We are so honored to have Lucy Yu of Yu and Me Books on the pod this week! Yu and Me Books is the first female Asian American owned bookstore in NYC and we were so eager to have the founder on after Youngmi heard her speak at an event last month. Tune in to learn about how Lucy, a lifelong career changer, began as a chemical engineer but then followed her dream of opening a bookstore and eventually created a grounding community space in Chinatown. Also in this episode: tears, hot takes, and trauma bonding over college. Follow Yu and Me Books at @yuandmebooks and psst – Patreon subscribers also get summer book recs!

You Are What You Read (Lucy Yu, Yu and Me Books)

Feeling Asian is a weekly podcast hosted by Youngmi Mayer and Brian Park, two Asian Americans with plenty of feelings about sex, dating, survival, self-worth, and everything in between. Meet our fun, interesting friends along the way; past guests include Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, Stephanie Hsu, Bowen Yang, Yaeji, and more! Named a top podcast of 2021 by CNN and featured on Apple and Spotify’s homepages, Feeling Asian offers a healthy and compassionate space for Asians, Asian Americans, and Asians in America to be themselves without feeling as if their time is a fleeting moment. Check out Feeling Asian for a catharsis that is, well, pretty Asian! New episodes out every Wednesday!

Follow us on IG @itsbrianpark and @ymmayer and @feelingasianpodcast. For all inquiries please visit feelingasian.com!



[EDITOR'S NOTE]
“There was this space for a podcast like this and I was like, ‘Let’s just try it out, I think there's going to be other Asian Americans out there that feel like we do,’” says Brian Park, co-host and co-creator of Feeling Asian. “As long as we stay irreverent and stay authentic to ourselves and lead with empathy and vulnerability, I think that this is something that could resonate with other people.” What started as an idea between two fellow stand-up comedians, Park and Youngmi Mayer, Apple Podcasts’ Spotlight show for May 2022, Feeling Asian, has made its mark amplifying Asian American voices and illuminating all facets of the Asian American diasporic experience.

After meeting at an open mic in New York City, Park and Mayer decided that podcasting was the ideal way to go in-depth about their shared experiences, and to go beyond their comfort zones as comics to speak freely and vulnerably. It’s with that very vulnerability that they’ve been able to build a devoted community of listeners and continue to grow each week. “I remember last May during AAPI [Asian American & Pacific Islander] Heritage Month, the Stop Asian Hate movement got going and I was just inundated with hundreds of DMs from people about all the racist acts that they were living through,” says Mayer. “That's when I really realized that it’s much bigger than just a podcast. It’s like we’re giving back to this community that maybe all they really need is to hear someone that's like-minded.”

With new episodes airing Wednesday, the weekly show focuses on their feelings (as evidenced in its title), but goes beyond the surface with a sense of openness and honesty that makes you feel like you’re in same room laughing (or crying) alongside them with guests, ranging from fellow entertainers to mental health professionals, and even their family members, Youngmi’s mom and Brian’s sister. “We're not claiming ourselves to be experts, we're not claiming ourselves to be journalists,” says Park. “We're comedians by trade. We like to make people laugh and we like to inject levity. And I think it's created this nice flavor to our podcast where we can go really deep with our guests and provide a very comfortable space for them and for ourselves and for everyone listening.”

For Mayer, the loyal and diverse following that Feeling Asian has cultivated gives a glimpse of the potential for what a successful podcast can do. “I don't want to sound too grandiose, but a lot of people really use our podcast as something to help themselves process,” she says. “I just want to grow a community and make people feel less alone.”

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Comedy

Cannot thank you enough for all of your support! Follow us on our socials @itsbrianpark and @ymmayer! Don't be a stranger and come see us perform at a live show. 

That's All Folks!

It’s the penultimate episode, ahh! There’s no better guest to go through all the feelings that come from it than poet, writer, and author of the widely acclaimed book Minor Feelings, Cathy Park Hong! We talk to her about life after writing the most essential book of our generation on Asian Americans, and how her writing and research have informed her activism in recent years. Cathy also gives advice for practicing artists, writers, and people who are getting in tune with new creative endeavors. What a wonderful way to start wrapping things up! Be sure to follow Cathy Park Hong at @cathyparkhong, and we really hope you enjoy this episode!

Major Feelings (feat. Cathy Park Hong, Poet)

Take a trip down memory lane with us. We look back on our first episode of this podcast and reflect on how far we've come :') Follow us at @itsbrianpark, @ymmayer and @feelingasianpodcast. Thank you!

Looking Back

Haute Pod Episode! We have fashion influencer and creative director Vanessa Hong on this week to tell it like it is about the world of fashion. We unpack "influencer" and what it really means today; how the fashion industry responds to a new generation of eco-friendly, socially conscious consumers; and whether fashion has truly reached any equity for Asians and Asian Americans. No holds barred, people! If you want more Vanessa after this episode, you can follow her at @vanessahong. Enjoy!!

They Want Our Money, But Not Us  (Vanessa Hong, Influencer)

Hi everyone, it's a solo episode because we have an important announcement. Please listen! 

You Are What You Read (Lucy Yu, Yu and Me Books)

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