Asians Speak Up | Brian Gao and Arin Siriamonthep on Activism, Allyship and Mental Health under Pressure Artwork

Thrive Spice

Thrive Spice is a podcast centered on the Asian American mental health experience while navigating career, family, identity and social empowerment. Join host Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala as she invites diverse business and political leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, and creators to share their real stories and practical advice on how they found their "Thrive Spice" - the joy that comes from finally owning our identity, power, and worth. Our mission is to promote a more inclusive world that centers intersectional communities, including women of color, AAPI, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Join us as we unpack some feelings and spill the tea: from sharing what real self-care and boundaries look like for us as we create social, political, and economic change; how we're healing from hate crimes, intergenerational trauma, and racism; and what we're doing to break glass ceilings, reclaim our stories and redefine what true happiness and success look like - for ourselves, and for the next generation.

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Asians Speak Up | Brian Gao and Arin Siriamonthep on Activism, Allyship and Mental Health under Pressure

June 16, 2021 • Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala • Season 1 • Episode 7

You're never too young or too old to find your voice. We talk to Brian Gao (incoming NYU Stern '25) and Arin Siriamonthep (Boston University '24) of Asians Speak Up, a New York based AAPI community advocacy group that has been featured on ABC Eyewitness News and Buzzfeed News.

Brian and Arin tell us why the pandemic and recent hate crimes inspired them to create Asians Speak Up as high school students, and how sharing your truth and being part of a bigger movement for change can positively impact your mental health and build confidence in your identity, creative abilities and self-expression.

We talk about real vs. performative allyship in #BLM and #StopAsianHate, and why tennis player Naomi Osaka's recent decision to drop out of the French Open due to depression and anxiety highlights how tennis and competitive sports are just as much a mental game as physical.

About Asians Speak Up:
A New York-based community advocacy group started by Brian Gao (incoming NYU Stern '25) and Arin Siriamonthep (Boston University '24), two students looking to facilitate conversation between Asians and their communities in an attempt to increase awareness about racism to create unity. They hope to develop a platform where Asians across the globe can come together with support and inspiration to help others.

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