” Read here. | ➕ Also, if you’re hunting for more podcasts to keep you company at home, check out this list of 30 must-listens in 2020 or peruse the replies on this tweet from Atomic Habits author @JamesClear asking folks for their favorite recent podcast episode.
Searching for the Woman Who Saved My Immigrant Family from Homelessness (Shaheen Pasha, Narratively) A story from 2018 that is a reminder of the goodness of people and the sense of community that can still be found even in times of great tension and division. I love this personal essay. Read here.
In the news
Relevant news coverage that doesn’t really fall under our larger mission to de-stigmatize through personal storytelling, but is still essential reading for anyone who wants to stay up-to-date on immigrant and refugee mental health and well-being.
Italians defy coronavirus with mass singing, applause for doctors (James Mackenzie, Reuters): “At midday on Saturday, people across the country applauded the doctors and nurses at the front line of the crisis from their balconies. In the evening, mass singalongs of ‘Azzurro’, a song by Adriano Celentano, one of Italy’s most popular singers, rang out from apartment blocks. Fueled by social media, handpainted banners proclaiming ‘Andra tutto bene’ (‘Everything will be alright’) and ‘io resto a casa’ (‘I’m staying at home’) also appeared hanging from windows and balconies in several cities.” Even more encouragement from the country that already gave us Bella Ciao. Read here.
The Coronavirus Doesn’t Need a Visa: COVID-19's Effect on Immigrant Populations (Mahsa Khanbabai, Ms Magazine): We know we promised light news, but this seemed important to highlight. As the virus spreads, vulnerability isn’t just biological, but political. As Khanbabai explains, “Legal immigrants have been avoiding engagement with health centers out of fear that if they use public benefits that they are lawfully entitled to, it may hurt their ability to naturalize or to sponsor a loved one for a visa. This means pregnant women, mothers with sick children and many others are foregoing important medical treatment out of fear.” Read here.
+1
Best Foreign Languages Films on Netflix (Opheli Garcia Lawler, Mic) If you’re still happy about Parasite’s Oscar win (yes! Something good happened this year! Remember that?) — we’re even more happy to see a slight uptick in interest in foreign cinema. We know your screen time is likely to increase while self-quarantine is in effect, so if you’re interested in seeing some non-US movie magic, Mic did a round-up of a few films sure not to disappoint. Explore here.
Bookshelf
Books and collections I’m currently reading (plus reader-recommended works!)
On Fiza’s reading list: Granta 150: There Must Be Ways to Organise the World with Language: Granta is a major name in the publishing world, known for its literary eye. Here, it puts together a collection that “celebrates language, showcasing some of the most inventive writers of fiction today.”
Looking for new reads? This is a perfect time to order a book by a writer whose book tour has been cancelled or postponed. Bookmark this list of Quarantine Reading: Books You Shouldn’t Forget to Buy from Entropy and follow along at @MinoritiesInPub on Twitter for more. While you’re at it, support your favorite independent bookstore; Most will do orders by mail and many are offering special offers. Check out the Twitter thread below from Bess Kalb:
Remember, we always have tons of wonderful stories and resources available at foreignbodies.net.
Love to see it
Shout-outs, thank-yous and more
These gentle words from Karen Ho <3
New Yorkers! 4n friend and brilliant writer Hannah Bae is teaching a personal essay class in April. Go harness that craft. If it’s, like, OK to be out and about by then, that is.
This made me laugh. (I’m bottom left!)
Can’t get enough.
That’s it for now.
Did you absolutely hate this? Open to criticism and suggestions. See ya later!
Your friendly neighborhood contributing editor,
Farah