This story, from The Bay podcast, originally dropped and published on Aug. 8, 2022.
Ericka here, bringing you all something different for today’s episode.
Every week, our job here at The Bay is to tell stories about this place and the people in it. But recently, I got the chance to tell a different kind of story: one about … me.
Earlier this summer, the San Francisco chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association hosted a live storytelling event at KQED called “Hella Asian.” It was a gathering of local journalists and storytellers sharing reflections on how we come back as a community after the last two and a half years.
I told a story about a camping trip I went on with my best friend during the pandemic. It’s a story about friendship and photography. It’s also a story about the mental impact of journalism and the news, especially on journalists of color like myself. The story shows how my work has affected me and my sense of safety after covering the pandemic and hate against the Asian community. And that’s the story we’re sharing with you today.