interview with genesis magpayo

from Overachiever Magazine: MARCH I ISSUE

interview with patruni chidananda sastry

what they could be knowledgeable on. Sometimes it’s a topic we’re very passionate about and we know a lot about or even a topic that some of our listeners want to hear. An example of this was “Adopting into the Asian Identity” since a lot of our listeners wanted to hear about the Asian Adoptee process since a lot of them are adoptees. Our podcast is very flexible in that way in which we can have a wide array of topics that always interconnect with one another!

How has this time of COVID-19 affected you and your work? How have you been coping?

Honestly not that much. Dear Asian Girl and Dear Asian Youth is a fully remote organization to begin with since we live in so many different states and so many different countries. Podcasting is also super flexible in a way because all you need is a mic, zoom, and good stable internet connection. But honestly, this podcast has really helped me during these times; a positive thing that came out of this COVID-19 experience. If I wasn’t on lockdown, I probably wouldn’t have had the time to fully dedicate myself because of other activities but this podcast and the organization was a blessing in disguise and has helped me in so many ways! It has been a really good, productive distraction from the world around me. I also made so many new friends and connections through my time working. It’s crazy considering I never thought I would make friends online two years ago but here I am!

You are open about your own mental health struggles, and are the founder and co-director of Mental Note - what is this project and how did it begin?

Mental Note is an online magazine run by a group of teens from the Chicago suburbs. Our goal is to counter the stigma around mental health through literature, photography and art. Very similarly to how I came to join Dear Asian Youth, I was bored in quarantine and wanted to make productive use of my time. My friend, Lillie George, also was trying to find ways to be productive. So we kick started Mental Note with a bunch of my friends and it’s been really fun! Given our certain circumstances however, we’re all seniors and applying to colleges, scholarships and more, we have become inactive on the account but when we do work on it it’s such a fun, collaborative experience.

What does self care mean to you? How do you take care of yourself?

Self-care in essence to me is listening to your body spiritually, physically, and mentally, like having an intuition on your worth and well being. For example if I feel burned out or over worked, I will listen to myself and take a break instead of ignoring it. Self care is something that needs to be practiced; you’re not just gonna magically be able to discipline yourself to listen to your wants and needs. Especially in this age of social media where you see everyone working, it’s hard not to want to work 24/7. So for me, when I experience this, I am a creature of habit and I like to establish a set routine that allows me to work in those self care things. I love doing yoga, dancing in front of the mirror to Ariana Grande, READING especially, or just talking to my best friend. I also love driving in my car and listening to Taylor Swift, podcasts, and Olivia Rodrigo. I don’t think there’s a set algorithm to self

care, it really depends on what you want and what you like!

Here are some rapid-fire questions:

Your go-to coffee shop order?

Venti White Light Iced Chocolate Mocha with oat milk instead of whole milk

Favorite color?

Definitely periwinkle blue at the moment

Any good films/tv shows you’re watching right now?

iCarly just came back on Netflix so I’m rewatching all the episodes

Ultimate comfort food?

Hummus and Pita Chips

What has been the highlight of your day today?

The highlight of my day is that my mom got Chipotle without me asking so I’m so happy!

What is upcoming for you and your work?

Currently Dear Asian Girl is in it’s second season and it’s the Power of Politics where we highlight current political topics and our latest episode (2/6) was essentially about Affirmative Action. Our next season, in March, is about Asian women so be on the lookout for that!

OM.