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In this episode Bay Area filmmaker Claudia Katayanagi goes into great detail about the myriad little-known incarceration camps that the federal government created to keep Japanese American "troublemakers" away from those confined in the larger and better known incarceration camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, HI. Her first two documentaries--"A Bitter Legacy" and "Community in Crisis" offer a fresh retelling of the courageous efforts of the Japanese Americans to endure terrible injustices and hardships, while fighting back against the forces of anti-Japanese racism. Today, many Japanese Americans are pushing back against the unjust deportation and incarceration policies of the Trump administration aimed at brown-skinned people. You can find out how you can watch her first two films by going to www.abitterlegacy.com. And you can also learn about her third film "Exiled" by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/doj-film-fund-raiser
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 16! April 30, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. So we're excited that our conversation today is with Vicky Nguyen, an award-winning NBC News Daily anchor and Senior Consumer Investigative Correspondent. She can be seen regularly on The TODAY Show, NBC Nightly News, and NBC News NOW. And that's not all! Her latest work is the touching and inspiring memoir Boat Baby. It details the story of her and her parents, and their journey from Saigon to the U.S. Throughout their struggles and successes in America the reader is treated to touching and funny stories of their experiences. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, she and her parents fled the country in the dead of night on May 4, 1979. As with so many Southeast Asian refugees from 1975 through the 80s, they encountered several life or death challenges before finding their way to the refugee camp at Pulau Bidong, Malaysia. After staying there for 10 months, they had the good fortune of being sponsored to come to America. In our conversation, we talk about her personal journey to being an award-winning journalist as well as her thoughts on fate, embracing change, the privilege of being a role model in media, and so much more. We highly recommend going out and getting Boat Baby. If you want more of Vicky, watch her on the various shows she's on, follow her on instagram, or visit her website to see some of her special reports. We especially like her special reports on the rise of anti-asian hate entitled The Racism Virus as well as her very personal four-part story From Saigon to Silicon Valley. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 15! When it comes to Supreme Court decisions that impacted the classroom, most people know about Brown v Board of Education. A lesser known landmark decision was also very impactful in schools across the U.S. We're talking about Lau v Nichols… a case that influenced the interpretation of Title VI and how U.S. schools needed to support second language learners to succeed in school. In this episode, we talk about the lead up to Lau v Nichols, what the impact of the Supreme Court decision was, and the lasting legacy of the decision. We also take time to address the rhetoric around the ending of the Department of Education and how it would impact not just Bilingual Education but how students are supported in the U.S. We begin the episode with a LOT of current events including growing anti-miscegenation-like decisions, Janet Yang, Alysa Liu, Caitlyn Chen, Te-hina Paopao, and Jonny Kim. We end with another installment of Weird History where we talk about the decision by Levi Strauss and Company to lean into anti-Chinese labor practices back in the late 1800s. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro and Current Events: Janet Yang, Jonny Kim, Kaitlyn Chen, Te-hina PaoPao, Alysa Liu 06:29 The History of Lau v Nichols and Bilingual Education in the U.S. 17:05 Weird History: Levi Strauss and Company and Anti-Chinese Labor
Sarah Ahn is America's Test Kitchen's social media manager and the creator of the Ahnest Kitchen website (www.ahnestkitchen.com). She records her experiences on Instagram and Tik Tok of living with her Korean immgrant parents, chronicling her mother's cooking, grocery shopping trips, and more. Many of Sarah's posts have gone viral with 10+ million views and they have sold grocery stores out of product. She has been featured on NBC News, ABC News, Yahoo News, and Good Morning America. Nam Soon Ahn, her mother, is a former restauranteur whose culinary wisdom and recipes from the foundation of Sarah's book Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom & 100 Family Recipes. Together, they honor their heritage with love, flavor, and authenticity. You can follow Sarah @ahnestkitchen.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 14! Our guest today is Chef Saeng Douangdara. He's a food content creator, social media star, and soon-to-be cookbook author. Saeng specializes in Lao cuisine. A first-generation Lao American, he left a job in counseling to pursue his passion for teaching Lao cuisine. A trip back to Laos helped him reconnect with his roots and learn more about both the history and culture of Lao food, and that's when he decided to launch his personal chef business, Saeng's Kitchen and leverage social media to raise awareness about Lao cuisine. He may have started small, but he's amassed over 700K followers and millions of views on his different social media channels. We love how his work is educational, and it's resonating with others. He's been featured in numerous publications including Delish, Buzzfeed, the New York Times, and LA Times. He's even won an episode of the TBS cooking competition show, Rat In The Kitchen. Chef Saeng is outspoken in advocating, uplifting, and raising awareness of the depth and wonder of Lao cuisine. In our conversation, we talk about what Lao cuisine is known for, launching Saeng's Kitchen, being Lao American, his upcoming book, and so much more. And yes, we do ask him to reflect on the Uncle Roger incident. To learn more about Saeng, or to be inspired by his recipe posts, blogs, and videos, we recommend visiting his website Saeng's Kitchen, his YouTube Channel, or his Instagram page. You can even take a food tour to Laos with Saeng in October! If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Kaya of the Ocean is a middle-grade fantasy novel by Gloria Lai Huang that explores themes of mental health, the immigrant experience, and self-acceptance. The story follows Kaya, a thirteen-year-old girl who struggles with anxiety and a fear of water, as she discovers her lineage as a descendant of the Chinese water goddess Mazu. This heartfelt adventure combines elements of friendship, humor, and Chinese mythology, set against the backdrop of the beautiful beaches of Hawaii. It has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection and chosen by the American Booksellers Association as one of the best debuts on the Winter/Spring 2025 "Indies Introduce" list, as well as a great read on the January 2025 "Kids' Indie Next" list. www.glorialaihuang.com
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 13! Have you heard of Walter Tin Kit Achiu? He was the first Native Hawaiian and first Asian American to play in the National Football League. Although his career was groundbreaking, he's largely been forgotten over time. In this episode, we talk about his life, his football career, and what he did after he finished playing with the NFL's Dayton Triangles (yes… that was really the name of the American football team he was part of). Nicknamed “Sneeze”, he was a high level athlete all his life and broke barriers on the football field and in the wrestling ring. We begin the episode by talking about some current events (the sad passing of K.W. Lee and the happy green-lighting of the Crazy Rich Asians show on Max). And we end the episode with the recurring segment of What are We Listening To? This time, we talk about the new album Blood on the Silver Screen by singer Sasami as well as the audiobook Homicide and Halo-Halo written by Mia P. Manasala and voice acted by Danice Cabanela. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro and Current Events: K.W. Lee Passes Away and Crazy Rich Asians is Back! 05:54 The History and Career of Walter Tin Kit Achiu 14:32 What Are We Listening To? Sasami as well as Homicide and Halo Halo by Mia P. Manansala
Bay Area artist and activist Nancy Wang has recently written a captivating fictional historical account of the Chinese who built and worked out of the fishing villages in the Monterey Bay area during the 1850s in California. Entitled Red Altar, her book brings to life the experiences of these early pioneers from China, including her fiesty multilingual ancestor who was the first Chinese American female born in California, and who made a name for herself as "Spanish Mary." If you'd like to buy an autographed copy of Red Altar, just go to www.ethnotec.org.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 12! Today's conversation is with the amazing storyteller, activist, performer, and co-founder of the multicultural storytelling theater group Eth-No-Tec. Along with her real-life partner Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo, Nancy co-founded Eth-No-Tec with a commitment to the preservation, revival, and performance of Asian and Asian American stories. Nancy's latest work is the novel Red Altar, a story based on her ancestor's real-life challenges and triumphs in forming a new life in America. Red Altar began as a multimedia storytelling and stage production, and it's an emotional re-telling of how her ancestors helped develop the fishing industry along the coast of California near the Monterey Bay despite facing racist people and policies. In this conversation, we talk to Nancy about the development of the Red Altar performance, the challenges with adapting it to the book format, the relevance of the story in our challenging times in the U.S., other projects that Eth-No-Tec is working on, and so much more. Red Altar is a great book, and it tells a part of Chinese American and Asian American history that isn't well-known… and we hope you buy it. But DON'T buy it from Amazon. Purchase it from the Eth-No-Tec website so that they get the benefits. If you want to support Eth-No-Tec's work, you can follow them on Instagram, make a donation to them, or go to one of their upcoming events. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Whether or not you identify as spiritual or some kind of Christian, I'm pretty sure most of us are quite familiar with the tendency--if not the temptation--to live as if the grass is always greener on the other side of the septic tank. Armed with this mindset, many of us move on, move away, or just keep on moving rather than stay put in hopes of finding what we're looking for where we are. As you'll soon learn, Rev. Lydia Sohn was preprogrammed by her Korean American immigrant parents to be a nomad. That was her first and most basic instinct. But at some point she was made to consider the potentially greater value of staying, which has long been a spiritual practice of Benedictine monks. Energized by what a difference this made in her life and her work, Sohn eventually wrote Here: A Spirituality of Staying In a Culture of Leaving. I have no doubt that much of what she shares in our conversation and in her new book will be life-giving, if not life-saving. You can learn more about her at www.revlydia.com.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 11! We love dumplings, and we're not alone in that opinion. We're talking about asian dumplings… boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried, there are a variety of dumplings all across Asia, and they are not only delicious but represent culture, family, and history. In this episode, we discuss the history of dumplings, some different types across Asia, and some notable chefs and groups (like Din Tai Fung) who have done a lot to grow awareness and love for this amazing food. One of the most notable, of course, is Zhang Zhongjing, the believed creator of dumplings. In our recurring segment, we introduce a new topic called Weird History where we talk about a weird moment in API history. Today we're talking about the Boston Marathon's ban on Korean runners. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro… Memories of Dumplings 07:22 The History of Dumplings 21:36 Weird History… Boston Marathon Bans Korean Runners *Photos courtesy of the amazing Mary's Test Kitchen
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 10! This is Part 2 of Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer. Last week (S05E09) we brought you part 1. In this episode, we continue to focus on Cheer Up, Michael!, and Sarah shares how they researched for the series, gives us a few spoilers for future chapters of the story, talks about the transformation of Don, and so much more. As serious as the story can get, we really loved Cheer Up, Michael!, and we highly recommend you check it out, especially if you're a Disney fan. To learn more about Sarah, then go to their website, sarahmyer.net or Instagram @smeyercomics, and you can support Sarah through their online store where you can purchase originals and signed work. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Dr. Grisma Shah's debut novel Anagram Destiny is a soul warming love story nestled in an inspiring tale of the American dream, manifesting an Indian immigrant success story shattered by the evils of globalization– paying homage to a generation of immigrants who held their heads low so one day, their children could lift theirs high. To learn more about Dr. Shah and her novel go to www.shahgrisma.com.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 9! Our returning guest is Sarah Myer, the amazing, award-winning comic book artist and writer who is probably best known for her critically acclaimed and recognized graphic memoir, Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story, published by First Second Books. However, they show their skills on so many other titles as well, including as the main artist on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, colorist on TMNT vs Street Fighter, as well as a variant cover artist on TMNT Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen issues. In this episode, we focus on one of Sarah's passion projects, Cheer Up, Michael! This is their independent webcomic that they write and illustrate. Cheer Up, Michael! is a story that explores the idea of “What happens AFTER your dreams come true? It follows Michael Theodore Mouse (stage name: "Mickey") who feels lost. A huge star for decades, he's now the burnt out CEO of a massive company, and he longs for the happier days of his youth. In Part 1, we discuss the origin of Cheer Up, Michael!, real-life experiences that have impacted the story, the balancing act of writing characters, and strategies for writing characters who have both affection and annoyance for the main character. Check out Cheer Up, Michael!, we highly recommend it (plus, it's free)! To hear more about Sarah's career, then please also listen to S04E24. To learn more about Sarah, then go to their website, sarahmyer.net or Instagram @smeyercomics, and you can support Sarah through their online store where you can purchase originals and signed work. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
If you're one of the fortunate people who know who Tyrus Wong was and what a pivotal role he played in getting the classic Disney film "Bambi" made, I think you'll still be blown away by what Dr. Karen Fang has revealed in her recent book, "Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong." I'll give you two hints: Christmas cards and custom kites.
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 8! Today's episode impacts AANHPI communities, but it's not necessarily solely focuses on our history. We're going to talk about The History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is an extremely scary topic to some people… especially the leaders of the Republican Party in the U.S. If you believe what they rant about, DEI is at the heart of unqualified candidates, accidents, and probably hurricanes. But when you listen closely, you'll realize that as much as DEI has become a target, some of the people complaining the loudest actually don't know much about it. So we take a moment to explain what it is, the history, some myths, and the actual benefits and facts based on research. In our short recurring segment, we have a new one called The Message, where we give a short message… a call to action so to speak. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro and Explanation 01:29 The History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 20:17 The Message: Stay Actively Involved or Knowledgeable
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 7! Today's guest is Fajer Saeed Ebrahim, a Senior Policy Manager at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, AKA NAPAWF. If you're a longtime listener, then you'll remember we were fortunate enough to bring in Sydelle Barreto, the Policy Manager NAPAWF to talk about Clocking Inequality back on Season 4, Episode 39! NAPAWF has been hard at work with their latest report entitled “Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Community: Understanding Barriers to Access in Georgia”. Fajer is a skilled legal advocate with substantial experience in organizing, policy, and legislative advocacy related to reproductive rights and justice, racial equity, survivor justice, and immigrant healthcare. Prior to her work with NAPAWF, she was a senior advisor with the Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access; a consultant with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; a consultant with the Center for Reproductive Rights, as well as other stops. NAPAWF is the only organization dedicated to uplifting and building power with AANHPI women and girls in the US. Employing a reproductive justice framework to guide their work, they use organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies to assert full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities. Working with the Emory University Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE), this latest report by NAPAWF seeks to uncover the systemic barriers Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women and gender-expansive individuals face in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH). We recommend you read the full report, donate to NAPAWF, stay informed, and take action. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Celebrated playwright, director and producer Chay Yew is once again directing Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, this time in its Los Angeles debut at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo from February 13-March 9, 2025. A poignant new classic of the Asian American theater canon, Cambodian Rock Band explores the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor as he returns to his homeland after thirty long years. While his daughter prepares to prosecute one of the country's most notorious war criminals, the ghosts of their shared past begin to stir. This deeply moving story weaves back and forth through time as father and daughter confront history, turning to music as a path towards healing. You can listen to my 2018 interview of Lauren Yee when her play was first being produced at the South Coast Repertory Theater: https://asianamericapodcast.com/2018/03/ep-141-cambodian-rock-band/ Please go to www.eastwestplayers.org to find a performance that fits your schedule.
Hawaii-based writer Chris McKinney has edited Honolulu Noir, the latest in the Akashic Noir series of location-based dark short stories. Comprised of stories about the people of the city, written by those who know this place best. The volume opens with a story featuring Chang Apana, the Native Hawaiian/Chinese real-life cop who was the inspiration for the controversial Charlie Chan. It ends with a supernatural journey from the Philippines to Hawaii. In between, readers will find multicultural tales of invasion (whether yakuza, ISIS recruiters, or vampires), madness, addiction, and murder—all the stuff that many people don't know happens here. Unbeknownst to the rest of the country, Honolulu can be a very dangerous place. Here, even the alluring crystal-blue waters might kill you.
Doreen and Ken were high school sweethearts more than half a century ago. (You can hear more about their love story in EP 496.) But they parted ways in 1973, met and married their spouses, and had children. Doreen's marriage ended in divorce 27 years ago, and Ken's marriage ended in July 2023 when cancer took his wife Snoopy from him. Her dying wish was that he remarry and find happiness again. Since they were living in different halves of California, Ken phoned Doreen and asked if she'd be open to getting "reaquainted" after all these years. She quickly said "yes," and on January 18th of this new year, they got married! In this special edition of the podcast, Doreen and Ken open up about what was extra special about their ceremony and how their relationship now feels even closer after getting married to each other.
Dr. Noël S. Harmon is the President and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Scholars (APIA Scholars), which is America's largest nonprofit dedicated to supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students. Their newly revamped scholarship application process is aimed at reducing financial barriers to higher education for students most in need, while also ensuring greater flexibility and accessibility for a diverse range of scholars. Now with this much more inviting application and process, APIA Scholars is once again setting a bold new standard in scholarship delivery by addressing the evolving nees of AANHPI students, many of whom face financial challeges, systemic inequities, and unique cultural pressures. Dr. Harmon says, "We are committed to empowering AANHPI students by ensuring that financila barriers do not stand in the way of their educational aspirations." www.apiascholars.org
Author Ellie Yang Camp and I first crossed paths 24 years ago at a triennial Christian conference for college students. I was the main speaker that week and she was a student leader of her InterVarsity chapter @ Cal. We never met that week, but when her debut book Louder Than the Lies crossed my desk and I read her bio and then saw what she had to say about the insidious and pervasive problems of white supremacy and whiteness, and how they continue to oppress and brainwash many of us Asian Americans, I immediagtely knew I had to bring her on my show. And with Trump having been re-elected to the White House, Ellie's book should be required reading. You can find her on social media @eeewhysee and you can find her book anywhere great books are sold. #whiteness #whitesupremacy #aanhpi #defeatingracism
Globally acclaimed jazz koto player June Kuramoto received one of the ten National Fellowship Heritage Awards by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2024 in Washington, DC. You can watch Rep. Judy Chew glowing introduction of her and then June's acceptance speech here: https://www.youtube.com/live/tqSlIfYprPU?si=vnwIH5wpcpzVHWk_
David Bradley Lim grew up in a comfortable Nor Cal suburb. He excelled at most sports, but he knew that he'd never be able to be competitive beyond high school. So he majored in electrical engineering. But after earning his degree, he dove headfirst into the mortgage lending business. Even though he didn't know an escrow from an equity line, he put in the reps and became a top performer. But one day the savings and loan world collapsed all around him. Still not sure what he wanted to do to earn a living, he explored modeling, ultimately being signed by one of the top agencies. But David realized that, deep inside, he wanted to be an actor. So he threw himself into acting classes, again, putting in the reps and hoping for a lucky break. After being part of Season 2 of Quantico, in 2017 he auditioned to be part of the cast of S.W.A.T., an American police action drama television series, based on the popular 1975 television series and the film adaptation of the same name. He impressed the director and producers so much that they created a recurring member of the team who was Chinese American! The show is in its eighth season and the pilot and previous seasons are frequently watched on Netflix now. You can find him @davidbradleylim and the jewelry that he and his wife make @shopmayadavid.
It's that time of year! This is when May, Kelly and Tamlyn put together their list of Holiday Favorite Things! So if you need some gift ideas AND want to support AANHPI and women owned small businesses, this is the episode for you! From beautiful jewelry to yummy baked goods to silver hair care, MKT share a wide range of unique gifts for the holidays! BUT, for a few minutes at the top of the show, they address what transpired since the last episode of "Shoes Off Inside" and that is Election 2024. Hear what all of them have to say about how they're feeling and what each is doing to move forward. Happy Holidays everyone! SHOW NOTES:Kelly's Favorite Things:readtangle.com33edge.com (30% discount code: shoesoffinside)mohalaeyewear.combigislandcoffeeroasters.comglowrecipe.comonemoon.comTamlyn's Favorite Things:houseofhara.comjacl-dc.comalohacreationsonline.comvh07v.comedibol.comjapangeles.comgjenmi.comlinjer.comMay's Favorite Things:silverist.com (15% discount code: shoesoff15)silveringbeauty.com"Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides" (available on Amazon and other bookstores)eatfoodologie.comDM @mayleeshow or @shoesoffinsidemkt for "Shoes Off Inside" slippersryzesuperfoods.com (15% discount code: mayleeshow15)Please subscribe, rate and review us!And follow us on IG @shoesoffinsidemkt
Dr. Samuel Jamier was adopted as a 4-year-old from Korea by a strick Catholic family in the Brittany region of France. Growing up, he was an altar boy and into heavy metal music, but later developed an enormous passion for films. Today he's a skilled fundraiser, speaker, arts programmer, and serving as the president of the New York Asian Film Festival, which has become North America's leading festival of popular Asian cinema, and one of the top, most anticipated and critically acclaimed events in New York City. NYAFF brings Asia to New York with an immersive 2-week festival. An energy-filled event designed to bring new perspectives, experiences, ways of thinking and seeing that provoke thought, bring wonder, and new visions to their audience. It presents the roughest, sharpest, and smoothest of today's cutting-edge Asian film scene to sold out audiences each summer.
California-based Asian American writer Joanne Howard discovered her great grandfather's journals which he'd written while serving as a Baptist missionary to India in the 1930s. Fascinated by his firsthand accounts of being an American missionary family as India began to push back against being a colony of Great Britain, Howard was inspired to create a story of a family much like her great grandfather's, told from the perspectives of the youngest of four American boys and the family's Indian man-servant. You can find her on Instagram @joannesbooks and visit her webpage (www.joannehowardwrites.com).
Shannon has known Janet Yang since the late 80s! She was the inspired force behind the idea to make a Bruce Lee biopic at Universal that ultimately became Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. She went on from there to become an award winning producer at the highest levels. Maybe you've heard of Empire of the Sun, The Joy Luck Club or The People vs Larry Flint? If you have, then you've been touched by Janet. Aside from being a producer Janet is also the current president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She saw a need for greater AANHPI representation and she stepped up to serve. Also a founding member of Gold House, Janet is one to heed a call to action. She is a powerhouse in a kind package – the best kind of powerhouse in my opinion! Shannon is pleased to call her a friend and colleague and overjoyed to introduce you all to her! Please read her bio on brucelee.com/podcast Connect with Janet: Website: www.janetyang.com Instagram: @janetyangofficial
Acclaimed Chinese Canadian author and cartoonist Teresa Wong recently published All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey, which is her graphic memoir about the legacies of upheaval, a longing for family, and the barriers one daughter faces in trying to connect with her immigrant parents. www.byteresawong.com and @by_teresawong
Acclaimed painter and now-author Hyeseung Song has written a searing coming-of-age memoir for fans of Crying in H Mart, Minor Feelings, and the film Minari. Entitled Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl, it follows the daughter of ambitious Asian American immigrant parents and Hyeseung's own search for self-worth.
East West Players' venerable producing artistic director emeritus Tim Dang came back for a third appearance here to let us all know what's in store for audience members who come to his updated version of Stephen Sondheim's and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures. Previews start Nov. 7th and the musical will run through Dec. 1st. Go to www.eastwestplayers.org to purchase tickets. Set in nineteenth-century Japan, it tells the story of the country's westernization starting in 1853, when American ships forcibly opened it to the rest of the world. The story is told from the point of view of the Japanese, and focuses in particular on the lives of two friends who are caught in the change. Mako, one of EWP's co-founders, starred in the original 1976 Broadway production, and Dang originally directed it in 1998 to celebrate the opening of the new David Henry Hwang Theater in J-Town. Twenty-six years later, Dang has been tasked with directing a slightly refreshed take of this musical. Interestingly, the questions it originally raised about isolationism versus open borders remains quite relevant today.
According to APIA Vote and TargetSmart, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have had the largest increase in voter registration of any racial group in the country from January to June, compared to the same time back in 2020. This statistic alone is enough to expect AANHPI voters to have an impact on this year's election—whether local, statewide or federal. Join us for a conversation to understand the issues that are important to AANHPI voters as they cast their votes, some for the very first time, in this election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brian Ho started taking piano lessons at a very early age, and even though he clearly was a prodigy, he struggled to connect to classical music. But he eventually learned that he could play all of his favorite songs by ear, which increased his passion for playing music. While still a teenager, he landed a gig at a Bay Area Black Baptist church. That introduced him not only to the world of improvising, but even more significantlhy, to the venerable Hammond organ and its Leslie speaker. Today, Brian is seen as one of the rising stars on the contemporary jazz scene. His website (www.brianho.net) will alert you to when he's playing near you, and also tell you about his recent album Bridges featuring Paul Bollenback & Byron "Wookie" Landham.
Award-winning R&B/Rap producer Band!t fell in love with the genres as the young son of Korean American academics. Unsatisfied with the standard STEM direction, he began teaching himself the rudiments of producing original beats interwoven with samples of songs from the 70s while in college. But it would require plenty of blood, sweat, tears, and unshakeable faith in God before he was given chances to prove what he could do.
My two guests this week are Paul Cheng and David Fu. Paul is finishing his first term on Arcadia's City Council and seeking a second term, while David is running to join his friend Paul on their city's council. I started getting to know a few of the Asian Americans running for local offices when they asked me to take photographs for their campaigns of them with their families. I've really come to appreciate how fortunate we are that people of the caliber and character of David and Paul are willing to serve their cities by trying hard to solve vexxing problems like homelessness. If you'd like to learn more about Paul and why he's running again, go to www.cheng4arcadia.com. Likewise, if you'd like to get to know David better and his reasons for running, go to www.davidfu4arcadia.com.
Because Mika Shino was born in Japan, she possessed an innate connection to Japan's traditions, culture, aesthetics, and cuisines. But having grown up in other countries, especially America, she also was imbued with a creative curiosity that was free to explore beyond the boundaries of her native roots. When she became a mom, she soon learned that most of American snacks originatetd in Europe, and they weren't healthy. So she began to experiment in her kitchen, eventually concocting a healthy snack that her boys and their friends loved that was based in the traditional Japanese mochi cake. But she took a huge leap of faith when she decided to mass produce Issei Mochi Gummies. Her unique Japanese American healthy snack is now found in most grocery stores, on Amazon, and can also be bought directly from www.mochigummies.com. She is adamant about sticking with Issei's goal to create beautiful, healthy, and delicious foods that bring happiness, honor Asian heritage, and garner a community. They aim to enhance diversity and inclusion in the food sector, building bridges across cultures through food.
Vietnamese American playright and performer Susan Lieu recently published her memoir The Manicurist's Daughter. After her 30-something manicurist mother died from a botched tummy-tuck surgery, Susan was met with a wall of silence from all her relatives. Tragically, she internalized the body-shaming-consciousness that led to her mother's unnecessary death. This led to years and years of battles with her weight and self-esteem. But she eventually learns to push back hard against the body-shaming voices around her and inside her head.
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 39! Our guest today is Sydelle Barreto, the Policy Manager of The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. The NAPAWF (pronounced “NAP-off”) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls in the United States. Founded in 1996 by a group of 100 AAPI women, these “founding sisters” came together to establish an organization that would amplify AAPI women's stories and experiences. They recognized that the voices of AAPI women all too often went unseen and unheard, so they founded NAPAWF to center their lived experiences within the broader public narrative. NAPAWF focuses on four key issues that include: Reproductive Health and Rights, Economic Justice and Equal Pay, Immigrant Rights, and Racial Justice. They recently published a report called Clocking Inequality: Understanding Economic Inequity, the Wage Gap, and Workplace Experiences of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Women. It's amazing what you discover when you disaggregate the data on the AANHPI community when you're researching wage gaps. In this conversation, we talk to Sydelle about her journey to NAPAWF, the Clocking Inequality report, some of the key details, the policies we can adopt at the federal and local levels to support the AANHPI community, and what we can do as individuals to support change. To learn more, read the Clocking Inequality report, visit the NAPAWF website, and follow them on Instagram @napawf. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
According to experts, the average person goes through at least 30 major changes in his or her life. Some changes are things that we choose, e.g., marriage, divorce, different career, while some changes are things that happen or happen to us that we must navigate, e.g, war, assault, poor health, accident, etc. Carolyn Taketa is a certified life transformation coach after being a litigator in court, a mom, the small groups pastor of a megachurch, and then an empty nester. She loves helping others who don't feel comfortable in their own skin learn to cherish who they truly are and be able to bring the best version of themselves to different situations. www.carolyntaketa.com #change #navigatingchange #lifecoach
My very special guest this bonus episode is Doreen Wong. You're going to get to hear from her because she said 'yes' to me twice last week. She accepted my surprise proposal of marriage on September 3rd, and then the next day she finally accepted my invitation to join me on my podcast to tell the miraculous story of how we've come back together fifty-plus years after we broke up before the end of her senior year in high school. Miracles do happen!
Lei Wang was perfectly happy with her burgeoning career in marketing and finance. But one fateful frigid Boston evening, she went to watch a documentary on mountain climbing, and something unusual began to stir in her. Even though she was a short, out-of-shape, unathletic 30-year-old person, she became seized by the vision of climbing to the top of Mount Everest! You'll be utterly amazed at what she went through to achieve this compelling vision. And you'll be inspired by the life-lessons she's learned along the way to climbing to the top of the world's highest peaks on all seven continents, and skiing to both Poles!
Growing up, Henry Lam struggled in school, but it wasn't until he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2018 and received treatment that he was finally able to focus and succeed. Given what he went through, he has become a professional ADHD Coach, combining an understanding of neuroscience, psychology, and business strategy to support tech professionals--especially Asian American ones--who are grappling with ADHD themselves.
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 35! We often read to learn new information or to be entertained (or both). But we also love reading to improve ourselves, which is what we did with The Conscious Style Guide by Award-winning Editor and Author Karen Yin (S04E22). Today's guest is Dr. Helen Hsu, whose new book is The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans published by New Harbinger. It was released in July and is informative, inspirational, and empowering. Dr. Hsu accomplishes that by creating an easy-to-use workbook that is segmented into concepts with an activity or question to make you reflect deeply and consider solutions. We really enjoyed going through the workbook and learned a lot about ourselves and how we react to stressors. Dr. Helen Hsu is a clinical psychologist, educator, and author, and she is currently the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Director of Outreach, and a lecturer at Stanford University. With more than 20 years of experience through K-12 public schools, private practice, geriatric care, hospice, university counseling, and community-based health center, Helen also founded Hella Mental Health… an organization that's devoted to nourishing the overall well-being and mental health of BIPOC communities through education and empowerment. Hella is dedicated to lifelong learning of cultural humility and works with an anti-racist, LGBTQ+ affirming perspective. The workbook is the same way, which is apparent as you go through the activities and questions in it. Whether you realize it or not, so many people of AANHPI descent have experienced trauma in their backgrounds, and leveraging The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans can be a significant step towards healing and change. In our conversation, we talk about Dr. Helen Hsu's background, the decision to create a workbook, the inspiration for Hella Mental Health, how intergenerational trauma works, the use of mantras, and so much more. We hope you go out and get The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans, visit Hella Mental Health, or follow her work on Instagram or YouTube. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
NPR's Emily Kwong launched the Inheriting podcast this past May, where she facilitated an in-depth conversation among members from different generations of AANHPI families. Could they identify a few critical decisions or changes in history that continue to impact and shape their families? We also discuss whether it's possible for any reporter to be 100% objective and unbiased, in the wake of the accusations by an NPR editor back in April that the station has a decidedly liberal bias. You can still listen to Season 1 of Inheriting by searching for it on your favorite podcast platform. Or you can go to npr.org/podcasts/510380/inheriting.
Asian American author Eve J. Chung spent the first years of her life in Taiwan with her grandmother. In their shared space, Eve remembers a woman who loved her fiercely; hoarded food and fed her family fat-rich chicken skins; and used a heat lamp on her knees every night while watching Chinese period dramas. As Eve got older, she recognized these habits as remnants of her grandmother's harrowing escape from China during the country's Communist Revolution in the 1940s, and of the starvation and physical punishment that she endured at just thirteen years old as she walked to freedom. Daughters of Shandong is Eve's family story: it's a fictionalized account very much inspired by her grandmother's past and how she carried that past with her for the rest of her life. This is a family saga that will grab the heart of any reader seeking new perspectives on history told with gorgeous prose, propulsive storytelling, and relatable characters. www.evejchung.com @eve.j.chung.writes
In Director/Writer Tom Huang's 2022 film Dealing with Dad, Margaret Chang reluctantly returns to her hometown along with her hapless brothers to deal with the sudden depression of their complete-jerk father, whom everyone happens to hate. In fact, he's actually more pleasant being depressed, so the siblings wonder if it's worth struggling to get him better. In the meantime, their forced time together allows them to reconnect as a family, reminisce about the bad times with Dad and maybe even help each other out in the process in this multi-award-winning comedic dramafeature film that's now streaming on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and other online platforms. Actor Dana Lee, who plays the dad, joined us in talking about why and how this film was made, as well as the many challenges that AANHPI people still face in Hollywood.
Lisa M. Gomez is the Assistant Secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in the U.S. Department of Labor (www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa). She brought with her a particular concern about the mental health of American men, especially minority men. Although I wasn't taken aback to hear that AANHPI men are the least likely to seek professional help, I nevertheless shared her desire to move the needle in the other direction. She outlines how EBSA's staff are eager to help all manner of employees access their health insurance to cover or significantly defray the cost of getting help from mental health professionals. As I mentioned at the end of our conversationm, I will be posting an episode next week that centers around the 2022 film "Dealing With Dad," to bring attention to the occurence of depression in Asian American families.
Even before the majority of delegates to the upcoming DNC had lined up behind Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Trump and the MAGA crowd began to use ad hominem attacks against her. Long-time friends and fellow podcasters Fong and Kemp kick things off by talking about their renewed optimism that Trump will be defeated again, then downshift into discussing how the GOP and also White Christian Nationalists are blatantly using racist and misogynist slurs to discredit Harris.
In this compelling collection of fifteen personal essays, Dr. Mako Yoshikawa takes us along on her journey to gain a clearer understanding of who her late father was. Secrets of the Sun "...is particularly brilliant at capturing the grief, guilt and fear that adults who experienced childhood abuse face when deciding how or whether to maintain a relationship with their abusive parent.” (Catherine Hollis, BookPage)
In her no-holds-barred essay “Conditional, But Essential, Contingency,” Dr. Kelly N. Fong confronts the racism she's faced as an Asian American woman with a PhD in historical archaeology and examines the ways she's rejected what she terms “muted invisibility” in favor of demanding change from the predominantly white academy. https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477328866/#:~:text=Description,academics%20in%20the%20United%20States.