ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST

In Episode 615, host Ken Fong sits down with Japanese American activist, scholar, and author Dr. Scott Kurashige to discuss his latest book, American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism (University of California Press). Drawing from 36 years of academic study, grassroots organizing, and his own family's history with wartime incarceration, Scott unpacks the sweeping history of anti-Asian violence in America and offers crucial insights for the movement for justice today. 

In Season 12, Episode 614 of Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast, host Ken Fong sits down with Filipino American author, illustrator, and artist Kenneth Tan. Kenneth joins the show to discuss his multimedia art projects and books, including Crescenciana, which grew out of a deeply personal, intergenerational collaboration with his grandmother, Crescenciana Tan. Kenneth shares the story of honoring a promise to his late grandmother by completing the unfinished watercolor paintings she left behind, layering his own illustrations over her brushstrokes to create a living homage to her life, legacy, and memories. Together, Ken and Kenneth trace how art and storytelling can bridge generations, transform family history, and offer a poignant reflection on aging, honoring our elders, and carrying their legacies forward.

What does it take to shift from conventional TV news reporting to frontline advocacy? In this episode, Emmy Award–winning anchor and author Dion Lim joins Ken Fong to share how an anonymous video tip altered her career trajectory and thrust her into covering anti-Asian hate in the Bay Area and beyond. Dion opens up about breaking generational silence, pushing major media outlets for fair coverage, and the personal cost of speaking out. Together, they explore the role of journalism in building cross-racial solidarity and the story behind her book, Amplify!: My Fight for Asian American Visibility.

In Episode 612 of The Two Kens, Ken and Ken sit down to mark a solemn and significant milestone: 25 years since September 11, 2001. Together, they look back at how that day reshaped foreign policy, domestic security, daily American life, and cultural memory—reflecting on the long-term impact that continues to ripple through our world a quarter-century later. Key Topics & Highlights Looking Back at 2001: Initial reactions, personal memories, and the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Faith Under Siege—Fear in the American Church: How post-9/11 fear shifted the American Christian Church, sparking a rise in Christian nationalism, "us vs. them" theology, and institutional anxiety over national identity. The Policy Ripple Effect: How foreign relations, national security, and civil liberties shifted over the last 25 years. Cultural Memory & Legacy: How a single morning shaped an entire generation's worldview and continues to influence public discourse. Moving Forward: Finding perspective, resilience, and understanding in the quarter-century legacy of 9/11. Notable Quotes "Twenty-five years later, we aren't just remembering a single day—we're looking at the entire quarter-century built in its shadow, including how our institutions of faith allowed fear to dictate the narrative."

Texas House Democratic Leader Gene Wu joins me this week on the podcast to lay out what's at stake for democracy, the Constitution, and state governance in Texas. Representing Southwest Houston (District 137), Rep. Wu breaks down why local legislative races matter nationally, how AANHPI and Chinese American voters can tip the scales, and why protecting democratic institutions starts at the ballot box.