Rowena Chiu spent 20 years unable to speak about her sexual assault after signing an NDA. Now, she’s using her voice to challenge power and change how we talk about trauma, truth, and legacy. Joining Alejandra Siroka in this episode, Rowena reflects on the cultural silence she grew up with as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, and how emotional scarcity and obedience shaped her response to assault. As a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein, she was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement that kept her silent for two decades. That silence was compounded by a culture that didn’t talk about sex, power, or emotional needs. Together, Rowena and Alejandra examine what it means to leave a communication legacy for our children—one that makes space for difficult conversations about mental health, sexual assault, and personal boundaries. Rowena speaks openly about how she reclaimed her voice, why advocacy became part of her healing, and how power dynamics show up in everyday life. This episode is a reminder that silence isn’t always chosen, and that breaking it can be an act of justice, healing, and love. Quotes“Nobody in Asian culture talks about sex. We don’t talk about sex at all, let alone in the context of sexual assault.” (“Power is not given to us as a right, each of us, even if you are the king of England, it is not given to you as a right to abuse.” (“Any abuse of power, no matter how benign, in its own way is a violence.” (“This is not just about telling a factual story of what happened to me as a young woman, but we’ve really been propelled into a social justice fight. The more you dig under the surface of this fight, the more fundamental and basic it is. It’s really about elevating those that cannot communicate.” (“I think that one of the deeply important communication legacy is the ability to normalize difficult conversations.” ( LinksFind Rowena Chiu on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rowena-Chiu-for-School-Board/61564076595785/?_rdr,Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiu_rowena/?hl=en To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-language-alchemy-podcast/id1576461366To leave a review on Spotify, click: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yTj9hSotq8EAjPCYg2jYw?si=aQNuoStRQomTNUKHGSD56A&nd=1&dlsi=064dcb42ba8d4706To work with Alejandra, visit: www.languagealchemy.com/workwithmeTo join the Language Alchemy mailing list, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.comTo ask questions you'd like Alejandra to answer in the podcast, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/podcastquestionTo find out about To find out about couple transformative communication coaching with Alejandra, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/couplesTo schedule a reduced-rate coaching consultation with Alejandra, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/newclientTo follow Alejandra on instagram follow @languagealchemyPodcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqDPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm