At 32 years old, Jawn Suzuki has lived quite a life. Being adopted at three months old in Okayama, Japan, Jawn later learned that his parents were initially offered a different child, but the mother ended up taking her child back. Now a Hawaii native during his adolescent years, Jawn constantly found it difficult to connect with his peers and his Asian identity—he described himself as a scrawny, closeted kid who lived on top of the hill (he was Rapunzel) and persistently defied his traditional J...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 6 min
There is a difference between being hardworking and being unreasonable. Drive safe, be well, and get some sleep hotties. Follow hAAPI hour on Instagram for episode highlights and guest reveals: https://www.instagram.com/haapihourpod/ Have someone you want featured? Email haapihourpodcast@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from Epidemic Sound. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist here: https://share.epidemicsound.com/co24zo/?playlist=21xf90t142ycjiyt5rny...
Sep 22, 2023•37 min
My bedroom was pretty cramped on this day. Say hello to the Goza Twins, Mikela and Jillian, the Filipino-American dynamo duo who’ve inked campaign deals with globally recognized brands such such as Meta, Lululemon, Target, and Vans. The twins grew up in Murrieta (where another Filipino American superstar Olivia Rodrigo was born heyy), an inland-empire city in California known for its picturesque landscape, but not for its entertainment. Mikela and Jill had dreams of becoming well known figures i...
Sep 15, 2023•41 min
**BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE, BE SURE TO LISTEN TO PART 1 ON THE BULGOGI PODCAST!!! (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NrRD2ZqBu95W2lwSBCudn?si=3f2c11f2905f4d40)** Hi seggzies, Thanks to y'all for sharing and supporting the show, the talented [and more established] podcaster Hana Lee saw one of my previous trailers on TikTok (a phrase I never thought I would say). And we met the next week and started brainstorming ideas for a joint episode. Join Hana and me in talking all things relations...
Sep 06, 2023•26 min
no one has ever made me laugh as hard as my good old friend brendan, one of the first-ever friends i made when i transferred to a new school during junior year. we have quite a special bond because we played husband and wife three times on stage throughout high school (and siblings the fourth time, which is kinda messed up). i’m thrilled that more people will be able to cackle alongside me during the newest episode of hAAPI hour (i kept crying when i was editing this episode). brendan worked in ...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Hello new listeners from Instagram, TikTok, and wherever in the online multiverse! I'm glad you're here. Reintroducing myself to those who are new, sharing some hAAPI hour milestones from the past week, and sharing with you another cool podcast I was featured on. Enjoy! Follow hAAPI hour on Instagram for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email haapihourpodcast@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from Epidemic Sound. Like the...
Aug 04, 2023•43 min
There’s a high chance you’ve seen Danny’s pottery-making videos floating around the online content stratosphere, so you might already have an image of who he is: he’s an LA-based potter who’s captured thousands of [sometimes overly effusive] followers’ hearts with his one-of-a-kind pottery style, awkward charm, and kind personality. But Danny didn’t officially start his pottery business until last year. Our conversation is split into two sections: pre-potter Danny and potter Danny. Before cerami...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min
time for a catch-up sesh seggzies. i took last week off from hAAPI hour so i could spend some happy hour outside my hAAPI hour editing bubble. i spent last week celebrating both my close friend's and i's birthdays (i swear, why are all of our birthdays in july?), so it's been a pretty jam-packed month of social events—the most social i've ever been. can't wait to loop you in on all that's happened recently in this episode—i'm planning on doing more solo episodes in the future so i can catch up w...
Jul 19, 2023•29 min
As a child of Lao and Black-Italian parents, Ariel's multifaceted identity was always broken down by others into percentages. But my guest offers a new perspective on why she regards herself as 100 percent Asian, 100 percent Black, and 100 percent Italian. And as a successful 24-year-old model who's worked with brands such as Converse, ARE YOU AM I, Wildflower Cases, Huf Worldwide, Baboon to the Moon, Boohoo, and Princess Polly Boutique, we can undoubtedly categorize her as 100 percent Slay. Fol...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 5 min
XTINA GG saw a Craigslist ad one day about streaming for a [now defunct] startup, and that's how their streaming career started. At Polygon, the leading platform for video games and entertainment content, XTINA runs point on the company's social media platforms and appears regularly on Polygon's Twitch streams and longer form YouTube videos. You may notice that XTINA is referred to as "they." XTINA goes by she/they pronouns, which may sound confusing, but hear in our conversation how they experi...
Jun 28, 2023•46 min
Less than a year ago, Jisu Kim was working full-time at Trader Joe's. She had decided to not pursue medical school after graduating from USC's pre-med track because she knew her calling was meant elsewhere. After years of struggling with her relationship with family, food, and self, Jisu knew she had to transform her life. In six months, her life completely changed. Her Instagram account grew to over a hundred thousand followers in less than three months, moved out of her family's place, quit he...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Our hAAPI hour guest today Gabby Masuda is a successful model and content creator who's worked for major brands with massive cult followings (Nike Swim, Ritual, Rare Beauty, IPSY, Pinterest). But today, Gabby opens up a previous chapter of her life that most people don't know about—getting married at 23, but knowing deep down that she was queer. Terrified of claiming her queerness in spaces that didn't welcome people like her, it took almost Gabby's entire life to finally admit her hidden identi...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 9 min
i have no idea how to encapsulate what this episode is about here. it got pretty chaotic. just listen to it pls. See more of Steven's work here . Follow hAAPI hour on Instagram for episode highlights and guest reveals! Have someone you want featured? Email haapihourpodcast@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from Epidemic Sound. Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here . And, if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll...
Jun 07, 2023•43 min
It's giving Avatar—I got a water bender on the pod. Just kidding, but to celebrate the last day of Mental Health Awareness Month, I spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen—psychiatrist and waterkeeper (we'll get to that). Dr. Nguyen's specific skillsets include cross-cultural psychiatry, the intersection of spirituality and mental health, and the healing power of water and the natural world. Last December, Dr. Nguyen released a fictional novel, "Aloha Vietnam," a story about a Vietnamese refugee family ...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 4 min
it was hard to condense all my favorite wellness tips into one episode. but i hope this is a helpful starting point, whether you're a wellness novice or veteran. this was so fun to record because i'm the type of friend that loves giving life hacks and wellness tips. more solo episodes to come (◡‿◡✿). Follow hAAPI hour on Instagram for episode highlights and guest reveals! Have someone you want featured? Email haapihourpodcast@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from...
May 24, 2023•44 min
My first hAAPI hour after a two year hiatus. If you haven’t heard of Chitra Dassapa, this won’t be the last time you’ll hear her name (and her alluring alto voice). The 23-year-old pop and R&B artist is on the rise—from recording songs in her small apartment studio to a whirlwind week of getting dm’ed by a kinda big deal manager after posting a teaser of her upcoming song ‘Aftertaste” on TikTok, Chitra’s era is slowly but surely manifesting. Join Chitra and me in navigating topics such as gr...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 15 min
so much has happened since my last episode almost 2 years ago, but i'm diving back into hAAPI hour with a new purpose. more amazing guests of course, but i want it to be less scripted (i am a chronic scripter, whoops!) with more emphasis on health and wellness while navigating the hills and valleys of the aapi creative experience. if you're an og listener, welcome back. if you are new here, grab a drink of your choice, and let's spend hAAPI hour together. love u, melissa ( instagram.com/itschoch...
Apr 20, 2023•4 min
In this episode of hAAPI hour, I talk to Andrew Cheng, the 26-year-old director and co-founder of Mercy Creatives, a creative production studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. Andrew grew up doing creative projects but never envisioned himself working as a creative. His whole educational trajectory pointed towards the legal industry—he majored in poli-sci, interned at banking and legal internships, took the LSATs, and was set on going to law school...the whole nine yards. But when Andrew was selected t...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 12
My guest today is Dilan Mistry, the 22-year-old entrepreneur and founder of two companies, NativeFour and Intertidal LA. By age 17, he had started three small business ventures and was recognized in South Bay Magazine’s "19 Under 19." Midway through his freshman year of college at Chapman University, he started NativeFour, a commercial production company. In the beginning, he was running his own one-man band, shooting, editing, directing, and producing most of his company’s projects, but he was ...
Sep 05, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 11
Welcome back to hAAPI hour, a podcast for amplifying AAPI creative voices. I’m Melissa Cho and in this episode of happy hour, I talk to Parker Jue, the 22-year old recent film school graduate and video editor. She currently specializes in editing short-form content and trailers and also freelances at a creative agency that works with fashion and commercial content. This interview you’re about to hear was recorded a little over a month ago, and at that time Parker was still interning at an entert...
Aug 22, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 10
My guest today is Justin Kim, the 21-year-old Korean-American artist, musician, and filmmaker who goes by the name Suave Punk as his musical alter ego. Suave Punk was actually the title of Justin’s first song, and he liked the name so much that he decided to attach it to his own creative identities. His other personas also include being someone who loves fishing, or someone who developed a Southern twang after growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood in southeastern Florida. Justin’s dis...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 9
Meet Ethan Soo, the 21-year old Cambodian-American filmmaker and current USC film student. He’s about to direct an independent horror short titled “Swept Under;" the film follows a Cambodian American man who moves into a new house and discovers that a rug may hide sinister forces beneath its surface. Growing up as a child of a Cambodian refugee, Ethan was always frustrated that people weren’t taught about the American bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Our understanding of history is he...
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 8
Happy Sunday, my dear happy hour friends! Today is a bit special because I turn 22. I'm not a personal birthday celebratory person at all, but I do have a small birthday wish and I hope you can make it a reality, which is to leave a quick hAAPI hour review on Apple Podcasts. It requires no money at all and it takes less than 3 minutes, but it would make me super glad knowing that you're helping me promote this show. If you’ve been listening to the show for over a month, I’m so grateful for your ...
Jul 11, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 7
Happy Fourth of July hAAPI hour friends! I hope you all spend quality time with family and friends today—this episode fits today's theme of spending time with your favorite people. My guest today is Wenny Chou, the 22-year-old Taiwanese-Canadian and recent USC business graduate who just started Saloon 301, an exclusive dinner club that seeks to celebrate food and people. During the pandemic, Wenny had the initial thought of running a small takeout business where she would cook for her friends, b...
Jul 04, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 6
Meet Kendra Ing, the 23-year-old Taiwanese-American dance artist and hopeful educator-to-be very soon. Like many other college students during the pandemic, Kendra left New York City and came back to Taiwan to escape the big apple’s alarming covid crisis. But since graduating last year, Kendra’s been based in Taipei as a freelance dancer, choreographer, model, and teacher. As a lover of environmental science, public health, social justice issues, education, and dance, this young renaissance woma...
Jun 27, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 5
Meet Corey Nguyen, the 23-year-old cinematographer based in Los Angeles and Orange County. He found his calling for cinematography after experiencing an incident on a big TV pilot. He had his first breakthrough with a documentary he shot in 2019 called "Frat House" (directed by Nancy Nguyen), which was about the last gay bar in the town of Garden Grove, California. The film was featured in The Advocate and the LA Times and had its premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Since then, Corey’s ...
Jun 20, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 4
My third guest is Steven Lee, formally known as stevenoclock on social media. He’s a photographer, illustrator, CG artist, and art director based in Orange County, California. Steven’s work is known to be vibrant and out of this world, and his intersectional interests between fashion and surrealism have allowed him to produce bold and visually stunning work, many of which have been featured in fashion publications such as British Vogue, MOEVIR, French Fries Magazine, GEZNO Magazine, Grazia, and ...
Jun 13, 2021•56 min•Ep. 3
My second guest is Isha Punja, the 24-year-old founder of Hut Mentality, an ethical clothing brand sourced by Indigenous and rural artisans in India. The brand's clothes are made by hand and natural materials, such as organic cotton being hand printed with vegetable dyes. Isha's designs have been notably featured in British Vogue and at New York Fashion Week. With India still facing the devastating effects of its second COVID-19 wave, I was curious to find out how Isha’s business was doing. And ...
Jun 06, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 2
In this first-ever episode of happy hour, I talk to freelance cinematographer and photographer, Farrah Su. She’s a 1.5 generation, Buddhist, Taiwanese-American creator, who was born in Taipei, Taiwan, grew up in Long Island, NY, and now resides in Los Angeles, CA. Other than speaking to her about her experiences in film and photography, we shared anecdotes about our Mandarin names, the Asian diaspora, and opened up about our fears and excitements about authentically telling Asian-centered storie...
May 30, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 1
Welcome to hAAPI hour, a podcast for featuring AAPI creatives. I'm Melissa Cho, a 21-year-old Taiwanese-Chinese-American, who grew up in Taipei and Shanghai for around two decades. I’m also a multimedia journalist, documentarian, and digital content editor. There are so many AAPI filmmakers, editors, creative directors, designers, performers, stylists, food bloggers, content creators...you name it, they’re all out there. And I’m now making it my fun mission to hunt them down and get to know them...
May 28, 2021•2 min
