America@250

The final Episode of the America@250 Podcast...

I am Kevin Caldwell and I devoted this project to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great.

In order to pursue the purpose of this project, throughout the podcast I invited a very diverse set of guests to share how they would answer “what would make America Great?”

This only seemed fitting to me during the year in which America turns 250.

What will it take to make America great at the age of 250, and beyond?

In this final Episode, I take up 8 themes related to what I think they may offer as wisdom for enabling America to be truly great:

1-Empathy and Compassion

2-Listen

3-Admit and acknowledge

4-Apologize

5-Reparation

6-Correction

7-Refuse to "flatten"

8-Empathy and Compassion

“What if Christian Nationalism is to Communism what religious freedom is to Capitalism?”

I ask that as a precursor to asking some bigger questions:

Is America a Christian Nation?

Should it be?

Was it ever intended to be?

And what place might religion play in making America great?

This is another Episode of the America @ 250 Podcast, devoted to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great. Although in this Episode it is just me, in order to pursue the purpose of this project, throughout the podcast I have been inviting a very diverse set of guests to share how they would answer “what would make America Great?”

This only seems fitting, during the year in which America turns 250. What will it take to make America great at the age of 250, and beyond?

250 years since America’s first 4th of July.

26 years since the Twin Towers.

This Episode explores the way American and Christian rhetoric has been shaped since 9/11, our tendencies to pain “others” with broad mono-chromatic brushes in which “we” are the good guys and “they” are the bad guys.

I explore the hypocrisy inherent in much of our anti-Muslim rhetoric and by extension, our anti-immigrant rhetoric more generally.

I touch on Israel and Palestine, Hamas and Gaza and October 7th…

And while it may seem simple, and I make the suggestion that the cure for this is real human connection, with real people, who have real stories.

In this Episode Joseph Tseng returns as my guest as we continue to explore Joseph’s project, “Shanghai: An American Story.” For more about Joseph and where to find his work, see below.

One of the themes we explore together in this conversation is the idea of grains of sand as “irritants” which, in an oyster shell, create pearls!

Another topic which surfaced is what Joseph calls “artivism.”

We referred to a hero of Joseph’s, an American folk singer, songwriter, author, and activist named Nobuko Miyamoto.

She was a member of the band Yellow Pearl, best known perhaps known for the 1973 folk album “A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America.” That album is considered the first Asian-American music album in history.

In 2021, Miyamoto released an album titled, “120,000 Stories.” That number represents the number of Japanese Americans, Miyamoto included, who were incarcerated by the U.S. government during World War II.

You can follow Miyamoto, who is still active in her 80’s, on Instagram, @nobukomiyamoto_

Check out “A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America

Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin.” It is available through the normal streaming apps, and I found it on web at Smithsonian’s “Folkways Recordings” site.

Joseph is an American “artivist,” a singer/songwriter, community-weaver, and educator working to expand the American story.

He is a devoted husband, a father of three school-aged children, and an only son of immigrant parents. He is from San Francisco, CA and his mother-city of Shanghai, China.

Links to Joseph's music:

- www.josephtseng.com (Joseph's Patreon page which doubles as a landing site)

- josephtseng.bandcamp.com

My guest in this interview is Salman Ghani...a family man, a professional, and a devout Muslim from Pakistan. Salman arrived in the United States to work in Silicon Valley, and not long after his arrival...

9/11 happened.

We talk about his experiences during that time, his friendships with Americans, and his experiences since then.

In particular we talk about what it is like to be a Muslim living in America, and loving America, at a time when the rhetoric about Muslims is grown increasingly dark.

In the America @ 250 Podcast I am seeking to enable us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great. In order to pursue the purpose of this project, throughout the podcast I will invite a very diverse set of guests to share how they would answer “what would make America Great?” This only seems fitting, during the year in which America turns 250.

What will it take to make America great at the age of 250, and beyond?

This is a special Episode, an exercise in what is termed “artivism”...an intentional expression of the inherent connection between art and activism.

Art enables us to see and feel through the eyes and hearts of others

And Artivism can do so in ways that lead us to take concrete steps towards change.

Combined I believe artivism is a way to express the fact that deep change arises from true empathy and compassion, and deep empathy has to take expression in action of some sort.

Thus, artivism is natural to include in a podcast devoted to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great.

In the course of exploring what it is like for indigenous people, Latinx and Chicanx people, descendants of enslaved people, LGBTQ+ people, women, and descendants of Chinese immigrants, I have sought to cultivate empathy and compassion through the sharing of stories, and the sharing of information…both absolutely necessary.

This Episode is focused on doing so through creative expression, art.

With the exception of sharing (again) a song by Joseph Tseng (Foreign in the 4th), the other songs shared here are my own original compositions, selected to connect with the various themes covered in the prior Episodes.

You can find Joseph’s work here:

- josephtseng.bandcamp.com

And…

- www.josephtseng.com (Joseph's Patreon page which doubles as a landing site)

And my work is streaming on Spotify and Apple, just look for Kevin Cadlwell…

Welcome to the America @ 250 Podcast, devoted to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great.

This Episode is titled, “Shanghai: An American Story” and my guest is Joseph Tseng.

Joseph is an American “artivist,” a singer/songwriter, community-weaver, and educator working to expand the American story.

He is a devoted husband, a father of three school-aged children, and an only son of immigrant parents. He is from San Francisco, CA and his mother-city of Shanghai, China.

Intentionally, Joseph’s music is not available on major streaming platforms. His art offerings are best received in contexts that are spacious and present enough for the listener to engage rather than transactionally or passively “consume” music.

In addition, he relishes those sacred, direct, and reciprocal exchanges between artist and audience. As such, his music is currently only available via bandcamp where people can preview the record and decide if they want to own it.

You can discover Joseph’s music and explore it further here:

- josephtseng.bandcamp.com

And…

- www.josephtseng.com (Joseph's Patreon page which doubles as a landing site)

Here are the full lyrics to Foreign in the 4th:

Wakin’ up the sun for a stroll on Wuyi road, a Luckin coffee and a bing in my hand

blue and yellow bikes spinning sweat out of all types it makes me wonder

where I’m going and if I’m gonna get there

hey neighbor that’s a lot of watermelons if your hometown saw you now

he laughed and he said brother we’re in China where they say it's got a cooling effect

so I’m just sayin’ it’s hot as a mother

I had never been more american when I was foreign on the 4th of July

in Shanghai, blending border lines, into a place that only lives in my mind

no I had never been more American, like I was born on the 4th of July

in Shanghai, I was American

I grew up living on the West Coast, where you’re the part of me that I miss most

another side of myself just seems to jump of the shelf when I’m around with you

Is it the language of my childhood that’s running through the streets to tell me I’m never alone?

is it the hunger of my eyes to see that people just like me can be anything, even ordinary

I had never been more american when i was foreign on the 4th of July

in Shanghai, blending border lines, into a place that only lives in my mind

no I had never been more American, like I was born on the 4th of July

in Shanghai (China), independent of the White Gaze on my life (I was)

in Shanghai, I was american

Oh… say, can you see… I was american!

Like the Star Spangled Banner, it hit me like a hammer all the colors within

our red white and blue / in the dawning early light I found freedom from the fighting

over stories that erase me and you

I had never been more american, when i was foreign on the 4 of July

in Shanghai, blending border lines, into a place that only lives in my mind

no I had never been more american, like I was born on the 4th of July

in Shanghai (China)… independent of the White Gaze (I was) on my life

In Shanghai… I was american

Welcome to the America @ 250 Podcast, devoted to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great.

This is my second interview with Kali Spicer. Throughout the podcast I have been inviting a diverse set of guests to share how they would answer “what would make America Great?” This only seems fitting, during the year in which America turns 250. What will it take to make America great at the age of 250, and beyond?

In the first interview Kali and I talked about her experiences as a younger woman serving in several “C-Suite” positions and began to delve into topics such as toxic masculinity, including types of Christian influence of that, as well as the ways that some women internalize views of themselves that are promoted by men, especially in the context of an administration that is minimizing and erasing references to the historical legacies of women in our country.

This time we begin to ask, “ok, so now what?” The conversation takes us into both micro and macro level responses to the question how to make America great for women as we turn 250.

Following our recording, I came across this quote from the author James Gray which connects with some of the points Kali raised in our conversation:

"If you focus on an idea, for example, as simple as a negotiation, in any business, negotiation rewards the person who cares less, which means a kind of cruelty, a viciousness, a coldness is built into the system. And women, being oppressed in that way in that realm, have been able nonetheless to engage with the more emotional maturity. So I think this is a strange and difficult scenario where you have men not able to express themselves in that way, but also women not allowed to participate in the marketplace."

Kali lives with her husband, Steven, and dog, Winston in the Los Angeles area. Kali has an MDiv and is currently working on an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy. Kali has a variety of professional experiences from healthcare, pastoral ministry, education, and nonprofit leadership. She enjoys standup paddle boarding, baking and cooking, watching soccer, and eating the amazing food LA has to offer!

In our conversations, Kali mentioned two books which we recommend you take a look at:

“Jesus and John Wayne”

How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

By Kristin Kobes Du Mez

And, a more recent work by the same author:

"Live Laugh Love”

The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made

Both are published by Liveright Publishing Corporation

Welcome to the America @ 250 Podcast, devoted to enabling us to see and feel America through the eyes and hearts of others, and as a result take concrete steps to make America truly great.

In order to pursue the purpose of this project, throughout the podcast I will be inviting a very diverse set of guests to share how they would answer “what would make America Great?” This only seems fitting, during the year in which America turns 250. What will it take to make America great at the age of 250, and beyond?

My guest this episode is Kali Spicer. Kali lives with her husband, Steven, and dog, Winston in the Los Angeles area. Kali has an MDiv and is currently working on an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy. Kali has a variety of professional experiences from healthcare, pastoral ministry, education, and nonprofit leadership. She enjoys standup paddle boarding, baking and cooking, watching soccer, and eating the amazing food LA has to offer!

Kali and I will be exploring what it is like to be a woman in today’s America, as our nation turns 250. In some ways this is a natural segue from the prior two Episodes which explored the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community in today’s America, for we are continuing to explore issues surrounding gender.

In this conversation, Kali mentioned two books. I said I would include information about them in the Episode Description, so here you go:

“Jesus and John Wayne”

How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

By Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Published by Liveright Publishing Corporation

And, a more recent work by the same author and available through the same publisher:

"Live Laugh Love”

The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made

This is my second interview with Robbie McDonald. We cover questions of gender and sexuality, what makes a good "ally," and other topics as we explore what can help America become great...

Robbie is a native Angeleno, born in Los Angeles to Irish immigrant parents. Robbie found early success in what were known

as “hair bands” then gracing L.A.’s iconic Sunset Strip. At the same time his inner songwriter soul was forever deepened by his time living in Ireland, where he absorbed centuries of timeless poetry and song.

His 2006 release, Mighty Quiet, documented the end of his eleven-year relationship when his

partner joined a religious order to become a monk. The album was beloved in Ireland especially, where it received widespread critical acclaim, and especially among its LGBTQ publications.

Robbie is working on re-releasing that album, and you will be able to find it and his other work wherever you stream your music, just search for him under the artists name Robbie McDonald…his body of work includes;

Two albums: Mighty Quiet (originally released in 2006) and Say Yes (2015)

As well as four singles: They Were You, Morningtime, and I Needed You Here (all released in 2025), and his latest release, He4Him-Something (2026).