Asian Pacific Voices Radio

Kristina Wong is a third-generation Chinese-American known primarily for her work as a solo theater performer, performance artist, and actor. As a feminist, her work often tackles themes regarding race, sex, and privilege, often in conjunction with the Asian-American experience, through a satirical lens. In this episode, Wong also discusses her work and its overlap with social activism. She is an...

On this episode of Asian Voices Radio, Alexa Khan tells us about her Mongolian background along with her experiences of how she became a film producer from being an actress and a financial advisor. A Mongolian-born American actress and producer, Khan grew up on stage in Mongolia and has loved the performing arts since she was a child. When Alexa moved to Los Angeles, she immersed herself in the ac...

On today's episode of Asian Voices, artistic director of TeAda Productions Ova Saopeng delves into his origins in theatre and the significance of representation for South and South East Asian faces, histories, and stories.   Ova Saopeng is associate artistic director and producer with Los Angeles based TeAda Productions. A refugee from Savannakhet, Laos, he was raised in Hawaii and received a B.A....

Giving back to the community that lent support in a time of tragedy, the Lingzi Foundation works to help others pursue their own dreams through Lu Lingi's spirit.  An inspiration sprouted in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing attack, the Lingzi Foundation is a 501 (c) (3), not-for-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was formed by the family of Lu Lingzi, who peris...

In this episode, writer and executive producer Miranda Kwok dives into her latest project The Cleaning Lady, the U.S. television series adaptation based on the original Argentine series La Chica Que Limpia and the endeavors of creating representation and diversity in her characters and narratives. Her position as an Asian American woman informs her work and integrates an understanding of immigrant...

Krysada Phounsiri is a Lao American professional dancer, award winning poet, engineer, and photographer from San Diego, CA. He is a Physics & Astrophysics double major, with a minor in Creative Writing from UC Berkeley. He published his debut poetry book, "Dance Among Elephants", and 2nd poetry book, "Every Passing Minute", under Sahtu Press. Krysada is currently a Senior Optical Engineer working...

Dr. Paul Song, board certified radiation oncologist and co-founder and CEO of Fuse Biotherapeutics, returns to discuss where we are and where we may go as we enter the third year of this COVID-19 pandemic.  With so much misinformation and hesitation towards vaccines and boosters, Dr. Song shares his insights as a father of young children and as a doctor who has witnessed first-hand the structural...

Howard Xiao, also known by his artist name hxthepoet, is an award winning speaker, writer, poet, and spoken word artist.   He was the 2010 California State Champion in Speech (Oratorical Interpretation), a finalist in numerous national speech tournaments between 2010 and 2012 - including the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC), Catholic Nationals, the MLK Tournament (Top 5)...

Julia Riew is a Korean-American musical theater composer-lyricist, librettist, and songwriter. A senior at Harvard University, she has composed over 15 original songs for her Korean Disney musical, which she campaigns for through the popular platform, Tiktok, which has garnered much attention in the short span of one month. In this episode, Riew discusses the making of musicals and the significanc...

In this episode, actress Laur Allen shares her personal story of her family culture growing up, and what inspired her to integrate law and media in creating a positive impact in the AAPI community.   Laur is an LA native of Chinese, British, and Hungarian-Jewish heritage. As an actress, Laur made her network TV debut as the recurring character "Juliet Helton" on CBS's "The Young and the Restless."...

Born in Washington D.C. to Chinese immigrant parents, Archie Kao is a Chinese-American actor/director/producer, perhaps best known to American audiences for television series regular roles on Chicago P.D., Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.  From his start in starring in the world’s #1 kids show as the Lost Galaxy’s Blue Power Ranger to later spending 10 seasons with th...

In this episode, filmmaker and writer Quyen Nguyen-Le talk about their films, generational divides, queer stories, and struggles with self-identity. Quyên Nguyen-Le (they/them) is a queer vietnamese american filmmaker and writer. Born to refugee parents in the place where Chumash and Tongva lands meet (San Fernando Valley, Los Ángeles), Quyên's work focuses on the ways histories emerge in the quot...

Saleka is a classically trained, Indian American musician, who began playing piano at the age of four. As the daughter of M. Night and Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan, Saleka was raised on an eclectic combination of music. Rather than attending a traditional conservatory, she made a transformative decision and enrolled at Brown University to begin her journey as an R&B singer-songwriter and study both Litera...

In this special Halloween episode, Korean Chef Cathlyn Choi shares some of her popular Asian inspired recipes such as 'Witch's Stew' made with ground turkey and vegetables and 'Tasty Finger' snacks made with sausages. She also talks about some of her favorite horror movies including a first hand experience of her scarey encounter with a 'shadow person' when she was in Paris. A TV/Film Producer, ce...

Entrepreneur Joseph Lam is the CEO and Creator of 'Parents Are Human', a bilingual connection card game he created in 2019, designed to spark deep conversations for families. Since then, Joseph has been helping people connect deeply with their parents, normalize working through dysfunctional family dynamics, and bridge the generational gap. Previously, Joseph built an award-winning nutrition tech...

Introducing a new show segment called Asian Voices Youth Radio Podcast that empowers our next generation of API Creatives & Leaders. Hosted by twin brothers, Ausdon and Josdon Thong. Asian Youth Voices features younger generation of API entrepreneurs, filmmakers and artists with topics ranging from TV and film content, music, media arts and pop culture. In this episode, Ausdon and Josdon talks abo...

A social entrepreneur, speaker, author and activist, Nadya Okamoto is a fierce advocate for destigmatizing periods and mental health. At the age of 16, Nadya founded PERIOD ( period.org ), a non profit organization fighting to end period poverty and stigma. At age 19, Nadya was the youngest candidate in the race for a seat for Cambridge City Council, focusing her campaign on issues of affordable h...

The film "No Dogs" brings light to the history of racism and discrimination against Filipino immigrants in the early 1930s. At that time, many clubs and restaurants refused service to Filipino folks--but there were a few designated places where they could find refuge in. In this episode, writers Georgina Tolentino and Alex Fabros share their journey in uncovering this deep-rooted history, the impo...

Councilwoman Nithya Raman has advocated for a variety of changes within Los Angeles. In the past, she has initiated the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition as well as served as the first executive director of Time’s Up Entertainment . Her work is deeply inspired by the need for justice and equity within her community. In this episode of Asian Voices Radio, Councilwoman Raman shares her personal...

Sabrina Chu is the Development/Grants Manager at Asian Youth Center Los Angeles (AYCLA) in San Gabriel, CA. She is a recent graduate from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and has since gained extensive experience in working with non-profit organizations, especially in youth intervention and education. Over the past few years, AYC has been able to prov...

Period problems, Keanu Reeves as Disney Princesses, and blunt humor, Crystal Ro commands comedy through her comic art. As a Snr. Buzzfeed Editor, her art has met the screens of thousands across the world, but what's her story? In this episode, she shares more about her childhood and journey to becoming a longstanding artist and creator-by herself and with Buzzfeed. Her upbringing made it possible...

Jimmy Thai escaped Vietnam and went on to become a leading speaker and builder of schools in underprivileged areas. In this episode, Jimmy shares more about his escape and his journey to becoming an outstanding individual. Jimmy Thai (MSEE, MBA, PMP, DTM) fled Vietnam 15 times, was imprisoned twice, and witnessed police kill his brother. Through determination, he eventually arrived in America as a...

In this episode, we hear from a dedicated community builder-his work, his inspiration, and motivation. Jack Toan is committed to the community and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Union of Pan Asian Communities, Team Kids, Inc., Illumination Foundation, UC Irvine Vietnamese American Community Ambassadors and the community partners advisory board for the OC Human Relations Council....

Based on their past, Kirk Kellerhals and Cahn Oxelson are working to build bridges and reconnect families through their organization, Sea2C, or SEA (South East Asian) Coast2Coast Foundation. Kirk Kellerhals is the Co-founder and President of Sea2C, or the SEA (South East Asian) Coast2Coast Foundation. Kirk spent the first 48 years of his life believing that his birth parents were killed in the Vie...

Nidhi Shastri is an activist and audio storyteller from Chicago, IL. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 2019, she’s worked as a campaign organizer, fighting for healthcare justice and equity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her podcast, Model Minority: Uniquely American , has won two awards and been featured in places like Inside National Geographic, the University of Illinois and at...