Hey, everybody! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Yen Ling Shek.
Who are you?
Yen Ling Shek, Ph.D. I worked hard for those three letters at the end so it's fun to write it out but people usually just call me Yen Ling.
What are you?
I'm a 2nd generation Chinese/Asian American Christian social justice educator and a first-generation college graduate. I'm also the first in my family to get a doctorate, although it's not the make tons of money kind. I'm a foodie on a budget.
Where are you?
Los Angeles, CA -- up and down the Westside.
Where are you from?
A place where everything was in Black-White terms and where I thankfully had mentorship from Black university administrators. They encouraged me and helped me frame my student activism in solidarity with other marginalized communities. Our struggles are interconnected, which means our liberation is also interconnected.
This place is Virginia but I also sorta claim Hong Kong because my grandmother raised me there for a few years as a child. But we are not Cantonese. We are Fuzhounese.
What do you do?
I try to help folks make informed decisions using data, ask thoughtful questions, and speak truth in love. Sometimes the truth doesn't always come out so lovingly...but I try! I walk/jog/run half marathons to raise money for clean water projects in Africa. My work is focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education as an administrator, researcher, and instructor. I've researched and published on Asian American masculinity, cultural resource centers, Asian American public policy issues, and educational pathways for low-income youth. I'm hoping to get back into writing this summer. I also sing but get really awkward about people asking me to sing on command, unless we are at karaoke.
What are you all about?
Justice, compassion, and truth. Paying attention to folks people ignore. Giving folks an opportunity to learn and grow. Making sure people always have enough to eat. Doing a count of everyone in my group before we leave a place so no one gets left behind or lost. Eating good food.
What makes you angry?
Lies, ignorance, greed, pride, racism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, and systems that exploit, marginalize, and disenfranchise people. So, obviously Game of Thrones has been pretty infuriating to watch, but I can't stop... as well as the news.
