Dr. Bert Ballard shares about intercountry adoption and his own adoptee story during Operation Babylift at the end of the Vietnam War. He also discusses the adoption myth, his own adopted son, and how he encourages adoptive parents to broaden the narrative of their family. (Intro: Buried Treasure)
Dr. Joseph Lee shares about effective parenting skills for raising children to be secure, mature, and fulfilled people. Joseph also discusses why authoritarian parenting leads to bad outcomes, how surprises in life reveal our blind spots, and why parents should be gardeners not carpenters. (Intro: Sugar Rush)
Pen-Pen Chen shares about her experience running startup company Bang Cookies. Pen-Pen also discusses her former work as a voiceover artist, learning not to say "yes" to everything, and how she leads by prioritizing what's best for the business. (Intro: Not Annoyed)
Singer/songwriter Ariel Bui talks about her music, upbringing, and life experiences. Ariel also discusses her life "off the grid" constructing earthships, her love for writing sad songs, and her struggle to make this world a better place. (Intro: The Race Myth)
Andrew Yang talks about his upcoming campaign run for President as a Democrat in 2020. Andrew discusses his goal of implementing Universal Basic Income, how automation is taking away millions of jobs, and what his slogan "Humanity First" means. (Intro: Fish Fail)
Drs. Allie & Joyce Taur talk about how they made their marriage and family work when Allie came out as a trans woman. They discuss Allie's crippling battle with gender dysphoria, Joyce's decision to be a helper (not a speedbump), and the process of telling their three boys. (Intro: Yard Work)
Kai Tse describes his life as an Asian American non-binary trans masculine person. Kai discusses how the Pulse nightclub shootings motivated him to come out publicly, why pronouns reflect reality not just preference, and what his spirituality looks like now after having grown up in a Christian church. (Intro: Babble On)
Wai & Sung Tse describe their relationship with their transgender son Kai. They discuss when Kai first came out to them, how Korean families are often especially resistant to acceptance, and why their spiritual faith is now stronger than ever. (Intro: Where I Am Now)
Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Sarah Moon aims to discover how we can expand our thinking, emotional, and relational experiences so that we find out who we really are. She also discusses the pitfalls of Christian therapy, and the damaging impact of the Nashville Statement. (Intro: Muscle Car)
Playwright Nathan Ramos and Director Alison De La Cruz talk about their new play "As We Babble On". They discuss the value of portraying joyful Asian Americans, the process of casting for specific LGBT roles, and refusing to wait for mainstream America to catch up. (Intro: Soft Power)
Democratic National Committee staff members Phil Kim talk about their efforts to mobilize the AAPI community to vote and be active in politics. Phil and Vedant discuss being more than anti-Trump, leading with values first, and what the new DNC looks like. (Intro: Yin Yang)
Attorney Nicole Gon Ochi talks about why affirmative action in college admissions benefits all students. Nicole discusses why affirmative action does not unfairly affect Asian Americans, that America is not a meritocracy, and how students are so much more than their test scores. (Intro: Erased)
Author and poet Paisley Rekdal shares about her latest book "The Broken Country". She discusses the silencing of Vietnamese voices in favor of a white-centric perspective, intergenerational trauma, and how biracial identity changes when in different countries. (Intro: Left Out)
Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen discusses diversity within children's literature, specifically how transracially adopted Koreans are dealt with. Sarah also talks about the "We Need Diverse Books" hashtag/movement, "Mommy, that's me!" moments of discovery, and why Minnesota seems to be the epicenter of transnational adoptions. (Intro: Last Words)
Former teacher Mika Yamamoto refuses to have her voice be silenced. Mika talks about her firing from her charter school, the students who confided in her, why teaching tolerance should be uncomfortable, and how outrage can heal. (Intro: Connection)
Actor George Takei talks about his starring role in the Broadway musical ALLEGIANCE, now playing in L.A. through 4/1/18. George discusses how he got cast in Star Trek, memories of internment camp, and lessons his father taught him about true democracy. (Intro: Theater Reviews)
Playwright Lauren Yee talks about her new play CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND. Lauren discusses the amazing songs and sound of rock band Dengue Fever, the play's theme of discovering the lost history of one's parents, and her focus on writing great roles for AsianAm actors. (Intro: Safari Snob)
Actor and filmmaker Barney Cheng talks about his film BABY STEPS. Cheng also discusses how Woody Allen influenced him, how he landed Oscar-winning Producer Li-Kong Hsu, and how the film profoundly and positively changed his relationship with his mother. (Intro: Presence)
Actors Elena Wang and Ethan Le Phong discuss their starring roles in the new musical Allegiance, an East West Players and JACCC production starring George Takei, and now playing at JACCC’s Aratani Theatre from February 21 through April 1. (Intro: Pride & Pathos)
Japanese American cyclist Wes Hatakeyama talks about Eroica California, an annual vintage road bicycle festival held in CA's Central Coast Wine Country. Wes discusses Eroica's communal feel, how the event returns to cycling's original roots, and its unique rules that some riders attempt to skirt. (Intro: Slowdown)
Author Winnie M. Li discusses her debut novel, DARK CHAPTER, which was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Winnie candidly shares about her own story of surviving rape, and how it led to her book and activism. (Intro: #KenToo)
Dr. Bandy Lee is calling for an emergency evaluation of Donald Trump's mental health. She discusses why presidents should go through the same rigorous testing as other military personnel, the misuse of religion for the sake of political power, and recent threats to her own physical safety. (Intro: Sleepless in Hawaii)
Stephen Liu and Linda Kim talk about why they founded M8, their new online dating and matchmaking app. Stephen and Linda discuss how producer Teddy Zee matched them up, how church is no longer the best place to date, and why Asian men have a tough time online. (Intro: Hawaii 9-1-1)
Author and professor Grace Ji-Sun Kim predicts that 2018 will be the year when women speak out against assault and violence in the church. She also discusses why Christians are so often mean-spirited, how the Bible should come with a warning label, and the Asian understanding of Qi. (Intro: Pilates)