Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 32. Some of the best conversations we have are the ones that make us think. It's even better when we not only think, but feel we have learned additional strategies for healing and restoration. Today's conversation is with Rev. Liên Shutt, an insightful and engaging Buddhist leader who strives to make Zen practice accessible to all. Her new book will release on August 2...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 31. We were so excited to connect with Dr. Mitchell T. Maki, the President and CEO of the Go For Broke National Education Center . Dr. Maki is lifetime educator, author, and a leading scholar on the Japanese American redress movement. The Go For Broke National Education Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy and lessons of the Nisei Worl...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 30. Stop AAPI Hate doesn't just aggregate discrimination and racism. They are a consortium of organizations dedicated to doing research, surveys, and reports to collect data and share the Asian American Pacific Islander experience. In this episode, we talk about and discuss their latest report, Righting Wrongs : How Civil Rights Can Protect Asian Americans & Pacific Is...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 29. We had a great conversation with illustrator, graphic novelist, and surfing and skateboarding enthusiast, AJ Dungo . His first graphic novel, In Waves , is a beautiful work that focuses on love, loss, and surfing. It tells the story of surfing, Duke Kahanomoku, Tom Blake, and the passing of AJ's partner Kristen. In this conversation, we discuss AJ's artistic style,...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 28. This is part of an ongoing series where we talk about the New York Tong Wars. In this episode we talk about the events in Chinatown that led up to the fourth tong war in New York. The main combatants were still the On Leong Tong and the Hip Sing Tong, but this one was enough to get the federal government involved as well. Hear how growth of the tongs, decreased New...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 27. It's time for more food conversations! We had a chance to sit down with  Uyen Luu . She's a cookbook author, professional photographer, chef who runs a supper club, filmmaker, and inspiration for people looking to learn more about the breadth and depth of Vietnamese cuisine. Her latest book is Vietnamese Vegetarian , a look into how Vietnamese cuisine honors produc...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 26. If you're interested in bold flavors and a fusion of various cultures, then you should try Guamanian AKA Chamorro cuisine! With a foundation from the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam, Guamanian Cuisine has adapted and adopted ingredients, techniques, and entire dishes from the Philippines, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and more. Much like the Philippines and Hawaii, colo...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 25. As huge fans of Top Chef , we were so over the moon excited to get a chance to interview Top Chef 19 winner Buddha Lo last season. This is an ICYMI Encore Episode of that conversation. As many people know, he was recently on Top Chef Season 20, World All-Stars. We won't spoil it for you, but just know that Buddha brought his consistently beautiful, delicious, and r...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 24. We go back to the Caribbean to talk about Indo-Jamaican and Chinese Jamaican people who impacted the music scene. From performers to producers to distributors, Jamaicans of Indian and Chinese descent had a lasting influence in the creation and/or popularization of dancehall, ska, rocksteady, reggae, and Caribbean music in general. To learn more, we highly recommend...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 23. In this installment of The History of the Tong Wars, we talk a little about opium, colonialism, and the events of the third war. This tong war was notable for what instigated the violence as well as the escalation of the types of weapons used. We skip the recurring segment, but we do begin by talking about one of our favorite shows that just was made available on t...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 22. June is National Caribbean American Heritage Month! This is a great reason to focus on The History of Asians in the Caribbean. We have colonialism to thank for much of that, but what were the economic conditions that led up to the mass migration of Asians, mostly from India and China, to the Caribbean nations? We also provide a quick hockey update in the beginning...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 21. With May just finishing and June just beginning, it's a great time for a conversation with Dr. Noel Ramirez. He lives and works in the intersection of Mental Wellness, the AANHPI community, and the LGBTQ+ community. As the Director and Founder of Mango Tree Counseling and Consulting , he is making a difference everyday to help people, especially those of AAPI desce...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 20. With the first Tong War over, the events in New York's Chinatown were influenced by tong conflicts across the country. It didn't help that New York tong members were often loaned out to the different local branches across the nation to act as "hatchet men" to assassinate various targets. The second Tong War began as a conflict over the death of a woman, but there w...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 19. Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday that is celebrated on the last Monday of May. It is focused on honoring the service members who have fallen in combat. So today we're talking about the USS Rizal, the first U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name of a Filipino hero. Who was Jose Rizal and why was he selected for the ship name? We discuss the far reaching impact of Filipino...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 18. We've all seen them. Typefaces that signal an ethnic establishment. For businesses, especially restaurants that sell Asian food, it's not unusual to see the use of a "Chop Suey Font". These fonts have also been used for politics, advertising, media, and other businesses. Whether Chop Suey, Wonton, or any number of mimicry typefaces, using these fonts sends a messag...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 17. In this episode we continue focusing on the Tong Wars in New York by discussing more of the people, events, and attitudes that escalated tension between the On Leong Tong and the Hip Sing Tong… and we finally talk about the First Tong War! Covering six bloody years, the first Tong War was fought over the control of gambling in Chinatown. We highly recommend the Sco...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 16. The New York Tong Wars were a series of four violent conflicts that happened in New York between the two most influential tongs there… the On Leong Tong and the Hip Sing Tong. In this episode, we talk about the events and environment that led to the Tong Wars, focusing on Tom Lee of the On Leong Tong and how the corruption of law enforcement through Tammany Hall co...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 15. In this ICYMI Encore Episode, we go back to Season 2, Episode 29. If you're a fan of HBO's show Warrior, like we are, then you're familiar with the prevalence of tongs in Chinatowns in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In this episode, we talk about The Six Companies and the formation of tongs. These tongs didn't originate as illegal or violent groups, but that chang...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 14. In this ICYMI Encore Episode, we go back to Season 2, Episode 19. There are a lot of Filipino nurses. In fact, the Philippines is the leading exporter of registered nurses across the world. So how did that happen? Spoilers… American Colonialism was a factor. To celebrate National Nurses Day, we take a look into the History of Filipino Nurses and talk about some of...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 13. In this next ICYMI Encore Episode, we talk about The History of Ketchup. Is there a more American condiment than Ketchup? It's as ubiquitous of a condiment as you'll find, and it actually has Asian roots. No, Heinz wasn't the first… so where did it originate, what was it made of, and how has it changed? This episode originally aired Season 2, Episode 5. For previou...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 12. This is an #ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Encore Episode. Originally airing on Season 2, Episode 13, this episode is all about the U.S. vs. Wong Kim Ark. Do you know why people born in the United States get birthright citizenship? Most textbooks point to the 14th Amendment as the reason for this, but the U.S. vs. Wong Kim Ark ruling solidified this right. In this e...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 11! We definitely want to celebrate Everything Everywhere All At Once and their huge wins at the Academy Awards. Before that, we focus on the first Asian ever to be nominated for an Academy Award, Merle Oberon… not just the first Asian woman nominated for best actress. Her 1935 nomination for playing Kitty Vane in Dark Angel was the first Academy Awards nomination for...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 10! The Paper Tigers is one of our favorite Asian American movies. It's full of action, comedy, and a good dose of drama and deeper messaging. It's an award winning film that should be talked about more. In this episode's conversation, we get a chance to talk to Bao Tran , the writer and director of The Paper Tigers along with producers Mike Velasquez, of E3 Production...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 9! We love bringing back guests and getting a chance to talk about more topics. Today's return guest is Brad Jenkins , the President and CEO of the AAPI Victory Fund , the first Super PAC focused on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in the U.S. Brad Jenkins has a long decorated history that includes being an award-winning producer with Funny or Die...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 8! February 19, 2023 marks 100 years since the landmark U.S. vs. Bhagat Singh Thind ruling that further defined who were considered caucasian in this country and eligible for citizenship. Spoilers… it didn't include people of Asian descent. Although Dr. Thind is best known for his part in this ruling, he spent his life here, providing lectures and also being an activis...