Welcome to Season 6, Episode 19! Our guest today is Sruthi Chandrasekaran. She serves as The Asian American Foundation's Director of Data and Research. She leads strategy development and implementation for the Data and Research team and targeted studies that identify and address the needs of the AAPI community.

The Asian American Foundation, or TAAF, is the leading organization advancing safety, belonging, and prosperity for the AAPI community. Through groundbreaking programs, essential research, and cross-sector partnerships, TAAF addresses our community's most persistent challenges. We love their vision which states, "An America where opportunities to participate in all aspects of society are equally accessible, and individuals and communities are not rendered invisible, nor singled out for false stereotypes, discrimination, or hate on the basis of race."

On May 1st, TAAF released the sixth edition of the Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S. Index, AKA the STAATUS Index. This year's STAATUS Index was created with the collaboration of NORC at the University of Chicago. In this essential study, they examine how Americans view AAPI communities and how AAPIs understand their own place in the country.

To learn more about TAAF, you can visit their website https://taaf.org/, download the STAATUS Index, visit their AAPI History Hub for great educational resources, follow them on Instagram @taaforg, or donate to support their work. Enjoy the conversation.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 18! Our guest today is the award-winning author and essayist Minh Lê. Whether writing picture books, middle grade graphic novels, or essays, his work often blends an engaging story with deeper lessons.

His latest picture book is Miles Ahead, the story of an adorable dog who helps his family welcome a new baby cousin. A lighthearted search ensues after their gift goes missing. It's a heart-warming and amusing picture book that showcases a family rethinking what a meaningful gift could be, and they just happen to be of asian descent. With detailed illustrations by Lynnor Bontigao, it's a story with lively dialogue, family memories, and a clever ending.

Minh Lê is also the author of many picture books, middle grade graphic novels, and essays. His work incudes Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature), Real to Me, The Blur, Lift (an Eisner Award nominee), The Perfect Seat, and Let Me Finish!, Green Lantern: Legacy, Green Lantern: Alliance, and Enlighten Me.

His essays have been published in The New York Times, The Horn Book, HuffPost, NPR, Book Riot, and Reading Rainbow. He currently serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books and is on the faculty of the Hamline MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

In our conversation, we talk about how he develops ideas, his philosophy on guiding illustrators, the benefits of frequent collaboration, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and a lot more. To learn more about Minh, you can visit his MinhLeBooks.com, follow him on instagram @minhlebooks, buy Miles Ahead, or any of his other great stories.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 17! We love stand-up comedy as well as books with diverse representation. So we're really excited that our guest today is Patricia Park, a professor of creative writing and an award-winning writer. Her latest book is Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic, a YA novel about a Korean American former child actress who decides to branch out and stand out in order to pursue her newfound love — stand-up comedy.

It's a funny story that also has some very real moments as Ambrosia, whose acting career peaked at the age of eleven, confronts family dynamics, the challenges when you don't fit the stereotypical looks in Hollywood, and how hard it is to do stand-up comedy.

Patricia Park is a tenured Associate Professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at American University, Fulbright scholar in Creative Arts, Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, Jerome Hill Artist Fellow. Her other moves have included the adult novel Re Jane as well as the YA books Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim and What's Eating Jackie Oh. Additionally, Park has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Guardian, Salon, and others notable publications.

In our conversation, Patricia shares a little about her journey, what it was like to perform over 50 times in stand-up, how she designs emotional moments, the importance of having non-stereotypical characters of Asian descent, and more. To learn more about Patricia, you can visit her website patriciapark.com, follow her on IG @patriciapark718, read her essays, and of course buy any of her novels including her latest Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic. Enjoy the Conversation.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 16! Our guest this episode is Scott Kurashige, an award-winning Author, Educator, Activist, and Public Speaker, who has studied the problem of Anti-Asian Violence for 35+ years. He's a nonprofit organizational leader and changemaker who addresses racial equity and social justice issues from an intersectional framework. He currently serves as President of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation.

His latest book is American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism which released on April 7, 2026 and is published by University of California Press. Although the topic of Anti-Asian racism gained a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic with the increase in violence and racist rhetoric, it's not a new problem. In the book, Scott takes a deep dive into the long history and ongoing problem of anti-Asian violence.

In our conversation we discuss the long history of anti-Asian racism and violence, his connection with Grace Lee Boggs, his research process, possible repercussions from the current administrations focus on hypermasculinity, and more. To learn more about Scott, you can visit his website scottkurashige.com, follow him on instagram @scottkurashige, and purchase American Peril or any of his other books (we especially loved The Next American Revolution which he co-wrote with Grace Lee Boggs).

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 15! Today our guests are two of the co-authors of the very cool new book Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism… Jenessa Joffe and Professor Theodore Chao.

Jenessa Joffe is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, producer, and mother who is passionate about creating social change through comedic, kid-focused content. Theodore Chao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Elementary and Bilingual Education at California State University, Fullerton. His research centers on Digital Mathematics Storytelling to amplify counter-narratives that challenge harmful stereotypes in mathematics education.

Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism is an entertaining and informative book designed for kids from approximately aged 10-14. It's witty and inspiring, and discusses the Asian American community, past and present; explores allyship with other communities of color; finds a place in national and global movements; and turns inward so young readers can practice love and self-care.

In our conversation, Jenessa and Theodore share a little about how the book came to be, some of the challenges and benefits to putting Auntie Kristina in print, the intentionality in designing activities, and more. The book will release on April 14, but if some outlets are already shipping it! To learn more about Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism, Theodore, Jenessa, or the other two authors Kristina Wong and Anna Michelle Wang, we've listed their details below:

• bookshop.org link link to Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism
• Instagram for the book: @AuntieKristinaGuide
• Website: www.theodorechao.com
• Instagram: @professorteds
• Website: www.jenessajoffe.com
• Instagram: @jenessajoffe
• Website: www.kristinawong.com
• Instagram: @mskristinawong
• Website: www.annawang.com
• Instagram: @_annamichellewang
• Watch Radical Cram School

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 14! With Dennis V. Tran. Dennis is a Vietnamese American storyteller, disability advocate, and inclusion strategist whose work focuses on neurodiversity, mental health, and accessibility—particularly within Asian American communities.

Dennis identifies as queer, partially blind, and neurodivergent, and he uses his lived experiences to advocate for more inclusive systems in media, workplaces, and public health. Something we think everyone should be supportive of. Among the interesting facts about Dennis is that he was a late-identified autistic ADHDer.

Dennis has developed autism resource toolkits used by more than 70 affiliates of the Autism Society of America, consulted on inclusive media representation—including helping develop an autistic character for the children's show Blue's Clues & You! Dennis writes and speaks widely about disability justice, neurodiversity, and the intersections of identity, culture, and mental health in the Vietnamese American and broader Asian American communities.

To learn more about Dennis Tran and his work, you can visit dennisvtran.com , connect with him on LinkedIn @dennisvtran, or follow him on IG @denvtran. Enjoy the Conversation!

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 13! Our guest today is Professor Charlotte Brooks a Professor of History at Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate Center. She's a scholar of race, immigration, and urban history, and has published widely on Asian American history, especially Chinese American and Chinese diaspora history.

Her latest book is an epic biography called The Moys of New York and Shanghai: One Family's Extraordinary Journey Through War and Revolution (published by University of California Press, 2026). It's a sprawling book that follows the six Moy siblings and their spouses and children through a tumultuous half-century of world war, revolution, and social transformation in the United States and China. They face discrimination, hardship, triumph, and destitution throughout their lives. We love how well researched it is and how it highlights some amazing moments in the Chinese American experience we don't often hear about.

In our conversation, Charlotte shares how she got into Asian American and Chinese American History, her research process and good fortune with The Moys of New York and Shanghai, the reasons she believes people should read her latest book, what it means to get the support and encouragement from her peers, and so much more.

Charlotte is also the author of three other books. American Exodus: Second Generation Chinese Americans in China 1901-1949, Between Mao and McCarthy: Chinese American Politics in the Cold War Years, Alien Neighbors, Foreign Friends: Asian Americans, Housing, and the Transformation of Urban California. Additionally, Prof. Brooks' articles have also appeared in numerous journals.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 12! We're really excited that our guest this episode is Mirai, the acclaimed audiobook narrator who's also an actress, director and writer. She's a proud 3-time Audie Award Finalist for her audiobook narrating. Not sure what that is? It's like the Academy Award of narration.

Other than audiobook narration and Voice acting, she's been an actor on stage and screen with over 20 years experience, and she's done some directing. Her latest creative endeavor is the short film #Stop Asian Kate which Mirai was awarded a grant to produce. As the writer and star of this mockumentary, we know that it will feature Mirai's wit and sense of humor while containing a deeper message about the industry struggles for Asian Americans.

Interested in hearing her audiobook narration? She has a LOT of titles to her name, but some of our favorites include The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, A Perfect Day to Be Alone, and A Study in Secrets. To learn more about Mirai, you can visit her website miraivo.com, find her on instagram @hi.mirai, and support the GoFundMe for her short film #StopAsianKate.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode XX! Our guest today is Shang Saavedra, the founder and CEO of Save My Cents, the popular site, blog, and coaching resources on personal finance. Saavedra teaches readers the key habits and behaviors needed to become less fearful of money and live life with joy. Saavedra was named one of the "Twenty-five Most Influential New Voices of Money" by TIME/NextAdvisor in 2022 and is an Expert Reviewer and Contributor at CNET Money.

Her mission is to change your financial life, one cent at a time, with a focus on mental health. She also does that through her book Wealth is a Mindset: Change Your Mind, Change Your Money… released about a year ago in January 2025 by our favorite publisher, Third State Books. Wealth is a Mindset provides practical, concrete applications of Saavedra's mindset-changing research based methodology called "Trigger, Action, Reward."

In our conversation, Saavedra shares how she began Save My Cents, some of the key things she's discovered throughout her consulting work, ways for students to learn about personal finance, the Three Root Causes of Money Problems, and so much more.

To learn more about Shang Saavedra and how to better tackle your personal finance, you can visit her website Save My Cents, watch her YouTube Channel @SaveMyCents, follow her on Instagram @SaveMyCents, and of course buy Wealth is a Mindset published by Third State Books.

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 10! You'd be hard pressed to find people who have absolutely never heard of the aerospace company Boeing. But have you heard of their first impactful aeronautical engineer? That person was Wong Tsu, a Chinese born prodigy who was educated in both the UK and US. He helped develop many of the practices still used today.

In today's episode, we talk about his life, his career, the discrimination he faced, and his lasting impact in the world of aeronautics. Now, Boeing and the Smithsonian have acknowledged his impact, but he still isn't a household name.

We begin the episode by catching up on the final part of the Olympics and sharing some thoughts on the start of the F1 season. We end the episode with another segment of "What Are We Listening To?" Today we talk about The Many Daughters of Afong Moy audiobook as well as the music of Sarah Kinsley and Tiffany Day

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

Segments

• 00:25 Intro: Talking Sports and Flying
• 11:27 The History of Wong Tsu, The First Asian American Aeronautical Engineer
• 25:24 What Are We Listening To? The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, Sarah Kinsley, and Tiffany Day