As Drea and Brian continue their Steven Universe mini-marathon viewings, they become more familiar with the Gem characters: Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. They notice that Amethyst is perceived by the others as somewhat aloof, careless, disorganized, and even irresponsible at times. Her wildness and fluidity is frowned upon, and her impulsive ways seem to be interpreted as “bad” for the group. Because Amethyst’s family treats her as unreliable and uncaring, she seeks approval from an underground wrestling society, where she finds meaningful relationships, a sense of achievement, and visibility. In fact, as a wrestler, she’s able to fully embrace aspects of herself, ones that are not necessarily valued by her family. In the ring, she can be fiery, impulsive, and physical. She can let go.

Drea and Brian discuss the importance of belongingness as it relates to our identity development, pointing out that even when we experience the rejection of a part of ourselves (personality traits, preferences, lifestyle), we are robbed of our dignity, humanity, and wholeness. Their discussion is about accepting one another and not selectively appreciating only the parts we are comfortable with.

This episode starts with a message about the increasing violence and hate speech against Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals in our community and in response to the senseless murders of eight people, including six Asian Women, in Atlanta, GA, on March 16, 2021.

Asian Allyship and Mental Health Resources mentioned:

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association https://www.naapimha.org/aanhpi-service-providers
Asian Mental Health Collective https://www.asianmhc.org/
Stop AAPI Hate: https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=14711