Orphan Tongue
Issue 2: Self-Determination
Quarter: Summer 2021
Issue 2 of Orphan Tongue houses the original artwork of nine former and current foster youth from across California. The theme, self-determination, was chosen by our editing team of foster youth, for its ability to capture our goal of fighting for, advocating with, and working to empower all oppressed foster youth across the US.
Our working definition of self-determination is built on the scholarly work of Audre Lorde, who wrote that Self-Determination is the ability to define, name, and speak for oneself.
As a team we worked to offer an answer to a giant question: In what ways does the child welfare system impact our communities? Our discussions focused on a wide range of topics, from gender, to race, sexuality, and many others, which we will engage in future issues. Self-determination seeks to address a larger oppressive theme in our experiences: loss of autonomy, or being controlled by another person and/or system.
Our community understands the emotions that come with losing one's autonomy. Being silenced. Not having comfort. Restricted to the paperwork of social workers. Control of ourselves is handed over to courts.
Orphan Tongue will never credit the child welfare system for our work, Orphan Tongue is bigger than a response to an oppressive system. It's OUR community space that is founded on our voices, imaginations, and self-determined futures. Does this mean that one day we will shed the label "foster youth"? Will we find out who assigned us this label? Will we create our own definitions? Orphan Tongue is where our community shares our answers to these questions.
In this issue, filled with color, joy, smiling teeth, and healing, our community has taken a step closer to defining, naming, and speaking for ourselves.
We want to once again thank each of our contributing artists for their amazing work and trust in Orphan Tongue handling their art. Keep scrolling to hear directly from our featured artists on their process, inspiration, and how they navigate their intersectional identities.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
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Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Issue 1: Toxic Orphans
Quarter:
Year:
Orphan Tongue was born in the spring of 2021, inside a UC Berkeley student apartment, that rested on top of Telegraph Avenue. Our first issue needed to be bold, loud, and quickly produced---an homage to the style and class of Zine culture. The editor of this issue, Michael Papias, said "I don't need to apologize for my typo's---my focus was the content." Our debut Zine builds the theoretical and philosophical foundation of all future issues of Orphan Tongue: mistakes, colors, and vulnerability.
Following a year of over 4 million world deaths, 4.3 million burned California acres, food lines that reached the edge of city limits, and paper masks that slowly cut into the back of our ears--we needed a first issue that punched into this atmosphere of loss. Michael Papias, a vocal Latina/x/o Orphan, positioned rich colors with moments of sincere pain, regret, and fear. His work reads like excerpts from a journal, offering a painful dissection into a life consumed by a never ending stream of hellish misfortune.
Below is an interview that Orphan Tongue conducted with Michael. We got to ask him questions about his inspiration behind this first issue, who he is, and what he wants his work to do for others.
In addition to this online version, there was a limited 10 print run that was distributed amongst "Friends and Family." The first 5 copies consisted of 1 of 1 covers, paper collages created individually for each recipient. These collages are located on the margins of Michael’s interview.
Issue 1 had a Limited 10 print "Family and Friends" run and now has a permanent installation on our website that can be accessed for free
Issue Editor:
Year
Interview with the Editor
Save time updating your content by making this element dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.