Born and raised in San Francisco, Elise graduated from the incomparable Berklee School of Music, where she learned how to infuse her infectious songs with jazz idioms. After moving to LA, she's performed in local venues, while writing and recording songs that are often dance-inducing, while deeply personal.
We kick off our 7th season and AAPI Heritage Month with my conversation with Suman Mallick, who recently published his first novel about a young Pakistani woman who must learn to surmount the myriad obstacles presented by living in a world bound by patriarchy and a love-less marriage.
The 60s and 70s in Southern California (and to a lesser extent in Northern California) were marked by the flourishing of talented Asian American dance-party-bands. Harry was a central figure in that captivating scene, as a musician and later as the co-owner of one of the hot venues. As such, he has captured this era in exciting and exacting detail.
William Hung was a college student in 2004 when he decided to audition for the "American Idol" televised singing competition. Although his lack of ability was seen by millions, Hung's positivity seemed to counter the judges' negativity. Was he faking that for the cameras? Or was he wired in such a way to keep taking risks and learning from his failures for the rest of his life?
There's a reason why 80% of California's donut shops are owned by Cambodian Americans. This is a result of the work of Ted Ngoy aka The Donut King. Filmmaker Alice Gu shares with host Ken Fong why she decided to make this film and why Ngoy's rags to riches story is so compelling.
The confessed killer in Atlanta claimed he was motivated by sex addiction. This has created a renewed fascination in something that's been called "Purity Culture" since the 1990s in conservative Evangelical churches. While some are defending it as what the Bible says that a holy God requires of us, others are condemning it as unnatural, unhealthy, even unbiblical. This conversation presents an alternative to "PC" that embraces every person's sexuality and eschews the sterile standards that often serve to send us into hiding.
Director Kristina Wong has assembled a small circle of Asian Pacific Islanders who either were formerly incarcerated or have a loved one that's in prison. Eight years ago, Kirn Kim came home to Orange County after serving 20 years for his part in "The Honor Roll Murder " in 1992. He and Wong are hoping to shatter the walls of silence and secrecy in API communities around incarceration through this virtual production @ East West Players on April 10-11.
Daniel has embraced all the elements of his identify, from being a 3rd generation refugee, a proud queer man, an immensely gifted creative writer, and an Asian American who is thriving today amidst the fecund energies of New Orleans. He recently debuted his collection of poems in "Anatomy of Want."
Clinical psychologist and progressive Christian Hall believes that, despite the killer's denial, this was an anti-Asian hate crime. Hall also believes that Long's so-called "sex addiction" has deep roots in the "purity culture" that continues to pervade white Evangelicalism.
Adventurer, spiritual leader, and artist Gideon Tsang tackles this question with the signature style of a Seven. Intermixed with stories of travel and making new friends in surprising places, is a commitment to honest self-assessment. Gideon shares how his Enneagram journey has led to personal and spiritual transformation in a series of readings that will delight readers and enlighten readers who want to understand the world of the Seven more fully.
Given the appalling 1,900% increase in violence aimed at Asian Americans today, friends and fellow podcasters Ken Fong and Ken Kemp had an in-depth and honest conversation about not just pandemic-related racism focused on Asian Americans, but also the oft-ignored dark chapters of America's history where Asians have suffered and died because they were made the scapegoats..
The successful landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars prompted this second fascinating conversation with Dr. Vasavada, NASA's project scientist for the Curiosity rover, which has determined that Mars once could have been home to living organisms! If there was life, the technology on the latests rover will hopefully find evidence of this.
LA-based Korean American therapist Sharon Kwon decided to stick her neck out and write a piece to address the external and internal forces that keep contributing to Asians in America being overlooked and "othered." The Huffington Post published her piece on 2/18/21 and it immediately went viral.
Three former pastors and current podcasters Ken Fong, Brad Onishi, and Ken Kemp hosted a Zoom webinar on Feb. 10, 2021, sharing some of their respective journeys of deconstruction and awakening amidst Post Modern progressivism. They discuss the Insurrection, Inauguration, and the future of Trumpism, as well as take questions from some in the webinar.
Alex Lee is the first from Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2015) to be elected to the California State Assembly (11/2020). He is also openly bisexual and a proud Progressive Democrat who is following in the large footsteps of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Long-time friends Lee and Kim wrote and directed this amazing film about a family of Korean American immigrants both struggling to achieve the American Dream and to figure out how to manage their complex generational differences.
This close-up look at the oldest Chinatown in North America brings readers to a deeper understanding of this iconic destination. Evan's images capture the diversity and humanity of the densest urban neighborhood west of Manhattan. This book tells the story of Chinatown from the perspectives of tourism, daily life, and celebrations and traditions
Princeton sociology doctoral student Megan Kang recently spent a month of Saturdays hanging out with impassioned Trump supporters in order to understand why they continue to stand with this twice-impeached, insurrection-inciter.
Toby's life was going great. He was doing amazing, fulfilling work and he had a wonderful, loving family. So when a blood vessel in his brain burst one morning, he didn't see it coming. Almost three years later, he still can't work, he might never fully recover, and his family is still living with the consequences of his stroke. This is a rare and invaluable conversation about how a person deals with his entire life coming to a screeching halt.
Even though she's still in high school, Riya has already proven herself to be a pioneering leader and grassroots organizer. As a South Asian American female adolescent, her dreams of where she'll make her mark have only been expanded by the election of Vice President Kamala Harris. She is passionate about gender equality and the environment, and attuned already to the complexities of intersectionality.
Author and award-winning Harvard Business School associate professor Laura Huang lays out what her research has revealed about what anyone can do to gain an "edge" in nearly every avenue of life.
Onishi grew up in a non-religious family as Christian Nationalism began to explode and expand in Orange County and beyond. He became a zealous convert, graduated from a Christian college, but his graduate studies revealed a more complicated world beyond his bubble. Today he is a religious studies professor who is not a Christian, but still a person of faith. He is an expert on unpacking Christian Nationalism and the rise of Donald Trump.
Without a doubt, 2020 has been a year to forget, but one we will long remember. Friends and fellow podcasters Ken Fong and Ken Kemp look back on their 2020 episodes for ones that still resonate strongly with them. They also talk frankly about a glaring blindspot for some of the champions for racial reconciliation.
Nancy Sun is also an actor and writer who coaches high-achieving professionals and creatives to advance their careers, pivot industries, and/or develop as leaders. She is a Lehman Bros. alumnus, a Princeton-in-Asia fellow, and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
How does a mother who grew up in the throes of the Cultural Revolution in China convey the impact of that to her only child who grew up as an Asian American? "Mulberry Child" is both a timeless lesson on the evolution of family dynamics and a fascinating history lesson.