Mellow Yellow

Decolonise Your Minds!

2012-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Decolonise Your Minds: marginalised gendered People of Colour DECOLONISATION huiSat 4th - Sun 5th Feb 2012 Tamaki Makaurau (Ponsonby Community Centre)(Auckland, New Zealand)$20 waged/ $10 unwaged, or whatever you can affordThe People of Colour Decol Hui is a two day celebration of Decolonisation, Feminism and Anti-Racism, for POC/indigenous feminists and activists, all mixed up with DIY workshops

Mellow Yellow Zines - Ready to Print Format!

2012-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I've scanned and uploaded MY 1-4 in booklet format ready for you to print onto double sided sheets! MY 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/i/?o198kgta4aw4qny MY 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/i/?f1dkmko975iq730 MY 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/i/?wyt66ugl22d9z32 MY 4 - http://www.mediafire.com/i/?kl4dtjt1r9vnrb3 MY 5 - available sooooooon! Live happy, sleep well, be kind to each other Gong x

Kickass article by Margaret Cho. Jus' sharin'.

2012-01-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.margaretcho.com/content/2012/01/11/being-mad-on-twitter/

Mellow Yellow IV is now available for download!

2012-01-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

Mellow Yellow IVContents include:Age and PowerThe beginnings of a manual on "how NOT to be an ally..."On doing 101 again and again and againAsian Anarchist Sisters in BerlinT-shirt Slogans for the DIY activistHow to draw a vulvaInterspecies Interaction. A True Story.Confessions of a workaholicThe weeping BuddhaRecognition, blindspots and stakes+ much more!This pdf is created in the printable

DECOLONISE THE MIC: Callout for Performers

2012-01-02T19:39:00.001-08:00

DECOLONISE THE MIC: Callout for performers!The Decolonise Your Mind Hui is a two day celebration of feminism, decolonisation and anti-racism held in Tamaki-Makaurau on the 4-5th of Feb 2012. We are organising a "Decolonise the Mic" night featuring people of colour performers. Performances can include but are not limited to: music, poetry, spoken word, songs, skits, raps, dances, drag etc.

Being Good Enough

2011-12-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

So I was lurking on Myspace.com, reminiscing through my emotionally charged rants and post-hardcore mp3s and started reflecting on this socio-muso identity of recent past. You know, it took me 9 years living in Aotearoa and after several maybe/maybe-not talk sessions with good friend bamboo to finally pick up the mic and do music again. I am 28-yrs old and do vocals with an all-feminist hardcore

Take your individualistic ostrich head out of the colonial sand

2011-11-20T23:07:00.000-08:00

“What is colonisation all about? I mean that kinda stuff happens all over the world, it's just what people do, it's always happened. And it was so long ago.. You can't really do anything about it.” This was part of the conversation I had with a young gay asian man while a small, staunch and chipper group marching for decolonisation up Queen St, to the (re)occupy Aotea campsite. And it's been

Statement in Support of the March and Rally against Poverty and Structural Oppression

2011-11-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

As Asian tau iwi living in Aotearoa, we recognise the past and present injustices against tangata whenua.We also recognise that through British colonialism and the theft of Maori land, the Pakeha-dominated political system has created wealth and a nation that provides "opportunities", "standards of living" that have become available to new migrants, old settlers and their descendents.

Daily effects of white privilege, by Peggy McIntosh

2011-10-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. 2. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me. 3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to

made this last night

2011-10-21T17:56:00.001-07:00

...and it felt good.

Some "normal" responses to rather unwell societies

2011-08-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Mental health and society. There are a whole bunch of stigmatised ingredients, flourishes, elements, and parts of people, in the society we live within. One of those is mental health. Mental health, or mental wellness is something I’ve struggled with since my late teens. I’ve struggled with feeling a flat-grey-colour-and-joy-leached-hopelessness-no-motivation type of depression, where even just

The un-seen, un-wanted, work of Freedom, or, "what we can learn from the Israelites".

2011-07-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

I grew up on vivid Bible stories etched brightly on my child's mind. Daniel hanging with the Lion in the Lion's Den; Jonah running from God's orders then ending up in a whale belly; horses, chariots and Egyptians drowned in a Moses parted Red Sea.One story that makes me think of why “anarchy” is difficult, is one where the Israelites demanded a human king from God.If you're sitting comfortably,

Mellow Yellow #4 @ Auckland Zinefest!

2011-07-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Mellow Yellow issue no. 4 is out now! We launched it this year at Auckland Zinefest last Saturday 16th July; it was probably our first time hosting a stall together, PLUS bamboo spoke in a panel discussion on "Zines as tools for political resistance" which was pretty choice. Response has been great, apparently we sold over 40 copies of number 4 that day alone, plus tens of nos.1 , 2 and 3. People

Radical Masculinities?

2011-06-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

I started thinking about this amorphous topic for a number of reasons. One was in the context of being part of butch femme dynamics where I've been challenged a number of times by femmes, on my masculine privilege, assumptions, misogyny, and ways of working and communicating. Another is upon starting to take testosterone, needing to think about how my body and its readings will be eventually

my fun time at Camp Betty: queer and trans activist conf in Sydney

2011-06-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Camp Betty Sydney 2011 rocked. Here is a link to what they've said about themselves http://campbetty.org/2010/?page_id=2 then what I say about Camp Betty.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifI conceptualised Camp Betty as a queer and trans activist conference, and it kicked off at the Red Rattler http://www.redrattler.org/sydney/about+us with a cranking pechakucha combined with regos. There

White dominant discourse, the word "Slut" and missing the real issue.

2011-06-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

The following is a copy and paste of the email sent to slutwalkaotearoa@gmail.com: To the Organisers of Slutwalk Aotearoa, Thank you so much for sticking your necks out and organising this event. I know that it's no easy task, especially with all the attention that the event has been receiving - both positive and negative. It's a lot to take on and I do appreciate the effort. I write to

Courage Unfolds

2011-04-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

JOIN THE CAMPAIGNOn April 19, IGLHRC launched the Courage Unfolds Campaign, which features a 4 minute trailer on YouTube as well as an invitation to take several actions – the hope is that the campaign and trailer will go viral to build momentum for the release of the full 33-minute video. IGLHRC is releasing it on May 17 -- web release on Vimeo, screenings in multiple countries starting in May

relying on the kindness of "men".

2011-04-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

have you ever felt awkward relying on other people's kindness, particularly men? throughout my life thus far, i have found myself confused as to what a gesture means or may not even mean. some say it's a matter of maturity, but really? like my mum always told me that it is never good to accept gifts as it means indebtedness until it is repaid to the person. this was pretty much normalised, as an

Responses to Responses of "Misogyny out of Mantrol!!"

2011-03-29T00:34:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't read "an abusive relationship is moving train" it's another account of the patterns of abuse and responses to it over the last 10 years in the anarchist/socialist movements in Aotearoa.Just to keep the conversations going, here are some comments made about the previous post I want to address.From anon1:I have some questions about anarchism that have always concerned me. If

Misogyny out of Mantrol!!

2011-03-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

Cool Asians

2009-12-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

They're everywhere. But where're the cool ones at?In this article, ms.stellar takes Hebdige's theory of subculture and applies it in her encounters with Asian migrant individuals in Aotearoa, involved in activist communities or independent non-capitalistic work. She aims to highlight a cacophany of sentiments, shared by but not often discussed amongst activist wimmin circles in Aotearoa. There

"A Thai That Binds" : An Interview with Dew Chaiyanara

2009-11-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

In November 2008, I made my first trip to Singapore since moving to Aotearoa New Zealand with my whanau seven years ago. I was looking forward to cultural displacement, a situation which could enliven my indigenous self as a Melayu/Malay and consequently empower me to participate in Aotearoa's bicultural forums upon my return. Along the journey, I pursued a trivial agenda: to galavant through the

Appropriation of languages of the oppressed

2009-11-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

One thing that's been really bothering me lately is how anti-sexist or anti-racist language are often appropriated by people in positions of power, whether it's people benefiting from white privilege, class privilege or male privilege. It's the same patronising and condescending attitude of "I know better than you" or "I know more about your oppression than you do". It really fucking pisses me

Resistance is futile

2009-11-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

Resistance is futile. How do we live with/in futility? Meaning, sense and use in futility. One of the characteristic markers of my generation, the Y generation as we’ve been defined and marketed to, is cynicism and selfishness. I have to say, I feel ‘my’ aggregate generation would give the baby boomer generation a

Gay-Pride Parade in Hong Kong

2009-11-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

Monday, 2 November 2009. 1800 take to Hong Kong’s streets to highlight the struggle for equality and LGBT rightsChen Lizhi, chinaworker.infoHong Kong’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people) community took over the streets of central Hong Kong Island in a loud, spectacular and overwhelmingly youthful Pride parade on Sunday 1 November. Organisers announced to cheers from the crowds in

pathologising the effects of rape and sexual abuse

2009-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

There are some large problems with ACC requiring people who have been raped/sexually abused to declare and be diagnosed as mentally ill, to be able to access subsidies for counselling.There are a whole raft of problems. but first we will combat a main argument (justification, thought or feeling) of "well if you're seeking counselling in the first place then you must not be okay, so why not

Stop ACC cuts to sexual abuse counselling

2009-10-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

ACC is changing the criteria for funding counseling for survivors of sexual abuse."The rules, due to be implemented from October 12, state the Accident Compensation Corporation will pay for counselling only if victims of sexual abuse are diagnosed with a mental injury under the US Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 4 (DSM-IV).""Dr Kim McGregor, who chairs the tauiwi (Pakeha) section of the

How women could fight patriarchies by having anal sex with Straight Men. And how this could also destabilise white supremacies....

2009-09-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

The archetypal male body is straight, able bodied, and more often than not, white. The archetypal male body is also pitched as sealed and impenetrable. This is why many Straight Men often freak out when you finger their arseholes while having sex. The Straight Sex Script is one where Man penetrates, and Woman is penetrated. The body of a Man being entered, is not the standard manly way to

Hatred of fat people is consumer and capitalist guilt.

2009-09-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

In the dominating and oppressive-in-so-many-ways society I live within, there is alot of hatred of fat people and fat bodies. There has been some (tokenistic at times) headway made in many spheres. Homosexuals are no longer illegal. White women got many of the rights they focussed (white) Feminist agendas upon. There are racial discrimination laws etc etc. To the happy sappy liberal, it’s

Why I sometimes feel a bit sorry for White people and bio men.

2009-09-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

I feel aggrieved about where my genderqueer, androgynous, female-masculine Chinese diasporic body, although simultaneously middle class, able-bodied, colonisation-privileged body, is placed within a White, colonial, racist, sexist, homo/transphobic and monolingual amongst other things, is a place where I need to struggle to remain whole, and to love and accept myself.Saying that, I also feel

Racist Advertising

2009-08-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

It's everywhere, not just the explicitly racist Hell Pizza billboard that read "At least our brownies won't eat your pet dog". On Friday, there was a demo at a Hell's Pizza on Quay st where a spokesperson for Hell Pizza in charge of advertising came and talked to us. He was a white guy wearing a suit. Protestors were asking confrontational questions and he was given a right of reply to all the

News from "Asia"

2009-08-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

Worker occupations in KoreaWorkers at the Ssangyong Motor factory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, have been on a sit-in strike since late May and are currently trying to defend their factory against a police assault. Workers at the plant responded with strikes against pending layoffs in April which accelerated into a full strike and plant takeover and occupation by 1700 workers on May 27 when the

Issues with Biculturalism and Multiculturalism

2009-08-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with state policies of biculturalism and multiculturalism. First of all, biculturalism is a problematic concept that only recognises two existing cultures in this country called “New Zealand”, and it is used more so to legitimise Pakeha dominance and government rather than as a genuine attempt to reconcile the invasion, stealing, cheating and manipulation of the Pakeha colonial

Sameness does not equal safety.

2009-08-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

I was having a cuppa with a white activist I’d recently been hanging out with, and said something along the lines of “Blah blah blah caucus”. To which they asked “What’s caucus?”. “It’s when you have a meeting or whatever that’s indigenous peoples, or women only, or coloured queers, trans peoples only etc”, I responded. To which they said “Oh right, I know now, safe space”.I’ve kinda been

WEIRD 09: Radical Feminists of Colour Hui

2009-07-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

radical feminists of colour hui*racism within activist and feminist spacesworking with white privileged feminists and activistsdecolonisation in AotearoaWEIRD 09 womyn engaging in radical decolonisationssat 5 sept – sun 6 sept10-4pmhome of compassionisland bayte whanganui a tara / wgtn$20 waged/ $10 unwaged, or whatever you can afford*hui for any self-identified wom*n of colour. female bodied

We are not the same: resisting assimilation and imperialist feminisms

2009-07-31T04:02:00.000-07:00

There is an assumption in western feminist thought that there is some kind of 'universal womanhood'; that we as women have the same experiences of sexism, misogyny and patriarchy. It is an ethno/eurocentric assumption that is hegemonic in my experience of feminist practice and theory, whether it is directly articulated or not. It seems to more or less operate on a subconscious level for many

Six Reasons Why People of Color Need Anarchism

2009-07-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

From: illvox.orgAnarchy isn’t just for skater kids and grad students any more.All over the world, oppressed people are talking about grassroots solutions. They are talking about depending on the community instead of governments, corporations and cops. They are in rebellion against the powers that be, their version of history, and their institutions. Sometimes that rebellion is active and

六四天安门事件纪念日

2009-06-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, exactly 20 years ago, was the Tiananmen Square massacre 1989. This subject is all over Chinese radio at the moment with interviews with different people who were there at the time and discussions with Chinese immigrants in Auckland. When I was listening, there was a featured interview with an American guy who was there the time and one of the questions was, "How did the Tiananmen Square

Sorry sorry sorry

2009-06-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Good ol' apologies. They are a good start, but that's all they are until measured with what follows.When me and my bro used to have fisty-cuffs, Dad would pinch our ears and demand we apologise to each other, shake hands or hug, to make up. When I use to be mean to my sister and make her cry, Dad would do his "Do as I tell you or else..." face, and demand I say sorry and be nice to my sister,

Apologies don't mean shit

2009-05-20T02:15:00.000-07:00

There's a couple of things I want to talk about in relation to apologies. One is Melissa Lee's "apology" for her comments on the Waterview motorway, saying it was to keep South Auckland criminals out of Mt Albert. The other is in relation to sexual abuse and physical violence, which is a pretty tough topic but it needs to be talked about.I'll talk about the recent media hype about the Mt Albert

中国人在新西兰应该支持毛利人的奋斗

2009-05-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

不管我们是在这儿生的或移民过来的, 我门都应该了解新西兰的历史. 我们应该了解毛利人的历史和他们的文化, 因为我们是在他们的土地, 他们的被英国人偷的土地. 英国的殖民主义在这个国家跟八国连军在中国有相同的地方, 也有不一样的. 反正当地人的经验差不多, 殖民国家都用了暴力去达到他们的目的:抢地和资源. 杀人,杀戮,强奸, 他们都做了. 因为这个历史现在毛利人还是被西方的文化,政府和经济压迫他们的文化和自治. 中国的移民者要是懂这个历史, 我们才能在这个国家反对种族主义.来到这儿, 我想我们都受过种族主义者的欺负.要是我们不喜欢被别人欺负,我们不能跟羊人的文化学然后欺负本地人. 我们应该支持毛利人的奋斗去达到民族自决.Roughly translated:Why Chinese in Aotearoa Should Support the Maori StruggleWhether we

Individualism in Activism Organising

2009-05-17T00:57:00.000-07:00

Individualism is part of the dominant western culture’s ideology. Look after yourself first. You are an individual with no collective responsibility. Your individual desires and needs are more important than the collective – that’s why it’s totally fine for one person to own more wealth and resources than a million other people. That’s why it’s totally fine for most people to live in abject

Yellow Rage - I'm a Woman Not A Flava

2009-05-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

May Day 五一劳动节: An injury to one is an injury to all!

2009-05-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

Many stories of Chinese workers who have suffered injuries or have died due to their working conditions are untold or unheard. It struck me today as I noticed a family friend’s hand. Her thumb was a mere stub with no fingernail. I wondered why that was and my mum later told me that it’s from an injury at her factory back in China, where the machinery had cut off her thumb. These kinds of injuries

Welcome 欢迎

2009-05-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Kia ora koutou katoa, 欢迎大家This is a blog dedicated to radical social change from a section of the "Asian" tau iwi population in Aotearoa. We wish to create more dialogue and space to talk about issues that are specific to our experience. It’s about opening up a space in which Asian womyn in Aotearoa can speak and communicate our specific and diverse experiences, to create understanding between