We still stigmatize mental illness, and that needs to stop: How mental health issues get stigmatized in South Asian communities: Culturally diverse therapy needed: Satwinder Bains is the director of the South Asian Studies Institute and professor of social cultural media studies at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Maneet Chahal is co-founder of SOCH, one of the few mental health organizations specifically for South Asians. Two long-time researchers and activists join Vinita for an intimate conversation about that and other reasons why South Asians are struggling so badly, and what can be done about it. Why? The idea of being a model minority – of having to live up to exacting high standards – is a big part of it. But according to a recent Statistics Canada report, South Asians reported a steeper decline than any other diaspora in Canada. The pandemic has taken a toll on our collective mental health. Related article: Intense police surveillance for Indigenous land defenders contrasts with a laissez-faire stance for anti-vax protesters Yuan Stevens is the Policy Lead in the Technology, Cybersecurity and Democracy Programme at the Ryerson Leadership Lab and Wendy Hui Kyong Chun is professor and Canada 150 Research Chair in new media at Simon Fraser University. Vinita is joined by two researchers who are calling for new protections for the most vulnerable populations. But for marginalized communities, the collection of data and photos has much bigger implications. Many of us know our personal data is being collected online and used against us – to get us to buy certain things or vote a certain way. Also joining is Max Liboiron, author of Pollution is Colonialism, and associate professor in geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Vinita talks to Michelle Murphy, Professor and Canada Research Chair in science and technology studies and leader at the University of Toronto’s Environmental Data Justice Lab. A big part of that is seeing pollution through a new lens – one that acknowledges it is as much about racism and colonialism as it is toxic chemicals. Two Indigenous scholars who run labs to address the climate crisis say bringing an Indigenous understanding to environmental justice could help us get unstuck. The state of our environment just keeps getting scarier and scarier, yet it feels like we have yet to find a way forward. Telling Our Twisted Histories, CBC Podcasts: Use hashtag #DontCallMeResilient and tag us: Join The Conversation about this podcast: Related article: Why are babies going hungry in a food-rich nation like Canada?
Martens researches Indigenous food sovereignty and works with Cree communities to bolster traditional land uses. Also joining the conversation is Tabitha Robin Martens, assistant professor at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Melana Roberts is Chair of Food Secure Canada and one of the leaders behind Canada’s first Black food sovereignty plan. In this episode, Vinita asks what is happening with our food systems, and what we can do to make them fairer with two women who have been tackling this issue for years. For racialized Canadians, that number is higher – two to three times the national average. One out of every eight households in Canada is food insecure.