Walmak Podcast: Vietnamese-American Popular Culture

In this episode, I sit down with Will Pepper, a Vietnamese-American stand-up comedian based in Los Angeles, CA, whose name is just as memorable as his punchlines. We kick things off by digging into his background, where he’s from, and how growing up Vietnamese shaped his perspective. Will shares what drew him into comedy and why making people laugh became his calling, blending his personal experie...

In this episode, host Ha Mai sits down with Paul Nguyen , a Vietnamese American from the Dallas–Fort Worth area whose story blends resilience, creativity, and passion. Paul is a hemorrhagic stroke survivor , and he opens up about how that life-changing experience reshaped his outlook. Since his recovery, he’s adopted a much healthier lifestyle—being mindful of his diet, daily habits, and overall w...

In this episode, host Ha Mai sits down with Elizabeth Dinh , a proud Dallas–Fort Worth native whose story is as inspiring as it is relatable. Elizabeth shares her journey from growing up in a Vietnamese household to finding her voice as a journalist and news anchor. Married to her high school sweetheart, Kevin, she opens up about the ups and downs of marriage, the realities of growing older, and n...

Kick off the very first episode of the AlwaysWalmak.com podcast, a Vietnamese-American pop culture show created by Ha Mai, a graphic designer passionate about storytelling, culture, and community. In this debut episode, Ha sits down with Jaclyn Le , a Dallas-based designer, artist, and typographer whose journey is as colorful as her lettering. Jaclyn shares how her childhood love of the TV show, P...