ACAM Dialogues Podcast

Devon and Rhea have co-hosted and co-produced the ACAM Dialogues Podcast for the past year and two years, respectively. In this finale episode together, the two hosts take a walk down memory lane and reflect on all the work they’ve accomplished during their time as ACAM student-staff. Rhea discusses the process of ‘killing your darlings’ when it comes to brainstorming interviews and questions; Dev...

To cap off May, join Devon and Rhea as they discuss motifs of Asian Heritage Month. Your co-hosts explain the nature of Asian Heritage Month and what it means to celebrate. Rhea discusses the role of radio in Asian communities settling in so-called Vancouver. Devon goes onto sharing details of Vancouver's historic Chinatown and the upcoming exhibition “Momentum”.

Join Devon and Rhea in conversation with Jennifer Douglas from the Community Archival Collections Heritage Exhibitions (CACHE), and Jeffrey Wong from Wongs’ Benevolent Association (WBA). Through this roundtable discussion, Rhea and Devon learn more about the archival process and the impact of community engagement from large institutions such as UBC.

In this episode, join Devon and Rhea as they discuss some pop-culture hot topics. They discuss the online trend of ‘Chinamaxxing’ and the implications of a fad that is based in non-Asian people. Our hosts also discuss some movies that have sparked their interest, and their picks for Best Picture at the Oscars this year.

Devon and Rhea are joined by Dr. JP Catungal to discuss Browning Asian Canada: a series of events and community gatherings that centre conversations on the need to diversify Asian Canadian storytelling and representation. Tune in to hear more about JP’s dedication and passion for ensuring minority voices are seen as knowledge producers, not just statistics in a research paper.

To kick off the start of a new semester, Devon and Rhea in Conversation with the ACAM Dialogues were joined in conversation with the ACAM Dialogues team: Gabby Abando, Felicity Gutierrez, and Lian Lo. The group discussed the various aspects of their work in the ACAM Dialogues cohorts as well as the impact they hope to make.

On this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, your hosts Rhea Mann and Devon Meadows are joined by Dr. Sharnjit Kaur Sandhra. Sharn is a historian, educator, storyteller, and founder of Belonging Matters Consulting. She worked as Coordinator at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV for more than 12 years and as co-curator and co-manager of the Sikh Heritage Museum, National Historic Site and G...

This episode, listeners are welcomed back to a new season of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast by getting introduced to the newest member of the ACAM team: Devon Meadows. Rhea welcomes Devon onto the Podcast, and they discuss his family’s migration story, passion for storytelling, and plans for the podcast this year. This episode ends off some current events as they discuss Karan Aujla’s performance on T...

Join Rhea in conversation with Dr. Alifa Bandali, who is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice. Rhea and Dr. Bandali discussed her upcoming ACAM 100 course and her passion for teaching.

Join Nathan in conversation with Kaitlyn Lee and Deborah Wong, two recent ACAM grads, as they reflect on the experiences that shaped their time in the program. From impactful lessons in the classroom to unforgettable personal experiences, they share the moments that left a lasting impression. Together, they explore how ACAM’s interdisciplinary lens helped them engage more deeply with their culture...

Punjabi and South Asian music is receiving global attention, especially after the inaugural category of South Asian Music Recording of the Year at the JUNOs this year. To touch on the significance of this, Rhea is joined in conversation with Harpo Mander. Harpo is the Executive Director of 5X, which is the leading music and arts organization for diasporic Punjabis in Metro Vancouver. As a champion...

Join Nathan in conversation with Cat Hung and Jenny Lu as they reflect on their roles in the co-curated Backyard Garden Project —a collaborative exhibit between the Museum of Vancouver, ACAM, and ACRE. This episode traces the exhibit’s evolution, from its initial ideas and goals to the post-pandemic workshops and community gatherings that emerged from its development. Together, they explore themes...

Join your ACAM Dialogues hosts, Nathan Ko and Rhea Mann, as they catch-up and reflect on the end of the semester. The hosts discuss some of their favourite episodes and moments in the ACAM community from the past few months, as well as some personal updates. Rhea shares some thoughts on her exchange term at the University of Edinburgh, and Nathan talks about graduating, his new job, and future pla...

This episode, Rhea is joined by two UBC ACAM alums Curtis Huang and Evens Wong. Both Curtis and Evens, and their short films featured in our ACAM 350 event from February. In this roundtable discussion, we get to take a deeper look into their respective films “Vancouver Special” and “Looking for Popo”. Exploring themes of migration, nostalgia, grief, and memory, Evens and Curtis remind us why Asian...

Join Nathan in conversation with special guest Thea Loo, an emerging Asian Canadian filmmaker, as they discuss her award-winning debut documentary, Inay . This deeply personal film explores the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada, shedding light on the trauma and resilience of Filipino families separated by migration. Thea shares her journey as a filmmaker, the challenge...

This episode, recorded in front of a live audience in the summer of 2024, explores the evolution of the partnership and impact between the hua foundation, UBC’s Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE), and the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program. For over ten years, these organizations have collaborated to address systemic inequities and build community-drive...

In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan sits down with fundraiser and marketer turned film director and producer, Lucy Komori. They take a deep dive into the origins of Lucy’s film Tsunagu and explore the nuances of cultural storytelling. Lucy also shares her unique perspective on the state of intergenerational Japanese Canadian history telling.  Tsunagu will be featured at the Febru...

Join Rhea and Nathan with special guests Dr. Benjamin Cheung, and Dr. Laura Ishiguro. In this roundtable discussion, the group discusses some of the highlights from ACAM in 2024 and the ten year anniversary of ACAM. This episode also looks toward the program's future, discussing goals and ambitions for what ACAM can do. Listen in to hear from Dr. Chueng as the ACAM minor advisor, and Dr. Ishiguro...

In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan and Rhea discuss the recent Dragons Den episode that features a white-owned Boba tea company. Rhea gives a recap of the episode and how guest Dragon Simu Liu addresses the issues of cultural appropriation. Nathan also discusses The Mahjong Line, a company created by three white women with the intent to redesign the game that has well known root...

Join Nathan and Rhea in conversation with Chris Chueng, Vancouver journalist and author of “Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism”. Chris speaks to how journalists can write stories that defy the white gaze, how readers can question who stories are for, and how to be a more conscious consumer of media. Nathan and Rhea also continue their new se...

This week, get to know your new ACAM Dialogues hosts: Rhea Mann and Nathan Ko. Rhea and Nathan introduce themselves to listeners, share their respective migration stories to so-called Canada, speak about their passions and interests. The new podcast team also shared their plan for future episodes, and introduced a new segment: The Watchlist. This week Rhea and Nathan discuss Fly Me to the Moon, Th...

To celebrate ACAM’s 10 year anniversary, this month we have a special conversation with Mary and Tosh Kitagawa - two Japanese-Canadian advocates who were instrumental in the creation of the ACAM program. Tune in as we speak with Mary and Tosh about fighting for recognition of the 76 interned Japanese-Canadian students, the necessity of speaking up, and how we might find community in the process. T...

Health—whether physical or mental well-being—is a crucial focus in many of our lives. Yet, it becomes even more complex within the context of diasporic communities. This episode dives into these intricacies, emphasizing the transformative power of centering joy. For this month’s episode, we sat down with Dr. Benjamin Cheung who teaches ACAM 320B: Health amongst Asian diaspora in Canada to talk joy...

Like many of us travelling for the first time, Isa’s first solo-trip to Asia brought about a lot of conflicting feelings, questions and thoughts — What privileges might our passports and accents afford us as we move through the world? What does it mean to be marked foreign or have to deliberately mark yourself foreign in places where everyone looks like you? What happens when we voyage to places a...

This week is part 2 of our mini-series looking behind-the-scenes at the creation of "The Paper Trail" exhibit, featured at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver's Chinatown. As a part of the exhibit for the in remembrance of the 100 year anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, two documentary short films, "Remembering Chinese Bachelors" & "Stories of Repeal an...