Min Zhou, Part 2 - Labor Camps, Persecution, and Mass Killings in the Cultural Revolution

In part 2 of our interview with Min Zhou, survivor of the Cultural Revolution and Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA, we’re going to talk more about Professor Zhou’s personal experience. We’ll discuss why her dad was a target of the Red Guards, what it felt like knowing her family was in danger at such a young age, how many people were massacred in different parts of China, and the human cost of this mass hysteria, hatred-stoking, and groupthink originally led by Chairman Mao and his cult-like propaganda campaigns. She’ll tell us about her parents being both sent to labor camps, the ways she and her siblings survived with them gone, how the Cultural Revolution finally calmed down over time and how she ended up all the way out here in LA, finally achieving her dream of teaching. Check out our great sponsors!! Quince - High-Quality Closet Essentials: Check out Quince.com/trust for free shipping and 365-day returns Shopify - Grow Your Business: Sign up at Shopify.com/trustme for a $1 per month trial period BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between. Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.