ACAM Dialogues Podcast

Punjabi and South Asian music is receiving global attention, especially after the inaugural category of South Asian Music Recording of the Year at the JUNOs this year. To touch on the significance of this, Rhea is joined in conversation with Harpo Mander. Harpo is the Executive Director of 5X, which is the leading music and arts organization for diasporic Punjabis in Metro Vancouver. As a champion for South Asian artists, she has helped to transform the cultural landscape through advocacy, mentorship, and industry partnerships. As Co-Chair of the inaugural JUNOS South Asian Music Committee, Harpo has advanced national recognition for South Asian talent, and most recently made history as the first Punjabi woman appointed to the Board of BC’s PavCo.

Join Nathan in conversation with Cat Hung and Jenny Lu as they reflect on their roles in the co-curated Backyard Garden Project—a collaborative exhibit between the Museum of Vancouver, ACAM, and ACRE. This episode traces the exhibit’s evolution, from its initial ideas and goals to the post-pandemic workshops and community gatherings that emerged from its development.

Together, they explore themes of food security and sovereignty, and examine the cultural significance of food in Chinese communities—how it connects to memory, place, intergenerational knowledge, and identity. Through personal stories and collaborative insight, the episode offers a thoughtful look at how community-based projects can nurture both cultural resilience and collective healing.

Join your ACAM Dialogues hosts, Nathan Ko and Rhea Mann, as they catch-up and reflect on the end of the semester. The hosts discuss some of their favourite episodes and moments in the ACAM community from the past few months, as well as some personal updates. Rhea shares some thoughts on her exchange term at the University of Edinburgh, and Nathan talks about graduating, his new job, and future plans!

Join your ACAM Dialogues hosts, Nathan Ko and Rhea Mann, as they catch-up and reflect on the end of the semester. The hosts discuss some of their favourite episodes and moments in the ACAM community from the past few months, as well as some personal updates. Rhea shares some thoughts on her exchange term at the University of Edinburgh, and Nathan talks about graduating, his new job, and future plans!

This episode, Rhea is joined by two UBC ACAM alums Curtis Huang and Evens Wong. Both Curtis and Evens, and their short films featured in our ACAM 350 event from February. In this roundtable discussion, we get to take a deeper look into their respective films “Vancouver Special” and “Looking for Popo”. Exploring themes of migration, nostalgia, grief, and memory, Evens and Curtis remind us why Asian Canadian voices and stories must continue to be uplifted! 

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Join Nathan in conversation with special guest Thea Loo, an emerging Asian Canadian filmmaker, as they discuss her award-winning debut documentary, Inay. This deeply personal film explores the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada, shedding light on the trauma and resilience of Filipino families separated by migration. Thea shares her journey as a filmmaker, the challenges of telling intergenerational stories, and the current landscape of Asian Canadian cinema. Listen in as Nathan and Thea delve into the power of storytelling, mental health, and the evolving role of Asian Canadian voices in film.

This episode, recorded in front of a live audience in the summer of 2024, explores the evolution of the partnership and impact between the hua foundation, UBC’s Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE), and the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program. For over ten years, these organizations have collaborated to address systemic inequities and build community-driven solutions. 

In the sit-down, co-instructors christina lee (hua foundation) and Dr. JP Catungal (ACRE), moderated by Szu Shen (ACAM), shares how this partnership has tackled language access issues, co-developed curricula, and built lasting relationships based on trust and shared values.

If you’re passionate about decolonizing academia, strengthening university-community partnerships, or making education more equitable, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan sits down with fundraiser and marketer turned film director and producer, Lucy Komori. They take a deep dive into the origins of Lucy’s film Tsunagu and explore the nuances of cultural storytelling. Lucy also shares her unique perspective on the state of intergenerational Japanese Canadian history telling. 

Tsunagu will be featured at the February 6, 2025 “Ten Years of Asian Canadian Community Filmmaking”, a special event focused on celebrating a decade of cultural storytelling through film.

Join Rhea and Nathan with special guests Dr. Benjamin Cheung, and Dr. Laura Ishiguro. In this roundtable discussion, the group discusses some of the highlights from ACAM in 2024 and the ten year anniversary of ACAM. This episode also looks toward the program's future, discussing goals and ambitions for what ACAM can do. Listen in to hear from Dr. Chueng as the ACAM minor advisor, and Dr. Ishiguro as the director of ACAM but also as passionate and dedicated members of the ACAM community.

In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan and Rhea discuss the recent Dragons Den episode that features a white-owned Boba tea company. Rhea gives a recap of the episode and how guest Dragon Simu Liu addresses the issues of cultural appropriation. Nathan also discusses The Mahjong Line, a company created by three white women with the intent to redesign the game that has well known roots in China. Nathan and Rhea end the episode with their segment The Watchlist, where they discuss Richard Fung’s “Reorientations” and UBC alumni Victoria So’s “In Search of Mah Hang”.