Every Monday, I send subscribers and gift recipients of immigrant mental health and storytelling newsletter Foreign Bodies stories I 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
Going places
Hiya, Foreign Bodies readers. I’m sitting at a wine and coffee bar in New York this Monday morning, nomming on a cheese croissant and sipping on some cold brew with almond milk. We’re in town for my baby brother’s law school graduation—first time traveling since the pandemic’s onset—and I’m dealing with some PTSD from the last time I was in town on the heels of back-to-back school shootings in the U.S. With the now-defunct travel mask mandate and the news of horrific mass shootings this weekend, traveling with my immunocompromised mom was anxiety-inducing to say the least. I’m trying to cope with some mindfulness and medication (and good ol’ MJ) because I really am so proud of Faiz and want to stay present for the rest of the trip. But like many of you, I’m struggling and thinking of all of the victims of recent senseless violence. That’s just kind of where my head’s at right now. Would appreciate your well wishes, always. One bright spot: I was recommended into the Master of Fine Arts Narrative Nonfiction program at the University of Georgia. Grateful for this newsletter and readers like you, who undoubtedly played a role.
A musical start to your Mondays 🎧
One song to groove to, cry to, drive to and share
A little NYC love for alt/rock band Combo Chimbita, a quartet of first-generation New Yorkers with Colombian roots and a love of heavy metal, psychedelic funk and soul. According to this NPR special, “Combo Chimbita uses cumbia as a building block but they get psychedelic, trippy and downright freaky, with an inventive combination of rhythms and sounds from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.”
Resource(s) of the week
Something helpful and interesting and cool (*storytelling opportunity)
Healing and Mental Health in Asian Pacific American Communities: For an informative feature on Thirteen.org, Dr. Sumie Okazaki, a scholar who specializes in Asian American mental health, writes about Asian American history, mental health concerns in the community and what can be done to improve their well-being.
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