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ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST

Ken Fong gets to the heart of Asian American culture, history, and spirituality. Through interviews with culture-makers and -shapers in the Asian American community -- some you know, others you've never heard of before -- prepare to laugh, cry, and be amazed.
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ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST
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Now displaying: 2020
Dec 31, 2020

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.

Dec 27, 2020

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.

Dec 20, 2020

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.

Dec 14, 2020

Veteran actor Grace Shen plays an older Asian American woman who survived being forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Army. 

Dec 8, 2020

Joe Kye was born in Korea and grew up in Seattle. He graduated from Yale and in 2013 launched his career as a professional violinist, looper, and innovator. On his return to the podcast, he talks about the impact the pandemic has had on his young family and how he's turned the challenges and obstacles of COVID-19 into opportunities to innovate even further.

Dec 4, 2020

As we both digested our respective Thanksgiving dinners, The Beached White Male Podcast host Ken Kemp and I discussed the possibility that coastal elites like us may have mischaracterized rural Americans who still voted for Trump. But that was just the jumping off point for our monthly collaborative conversation about what's happening in America.

Nov 30, 2020

It took them about 37 years to finally embrace their queer sexuality and non-binary gender identity. But that was after joining and leading a violent Asian gang, then joining a string of conservative Christian churches and letting them use them to promote a "pray the gay away" agenda around the world. But they are finally out, having found a path that affirms their full identity and faith in God.

Nov 26, 2020

Veteran broadcast journalist E. Samantha Cheng and her team just published "Honor and Duty: The Chinese American WWII Veterans." Now the little-know acts of heroism and significant, sacrificial contributions of tens of thousands of Chinese American veterans during the Second World War is finally established in the annals of U.S. history.

Nov 22, 2020

While it took him years to figure out what he was good at, Joe Ide's 4th novel in his "IQ" detective series is the latest evidence that he's definitely found his spot! He's masterfully reimagined Sherlock Holmes as a brilliant Black detective solving daunting crimes in the LA basin.

Nov 20, 2020

Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Fukunaga recently released his second full-length film "Ainu Mosir" on Netflix and in Japanese theaters. It's a soft-spoken coming-of-age story of a 14-year-old boy who belongs to the group of indigenous people in northern Japan called "Ainu."

Nov 15, 2020

Joshua Wong grew up as the closeted gay son of the "Billy Graham" in SE Asia. But his love for designing women's shoes ultimately had him working side by side with Ralph Lauren! These days, he heads up his own design studio while studying to be an Episcopal priest.

Nov 9, 2020

Ruby Le was an MFT but while counseling married couples, concluded that some couples never should have tied the knot. After working for several major dating companies, she launched www.goodgentleman.com. She has give a highly rated TEDx Talk on the dating, and has even had a 91-year-old man as a client. 

Nov 7, 2020

Two long-time friends and now fellow podcasters, Ken Fong and Ken Kemp decided to record their initial reactions and predictions an hour after they learned that Biden had officially beaten Trump.

Nov 3, 2020

Since Asian America launched over 6 years ago, there's been a veritable explosion of AAPI podcasts. With this being such a consequential election, "Dear Asian America" host Jerry Won worked with Biden/Harris' AAPI engagement team to pull together this representative group of AAPI podcasters, all of whom are using their platforms to help Biden defeat Pres. Trump.

Nov 2, 2020

Jason Chu is a poet, musician, artist, and activist who in part is inspired by his progressive faith as a Christian. He talks about the renewed partnership of AAPIs with BLM. He also expounds on how his music has evolved since landing in LA several years ago.

Oct 26, 2020

Growing up in rural Arkansas, An saw her parents struggle after fleeing the war. She's now partnered with the Asian Mental Health Collective. Intro: The Hard But Crucial Work of Reconstructing

Oct 20, 2020

Adrienne Robillard and Dawn Sakamoto Paiva are the writer and photographer of their first cookbook, "The 'Ohana Grill Cookbook". They share some of the personal stories behind their favorite recipes and the emphasis on storytelling in Hawaiian culture. (Intro: Midnight Diner)

Oct 13, 2020

Before COVID-19, Tina Wu Fredericks was frustrated with the issues she saw in her educational community and decided to run for Pasadena Unified School District Board Member. As the election on 11/3 approaches, she talks about how the issues she campaigns on have been impacted by the pandemic. (Intro: 3 Vignettes)

Oct 6, 2020

Congressional Candidate David Kim for CA-34 in the U.S. House of Representatives (https://davidkim2020.com/) shares some of his campaign platform and how being a second-generation Korean-American and immigration attorney led him to pursue this step in public service. (Intro: A Life That Brought Others Together)

Sep 29, 2020

Author Jenny Bhatt shares how she went from a myriad of careers to writing her debut book, "Each Of Us Killers": a collection of short stories exploring the space between our work and our emotional lives, particularly through her unique experience as a South Asian-American woman. (Intro: Running Out of Margin)

Sep 22, 2020

Two guests share their stories and connection to the Asian American Drug Abuse Program: Kevin Shibuya, a graduate and now counselor for the program, and renowned saxophonist Michael Paulo who has regularly contributed his musical talents to past Showtime events. (Intro: How I Got Involved with AADAP) 

Sep 14, 2020

Latin teacher by day and tattoo artist by night, Phuc Tran shares how he went from TEDx stage to writing his now released memoir, "Sigh, Gone": a coming of age story interweaving his Vietnamese-American adolescence with his love of punk rock and classic literary references. (Intro: The 2020 Census)

Sep 8, 2020

Baoky Vu, a longtime Republican active in the political process, talks about his recent CNN Op-Ed suggesting that older Vietnamese-American voters could play a key role in voting margins in November and why he's not voting for Trump. (Intro: Mulan)

Sep 1, 2020

Maeley Tom's new book, "I'm Not Who You Think I Am", chronicles her life and career journey from political neophyte to seasoned insider as the first woman and ethnic minority to reach the top of an all-male, nearly all-white power elite in the California capitol. (Intro: Car Buying Hassles)

Aug 25, 2020

Helen Li helps make politics engaging to AAPI Gen-Z and Millennial youth through her podcast "Fresh Off The Vote" specifically timed for this year's election. Helen and Ken discuss her experience at the 2020 Democratic National Convention as a delegate representing American voters abroad. (Intro: First, Clean Up Your Mess)

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