Hi all,

Hope you're finding ways to enjoy your summers!

I started a "Democracy Summer" series of essays on Substack, keeping pace with Harvard Professor Danielle Allen's course on Civic Engagement at edX. I've learned so much already, and am up to Week 4, learning about loyalty, voice, and exit through the story of oft forgotten African American founding father Prince Hall. This course has helped me validate my values, especially human dignity and freedom of expression and mind, and also learn more about how the founders fought tyranny. Subscribe for more!

Ahem. (Well, in the end they sided with a strong central government and executive, but were very aware of the dangers, which have especially come to pass under DJT. My latest (brief) post at East Wind eZine takes that on.

I think joy is an act of revolutionary resistance. Of course we have to deal with distress rationally and compassionately, but the capacity for joy is in the root of our humanity - that makes it literally "radical" :) I also referred to a Chinese proverb in my recent talk on joy at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting: "the wise person isn't happy untill everyone in the world is happy." It means we are all deeply connected. There's always a touch of sadness, and even rage over the suffering of others. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Proximity to suffering brings us into our embodiment as humans, and it is dehumanizing to turn a cold shoulder. I know many people are far more active on the front lines of suffering than I am, but I hope that I'm adding to the efforts through my writing, career, and staying a good neighbor with good ears. So many people I could shout out, but I love Laurie Marshall's work in creating murals in community to support deep values and principles. Here's a sample of her work on migration. I now proudly display this poster in the hallways of my office.

Let's rescue joy from the buzzkills and party poopers in our culture, who seem to sadistically derive joy from aggression.

Here is a round up of posts - Psychology Today published 2 posts on immigration, and three on films since my last update.

Immigration at Psychology Today

Birthright Citizenship: The Psychology of Exclusion and Fear (June 28, 2025)

The Supreme Court's recent ruling and ICE actions have amplified conflict over the citizenship and safety of migrants.

US Immigration Conflicts: Considering Law and Psychology  (June 21, 2025)

Professor Bill Ong Hing, a towering figure in the field of immigration law, shares his views on the legal and psychological challenges facing migrants. (This was also cross posted at East Wind eZine).

Film at Psychology Today

Celine Song’s "Materialists" Delivers a Wallop, but at a Cost (June 19, 2025)

Celine Song's latest film "Materialists" doesn't disappoint—or, rather, it showcases a disappointing state of affairs, and urges us to do better.

Asian American Men and Their Fathers: Healing Old Wounds (May 10, 2025)

Two recent films—Tad Nakamura's "Third Act" and Tony Nguyen's "Year of the Cat"—provide important narratives for the Asian American experience and the relationships between sons and fathers.

Intergenerational Palestinian Trauma in “All That’s Left of You” (April 23, 2025)

Cherien Dabis' film "All That's Left of You" portrays the intergenerational trauma of a Palestinian family, and asks important questions about how such pain might be held.

East Wind eZine

MOSF 20.7: Americans May Disagree on Policy – But Trump is Pathology and Pro Wrestling Gone Way Bad (June 27, 2025)

Evidence has steadily accumulated about Mr. Trump’s dangerousness, and his threat to democracy and even the survival of humanity. We cannot understand what’s happening without looking at his antagonistic and delusional psychology.

MOSF 20.6: Migrant Rights are Human Rights! An Emergency and Escalation (June 9, 2025)

President Trump, a convicted felon, has ordered up 7000 National Guard and 700 Marines to cruelly punish those exercising their free speech and standing up for the rights of migrants in LA. If we don’t declare this an outrage, we are in danger of further escalation, martial law, cancellation of elections, and martial law.

Substack

I'm pretty active on Substack - if you'd like to be alerted about podcasts, articles, and more on a more regular basis, please sign up for my newsletter. Paid and founding subscribers support my writing and research time, but you can also get updates for free. I like the community on Substack as well. Lots of good cross pollination.

I also did a few podcasts, and all of them are linked on Substack.

Why does America love assholes? With Dr Ravi Chandra (Andra Watkins, June 11, 2025)

Don't go chasing waterfalls... (fi fyza kahani, May 11, 2025)

Human nature, social influence, and building community on "Bounce Back Generation" podcast (with Jennifer Dhillon, May 3, 2025)

Thanks all!

Warmly,

Ravi