Sriracha Shortage + Sex Ed
| This Week In Mash-Up America |
The week of May 11, 2024 was getting our IV drip working; getting closer to fine; preparing for cicadas; we don’t love hot honey, honestly; and a word from RFK Jr.’s brain worm.
THE MASH-UP AMERICANS:
It’s AAPI heritage month (but isn’t it kind of always AAPI heritage month?), and we invite you all to celebrate with us the best way we know how: through food. We recommend making some parathas, kimchi, korokke, and Filipino shrimp & grits, but there’s no going wrong with any of our recipes. And friendly reminder: It’s always a good time to be less racist, no matter which month it is.
MASH-UPS IN THE NEWS:
The Constant Work To Keep A Family Connected Has A Name
THE NEW YORK TIMES
It’s called kinkeeping, and it’s still primarily done by women. NYT quotes our favorite psychiatrist, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin: “When it’s done from a place of generosity, it can be empowering…when it’s done from a place of obligation, that’s when you get into trouble. Like, is it a real choice?”
The Europeans Are Having Their Sing-Off Again
VULTURE
Eurovision’s back, baby! Are you into it? Vulture put together a nifty cheat sheet to the 26 finalists, in addition to a summary of what exactly Eurovision is anyway. Our favorite part is absolutely the name of the singer pegged to win: Baby Lasagna.
AAPI Heritage Month: Leaving Our Mark On American Democracy
THE 19TH
To highlight the progress the AAPI community’s made (and maybe even more, to highlight the work that still needs to be done), The 19th compiled a roundup of articles shining a light on AAPI changemakers. 2024, let’s do this.
Global Housing Shortages Are Crushing Immigration-Fueled Growth
BLOOMBERG
Canada’s not doing so hot, and neither are Australia and the UK. Record levels of migration in these parts has spurred major labor booms, but without enough affordable housing, recessions loom.
A Nurse On The Scene Inside Rafah’s Last Maternity Hospital
MOTHER JONES
POV you’re a volunteer nurse-midwife from California witnessing the devastating effects the war’s had on pregnant women. No prenatal or postpartum care, not enough sustenance to produce breastmilk, scarce pain meds. No one deserves this.
Huy Fong Halts Sriracha Production, Sparking Shortage Fears
AXIOS
This feels racist during AAPI month. Huy Fong’s red jalapeño peppers are “too green,” so everything’s on pause until after Labor Day (!). But fear not, there are options — other sriracha makers’ red jalapeños are doing just fine.
School Sex Ed Left Me Feeling Isolated. That’s A Safety Issue
THE PERSISTENT.
What happens when society’s ableism doesn’t create safe spaces for *all* students: “A 2020 academic review found non-inclusive sex ed contributed to significantly higher rates of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among disabled women.”
A Divine Coke Float
GARDEN & GUN
+1 to this sweet, sweet twist on the classic Coke float. Divinity candy — which we’ve never had but sounds heavenly, lol — takes a few extra minutes to make from scratch, but hoo boy, the payoff seems worth it.
The Actor Who Played Jar Jar Binks Is Proud of His ‘Star Wars’ Legacy
THE NEW YORK TIMES
With the 25th anniversary of “Star Wars: Episode 1” this year, actor Ahmed Best reflects on the long road back from playing the most-reviled character perhaps in all movie history. We’re happy for him.
The New Sundown Towns
THE NEW REPUBLIC
Again, we say: Housing is a human right. “As Grants Pass, Oregon — and the nation — await a Supreme Court ruling on just how far cities can police the homeless, a volunteer mayor and her unhoused constituents try to weather the backlash.”
This School for Autistic Youth Can Cost $573,200 A Year, And Students Have Suffered
PRO PUBLICA
In Westchester County, NY, Shrub Oak International School — one of the country’s most expensive therapeutic boarding schools — operates with little oversight and no state agency to report possible neglect and abuse to. Smells like trouble.
America’s Road Rage Shooting Hotspots, Mapped
AXIOS
Should we really be surprised when our f-ing gun laws barely exist? “Road rage shooting incidents have skyrocketed over the past decade, a new analysis finds, increasing from 83 nationally in 2014 to 456 in 2023 — a nearly 450% jump.”
