Ep. 2: Are We Going to Be OK? Seattle scholar considers a return to Singapore to escape Covid-19

April 16, 2020 / 12:00 am

caption: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addresses the country via live telecast while customers shop for groceries on April 3. Early in the outbreak, Singapore did not recommend masks for the public because of shortages, but began urging public mask-wearing this month to prevent transmission by infected people who were not showing symptoms.

Author Ruchika Tulshyan weighs the risks of staying in the US as the pandemic spreads while also navigating lockdown with her three-year-old.

What is it like to be an immigrant in America during times of crisis? Should the U.S. embrace the surveillance tactics and strict protocols of countries that are succeeding in getting the coronavirus under control? How can pandemic parenting memes help overwhelmed caregivers make it though homeschooling and summer break?

In this hour, KUOW's Are We Going To Be OK? explores parenting, immigration, and our shifting ideas of sanctuary during a pandemic with author and activist Ruchika Tulshyan, as she grapples with the possibility of returning to Singapore with her family where the coronavirus was largely under control during the early days of the outbreak.

This episode discusses Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan's essay, Inside a two-week quarantine in Singapore. Tan's essay was published on April 3, 2020, by the Washington Post.

Ruchika Tulshyan is an award winning journalist; diversity, equity and inclusion expert; and author. Her book "The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality In The Workplace" focuses on strategies for organizations to advance women in the workplace. Her company Candour advises organizations on diversity & inclusion strategy and better communication. Ruchika writes regularly for publications such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Seattle Times. She is also the inaugural Distinguished Professional in Residence for Seattle University's Communication Department.

To check out all of our Are We Going to Be OK? episodes, visit our series page at KUOW.org/OK.

Our Are We Going to Be OK? hosts are Jeannie Yandel and Zaki Hamid. This show is produced by Kristin Leong. Our events team is Charlotte Duren and Bridget Anderson. The show's graphics designer and tech guru is Teo Popescu. Our marketing manager is Michaela Gionnatti and our social media strategist is Juan Pablo Chiqiza.

This episode of Are We Going to Be OK? originally aired live on Facebook and YouTube on Thursday, April 16, 2020. This web story was originally published on June 26, 2020.