Exit Spring Mountain

For the Season 2 Finale of Exit Spring Mountain, we’re talking about the care packages we send and receive to offer help and hope to our families and friends abroad. Balikbayan boxes are also a topic of conversation, as they have helped float the Phillippine country for decades. Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders also send remittances - funds transferred from migrants or recent immigrants to their home countries. What does the money pay for? Why do AAPI communities continue this practice? And how can this be a lifeline for families and governments in other countries?

In this episode, we’re talking about the complexities of being mixed, sometimes known as Hapa, Blasian, Wasian, or multiracial. Who decides who’s Asian enough… or not? How does categorizing people by race impact mixed-race Asian identity and community?

In this episode, we’re talking with chefs - the ones who feed us - fulfilling our basic needs - and ALSO passing down our cultural legacies. From a Las Vegas Filipina start-up to the old school icons - How do these professional chefs and restaurateurs feel about food culture authenticity? Where’s the line between food appreciation and food appropriation? What are the unique challenges AAPI chefs and restaurants face? And why should we embrace our unique identities as we look to the tasty future of our communities?

This episode discusses the hypersexualization and fetishization of Asian American and Asian women. It’s an issue across the globe and right here in Las Vegas.

How do these stereotypes harm Asian American and Asian women? Can they lead to violence? Simultaneously - in what ways are some AAPI women taking control of their own sexual narratives? And how can we support the vulnerable, change the conversation, and move forward?

A content warning for listeners: In this episode, we’re talking about sex trafficking, domestic violence, and sex.

In this episode, we’re discussing “Traditional Chinese Medicine,” sometimes called “Oriental Medicine” - also known as Eastern Medicine or Alternative Medicine. But what does it really mean - how did these terms come about? And what’s the background and current controversy surrounding the name of the practice? Also, stick around to hear about Nevada’s first healthcare facility catering specifically to AAPI communities- the HAPI Center!

We've all heard the term AAPI Voting Bloc — but how is the AAPI community in Southern Nevada tapping into this growing political power? Are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders key swing voters? How are political parties courting this AAPI Vote? In this episode, we hear from the younger generation of political leaders and organizers who have been instrumental in getting the AAPI community more involved in the 2022 Nevada Primary election.

For the Season 1 finale, we have a special episode for you: The Exit Spring Mountain team gathers (virtually) for a potluck of food and conversation. How do we understand what authenticity means in food and cooking? What does appropriation in the food world look like, and why is it complicated? Plus: Some behind-the-scenes chatter about how we made the show and what we hope listeners take away.

Navigating the experience of being both AAPI and LGBTQ+ can be a fraught experience—but when you've found your community, it can be a joyful one, too. In this episode, we explore mental health at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and AAPI with the help of Kataluna Enriquez, the first-ever openly trans winner of the Miss Nevada pageant. This episode was written and produced by assistant producer Nessa Concepcion.

It seems like just about every major city has a Chinatown—so where did these Chinatowns originate, and what are some of the darker reasons behind their existence? How have Chinatowns evolved, and how is the Las Vegas Chinatown unique? In this episode you'll hear about the story behind the iconic golden statue in our Chinatown Plaza, and also the reason behind our podcast's name.

The U.S. Constitution mandates a Census every 10 years—it's how we allocate seats in the House of Representatives, and how we determine federal funding for housing, education, and health. So how has the Census impacted AAPI communities in Southern Nevada, and what does the Census tell us about our own shifting views about race, and who counts?