Welcome to Season 5, Episode 29! Today we’re joined by a true icon in the world of academia— Professor Gordon H. Chang . A celebrated historian, Professor Chang is both the Olive H. Palmer Professor in Humanities and a Professor of History at Stanford University. He’s also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. We’re honored to speak with him about his latest book War, Race, and Culture , published by Stanford University Press in May 2025. This anthology compiles some of his most...
Jul 21, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 29
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 28! In this episode, we sit down with Michael Luo , the award-winning journalist, editor, and author of Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America . Currently an executive editor at The New Yorker, Michael writes extensively on politics, religion, and Asian American issues. Before joining The New Yorker, he spent over a decade at The New York Times as a national correspondent and investigative reporter, earning accolades...
Jul 14, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 28
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 27! We have been known to be obsessed with true crime stories. So we were really excited to read L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood by Professor Anne Soon Choi and published by Third State Books . And we were even more excited when Anne visited us as a guest. Professor Choi is the Interim Associate Director of Online Pedagogy and Learning for the Faculty Development Center, and Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Stud...
Jul 07, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 26! With the fall of Saigon happening about 50 years ago, it’s important to recognize related additional moments in the history of Asians and Asian Americans. We’re talking about the Secret War in Laos which was closely tied to the Vietnam War. This will be Part 1 of 2 on the topic. Laos is in Southeast Asia, a key region that the U.S. worried about during the Cold War. The Secret War in Laos was led by the CIA and fought predominantly by the Hmong, an ethnic minorit...
Jun 30, 2025•19 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 25! We’re back with Part 2 of our conversation with the very talented Olivia Cheng . Last week, in Part 1 of the conversation , we mainly focused on Olivia’s acting career. In this episode, we pivot to her work behind the camera as a writer, director, and producer. Olivia shares how she was motivated to write and direct her short film Dinner with Dex , which starred her Warrior co-star Dianne Doan. We also talk about her feature directorial debut on the documentary I...
Jun 23, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 25
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 24! In this episode, we have Part 1 of a Conversation with Olivia Cheng , a storyteller known predominantly for her acting, but beginning to make waves with her writing, directing, and producing. Originally from Edmonton, Olivia’s acting credits include playing Mei Lin in Marco Polo on Netflix, Ah Toy in Warrior on Cinemax and HBO, Charlotte in See on Apple TV+, Master Gao in Deadly Class, and Noel in the feature Lucky Star… just to name a few of her projects. Her pe...
Jun 16, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 23! It’s hard to find any other apparel that signifies vacation more than a Hawaiian shirt AKA an Aloha shirt. It’s not just a symbol of going on vacation, for some it means being part of the ska community, hanging out at a tiki bar, relaxing at get togethers, and even just dressing up for “casual Friday.” But what is the origin and background of the Aloha shirt, how did it grow in popularity, and what is the importance of it to the Hawaiian islands? In this episode ...
Jun 09, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 23
Photo credit for Bobo: Kristine Cofsky Photography Photo credit for Jeremy: Studio Aviva Welcome to Season 5, Episode 22! It’s a 2-for-1 episode! Today we have a two of the stars of the re-imagination of The Wedding Banquet, Bobo Le and Jeremy Hoffman. This modernized version of the Ang Lee’s classic film is written and directed by Andrew Ahn. Bobo and Jeremy both come from creative backgrounds. Bobo in dance and martial arts, and Jeremy in music and musical theatre. But lucky for audiences, the...
Jun 02, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 21! We’re really honored to have today’s guest Georgette Bhathena, the Chief Programs Officer at The Asian American Foundation . She’s here to talk to us about the 2025 STAATUS Index , AKA (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the United States). Georgette has extensive work experience in the philanthropy and grant-making sector. Prior to joining TAAF, they worked at Zoom as the Global Philanthropy Pillar Lead for Zoom Cares. And that’s not the only place that Georg...
May 26, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 20! The Titanic sank over 110 years ago, but people are still fascinated with the disaster. This is especially true when there are new stories that come out about The RMS Titanic that are relatable or pique our curiosity. Hearing about the eight Chinese nationals who were on the Titanic as passengers and the six who survived is one of those moments where we learned something new, and we felt that we could relate to the story. But we wouldn’t have known about this obs...
May 20, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 19! Health and wellbeing are so important to people who want to live a more productive and fulfilling life. So it’s such a thrill that today’s guest is Michelle Jungmin Bang who is an award-winning eco-entrepreneur, Chivas Venture Social Impact Fellow, and Harvard Business School graduate who spent 16 years living in Asia as a Korean-American from New York City. She is the author of the recently published Sun & Ssukgat , a wellness guide covering her research, in...
May 12, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 18! We’re back with Part two of A Conversation with Actor and Daily Show Correspondent Troy Iwata . This very talented singer and actor joined us last episode to talk about deciding on entertainment as his passion, performing on Broadway on Be More Chill, being on the feel good Netflix holiday series Dash & Lily , getting selected as a correspondent on The Daily Show, and so much more. In today’s episode, we continue the conversation with Troy to talk more about ...
May 05, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 17! The Daily Show is one of our favorite shows for so many reasons… hilarious segments, a diverse cast, and awesome writing are just a few reasons. The Daily Show is also where so many people have been introduced to the very talented Troy Iwata . Troy is, of course, also known for several other things that include his roles as Langston on the feel good Netflix holiday series Dash & Lily , Damien Saito in the AppleTV+ series WeCrashed , and as an understudy on Br...
Apr 28, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 17
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 th...
Apr 21, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 16
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 Sup...
Apr 14, 2025•21 min•Season 5Ep. 15
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 an...
Apr 07, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 14
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 l...
Mar 31, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 13
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-Noh-Tec . Along with her real-life partner Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo, Nancy co-founded Eth-Noh-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 l...
Mar 24, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 12
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...
Mar 17, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 11
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 y...
Mar 10, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 10
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 varian...
Mar 03, 2025•31 min•Season 5Ep. 9
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 h...
Feb 24, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 8
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...
Feb 17, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 6! Today we’re talking about food (one of our favorite recurring themes). Specifically we’re going to talk about Egg Foo Young, a popular staple in Chinese American restaurants for generations. Egg Foo Young may not be as popular now as it used to be, but it still has a special place in the history of the Chinese diaspora. In this episode, we discuss the Cantonese dish’s origin, it’s adaptation in the U.S. and across the globe, and how Colonialism played a part in tr...
Feb 10, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 5! If you didn’t hear the last episode, then go do it! S05E04 is Part 1 of this conversation with Peter Tao, one of the co-founders of the award-winning architectural design firm in St. Louis, TAO + LEE Associates, Inc. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Peter, AKA The Accidental Historian , and we talk more about how his family has supported his journey into researching and telling Chinese American history, his love of hockey (specifically the St. Lo...
Feb 03, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 4! Peter Tao and his real life partner Helen Lee are the force behind TAO + LEE Associates, Inc. an award winning St. Louis based design firm. They provide Architectural, Planning, Interiors, and Creative Design services for a diversity of project types, sizes & applications. Their projects have been built both domestically and internationally. That alone would have interested us enough to have a conversation with Peter, but he’s also heavily involved in the St. ...
Jan 27, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 3! We’re back with Part 2 of The History of Mahjong. Last episode we talked about the games origins and how it came to America. In this episode, we discuss the rise of Jewish-American Mah-Jongg and how it was standardized and simplified in America by the National Mah-Jongg League. We also take time to talk about cultural appropriation and how the Asian American community has tried to reclaim the narrative of Mahjong as a connection to our culture. We open the episode...
Jan 20, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 2! Most people are familiar with the game of Mahjong. Maybe their family or community plays it or maybe they’ve just seen it in the movies or TV. But most people have seen the tiles and heard the clacking. This is part 1 of a 2 part series on The History of Mahjong. In this episode, we talk about the origin of Mahjong, how its popularity went up and down over the years, how it came to the U.S., and how it was received. We talk a little about the gameplay and how to w...
Jan 13, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 1! Happy New Year everyone! The Gregorian New Year, to be specific because the Lunar New Year is right around the corner… A new calendar year means a new season of our podcast. For our first episode of the new season, we want to highlight one of our favorite publishers, Third State Books . To do that, we’ve invited the Co-Founder and CEO of Third State Books, Stephanie Lim. Prior to leading Third State Books, Stephanie spent many years in digital marketing and operat...
Jan 06, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 53! This is it! Our Season 4 year in review. In this episode we talk about the following… "Interesting topics we hope people listen to”. These are topics that need way more attention. E48 and E49 , The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, Part 1 and Part 2 E46 , The History of Asian American Clubs and the Punk Rock Scene E28 , The History of George Helm Jr. and Kaho’olawe Island “Topics we learned the most about”. These are topics that we knew almost nothing ...
Dec 30, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 53
