Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 26! Is there a more universal convenience food eaten across the world than instant ramen? We’re not sure, but instant ramen has to be pretty high up as the most popular convenience food, and it’s not just for college students and people looking for a cheap, fast meal. In this episode, we share the history of instant ramen, popularized through Momofuku Ando and his company, Nissin Foods.  Why did Ando want to create instant ramen? What were some of the innovations that led to instant ramen’s success? Who are some of the major companies selling instant ramen and cup ramen? We discuss these questions and more including how instant ramen has continued to innovate with changing habits and preferences across the globe. In our recurring segment, “What Are We Listening To” returns as we share a few more Asian Pacific musicians to support. We talk about Young the Giant’s Live Across America 2023 album, Raveena's new album Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain, and Charli XCX’s release of Brat.  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. Segments 00:25 Current Events 07:02 The History of Instant Ramen 27:33 What Are We Listening To? Young the Giant, Raveena, and CharliXCX

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 25! Sometimes making space for diverse voices isn’t about the realms of music, theater, TV, movies, or fictional literature… it’s about hearing diverse voices in research and academia. We definitely encourage that… so it’s with excitement that we could bring on Dr. Kelly Fong to our show. She’s an author, community historian, and archaeologist who studies artifacts and oral histories to create a better understanding of communities. Her latest published work is an essay entitled “Conditional but Essential Contingency” which was part of the collection Conditionally Accepted: Navigating Higher Education from the Margins, edited by Eric Joy Denise and Bertin Louis Jr., and published by University of Texas Press. It’s a great essay by Kelly, and it really adds to the book’s overall narrative of the trends and challenges facing BIPOC scholars in academic institutions today. We recommend the book not just for Dr. Fong’s contribution to it, but for all the essays… And if you purchase it from University of Texas Press with the code UTXSUMMER, then you get 40% off! Dr. Kelly Fong holds a Ph.D. in archaeology from UCLA with a graduate concentration in Asian American Studies. Her interdisciplinary work bridges her interest in Asian American social histories, community-based histories, and historical archaeology to examine everyday life through materials and memories left behind. Dr. Fong is involved with several research projects. Dr. Fong is working in a position as an instructor and staff member at UCLA in Asian American Studies, but she also balances that with her archaeological work, researching the Five Chinatowns in Los Angeles, collaborating with peers on community histories, and even providing historical context as a guest on the TV show “Take Out with Lisa Ling.” We talk about many of these things as well as, some challenges contingent faculty face (including research on the increasing percentage of the use of contingent faculty in universities by AAUP), tips for breaking out of “muted invisibility, how alumni and students can help improve the situation, and so much more. 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 24! In this episode, we share a conversation with Sarah Myer, the Eisner Award nominated author and illustrator of the graphic memoir Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story, published by First Second Books. Other than the Eisner Awards, their work with Monstrous has gained attention with an L.A. Times Book Prize nomination and multiple starred reviews and recognition from a variety of places including a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a Kirkus Best Teen and YA Graphic Literature of 2023, and numerous Best of 2023 lists. Sarah has also completed extensive work with IDW Publishing. They are currently the illustrator and cover artist of several comic issues of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures. Previously they were the colorist of TMNT vs Street Fighter and TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures comics, as well as a variant cover artist of TMNT Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen issues. Additionally, Sarah is the writer and illustrator of their independent webcomic Cheer Up, Michael! Sarah’s previous work includes Hello Kitty & Friends Coloring Book through VIZ Media and the Ringo Award Nominated Anthology Votes for Women: The Battle for the 19th Amendment published by Little Red Bird Press. In Votes for Women, they wrote and illustrated the installment “Asian American Exclusion.” We are also fans of Sarah’s first graphic novel Maker Comics: Create a Costume! also published by First Second Books. You can keep up with updates on Sarah’s work on her website sarahmyer.net and instagram @smyercomics. Buy Monstrous! It’s amazing! 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 23! Today we’re talking to Steven Wu, the Organizing and Policy Director at Woori Juntos. We’re big believers in intersectionality and allyship, and so are they! The name Woori Juntos, combines two words in Korean and Spanish, that when combined mean “to rise together." On their website, they say the name “reflects the location of our organization in an area of Houston that has been heavily influenced by both communities and the rooting of our work in solidarity, inclusion, and collaboration. Woori Juntos focuses on meeting the needs of and organizing low-income seniors, youth, and families. Our first coalition partner was the Workers Defense Project, an organization that works with low-income immigrants in the Latiné community. Our name honors these origins.” Woori Juntos ensures Asians, immigrants, and all Texans have language access to health and social services and are civically engaged to achieve equity and justice for all. They have a variety of campaigns that center on Citizenship Justice, Civic Engagement, and Language Justice. To do that, they provide resources for citizenship, food insecurity, and more. Although they’re located in Houston, Texas, what they’re doing encompasses important issues that we see across the country. If you’re in the Houston area, there are a variety of programs that you can join to volunteer or work at Woori Juntos. If you’re outside the Houston area, you can donate to help them continue making an impact. 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 22! We love learning. One area that is ever changing, that we want to learn more about is the world of language… specifically the context which impacts the language choices we make for communication. That’s why we were so excited to invite award-winning author and editor Karen Yin to our show. Karen’s latest book is The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers. The Conscious Style Guide will be available on May 28, 2024… so now! Anyone who communicates… which means everyone… could learn from this book, because it’s a valuable resource to help you create practices towards the use of more empathetic, conscious language. And if you listen to this episode right away, then you have the chance to pre-order the book and get 20% off when you purchase the ConsciousStyle Guide through Tertulia and use code “STYLE”… but the deal is only good through May 28th. Even without a discount, we think the book is 100% worth it. In 2017, the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) awarded Karen the Robinson Prize, an honor that’s given to the editor of the year. At that time, she was only the second person of color to win it. In addition to editing, she founded the Conscious Style Guide website and the Conscious Language and Design Facebook group. You can also check out her award-winning children’s books that include Whole Whale, So Not Ghoul, and Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew. Her next release will be Nice to Eat You which will be published by Scholastic in 2025. Additionally, her short story “My Kinda Sorta Badass Move” was published in Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities an anthology of stories that center and celebrate the multiracial and multicultural experience.  If you want to read more of Karen Yin’s creative work or want to learn more about how you can develop your practice with conscious language, then get Karen’s books, visit her personal website, bookmark the Conscious Style Guide website, join the Conscious Language and Design Facebook group, and follow her on Instagram (@karensoffice and @consciousstyleguide).  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. (Top Photo Credit of Karen Yin to Paul Beauchemin)

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 21! It’s time for the 2024 STAATUS Index published by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) with partnership from Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH), AAPI Data, and the Asian American Research Initiative. This annual survey is a social tracking and national assessment of attitudes and stereotypes towards Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. In this episode, we review the report and provide an overview of it. We also dig into each of the sections and reflect on responses. As always, we highly recommend that you download the STAATUS Index and read it yourself. It’s very well written with easily accessible information, so don’t be afraid that it’s data-rich. In our recurring segment we ask “What’s Going On?” as we reflect on the sheer number of Asian Pacific-led TV shows that have been canceled in the last year or so. It’s hard to wrap our heads around the fact that the last year has seen cancellations of The Afterparty, Kung Fu, Doogie Kamealoha M.D., NCIS: Hawaiʻi, Young Rock, Quantum Leap, American Born Chinese, The Brothers Sun, Warrior, and Our Flag Means Death. We look at ratings, viewership, and ultimately ask, “What’s Going On?” 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. Segments 00:25 Current Events 05:24 Talking About the 2024 STAATUS Index 19:51 What’s Going On? API-Led TV Cancellations

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 20! There are plenty of things we love… and for sure one of them is the world of film and entertainment… especially when it’s Asian American cinema. But what happens when what you see represented in Hollywood becomes blurred with the actual experience in an ethnic enclave… or even drives it? Our conversation today dives a bit into that. We’re excited to share this conversation with Professor William Gow. Dr. Gow is a California-based community historian, educator, and documentary filmmaker who is currently an Assistant Professor at California State University, Sacramento. His forthcoming book, Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community is scheduled for release by Stanford University Press on May 14, 2024… and if you order direct from the publisher and use discount code GOW20, you get 20% off! The book examines Los Angeles Chinatown and its relationship to Hollywood cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. We really enjoyed the book and the depth of the research Dr. Gow presents. In fact, this has been one of the most insightful books we’ve read in the last few years, pushing our thinking of how Chinese Americans survived and represented themselves to often judgmental onlookers. Professor Gow also has worked on several other projects. Some of the ones that we appreciated are More to the Chinese Side (click to watch an excerpt), The Five Chinatowns: A Community History (along with Dr. Kelly Fong one of our future guests and ), and the great article A Night in Old Chinatown (we talk about this one in the podcast).  We highly recommend purchasing Performing Chinatown! Don’t forget… if you purchase from Stanford University Press and use the discount code GOW20 (all caps), you get 20% off. 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 19! Back in S03E03, we talked about one of the first popular Asian American singing groups, the Kim Loo Sisters, but there was also another group a few years later that made a longer lasting impact… the Kim Sisters. Originally from South Korea, the trio of ladies that included Sook-ja, Ai-ja, and Min-ja, were a dynamic vocal group that could also play a multitude of instruments.  They recorded several songs in the U.S. and made a splash in Las Vegas and on television through several variety shows. Their early life wasn’t smooth, but they overcame those struggles to succeed. We talk about their early life, journey to America, TV appearances, and more! In our recurring segment, we bring back Obscure Asian Comic Book Characters and talk about the DC hero Kai-Ro. 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. Segments 00:25 Intro Current Events 04:54 The History of the Kim Sisters 24:02 Obscure Asian Comic Book Characters Featuring Kai-Ro

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 18! Free Comic Book Day is coming soon… not to mention Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so as a lead-up to this confluence, we had a conversation with the Ringo Award-winning illustrator and comic artist, Christie Shinn of HoraTora Studios. If you’re in Southern California on May 4th and 5th, you can meet Christie, other API creators, and some non-API comic book creators at The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach (May4th) and Culver City (May 5th).  Christie won the 2018 Ringo Award for Best Anthology for her work on Mine! a comics collection to benefit Planned Parenthood. She is the President of CAPS (Comic Arts Professional Society, founded by esteemed cartoonists Sergio Aragonès and Don Rico, and writer Mark Evanier). She wants to promote, nurture, and network artists and writers in the sequential and non-sequential art aspects of the comic arts. And she does that through a variety of means, including the Asian Invasion, a group she founded and organizes that brings AAPI comic creators together to celebrate their work with fans. They have a SoCal and NorCal edition of their mini con that they organize. Check the link for more details on their late summer/early fall events. We met Christie at WonderCon and we really admired her willingness to delve into more edgy, darker themes in her work Demon Bitch! In this episode, we talk about her career, what motivates her, Asian Invasion, CAPS, and more! Her work is available on GlobalComix.com and she hosts a weekly Wednesday ‘Lunch Hour’ Drawstream at noon PST on her socials (like her Instagram and YouTube channel) and on the Indie Comics Network. You can also see more of her work through her Linktree at HoraToraStudios. 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 17! This is the next installment in our series on ethnic enclaves that have disappeared. Today we’re here to talk about The History of the Hawaiian Settlement of Iosepa, Utah. It was predominantly Hawaiian, but there were others from the Pacific Islands as well. Established in 1889 in Skull Valley, Utah, it was a place where Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders were able to gather in a safer, more supportive place that still kept them relatively close to Salt Lake City, Utah and the center of the Church of Latter Day Saints. It’s hard to imagine going from the weather in Hawaii to the much harsher conditions of Skull Valley (especially in the summers and winters), but they did it… and they even thrived there for a time, growing the community from 46 to quite a few more. In this episode we share the challenges and triumphs of a community, and what eventually happened to them. To learn more about the area, you can check out the Iosepa Historical Association which is made of supporters and descendants of the original community.  In our recurring segment, we share what we’re reading. For Ted it was the award-winning book Troublemaker by John Cho. For Gen it was the award-winning book Jade City, part of the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. Hear our thoughts on these two novels! 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. Segments 00:25 Reflecting on WonderCon and Ted in California 04:08 The History of the Hawaiian Settlement of Iosepa Utah 20:20 Reading Troublemaker and Jade City

Editors Note: We had an audio glitch in the original upload and have fixed it.  Welcome to Season 4, Episode 16! This episode is about The History of the Buddhist Churches of America. Buddhism is one of the religions often associated with Asian countries and the people who come from Asian Pacific nations. And it’s for good reason, because it’s a religion that originates from those countries. When it comes to understanding Buddhism in America, it would be difficult to talk about the history without mentioning the Buddhist Churches of America, an organization that has its roots in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism that originated in the 13th century with the monk Shinran Shonin. In this episode, we share a short background on Shin Buddhism, a general overview of Buddhism in America, and the long history of the Buddhist Churches of America and its impact in the Japanese American Community and beyond. Since World War II and the Japanese internment, the BCA has continued to adapt to the changing needs of different generations. To learn more, you can visit the BCA Website or visit one of their locations (they’re easy to find through the Temple Locator). In our recurring segment, we share what we’ve been watching… The Brothers Sun on Netflix. This amazing show is an action-comedy-drama that is co-created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk. It stars Justin Chien, Sam Song Li, Michelle Yeoh, and a cast of so many other amazing Asian Pacific actors and actresses. Although it hasn’t been renewed for a 2nd season, it’s got great reviews and ratings, and it’s worth a watch.  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. Segments 00:25 Catching Up and Remembering Akebono 05:29 The History of The Buddhist Churches of America 25:11 What Are We Watching? The Brothers Sun

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 15! Today’s guest is Kelisha Menon, the Public Relations and Partnerships Lead at Send Chinatown Love, the incredible organization that formed during the height of the pandemic when New York’s Chinatown businesses and the people who lived there were suffering the most. Already busy with a career in public relations, Kelisha is just one of many volunteers who have grown Send Chinatown Love to help more and more businesses in New York Chinatown.  This passionate group of engineers, designers, creators, and storytellers came together with a common goal to save their Chinatown. And they worked with many of the businesses to launch their very first cookbook Made Here: Recipes and Reflections from NYC’s Asian Communities. To call it a cookbook is a little bit of a misnomer. It’s book filled with recipes, history, and cultural connections so readers can better understand the impact of these small business across New York’s Chinatown.  You can help Send Chinatown Love and the Asian-owned New York City businesses too! Buy Made Here for yourself or friends and family, donate to Send Chinatown Love, or get involved as a volunteer (if you’re in New York City)… and listen to this conversation with Kelisha too (of course).  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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 14! Today’s special guest is the talented and engaging actor Chen Tang. Born in Japan and raised in Guangxi, China as well as Memphis, Tennessee, Chen is best known for playing Hong in Warrior and Yao in the live action Mulan. Much like the character of Hong, Chen is an upbeat individual who is generous and multi-talented, and that comes through clearly in our conversation.  Chen has been in several short films including Tumbler, The Wind Outside, The Company Man, When Mom Visits, and Finding Tomorrow. He has also had roles in Fresh Off the Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Outside of acting, he supports environmental conservation as well as the Cambodian Children’s Fund. In our conversation, we had a chance to talk about his acting journey, what it’s like eating during scenes, his memories of the Deep South, what he learned through playing Hong, his hopes for storylines in Warrior Season 4, and so much more. We even had an expanded Rapid Fire segment with answers on what he misses from Memphis and Guangxi, who wins in a fight between Hong and Yao, his favorite action scene he’s filmed, and more. Check out Chen Tang on Instagram @chenlovesyall, keep watching Warrior, and ask Netflix to greenlight Season 4 of the show! 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 13! Today’s guest is Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, an author, educator, speaker, and professional learning facilitator. Born in Bangkok, Thailand into a mixed-race Malaysian Chinese and white American family, she’s a classic “third culture kid.” She’s had a very diverse upbringing, living in various East and Southeast Asian countries as well as the Washington DC area. Sarah moved to the Deep South in 2009, and she has now lived there longer than anywhere else. We’re so excited about the release of her book Exclusion and the Chinese American Story that is launching on March 26th 2024 (so available now!). It’s intended for middle grade students aged 10 and up, but it’s great for everyone. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story is part of the Race to the Truth series of books and helps tell the Chinese American experience in an engaging, relatable way for kids and adults to connect with. We love how she selected the narrative of what topics to include in the book… not to mention her use of deep questioning. Her intentionality and thoughtfulness makes the book so powerful.  We talk about her thinking behind the questions, how she chose topics for the book, her hopes for the ways the book could be used, and a lot more. We also discuss her career, including reflections on her facilitation of workshops, common mistakes with Diversity and Inclusion, and even the session she does focused on Survivor (the TV Show). If you’re looking for a great book for kids (or the kid in you), pick up a copy of Exclusion and the Chinese American Story. You can also support and learn by visiting Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn’s site, following her on Instagram and LinkedIn, engaging her to help your workplace culture through diversity and inclusion, and listening to the conversation.  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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 12! It’s Another Conversation with Award-Winning Author and Illustrator Grace Lin. It’s not hyperbole to say that Grace Lin is one of our favorite authors of all time… maybe that’s why we love any opportunity to talk with her, and it’s a great time for her return. We’re still enjoying Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods, and her first picture book in four years, Once Upon a Book! (co-written with Kate Messner), was just released on February 7th of this year. In our conversation, Grace shares a little about both books and also talks about how she moves forward with ideas, the audiobook for Chinese Menu (narrated by Lisa Ling!), future work to look forward to, advice for parents who want to encourage creativity in their kids, and a lot more. Chinese Menu was on our holiday gift guide, and Once Upon a Book! would be a great gift too. You can learn more about Grace and support her work by visiting her site, buying her books, following her on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, and listening to this episode! 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 11. Today’s guest is Dr. Michael Soon Lee, a fifth-generation Chinese American. He overcame prejudice, systemic discrimination, and depression to become a TV and film producer, an actor, a top-producing real estate broker, and the Dean of a university business school. HeI was the first Asian to earn the "Certified Speaking Professional" (CSP) designation in the history of the National Speakers Association and has spoken over 1,000 times around the world to major companies that include Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, General Motors, just to name a few. Michael is the author of several marketing books with a multicultural focus including Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies, Black Belt Negotiating, and Opening Doors: Selling to Multicultural Real Estate Clients. Additionally, he takes this knowledge of cultural awareness and speaks at special events, cruises, and more. His latest book is Beyond the Bamboo Curtain: Understanding America’s Invisible Minority. Part memoir, Asian American History book, and self-improvement guide, Michael puts the history of Asian Americans within the context of his life experiences. 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 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 10! Today we’re talking about Bangladeshi Americans, a separate group of the South Asian diaspora (Desi community) that’s a growing presence in the U.S. We go back to Bangladesh and talk about the importance of the area to the rest of India and the British Empire. Knowing the history of Bangladesh is essential to understand some of the struggles the Bangladeshi community has had in America. We also discuss the trauma of the Partition of India in 1947 as well as the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971… but both events contributed to the formation of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. It’s a unique area in South Asia, and the resilience of the people has added to some of the most positive qualities found in Bangladeshi Americans. This episode just scratches the surface of the community. We highly recommend Bengali Harlem, created by filmmaker and scholar Vivek Bald, which now includes a book, a documentary, and a site with Family Stories.  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. Segments 00:25 Quick Intro 01:38 The History of Bangladeshi Americans 33:22 Shameless Plug… We’re Consultants for Hire

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 9. We had a lot of fun talking to Dr. Xenia Deviatkina-Loh about her life, her career, and her work with the Asian Classical Music Initiative. Dr. Deviatkina-Loh performs on violin and viola, and she is also a pedagogue, sharing her knowledge in various settings across the world. She’s the president of the 2024 ACMI @ MSMU conference at Mount Saint Mary’s University on April 13-14, 2024. It’s open to the public and will feature performers, composers, and scholars. Originally from Australia, Dr. Deviatkina-Loh received her Bachelor of Music in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before furthering her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London for her Master of Arts degree and then the University of California, Los Angeles for her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2020. She has performed as a soloist and recitalist internationally in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, The US, and China. Her solo album Soliloquy as well as her collaborations can be found on pretty much any music platform out there. As a pedagogue, she’s been a speaker and presented at conferences including the Alliance of Women in Media Arts and Technology and the Asian Classical Music Initiative, and also worked as a Teaching Assistant and Fellow at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the Beckman YOLA Center, and for the International Grand Music Festival in Indonesia. You can support ACMI by participating in the conference as an attendee or speaker/performer. To apply to be a part of the conference, you can go to this Google Form that they’ve set-up. To learn more, we encourage you to visit Xenia’s website or social media on YouTube or Instagram, ACMI@MSMU’s website, ACMI’s website or social media on Facebook or Instagram. 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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 8! Today’s conversation is with Amy Chu, a co-founder and former editor of A. Magazine, screenwriter, co-founder of Alpha Girl Comics, and well-known comic book author. Her latest title is Fighting to Belong! Volume 1 (out now, so go get it), which is a graphic novel focused on the history and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders in America. Published by Third State Books, Fighting to Belong! is co-written with Amy’s son, Alexander Chang, and illustrated by Louie Chin. It’s a collaborative project with The Asian American Foundation, The Asian American Education Project, and others. The importance of Fighting to Belong! cannot be overstated. Through an engaging story, readers will be entertained, engaged, educated, and empowered. Amy has written a diverse collection of titles that include Poison Ivy, Kiss, Wonder Woman, Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris, and Ant-Man. Two of our favorite works by Amy are the Trot and Cap’n Bill series for teens and Carmilla: The First Vampire graphic novel. Amy is able to weave in diversity and depth to her stories in a way that makes typically underrepresented people (like API) feel seen and heard. In our conversation, we talk about all of these things as well as her journey to comics, the importance of diverse storytelling, the status of Fighting to Belong! Volume 2, what draws her to writing complex characters, and so much more. Whether you like comics, good storytelling, history, or diversity, we highly recommend getting Fighting to Belong! or any of Amy’s other work, but especially the Trot and Cap’n Bill series, Carmilla: The First Vampire, and Poison Ivy. You can learn more about Amy through her website and her work with Alpha Girl Comics. She also has signed copies of her work available. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram as well.  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.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 7! It’s no secret that we love sumo. We even talk about AAPI in Professional Sumo back in S02E40. So it was really exciting to get a chance to have a conversation with Ter, the creator of the YouTube channel SumoStew. She’s one of our favorite content creators… definitely our favorite who covers sumo. It all comes down to her passion and creativity. Her videos mix authentic voice with thorough research and eye-catching graphics. So in this conversation Ter takes time to talk about her love of sumo, her process of creating episodes, the challenges of being a YouTube content creator, her reflections on the recently completed January Basho (tournament), her hopes for the upcoming March Basho, and a lot more. If you want to learn what mawashi (the belt rikishi wear) trend Ter would love to see or the fighting style she’d adopt if she was a rikishi, then listen to the episode! We highly recommend finding SumoStew on YouTube... and if you’re a fan of her work, then consider supporting SumoStew on Patreon as well. 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.