Asian Pacific Voices Radio

In this episode, Dr. Paul Y Song shares his insight on the latest COVID-19 news and facts. Debunk myths and discover more truth on vaccines and variants on this week's interview. Paul Y. Song, MD is Co-Founder and CEO of Fuse Biotherapeutics. He is the former Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer of NKGen. He is a senior medical advisor at Hawkeye Bio and Supportive Therapeutics.  Dr....

Shaina is a graduate of the University of Southern California's Master of Fine Arts program in Film and Television production. She jokes that she is a triple threat (disabled, Punjabi, and a woman), and is a fierce activist for people with disabilities. Shaina has developed her style as a director - bold, unrelenting, and quirky - focused on making comedies that promote diversity and inclusion. ​

Kiki was born in Hong Kong. Her family landed in Seattle, Washington when she was twelve years old. Kiki competed in solo voice competitions and received third place in the whole Hong Kong school district. She was also on the swim team and trained for ten years to become a classical pianist. In this episode, she shares more about her personal background, and what inspires her work as a comedian an...

Dr. Marissa Pei shares her personal journey that has motivated her to help others through discovering themselves through differences and adversity. Author of ’8 ways to happiness, Wherever you are’, Marissa Pei is best known as ‘The Asian Oprah’. In addition to being a RadioTalk Show host, Pei is also a TV commentator featured on a variety of human dynamics topics, including “Why People Do Weird T...

Irene Tsu broke barriers for Asian representation in film as she's taken on roles with some of Hollywood's biggest stars since the 1960's. In a time when barriers of diversity made Asian Americans undiscoverable in film and tv, Irene Tsu worked alongside big-name folks like Elvis Presley. In 1945, Irene was born in Shanghai then lived in Hong Kong until the age of 12. Her family immigrated to New...

Dr. Thuy Vo Dang & Dr. Tu-Uyen Nguyen share their experiences as immigrants that had faced racial discrimination at a young age and later become community builders and preservers of history and culture. Thuy Vo Dang holds a Ph. D. in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego and has conducted research and taught courses on race and ethnicity, oral history, cultural studies, immigration, and refugee studies...

Lane Nishikawa is a sansei (third-generation) Japanese-American who has been recognized nationwide for his work in storytelling. In this episode, he shares his experiences, as his identity and passion have intersected throughout his career. Lane Nishikawa has been in the film, television and theatrical industries for over thirty-five years. His dramatic feature film, Only The Brave, appeared in ov...

Can watching Korean Dramas be good for understanding your mental health? In this episode, Jeanie Chang and our hosts Hula Ramos and Sheena Yap Chan , explore the power of Noonchi (or Nunchi). This is the Korean concept of the ability to read and gauge others' moods and feelings. In Jeanie's practice, she uses Noonchi with her patients who are struggling to understand and explore their complex ment...

While COVID-19 news has remained a hot topic throughout 2020, it's still difficult for many to discover the truth. Where did COVID-19 come from? What is still effective against infection? On this episode, Dr. Paul Y. Song shares his expertise on the pandemic that ravaged the global population. Paul Y. Song, M.D. is a physician, progressive activist, and biotechnology chief medical officer. In addi...

Lee Ann Kim is a Founder of the Pacific Arts Movement (formerly known as the San Diego Film Festival), inspired by a conversation she heard at a local technology company. She is a first-generation Korean American who was an anchor and reporter for KGTV Channel 10, a California ABC television affiliate . On this episode of Asian Voices Radio, Lee Ann Kim shares her story of finding her own voice as...

Hannah Joya, born and raised in sunny San Diego, California, made a promise to tell the world about her Father’s life story. In 2018 her Dad’s life was cut short after his battle with GBS-CIDP (Guillain Barre Syndrome-Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy), a chronic and progressive condition where the body essentially attacks itself, causing permanent nerve damage over time. At the ag...

On this episode of Asian Voice Radio, Sheena Yap Chan brings attention to the lack of representation for Asian women in media, and what steps need to be taken to bring their stories into the mainstream. In order to represent the experiences and lives of Asian women, all of the stories–whether they are joyful and optimistic, or sometimes tragic–need to be shared so that other community members and...

In the past few years, we have seen a breakthrough for Asian representation in Hollywood and mainstream media. Rasha Goel is an Emmy-nominated television host, broadcast journalist, and international correspondent. As a South Asian woman working in Hollywood and mainstream media, she has experienced—first-hand—the difficulties for Asian folks in the entertainment industry, as well as the progress...

Jake Solorzano is a Filipino-American from Los Angeles who currently studies in San Diego, CA. With immigrant parents and a traditional household, he found it difficult to balance what he believed he wanted to become and who those around him wanted him to be.   His journey through internal and external pressures for his physical appearance led him to the unexpected discovery of breast cancer at su...

Mental health has long been a taboo topic amongst Asian American families—whether it was because it was a sign of weakness, or simply because mental health care was something that wasn't familiar within that community. In fact, Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental health care. How can we take care of our minds, despite the stigmatization of mental health? What steps can we ta...

On this episode of Asian Voices Radio, Dr. Ha shares her expertise in racial relations and its history to provide insight into today's current events. She relates her studies, as well as personal experiences, as they intertwine with Asian hate crimes today.   From being involved in the gang community to becoming the influential Vietnamese-American woman she is today, Dr. Thao Ha is truly an inspir...

Maggie Chui is the co-founder and COO of Asian Hustle Network (AHN), an online community of 100,000 members that started in November 2019 and is aimed at empowering and uplifting Asian entrepreneurs and allies globally. The mission of AHN is to bring the Asian entrepreneurial and professional community together and to provide an inclusive platform for people to collaborate, support, and learn from...

Sasha Foo was the first Asian American news anchor at CNN in Atlanta and later spent 17 years with KUSI-TV in San Diego. Although we can look at these accomplishments by themselves, what makes her story notable is her journey there and her recent departure from this area. After a long career in the news, Sasha Foo left KUSI-TV in 2020. She reflects on her entire career journey and the many interes...

Today, we are joined by Business Advisor and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director at the Asian Business Association, San Diego (ABASD), Wesley Quach . Together, we explore the effects of xenophobia and personal biases on the Asian American community. Outside of educating one another about our differences and bringing these issues to better awareness across the nation, communities are...

Today we join Connie Chung, the CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles Chapter to discuss the social issues that have pervaded Asian American communities within the past year. Across the nation, Advancing Justice, or AAAJ, one of the largest Asian American civil rights organizations was founded following the hate crime of Vincent Chin. Throughout the past year, this organization ha...

Cecilia Chung is a national transgender rights, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+, and social justice activist from Hong Kong. Chung immigrated to California with her family, where she later made a home for herself in San Francisco. Her service and advocacy have been prominent since the early 1990s, when she had begun to establish her voice in various community interest groups. She has continually made space as a...

Wendy Kim is a #1 International Best-Selling author of Beyond Blending In: An Immigrant Daughter's Guide to Overcoming Cultural Bonds For A Life Of Authenticity and Abundance. As a Korean-German born in Savannah, Georgia, Ms. Kim grew up trying to assimilate into either side of her cultural heritage. Growing up, many of us find ourselves finding ourselves within different groups, or cliques, based...

Elliott Jung is a Korean-American raised in Los Angeles, California. His passion for helping others has shined through his work as an attorney who specializes in Personal Injury. Helping others find their voice in times when it is difficult to find or amplify their own has allowed Mr. Jung to gain experience in curating the best advice for those seeking help in law. In addition to his work at Hepb...

Lao-American stand-up comedian, podcast host, writer, and mother, Linda Schwartz continuously paved her way toward building a life for herself and her family, while pursuing her passion. In the past, she has written for publications such as Huffington Post, elephant journal, and Positively Positive. She has since started her own podcast series called “She Shed Comedy”, where she focuses on educati...

Today, we join our Host, Hula Ramos, and Humanitarian Activist, Dennis-Michael Broussard to explore what kind of work he has done in the past, as well as how he began. In the way that many others aspire to do today, Dennis-Michael Broussard has been able to combine what he is passionate about with what he does professionally. His love for travel and helping to build communities has led him to lead...