miseducAsian: Recent Episodes
miseducAsian
miseducAsian is a podcast created by 3 Asian Americans hoping to add to the growing chorus of story-telling about the richness, complexity and boldness of the Asian American experience. The hosts, Albert, Brian and Tommy, are mid-life, mid-career educators who came of age in the 80’s and 90’s, who share their experiences of the joys and struggles of being Asian in America. They bring friends and colleagues into the conversation to share their stories in a space that is meant to be positive, fun and affirming. We hope to dismantle the prevailing stereotypes of Asian Americans as the docile “model minority” and to tear down the biases of the “perpetual foreigner” by painting the richness of our American experiences. And through all this, we hope to inspire other Asian Americans to share their stories within their own networks as well.
In this episode, we chat with singer-songwriter, Joseph Tseng, and why he left his education career behind to pursue music full-time.
- Why he goes by Joseph Tseng as an artist, his relationship with his names, and we discover Tommy's namesake (2:35)
- Our relationship with racialized identities, what we hope to share and learn in sharing our identities (14:46)
- Joseph and his family's origin story, three generations of grief and resilience, and where he found his love of music (30:17)
- Giving himself permission to pursue music, writing songs that reflect his American experience, and the meaning behind Pearls of Home (49:14)
Check out Joseph Tseng's music on all streaming platforms.
In this episode, we chat with Marshall Cho, head coach of the World Select team at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit, and former varsity boys' basketball coach of Lake Oswego High School.
- Marshall shares his journey from Jeju, South Korea to Springfield, Oregon, NYC, Mozambique, and back again. (1:59)
- We talk about his career path, starting as a TFA teacher in NYC to becoming a basketball coach, how his parents responded to the atypical career choice, and why he considers himself an educator first. (11:51)
- We discuss the importance of representation, mentorship, and community as an Asian-American coach and leader, how his identity influences his approach to coaching, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. (21:48)
- We talk hoops, where his love of basketball started, his personal Mt Rushmore, and the best players he's coached against. (43:11)
This is Part 2 of our chat with Tommy Welch, Regional School Superintendent of Boston Public Schools.
- Being one of the only Asian American athletes in high school and college, Japanese American identity through generations (0:41)
- How the Tommys started their careers in education, the impact of the lack of representation in education and leadership, and the power of identity-affirming leadership (19:00)
- The true story about how an Asian Tommy met and married a Karla, twice (43:36)
In this episode, we chat with Tommy Welch, Regional School Superintendent of Boston Public Schools.
- The origin story of the two Tommys, how they met, how they started working together (1:12)
- Tommy's leadership journey, from school coordinator to founding middle and high schools, to moving and leading in Boston (6:52)
- The importance of loyalty, trust, and patience in education and leadership (22:53)
- Growing up half-Japanese and White, embracing biracial identities, and how being comfortable in your own skin can connect you with others (31:53)
In this episode, we chat with John Sun, President and CEO of Pacific Charter School Development, a non-profit real estate firm that offers various services for charter school partners.
- We talk about our favorite moments from The Brothers Sun, the auntie network, and the cultural significance of Mahjong (2:05)
- John shares his experience growing up in the Rio Grande Valley and his father's journey to building a restaurant empire in South Texas (23:45)
- We discuss his decision not to take up the family business, how and why he ended up in education, and what he hopes to pass on to his own kids (38:32)
In this episode, we chat with Benjamin Kim Oser, the Director of Camp Naru, whose mission is to equip Korean American youth and future generations to navigate life as individuals and members of the Korean American community with a sense of belonging and rich cultural heritage.
- Navigating identity as an adoptee in predominantly white spaces (1:06)
- Meeting his birth parents, connecting with family, and the complex process of building relationships (9:40)
- Discovering and exploring our cultures as adoptees, immigrants, and American-born Asians (22:27)
- What Camp Naru is all about, how it empowers young Asian Americans, and why Ben chose this path (30:35)
Back by popular demand, we chat all things food with Hanifa Farooq.
- The boom of Asian food at non-Asian grocery stores (1:38)
- Hanifa shares some of the best things she's eaten on her recent travels, eating Asian food in non-Asian countries, and her general approach to maximizing every meal on the road (10:07)
- 13 places in 48 hours in LA, the highs and lows of fusion (27:34)
- Comfort foods from our youth and our Harold and Kumar destinations (40:06)
- Our shared joy of food, not understanding those who don't, and bringing your own salt on a date (53:30)
We chat with Mike Su, CEO and Founder of Cooler, a startup looking to redefine the podcast and online community experience. He was recently Director of Yellow, Snap's accelerator program, is currently a board member of Defy Ventures, and most importantly, went to college with our very own Tommy Chang. In this episode, we discuss:
- His experience moving from the US to Taiwan and back (3:45)
- Going to college with Tommy (11:08)
- Why so many online spaces are toxic and how he's trying to meet the challenge of creating the types of online communities we want to be a part of (20:04)
- Why certain "models" of leadership are harmful and how we've navigated the challenges of being in or pursuing the leadership seat (29:15)
- Unpacking what we believe about ourselves, what we've been told, and figuring out the difference (39:11)
In Part 2 of our conversation with Frank Chi, filmmaker, artist, storyteller, and director of 38 at the Garden, we discuss:
- Finding stories and experiences that resonate across identities and Bend it Like Beckham (0:38)
- Giving "advice" to the next generation, balancing our dreams and our parents' expectations (9:20)
- How Obama's 2004 speech changed Frank's life, his career in politics (20:03)
- How Frank realized and embraced being an artist and creative (36:38)
- What's next, the stories he'd like to tell, and elevating more Asian stories (49:15)
In this episode, we connect with Frank Chi, filmmaker, artist, storyteller, and director of 38 at the Garden, the award-winning documentary about Jeremy Lin and Linsanity. In part 1 of this 2-part conversation, we discuss:
- The two "impossible moments" that inspired and transformed his life and career (2:00)
- The process for making 38 at the Garden, getting Jeremy Lin on board, and the challenges of telling an Asian story in Hollywood (16:28)
- What he remembers from the night Jeremy dropped 38 at MSG (25:21)
- Using stereotypes and finding loopholes so our stories can take root, why the doc is only 38-minutes long (39:00)
In this episode, we meet with Yi-Ann Li, a rising senior at the University of Southern California, founding Chapter Co-President of Dear Asian Youth, and newsletter editor for Dear Asian Americans.
- About Dear Asian Youth, why she started a chapter at USC, and what she's learned about leadership (2:41)
- How her love of stories led to majoring in literature and how she broke the news to her parents that she was changing her major (11:02)
- The lasting impact of how she was raised and how her communication with her parents evolved over time (32:39)
- Talking mental health across generations (43:22)
The miseducAsian crew is recording from Las Vegas. In this episode we:
- unpack Asian hustle (1:43)
- discuss our evolving relationship with the immigrant journey, how it is experienced across generations, and if or when we get to decide that we've arrived (11:57)
- discuss the new Pixar movie, Elemental, and celebrate the explosion of Asian content (28:43)
- share our thoughts on the Supreme Court's decision on Affirmative Action (33:13)
In the episode, we mention a letter written and co-signed by members of the APIA Education Leaders network. Read that letter HERE.
In part 2, we trade hot takes with Dinesh Shamdasani, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Bad Idea.
- reactions to the latest comic book movies and Albert shares his trash take on Michael B Jordan (0:45)
- why Top Gun: Maverick is an all-timer, we share some of our favorite film franchises (5:55)
- we revisit a cartoon classic, The Land Before Time, and learn why tragic things happen at the beginning of most of our childhood favorites (17:38)
In this two-part series, we speak with Dinesh Shamdasani, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Bad Idea, an experimental new comic book publisher. Dinesh co-founded Hivemind, an LA-based production company that produced the acclaimed sci-fi series The Expanse for Amazon Studios and The Witcher for Netflix. He also spent 10 years leading the rebirth of Valiant Entertainment, the best-selling comic book publishing house behind the largest, independently owned superhero universe – as the company's CEO and Chief Creative Officer. Under his watch, Valiant released its first-ever feature film: Bloodshot, starring international superstar Vin Diesel.
In Part 1, we chat with Dinesh about:
- his background and family, being Asian in Hong Kong, London, and America, and we compare his experience at USC with Brian's (2:40)
- his love of movies, how he broke into the movie business, and his journey with Valiant Entertainment (21:48)
- Toyo Harada, a villain from The Harbinger series, whose look is based on our very own Brian Lin (40:25)
- why he founded Bad Idea, what he hopes to achieve, and how to preserve and grow the comic book art form (48:20)
In this episode, we connect with food historian and blogger, David R. Chan. He shares the origins of his incredible food journey, where he has documented over 8000 Chinese restaurants he's eaten at, and what he's learned along the way.
- Why he doesn't consider himself a foodie (1:40)
- His life in LA and why he didn't like Chinese food growing up (6:45)
- Origin story of "The List" and how he went about putting it together (15:33)
- The merit of the 3.5 stars Yelp theory (35:29)
- The history of beef and broccoli and other " Chinese" dishes (39:03)
- We end the LA vs NYC Chinese food "debate" (49:27)
In this episode, we chat with Chun-Yen Chen, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Community Fund. We discuss:
- playing instruments as a core part of Asian culture and how she might have been the inspiration for Drumline (1:55)
- the mission and work of APCF, how little mainstream philanthropies are supporting AAPI communities, and how she hopes to support AAPI serving organizations and leaders (12:39)
- navigating the aftermath of the Monterey Park shooting, how this hit close to home for her, and how people can support the survivors and broader community moving forward (29:48)
- our love and admiration for the San Gabriel Valley, its food and culture, and argue about Panda Express (44:21)
In Part 2 of our conversation with Michelle Rhee, we discuss:
- Being in a highly visible role and the impact it has on family (0:40)
- Michelle reflects on her time in DC (11:58)
- Identity development, still experiencing Asian "firsts", and leading while Asian (27:45)
In this episode, we chat with Michelle Rhee, Co-Founder of BuildWithin, and Former Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. We discuss:
- Growing up and explaining your job to your parents (8:53)
- Three generations of Rhee's and how our parents evolve (14:22)
- Michelle and Tommy remember Layla Avila (22:50)
- Brian gets awkward talking KJ (38:38)
In this episode, we speak with accomplished composer and musician Christopher Wong. We discuss:
- the role of music in Asian communities and why it seems like all Asian kids can play an instrument (1:30)
- reconciling our parents' insistence that we play instruments and their lack of support in pursuing a career in music (12:20)
- how our relationships with our parents have evolved and haven't over time (24:30)
- figuring out what it means to be Asian and American, and navigating generational divides (39:30)
In this episode, we chat with Diana Hwang, Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI). We discuss:
- trying to meet parent expectations (2:57)
- why she founded AAWPI (22:33)
- the complexity of organizing in AAPI communities (38:55)
- where AAWPI is working now (50:25)
Check out AAWPI's Instagram and website if you want to learn more about and support their work.
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jade Agua, Chief Learning Officer at the USC Race and Equity Center. Topics include:
- her background and identity development, specifically having family roots in Hawai'i
- race and equity work in higher education
- recent events related to Affirmative Action
- the relationship between capitalism and racism
At the top of the show, we shared information for Bring the Noise - Make Noise Today, an AAPI Student Scholarship Contest and Exhibition. This year's theme is Mental-Health Wellbeing. The deadline for submissions is March 3rd.
We share our thoughts on Year 1 of the miseducAsian podcast and what we're looking forward to in Year 2.
In this episode, we connect with Katie Yue-Sum Li and Go Sasaki. As educators, historians, and organizers, Katie and Go share their journeys, as individuals and as partners, for how they have and continue to make meaning about what it means to be Asian American and Asian more broadly, in various contexts. We discuss how and why our stories have been erased and made invisible, what "ethnic studies" really is vs what it has often been co-opted to be, and our relationship with colonialism.
In this episode, we visit the Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles, with Dr. Gay Yuen, the museum's Board Chair. A lifelong educator, Dr. Yuen shares how her early days as a non-English speaking student in Los Angeles, influenced her to become a trailblazer in multi-lingual learning in southern California, and the real difference between language learner and language immersion programs.
Dr. Yuen offers her unique perspective on gentrification in Chinatown, her appearance on an episode of Broken Bread with Roy Choi, and how she navigates the tensions between development and preserving her community's identity.
Finally, we learn more about the history of LA's Chinatown and the Chinese Massacre of 1871, one of the worst and least-known atrocities in Los Angeles' history, and the role she'd like the Museum to play in sharing its story.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Archana Patel, we learn more about Jeremiah Program, what calls her to this work centering the experience of mothers, how this shows up in her personal and professional lives, and why she believes it to be a game-changing approach to systems change. We also talk leadership, how we view ourselves as leaders (or not), and the immense pressure many of us grapple with whether we are currently in or aspire to be in those seats.
Also in this episode, Archana experiences a moment of real discomfort as she grapples with Asian kryptonite, praise from another.
This is a special 2-episode conversation with Archana Patel, VP of Parent Programming at Jeremiah Program. In Part 1, Archana shares her story, why she feels called to center the stories of women and mothers now more than ever, and how the current climate is increasing the appetite and desire for activism and civic engagement in South Asian communities.
We unpack the challenges of wanting to celebrate our parents, families, and cultures, while also wanting to evolve to better reflect our own priorities and values, and how we navigate the differences along the way. We share stories of hard or awkward conversations we've had with our parents, and what keeps more of us from doing so.
In this episode, we chat with Esther Lee, founder of Asian Founded, a social media agency that works exclusively with Asian-owned businesses and brands. Esther shares her story, of immigrating to the United States at an early age, transitioning from homeschool to UCLA, and her career as a journalist and producer. She also shares how she got started and what ultimately inspired her to start Asian Founded. We talk about her approach to partnering with and elevating Asian-founded brands and why she works exclusively with Asian-founded businesses.
To learn more about Esther Lee and Asian Founded, they can be found on Instagram and TikTok, and on their newly launched website, AsianFounded.com.
Special shout out to Nectar Hard Seltzer.
In this episode, we connect with Cynthia Lim, author of Wherever You Are: A Memoir of Love, Marriage, and Brain Injury,a memoir about her journey as a caregiver for her disabled husband. We talk about her journey as a writer and the catharsis and pain involved in telling a deeply personal story. We then discuss the disconnectedness she felt from her Chinese heritage and how that influenced her to find her roots, literally, and what she learned about her father, her family, and herself along the way.
To learn more about Cynthia, check out her website: www.cynthialimwriting.com.
To learn more about the organization that helped her find her family's village in China, check out My China Roots.
In this episode, we chat with Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, about how her unique childhood influenced her sense of identity and career. We also talk about Advancing Justice | Chicago's role in passing the historic Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act in 2021, ensuring that every public elementary and high school student in Illinois learns about the contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. We conclude with powerful words of advice about where Asian Americans who are interested in community organizing and social justice work can start.
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Cristina de Jesus, President and CEO of Green Dot Public Schools California. We discuss her family's influence on her, navigating multiracial and intersectional identities, how those identities show up in her leadership and the difference between centering the experience of others vs erasing yourself. We also talk about her love for Karaoke, our go-to jams, and more.
In this episode, we sit down with Tanya Ho Raukko and Michael Vitug from Intertrend, a multicultural advertising and communications agency founded and led by Asian-Americans. We discuss tiger parenting, the evolution of AAPI representation, and what it's like to work and lead at an AAPI agency. We also discuss their Make Noise Today campaign, a platform that creates empathy and equity through Asian storytelling and, the "Letters To..." writing contest turned art exhibit.
In this episode, we chat with Priya Tahiliani, the Superintendent of Everett Public Schools (MA), about growing up as an English language learner, how she found her voice, and what motivates her to be an unrelenting advocate for young people in her community. We also talk about college rivalries and early memories of "American" food.
In this episode, we chat with Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). We learn about Connie's upbringing, her badass mom, and how she navigated different cultural dynamics as a student, professional, and parent.
We then discuss the 30th anniversary of 1992's LA Uprisings/SAIGU, how she'd like to reframe conversations and perspectives, and where we are now. We conclude with a conversation about Vincent Chin and how his death led to the creation of her organization and its evolving legacy of activism in the AAPI community.
For people in the greater Los Angeles area, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA is co-hosting an event, the LA Uprising / SAIGU Peace Gathering, on Friday, April 29th, from 4-7pm.
In this episode, we chat with our friend and curator of culinary experiences, Hanifa Farooq. We talk about where her love of food comes from, how she's built her encyclopedic knowledge of food and restaurants from around the world, and why she started curating culinary experiences for others. We also discuss Trader Joe's, authenticity in food, and culinary appropriation.
In this episode, we chat with Rhea Wong and Stephanie Lai, the founders of Asian Boss Ladies. We learn about why and how ABL was created, what this amazing collective of women are hoping to accomplish together, and why spaces and communities like this are needed now more than ever. We also discuss the recent attacks against Asian women in NYC and the erasure of Asian women's experience in general. We close out with some Asian food hot takes.
In this episode, we chat with Chong-Hao Fu, CEO of Leading Educators, about the many themes and topics touched on in the movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings. These topics include representation, the emasculation and desexualization of Asian men, the messages we've internalized, the power and beauty of Asian names, and how we struggle to stay connected to our roots.
In Part 2 of our conversation, Chi shares how she came to be so unapologetically herself (00:27), how we should interpret and reconcile lessons from our parents (12:47), and we conclude with a discussion on mental health and the stigma it carries in the Asian American community (30:26).
Please check out and support #FreeYourMe and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. #FreeYourMe aims to:
- End mental health stigma
- Educate the public about how mental health impacts us all, and support more mental health education for youth
- Empower people to share their stories
- Encourage those faced with mental health challenges to get the help they need
In Part 1 of our conversation with Chi Kim, CEO of Pure Edge, we talk about the popularity of Korean culture, the new Korean-American character on Sesame Street, and Chi's mom shooting hoops. We also talk about adopting "American" names, suppressing our linguistic identities, and more.
Pure Edge, Inc. believes that all educators and learners deserve to be taught strategies that help combat stress and support the development of social, emotional, and academic learning competencies with an open heart and mind.
The miseducAsian crew is joined by Seng-Dao Yang Keo. She shares her journey, the Hmong American community's story of "we", and her evolving relationship with her parents (2:20). We then talk about Suni Lee's historic gold medal during the Summer Olympics and the impact it had on the Hmong and Asian American communities (29:00). We conclude with a discussion on ways we might center Asian American students, their identities, and experiences in education (46:30).
Albert, Brian, and Tommy talk sports. Our conversation begins with Michael Chang's historic and culture-breaking French Open run in 1989, Johnny Juzang balling during March Madness, and the few meaningful moments and athletes in between. We also speak on growing up without a lot of Asians in sports, the difference between Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin, and how we root for Asians from different nationalities.
Introducing miseducAsian, a new podcast where Asian Americans share the joys and struggles of being Asian in America. In this episode, Albert, Brian, and Tommy introduce themselves and share their "why" of the podcast.