AAPI Women: Sex and Power

Exit Spring Mountain

How do these stereotypes harm Asian American and Asian women? Can they lead to violence? Simultaneously - in what ways are some AAPI women taking control of their own sexual narratives? And how can we support the vulnerable, change the conversation, and move forward?

A content warning for listeners: In this episode, we’re talking about sex trafficking, domestic violence, and sex.

We talk with Professor Tessa Winkelmann, assistant professor of history at UNLV who specializes in Asian American history and U.S. foreign relations— she gives us insight into moments in history where the hypersexuality of AAPI women became so firmly rooted. We also get to sit down with Angela Little, a writer and Las Vegas sex educator, who shares her experience in the BDSM community and beyond! She discusses the importance of sexual education and consent as well as her journey of educating others. Amy Marie-Merrell the Executive Director of The Cupcake Girls, a Las Vegas nonprofit "that provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry, as well as trauma-informed outreach, advocacy, holistic resources, and referral services to provide prevention and aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking." Amy Marie-Merrell discusses some important information on statistics surrounding sex trafficking in Las Vegas and how we can have effective and respectful conversations when discussing these real life experiences of women.

Exit Spring Mountain is a podcast from Nevada Public Radio. Our team includes senior producer Nessa Concepcion, academic research consultant Mark Padoongpatt and assistant producer, researcher and social media manager, Isabelle Chen Rice. Joe Schoenemann oversees podcasts as news director at Nevada Public Radio, and our sound editing, mixing, and mastering is by Christopher Alverez.

For more information on non-profit organizations in Las Vegas that help those affected by sex trafficking, please visit:

The Cupcake Girls Website: "Providing support + resources to individuals working in the adult industry & aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking."

Bamboo Bridges Website: "Serving victims of domestic violence & sexual assault, with culturally-competent services for the APAI community in Southern Nevada."