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B.A. Parker, photographed for NPR, 9 September 2022, in New York, NY. Photo by Brandon Watson for NPR.
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B.A. Parker

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Wednesday

Code Switch

How one event in history can ripple through generations of a family

This week we're bringing you the first episode in a new series called Inheriting, created in collaboration with our friends at LAist Studios. In each episode, NPR's Emily Kwong sits down with Asian American and Pacific Islander families and explores how one event in history can ripple through generations.

How one event in history can ripple through generations of a family

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Wednesday

The truth and lies behind one of the most banned books in America
Jackie Lay

Code Switch

The truth and lies behind one of the most banned books in America

Author Mike Curato wrote Flamer as a way to help young queer kids, like he once was, better understand and accept themselves. It was met with immediate praise and accolades — until it wasn't. When the book got caught up in a wave of Texas-based book bans, suddenly the narrative changed. And like so many books that address queer identity, Flamer quickly became a flashpoint in a long, messy culture war that tried to distort the nature of the book.

The truth and lies behind one of the most banned books in America

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Wednesday

The history of trans misogyny is the history of segregation

Author Jules Gill-Peterson poses next to her book, A Short History of Trans Misogyny Headshot by Kadji Amin and book cover design by Angela Lorenzo for Verso hide caption

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Headshot by Kadji Amin and book cover design by Angela Lorenzo for Verso

Code Switch

The history of trans misogyny is the history of segregation

As anti-trans legislation has ramped up, historian Jules Gill-Peterson turns the lens to the past in her book, A Short History of Trans Misogyny. This week, we talk about how panics around trans femininity are shaped by wider forces of colonialism, segregation and class interests.

The history of trans misogyny is the history of segregation

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Wednesday

Should we stop using the word "felon"?

What the reaction to Trump's felony conviction tells us about the word "felon" Jackie Lay hide caption

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Jackie Lay

Analysis

Code Switch

Should we stop using the word "felon"?

This week, we're turning our sights on the word "felon", and looking into what it tells us (and can't tell us) about the 19 million people in the U.S. — like Donald Trump and Hunter Biden — carrying that designation around.

Should we stop using the word "felon"?

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Wednesday

100 years of immigration policies working to keep out immigrants

Putting the immigration "crisis" in historical perspective Jackie Lay hide caption

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Jackie Lay

Code Switch

100 years of immigration policies working to keep out immigrants

President Biden just issued an executive order that can temporarily shut down the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers once a daily threshold of crossings is exceeded. On this episode, we dig into how the political panic surrounding what many are calling an immigration "crisis" at the border, isn't new. And in fact...it's a problem of our own creation.

100 years of immigration policies working to keep out immigrants

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Wednesday

White evangelical Christians are some of Israel's biggest supporters. Why?

At a march in support of Israel, one woman holds a sign saying, "Christians Stand with Israel." Getty Images hide caption

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Getty Images

Code Switch

White evangelical Christians are some of Israel's biggest supporters. Why?

As war continues to rage in the Middle East, attention has been turned to how American Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians relate to the state of Israel. But when we talk about the region, American Christians, particularly evangelical Christians, are often not part of that story. But their political support for Israel is a major driver for U.S. policy — in part because Evangelicals make up an organized, dedicated constituency with the numbers to exert major influence on U.S. politics.

White evangelical Christians are some of Israel's biggest supporters. Why?

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Wednesday

Understanding the refugee experience, through a time-traveling British colonizer
NPR

Code Switch

Understanding the refugee experience, through a time-traveling British colonizer

This week Code Switch digs into The Ministry of Time, a new book that author Kailene Bradley describes as a "romance about imperialism." It focuses on real-life Victorian explorer Graham Gore, who died on a doomed Arctic expedition in 1847. But in this novel, time travel is possible and Gore is brought to the 21st century where he's confronted with the fact that everyone he's ever known is dead, that the British Empire has collapsed, and that perhaps he was a colonizer.

Understanding the refugee experience, through a time-traveling British colonizer

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Wednesday

Why the trope of the 'outside agitator' persists

Illustration of a rally where "peaceful protesters" march alongside "violent looters." LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

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LA Johnson/NPR

Code Switch

Why the trope of the 'outside agitator' persists

As protests continue to rock the campuses of colleges and universities, a familiar set of questions is being raised: Are these protests really being led by students? Or are the real drivers of the civil disobedience outsiders, seizing on an opportunity to wreak chaos and stir up trouble?

Why the trope of the 'outside agitator' persists

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Wednesday

In 'Chicano Frankenstein,' the undead are the new underpaid labor force

Author Daniel A. Olivas poses next to the cover of his recent book, Chicano Frankenstein Author headshot via publisher hide caption

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Author headshot via publisher

Code Switch

In 'Chicano Frankenstein,' the undead are the new underpaid labor force

Daniel Olivas's novel puts a new spin on the age-old Frankenstein story. In this retelling, 12 million "reanimated" people provide a cheap workforce for the United States...and face a very familiar type of bigotry.

In 'Chicano Frankenstein,' the undead are the new underpaid labor force

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Wednesday

Exclusion, resilience and the Chinese American experience on 'Mott Street'

Author Ava Chin poses next to the cover of her recent book, Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming Author headshot via Tommy Kha hide caption

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Author headshot via Tommy Kha

Code Switch

Exclusion, resilience and the Chinese American experience on 'Mott Street'

This week on the podcast, we're revisiting a conversation we had with Ava Chin about her book, Mott Street. Through decades of painstaking research, the fifth-generation New Yorker discovered the stories of how her ancestors bore and resisted the weight of the Chinese Exclusion laws in the U.S. – and how the legacy of that history still affects her family today.

Exclusion, resilience and the Chinese American experience on 'Mott Street'

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Wednesday

As American Jews speak out on Israel, some see rifts in their communities
IfNotNow LA

Code Switch

As American Jews speak out on Israel, some see rifts in their communities

In the wake of October 7, and the bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government, many American Jews have found themselves questioning something that had long felt like a given: that if you were Jewish, you would support Israel, and that was that. But as more Jews speak out against Israel's actions in Gaza, it's exposing deep rifts within Jewish communities – including ones that are threatening to break apart friendships, families, and institutions.

As American Jews speak out on Israel, some see rifts in their communities

Listen · 41:02
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Wednesday

The Rise and Fall of the Panama Canal

Author Cristina Henriquez next to the cover of her new novel, The Great Divide Brian McConkey/Ecco hide caption

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Brian McConkey/Ecco

Code Switch

The Rise and Fall of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal has been dubbed the greatest engineering feat in human history. It's also (perhaps less favorably) been called the greatest liberty mankind has ever taken with Mother Nature. But due to climate change, the Canal is drying up and fewer than half of the ships that used to pass through are now able to do so. So how did we get here? Today on the show, we're talking to Cristina Henriquez, the author of a new novel that explores the making of the Canal. It took 50,000 people from 90 different countries to carve the land in two — and the consequences of that extraordinary, nature-defying act are still echoing through our present.

The Rise and Fall of the Panama Canal

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Wednesday

The long, storied history of solidarity between Black and Irish activists

Frederick Douglass visited Ireland in 1845 to drum up support for abolition. That launched generations of solidarity between Black civil rights and Irish republican activists. Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

Code Switch

The long, storied history of solidarity between Black and Irish activists

What's a portrait of Frederick Douglass doing hanging in an Irish-themed pub in Washington, D.C.? To get to the answer, Parker and Gene dive deep into the long history of solidarity and exchange between Black civil rights leaders and Irish republican activists, starting with Frederick Douglass' visit to Ireland in 1845.

The long, storied history of solidarity between Black and Irish activists

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Wednesday

In Lakota Nation, people are asking: Who does a language belong to?

What's the best way to revitalize a language? In the Lakota Nation, that's very much up for debate. Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

Code Switch

In Lakota Nation, people are asking: Who does a language belong to?

Many Lakota people agree: It's imperative to revitalize the Lakota language. But how exactly to do that is a matter of broader debate. Should Lakota be codified and standardized to make learning it easier? Or should the language stay as it always has been, defined by many different ways of writing and speaking? We explore this complex, multi-generational fight that's been unfolding in the Lakota Nation, from Standing Rock to Pine Ridge.

In Lakota Nation, people are asking: Who does a language belong to?

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Wednesday

In the world of medicine, race-based diagnoses are still very real

The false notion of "biological race" is still sometimes used as a diagnostic tool in medicine. Why? Jackie Lay for NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay for NPR

Code Switch

In the world of medicine, race-based diagnoses are still very real

We've probably said it a hundred times on Code Switch — biological race is not a real thing. So why is race still used to help diagnose certain conditions, like keloids or cystic fibrosis? On this episode, Dr. Andrea Deyrup breaks it down for us, and unpacks the problems she sees with practicing race-based medicine.

In the world of medicine, race-based diagnoses are still very real

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Wednesday

Japanese American musicians across generations draw identity from incarceration
Jackie Lay for NPR

Code Switch

Japanese American musicians across generations draw identity from incarceration

In February of 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government issued an executive order to incarcerate people of Japanese descent. That legacy has become a defining story of Japanese American identity. In this episode, B.A. Parker and producer Jess Kung explore how Japanese American musicians across generations turn to that story as a way to explore and express identity. Featuring Kishi Bashi, Erin Aoyama and Mary Nomura.

Japanese American musicians across generations draw identity from incarceration

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Wednesday

The minty past and cloudy future of menthol cigarettes

Despite being addictive and deadly, menthol cigarettes were long advertised as a healthy alternative to "regular" cigarettes — and heavily advertised to Black folks in cities. Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

Code Switch

The minty past and cloudy future of menthol cigarettes

In the U.S., flavored cigarettes have been banned since 2009, with one glaring exception: menthols. That exception was supposed to go away in 2023, but the Biden administration quietly delayed the ban on menthols. Why? Well, an estimated 85 percent of Black smokers smoke menthols — and some (potentially suspect) polls have indicated that a ban on menthols would chill Biden's support among Black people. Of course, it's more complicated than that. The story of menthol cigarettes is tied up in policing, advertising, influencer-culture, and the weaponization of race and gender studies. Oh, and a real-life Black superhero named Mandrake the Magician.

The minty past and cloudy future of menthol cigarettes

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Wednesday

The Lonesome Hearts of 1937

In 1937, the Washington Afro-American featured the "Lonesome Hearts" column, where Black folks looking for love could send letters. Jackie Lay hide caption

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Jackie Lay

Code Switch

The Lonesome Hearts of 1937

To celebrate the history of Black romance, Gene and Parker are joined by reporter Nichole Hill to explore the 1937 equivalent of dating apps — the personals section of one of D.C.'s Black newspapers. Parker attempts to match with a Depression-era bachelor, and along the way we learn about what love meant two generations removed from slavery.

The Lonesome Hearts of 1937

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Friday

How Black college footballers led the fight against racism in 1969

A mural in Laramie, Wyo., that honors the Black 14. AP/Mead Gruver/AP/Mead Gruver hide caption

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AP/Mead Gruver/AP/Mead Gruver

Code Switch

How Black college footballers led the fight against racism in 1969

It's 1969 at the University of Wyoming, where college football is treated like a second religion. But after racist treatment at an away game, 14 Black players decide to take a stand, and are hit with life-changing consequences. From our play cousins across the pond, our own B.A. Parker hosts the BBC World Service's Amazing Sport Stories: The Black 14. Listen to the rest of the series wherever you get your podcasts.

How Black college footballers led the fight against racism in 1969

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Wednesday

What Taylor Swift's icon status says about who gets to be a 'girl'

Taylor Swift, who has been celebrated for her ability to channel the emotions and perspectives of adolescent girls. Photos: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP, Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for TAS/Design: Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Photos: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP, Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for TAS/Design: Jackie Lay/NPR

Perspective

Code Switch

What Taylor Swift's icon status says about who gets to be a 'girl'

Taylor Swift has become an American icon, (and she's got the awards, sales, and accolades to prove it.) With that status, she's often been celebrated as someone whose music is authentically representing the interior lives of young women and adolescent girls. On this episode, we're asking: Why? What is it about Swift's persona — and her fandom — that feels so deeply connected to girlhood? And, because this is Code Switch, what does all of that have to do with race?

What Taylor Swift's icon status says about who gets to be a 'girl'

Listen · 35:22
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Monday

A former church girl's search for a new spiritual home

After leaving the Pentecostal Church, reporter Jess Alvarenga has been searching for a new spiritual home. Jackie Lay hide caption

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Jackie Lay

Code Switch

A former church girl's search for a new spiritual home

After leaving the Pentecostal Church, reporter Jess Alvarenga has been searching for a new spiritual home. They take us on their journey to find spirituality that includes the dining room dungeon of a dominatrix, Buddhist monks taking magic mushrooms and the pulpit of a Pentecostal church. This episode is a collaboration with our friends at LAist Studios. Special thanks to the Ferriss, UC Berkeley's Psychedelic Journalism program for their support.

A former church girl's search for a new spiritual home

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Wednesday

New York City public housing is getting less public. How does that affect residents?

Fanta Kaba from WNYC's Radio Rookies (left) is also a resident of a New York City Housing Authority facility. She reports on the privatization of NYCHA buildings and what that means for residents. Carolina Hidalgo/Radio Rookies and Spencer Platt/Getty Images/NPR hide caption

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Carolina Hidalgo/Radio Rookies and Spencer Platt/Getty Images/NPR

Code Switch

New York City public housing is getting less public. How does that affect residents?

The New York City Housing Authority is the biggest public housing program in the country. But with limited funding to address billions of dollars of outstanding repairs, NYCHA is turning to a controversial plan to change how public housing operates. Fanta Kaba of WNYC's Radio Rookies brings the story of how this will affect residents and the future of housing, as a resident of a NYCHA complex in the Bronx herself.

New York City public housing is getting less public. How does that affect residents?

Listen · 40:21
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Wednesday

What Arkansas' LEARNS Act has to do with race

Code Switch is live on stage in Little Rock, Ark. (right). They interviewed Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton (left) about what it was like to go to school during desegregation efforts in the 1950s and 60s. Dr. Sibyl Jordan Hampton, Little Rock Public Radio hide caption

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Dr. Sibyl Jordan Hampton, Little Rock Public Radio

Code Switch

What Arkansas' LEARNS Act has to do with race

Classrooms in Arkansas were at the center of school desegregation in the 1950s. Now, with the LEARNS Act, they're in the spotlight again. Code Switch comes to you live from Little Rock, Arkansas this week to unpack the latest education bill and how it echoes themes from decades past.

What Arkansas' LEARNS Act has to do with race

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Wednesday

These are the episodes we loved in 2023

Clockwise from upper left: B.A.Parker at Somerset Place plantation as a child; Bad Bunny exalts Puerto Rico in his music of resistance; Chefs Reem Assil and Priya Krishna; Race is also a part of our taxes and who gets audited; Originally from Rwanda, Claude Gatebuke came to Nashville 30 years ago; Hank Azaria (left) and Hari Kondabolu speak since their fallout in 2017. B.A.Parker, Getty Images, NPR, Getty Images//LA Johnson/NPR, Joseph Ross for NPR, PR Agency hide caption

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B.A.Parker, Getty Images, NPR, Getty Images//LA Johnson/NPR, Joseph Ross for NPR, PR Agency

Code Switch

These are the episodes we loved in 2023

It's that time of year again, fam, when we look back at the past 12 months and think, "WHOA, HOW'D THAT GO BY SO FAST?" So we're taking a beat: for this week's episode, each one of us who makes Code Switch is getting on the mic to reflect on — and recommend — an episode we loved from 2023.

These are the episodes we loved in 2023

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