Mirchi Minutes

In Episode 7 we unpack the Model Minority Myth and explore how it has been used to promote anti-blackness in the Asian community, dismiss the need for structural change, and encourage Asians to uphold the status quo.

We are joined by Payal Kumar who shares their experiences working at Planned Parenthood and insight from their work with intergenerational community activism.

We interview Rochona Majumdar, a professor from the University of Chicago, about the representation of women and sexuality in Indian cinema over time and its impact of Indian culture. We think about the relationship between sexuality and family values, the normalization of female sexuality, and more. 

In Episode 4, Shruthi and Rhea explore stigma related to periods. How does stigma carry across generations and practices? How does this impact the health of South Asians? How can we begin to separate tradition from the stigma that they carry? 

We are joined by 3 others as we discuss our experiences getting birth control and talking about sex with our family and doctors. We talk about the difference between advocating for yourself vs advocating for others, the ways that the lack of conversations about sex has caused shame, explore the role of Eastern medicine, and more.

In this episode, we interview members of Chicago Raas to explore how the national intercollegiate dance circuit impacts the identity of those who participate in it. We ask, what makes something a South Asian American space and how do these spaces impact one’s relationship with themselves and their culture?

Shruthi and Rhea introduce Mirchi Minutes, a podcast based on their experiences navigating sexual and mental health while being brown.