Our Bodies Our Stories: Reproductive Justice and Shattering Stereotypes with Vayla New Orleans
By: Syna Pal
During the spring semester, I continued my reproductive justice internship with Vayla New Orleans. I have been working at Vayla since Spring 2023, and over this time, my co-host Aimee and I have had the opportunity to build on the podcast titled Our Bodies Our Stories. This podcast explores reproductive justice issues through an AAPI lens.
This semester, we worked on an episode titled Shattering Stereotypes: AAPIs in Media. Through this episode, we aimed not only to explore the media portrayal of AAPI individuals but also to highlight how this representation intersects with issues of reproductive rights, health, and justice.
Aimee and I were excited to explore this important topic because of the media’s powerful role in shaping societal narratives and perceptions. Representation matters deeply, as it not only reflects the diversity of our communities but also influences how individuals are treated. Within the landscape of reproductive justice, the portrayal of AAPI individuals is often overlooked or misrepresented, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and erasing their experiences and voices. We wanted to alter these narratives.
The creation of the episode was a complex but engaging process. We navigated through the vast array of media representations, and analyzing their impact required careful consideration and critical reflection. Engaging with scholarly articles, media analyses, and personal narratives provided invaluable perspectives that informed the content of the podcast episode. Additionally, creating content for the Instagram account to boost our post provided me with valuable design and social media experience.
This episode and the podcast as a whole reminded me of the important and transformative power of storytelling, which is in line with Vayla’s mission. I am motivated to continue challenging dominant narratives and amplifying marginalized voices as I work with Vayla over the summer.