Youspeak Radio Ep. 1- “Keep Going” – with Helen Zia
“Keep going. That’s all the more reason you have to be there.”
In this Youspeak Radio episode, youth interviewer Cassidy All talks to renowned journalist Helen Zia about her career in journalism and activism.
After finding out about Cassidy’s interest in journalism, Helen Zia tells Cassidy what it was like to break into the journalism industry in the 1980s. Zia shares stories of her early struggles as a young journalist and talks about the role that integrity and perseverance has played in her career. Combining journalism and activism, Helen Zia speaks about how she fought to represent the groups and issues she cares about, and the necessity of paving the way for others.
Guest – Helen Zia
Helen Zia is an award winning journalist, activist and Fulbright Scholar. The former executive editor of the iconic feminist publication, Ms. Magazine, her first book, Asian American Dreams chronicled the emergence of AAPIs in contemporary America; My Country Vs. Me, recounted physicist Wen Ho Lee’s ordeal of being falsely accused of espionage and imprisoned by the US. Her latest book is Last Boat out of Shanghai. The daughter of immigrants from China, Helen’s role as an activist in the landmark civil rights case of anti-Asian violence is featured in Who Killed Vincent Chin? In 2010, she was a witness in the federal case for marriage equality. A graduate of Princeton University’s first coeducational class, Helen has received two honorary doctorates. After attending medical school, she became a community organizer, construction laborer, autoworker, and after which she discovered her life’s work as a writer.
Student – Cassidy All
Cassidy All (she/they) is a rising senior in high school this year, and hopes to pursue law school in the future—with a focus on human rights or public interest law. In her free time she enjoys reading, drawing fashion designs, failing at crafts, and eating chocolate.
This episode is a part of the Youspeak Radio project, made possible with support from the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.
Music: “Living Life” by Scott Holmes, Creative Commons licensed (CC BY-NC 4.0) on FreeMusicArchives.
