Family Life

During may we celebrate Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and if you are looking for some great children's book recommendations to share with the young ones in your life to introduce them to a diverse array of AAPI themes, then @peachtreepublishing and @holidayhousebks have you covered! Perfect for ages 4 through to 12, check out 8 books we're featuring on the blog today that we've already added to our collection, and you should too. 1️⃣‘Lali’s Feather‘ by Farhana Zia, Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. A vivacious and endearing story of identification, values, and the rewards in looking closely and thinking imaginatively. 2️⃣‘Boy Who Met a Whale‘ by Nizrana Farook. Set against a vibrant, authentic landscape inspired by Sri Lanka, a fisherboy is swept up in a thrilling seafaring adventure, complete with a kidnapping, missing treasure, and a huge blue whale! 3️⃣‘Chinese Kite Festival‘ by Rich Lo. Animal names and their significance in Chinese culture is beautifully explored for young readers in this book. 4️⃣‘All You Need‘ by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Jasu Hu Follow a Chinese girl from her first steps, all the way to the moment she realizes a lifelong dream in an exciting new land. 5️⃣ 'Let’s Go to Taekwondo!' by Aram Kim. Yoomi discovers how, with persistence, focus, and deep breathing even the toughest challenges can be overcome. 6️⃣ ‘My Dadima Wears a Sari‘ by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi. An Indian grandmother and her American granddaughter explore culture, imagination, and individuality through a sari. 7️⃣‘Sona and the Wedding Game‘ by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi Experience the magic of an Indian wedding in this story of a girl playing a fun, traditional game on her sister’s big day. 8️⃣'Luli and the Language of Tea‘ by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. This book tells a touching story about children from many countries finding a common bond - tea! Head to the link in our bio to learn more about each book! 📚 . . . #AAPIheritagemonth #culture #heritage #childrensbooks #story #diversity #asianamerican #southasian #chinese #inspire #kids #instagood #author #explorepage #reading

As the world tentatively begins to open up again, one of the most exciting things many of us have been looking forward to is in-person events. If you are lucky enough to live in NYC, you are in for a treat because the team behind @batsunyc, a unique entertainment experience hailing from Japan originally, is bringing people back together using food, humor and physical comedy. The batsu game is a Japanese style of comedy that features a series of challenges, where losers face hilarious punishments. The BATSU! NYC experience is a cultural fusion that merges this Japanese game with American comedy when four warriors face off in comedic challenges to avoid painful, humiliating, and ridiculous punishments. BATSU! NYC is a majority AAPI-owned business, and a proud collaboration between @faceoffunlimited and Kogame. The New York City-based comedy group and Japanese restaurant are using their platforms to promote positive international fellowship through the fusion of food, comedy, and culture. Since May is Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we had the chance to speak with Noriko Sato, founding member and co-host of BATSU! NYC about her role within the game, her journey from NCAA basketball to NYC comedy, and how this unique entertainment experience amplifies Japanese culture and fosters community through comedy: "It really does bring people together. We want people to forget all the negative stuff at least while they’re there, so they’re just in the moment with us instead of worrying about, you know, paying the rent or getting groceries. We just want to focus on the comedy and the laughter. While audiences get to experience BATSU! with their eyes, ears, mouths, and beyond – we are also focused on increasing accessibility for folks living with disabilities. We believe that laughter is a universal language. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, laughing is universal." To learn more about BATSU! NYC, head to the link in our bio! 🐔👘 . . . #AAPIheritagemonth #batsu #batsunyc #norikosato #comedy #japanese #american #fusion #laughter #community #cometogether #food #entertainment #game #culture

Today on the blog we have a special guest post from Hayley Mundeva, writing about how Rwandan journalist Yvonne Nkaka Uwicyeza is redefining what is possible for people with disabilities in her country. Yvonne was born with a visual impairment, and works as a journalist for @GirlEffect Rwanda. In Rwanda, according to the World Health Organization, approx. 400,000 people are living with visual impairments, and 1 out of every 100 children are born with visual impairments. To ensure equal and fair opportunities, the government has worked to promote the rights of people living with disabilities, including visual impairments. Because of the special measures and programs put in place by the government, Yvonne's parents were able to take her to specialist doctors that helped her go from a complete visual impairment at birth to now having limited visibility. She was also able to attend a school designed for visually impaired students. With all of this support growing up, Yvonne was able to realize her dream of becoming a journalist, and today is the the first employee living with a physical disability–at Girl Effect Rwanda. She has experienced her share of setbacks and skeptics, but Yvonne is prepared to tackle those head on. She’s been asked questions before like, “How are you a journalist?” or “How are you going to ask me questions if you’re visually impaired?” She’s quick to respond, “Oh…eyes can’t talk and ask. So I’m going to use my mouth.” 🗣 Yvonne has some advice for others living with disabilities and/or visual impairments, who look up to her inspiring career achievements: "Ask yourself, ‘Why not you?’ You can do that. You can even do better than me.” Read the full piece via the link in our bio! 🎧📝 . . . @ninyampinga #girleffect #disability #visuallyimpaired #rwanda #journalist #inspiration #youth

You may be familiar with @Sukhmanimusic’s work if you are a GTHQ avid reader, as we recently featured a track she collaborated on with ‘Ash + Bone’, confronting gender inequality in the music industry. Now, she has tapped into the whimsical world of self-reflection on her debut EP ‘Here’, released on April 1. As one of first female tabla players to emerge from the U.K, she has toured and recorded as a percussionist for years, playing on stage at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Sukhmani was born into a Punjabi immigrant family in the United Kingdom, and grew up in Leeds where she was surrounded by the sounds of her Punjabi Sikh family, the Afro Caribbean community, and the city’s thriving music scene. She now brings her rare understanding of rhythm and percussion to her own music, delivering sultry vocals over deep, driving beats. Her latest project gave her the opportunity to “say the things we might be afraid of voicing out loud in the hopes it might speak to someone and encourage them to do the same.” We had the chance to talk with Sukhmani about her debut, and the meaning behind some of the tracks such as "Not Your Exotic": "I have been called “exotic” in my life more times than I can count, and although I understand that the intention can be complementary, I wanted to point out that by calling someone exotic you are measuring them against a standard that is white. I wanted to offer an alternative to otherizing, and instead call for us to appreciate and celebrate ourselves as well as each other, honoring diversity whilst acknowledging our inherent oneness." Listen to the EP "Here" and read our full Q&A via the link in our bio!🕶💓⛓ . . . #Sukhmani #punjabi #sikh #southasian #indian #tabla #musician #percussion #here #notyourexotic #immigrant #community #british

Aussie Plus size clothing brand @TakingShapestyle recently launched an exciting new collection with award-winning Indigenous designer, Elverina Johnson, whose mission it is to preserve the Indigenous Spirit through the arts. A highly respected Gungganji Gurugulu woman from Yarrabah in Far North Queensland, Elverina is one of the Nation’s most recognizable and accomplished artists who was awarded the 2017 Nation NAIDOC Artist of the Year. Her belief is that arts can empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and restore a genuine sense of pride in their culture and communities. Like Taking Shape, Elverina takes her role of empowering women seriously. Her family name – Bunya Badjil – means ‘good woman’. Elverina is passionate about making her unique prints available for all women to enjoy. Elverina spoke with us about the Taking Shape partnership and what it means to her personally: "Representation is extremely important for me as First Nations woman in Australia. The diversity that Taking Shape is already projecting in terms of catering to plus size women of all shapes and sizes and ethnicity has now become more inclusive of First Nations women who will identify and feel extra valued," she told us. "I love this partnership with Taking Shape because of their openness to learn and understanding what the stories are about. Their willingness to be agents of changes and inclusiveness in a society where First Nations people have to work extra harder to even get a little recognition, is great." Read the full piece and peep the brilliant Elverina X Taking Shape collection via the link in our bio.👚🌊🇦🇺 . . . @yarrabah #takingshape #clothing #style #fashion #indigenous #designer #australia #firstnations #collection #queensland #yarrabah #artist #reconciliation #plussize #diversity #inclusion #change #empowerment #women

#TBT to that time you did that BADASS thing ⚡️🙅🏽‍♀️ Check out this quote from our founder @ashadahya, shared recently on @the.storyofwoman podcast. Posted @withregram • @theknow.media We had to share these words of wisdom from @girltalkhq founder @ashadahya on the @the.storyofwoman podcast! We recommend tuning into the episode 'Woman and Those Changing the World: Asha Dahya, Today's Wonder Women' for all things empowerment on this Wednesday 💛 #badass #beyourownhero #shero #inspire #podcast #ashadahya #todayswonderwomen #rolemodel #hero

If you aren't following @themcleodfamily, what are you even doing on this app?? The McLeod Family have become social media viral sensations, with proud single foster mom Eeka McLeod sharing content about what life is like raising 3 children and tackling issues like autism and cerebral palsy, as well as celebrating one of them being LGBTQ+. After becoming a licensed foster parent while in graduate school, Eeka started welcoming children into her home. Throughout her time fostering, Eeka cared for 18 children and eventually adopted three: Eli, Evan and Ella. Eli has Cerebral Palsy while Evan and Ella are on the Autism Spectrum, so she has dedicated her life to meeting their unique needs while helping them find ways to express their individuality. The self-described “family of misfits” has made a name for themselves on social media during the pandemic with unapologetically real, hilarious content that showcases the triumphs and challenges of their daily life. Their devoted fanbase includes 116 million likes and 2.4 million followers on TikTok, over 100,000 followers on Instagram, as well as over 2.6 million views and over 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. Eeka, who has two Master’s Degrees in Professional Counseling as well as Marriage and Family Therapy, is passionate about using the family’s platform to advocate for acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities. We had the chance to speak with Eeka about her beautiful kids and using their social media platform as a way to connect with the world. Here's what she told us: "I think a lot of people know what it’s like to be “different.” Seeing a family like ours enjoying our lives, thriving, and experiencing the world in the midst of facing criticism, judgment, and hate shows people they are not alone in any of this and they have the right to live their most authentic lives as joyfully as they choose.It is my hope that by sharing our story, we can educate others and improve circumstances for these communities." Read the full piece via the link in our bio! 🤳🏽📹 . . . #family #foster #adopt #LGBTQIA #disability #content #influencer #singlemom #parenting #viral #wearefamily #autism

They say it’s a “man’s world” that we live in. So what does that mean for women? What does it mean for gender non-conforming and non-binary folks? Everything in our world has been influenced by that fact ‘man’ designed and led all aspects of it without the inclusion or consideration of ‘woman’. While some implications of this are clear – the wage gap, lack of women in leadership – most consequences are so deeply embedded into our world that they are all but impossible to see, unless you are looking. @the.storyofwoman is a new podcast exploring ‘man’s world’ through a woman's perspective, looking at the economy, healthcare, gender roles, and more. Hosted by @anna_leah_lau, each episode features an interview with a non-fiction author whose book provides the context needed to see where we are, how we got here and what still needs to be changed. This podcast series offers listeners an insight into a world through the female gaze, focusing on issues that are only just now in recent years being examined from the perspective and lived experiences of women. One of the books featured in Season 1 is our founder @ashadahya's book #TodaysWonderWomen! We had the opportunity to speak with Anna about the inspiration behind the podcast, and here's what she told us: 🎧"I hope listeners will remember that these are not “women’s issues”, these are everyone’s issues. Too often anything to do with women gets labelled as something separate from the human experience; she gets her own “special” category. These authors and the books they’ve written touch on themes and ideas that impact all of humanity, not just women. Without these narratives – and woman’s perspective of the world – humankind becomes something else entirely, and we won’t ever know who we are and what it means to be fully human until her perspective is seen as universal." Listen to the episode with Asha, and check out Season 1 of "The Story of Woman' via the link in our bio! 🎙 . . . #podcast #storyofwoman #perspective #femalegaze #women #history #HERstory #amansworld #author #bookstagram