About the Episode:

This week, I am joined by Shuling Yong - award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has screened at Sundance,Tribeca, and Netflix. Her newest documentary follows two public school teachers navigating the TEAACH Act - the first legislation in the country to require Illinois schools to teach Asian American history!

For generations, the AANHPI narrative has been constructed without us. Model minority. Perpetual foreigner. Silentachiever. Shuling reminded me that someone will tell your story with or without you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Who tells the story is inseparable from what thestory becomes and why that matters now more than ever for our community
• Real storytelling requires relationship,proximity, and trust - you earn the right to tell someone's story, you don'ttake it
• Storytelling humanizes what policy alone cannot -because you have to touch the heart before you can change the mind

About Shuling Yong:

Shuling Yong is a Singapore-born, Chicago-based award-winning documentary filmmaker, director of photography, andlocation sound recordist with a passion for social change. Her work has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, Netflix, POV, and HotDocs - including the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming and the Indigo Girls documentary It's Only Life After All.

Her film Unteachable made history at the Singapore International Film Festival, becoming the first local film to win the Audience Choice Award in the festival's 30-year history.It is now used as a teaching tool at Singapore's only teacher-training college.

She is a DOC NYC 40 Under 40 honoree, aKartemquin Films Diverse Voices in Docs Fellow and Mentor, and a CAAM Fellowship Pitch Coach.

Her current project follows two public school teachers implementing the TEAACH Act - the first law in the country tomandate Asian American history in Illinois public schools - with support from the Asian American Documentary Network and Kartemquin Films.

Find Shuling:

https://shulingyong.com/

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Music Credit: DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387