For those of us born in the 70's Star Wars was undoubtedly a huge part of our childhood.  However, as Asian Americans, it was nearly impossible to see ourselves in the galaxy George Lucas created. This finally started to change in the late 2010s with some great characters in the films Rogue One and The Last Jedi. This summer, Disney+ came out with the Acolyte starring not one but TWO Asian actors as leads! We finally get to see an Asian Jedi as a main character! I couldn't resist doing an episode about season one of the series. 

Joining me in the conversation are two bonafide Star Wars experts.  They are both Asian American authors who have written parts of the Star Wars canon of books.  We have returning guest Mike Chen who wrote Brotherhood in 2022, and Dr. Lydia Kang who wrote The High Republic: Cataclysm in 2023 (both Mike and Lydia have written other Star Wars short stories and numerous other books)!

It was so fun nerding out with these two super knowledgeable and down-to-earth people! You can follow Lydia  @lydiakang and https://lydiakang.com/ and Mike @mikechenwriter and https://www.mikechenbooks.com/ 

As I always mention, you can write to us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠, and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Sound used:

"The Acolyte | Official Trailer | Disney+"  from Star Wars @YouTube

Our Theme: “Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

Cover Art and Logo designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half the World)

#acolyte #starwars #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Seeing Rolling Quartz grow and create over the last 15 months has been so much fun.  Since our last interview, the band has been to over 10 different countries and has played a bunch of live concerts in front of thousands of fans.  Rolling Quartz has also put out lots of new music and videos. Jumi and I were able to catch up with them in between concerts and it was such a good time catching up!

Rolling Quartz is a 5 member all-female rock band out of Seoul, South Korea.  They debuted in December 2020 and have just released a new EP called Victory!  They will be touring Australia in September and Europe early in 2025. 

Follow them @rolling_quartz on social media or search for their videos at RollingQuartzOfficial on YouTube.

Music played in this episode:

"One" (Victory) - by Rolling Quartz

Band Intros by Ja Young (1st Solo Concert 2022.06.04) via Rolling Quartz Official YouTube

"Sing Your Heart Out" by Rolling Quartz in San Francisco, CA -- May 2023 via Billbob182 on YouTube

"Red Wine (Victory) - by Rolling Quartz "Fearless 피어리스"  by Rolling Quartz 롤링쿼츠 (3rd Single)

"Stand Up 스탠드업" by Rolling Quartz 롤링쿼츠 

"Reminiscence 회상" by Rolling Quartz 롤링쿼츠

"Victory 빅토리" by Rolling Quartz 롤링쿼츠

Outro "Fearless 피어리스"  by Rolling Quartz 롤링쿼츠 (3rd Single)

Special thanks to Jumi for doing the interpretation again.  Also thanks to Rolling Star Entertainment @rolling_quartz_staff for arranging a time to speak with Arem, Hyun Jung, Iree, Ja Young, and Yeong Eun... aka Rolling Quartz!

As I always mention, you can write to us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠, and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast  Cover Photo by Dragon Fury

Logo designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half the World)

#krock #kpop #koreanrock #girlswhorock  #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Curtis, Nadira, and Jen get back together to talk about 2024 K-Dramas, coincidentally 3 years since we launched this podcast in June 2021!  If we're being honest, 2024 hasn't been a great year of K-Dramas for us so far, but there have been some dramas that have made us laugh and cry... or both.  We'll be talking specifically about An Atypical Family and Queen of Tears, and we'll comment on a few others that we liked or dropped.

As usual, thanks to my guests Nadira and Jennifer for chatting with me on the solstice!

You can listen to us on most podcast platforms.  As I always mention, you can write to us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠, and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Soundtracks:

Lee Sora – I See You (바라 봄) [The Atypical Family OST Part 2]

Crush – Love You With All My Heart (미안해 미워해 사랑해) [Queen of Tears OST Part 4]

Outro: Son of Paper - Soju Over Ice (소주 위에 아이스) @sonofpaper

Our Intro: “Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around

Cover Art: Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun from Queen of Tears

Logo designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half the World)

#kdrama #Netflix #queenoftears #atypicalfamily #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #asianpodcast #asianamericanpodcast #asianpopculture #asianamerican #representationmatters #veryasian

If you’re looking for a summer read, look no further!  Real Americans by Rachel Khong is like getting 3 books in one, it spans over 50 years and several countries from the perspective of 3 generations of a Chinese family. It asks the question, who and what determines who you are and what life you get to live?

Rachel was a complete joy to speak with, she’s currently based in LA but spent many years here in San Francisco editing the iconic food magazine Lucky Peach 2011-2016). She also founded a workspace for female and non-binary writers in the Mission District, called The Ruby.  Real Americans is her 2nd book following Goodbye Vitamin (which we also recommend). Follow Rachel @rrrrrrrachelkhong on Instagram, or find her at https://www.rachelkhong.com/

Co-hosting with me this week is our pal in Mississippi Sarah-Soonling Blackburn!  You can follow Sarah @sarahsoonling on Instagram, and you can get a copy of her book, Exclusion and the Chinese American Story, wherever you get books.

As I always mention, you can write to us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠, and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Our Theme: “Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

Cover Art and Logo designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half the World)

#sanfrancisco #asianamericanwriter #asianauthor #chineseamerican #summerreads #malaysianamerican #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

There is a type of content on YouTube called "Catch and Cook" videos, where people catch fish and then show you how to prepare them. Most people who make these kinds of videos simply take the guts out of the fish, slap them in a grill or a pan with some butter and salt and pepper and eat them like that.  Taku, aka Outdoor Chef Life, has elevated the genre by producing amazing content with restaurant-worthy dishes that look as good as the taste! It was really fun sitting down and chatting with him for a little bit!  He's one of the nicest guys too!

Taku's main platform is YouTube, where you can find him at Outdoor Chef Life, but he's also on Instagram @outdoorcheflife.  Coming shortly he will be publishing his first original cookbook, Coastal Harvest, so keep your eyes out for that, I can 100% guarantee that it will be full of delicious recipes for you to try at home!

Special thanks to Adam @die.hard.fishing for introducing me to Taku.  And shout out to Super Producer Madison who did the editing on this episode! Thanks Madi!

You can listen to this episode wherever you get your podcast (Spotify, Apple, YouTube, etc), or go to https://infatuasian.podbean.com/

Sound Bites taken from Taku's Channel - Outdoor Chef Life

"BEST FISH TACOS I've Ever Made"

"GREATEST CATCH AND COOK OF ALL TIME | Alaska Coastal Foraging, Red Lingcod, and Hot Springs" 

Our Theme:

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

#outdoorcheflife #catchandcook #fishing #asianchef #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

April Kim gets one of the best seats at some of Singapore and Malaysia's biggest KPOP concerts!  She's literally on the stage with the artists!  April is a stage interpreter, who turns the artists' Korean into English for their fans.  I noticed April when some videos of her interactions with artists like Taeyeon, CN Blue, and IU went viral!  It really seems like the performers and the fans love April's ability to communicate the artists' intentions and feelings.  

We had a lot of fun chatting about how April got into this career as well as some behind-the-scenes stories from the concerts!  *Correction* During the last segment of the interview we got the surname of Bong Joon-Ho's interpreter wrong, her name is Sharon Choi, not Lee as mentioned during our interview.

Please listen to our episode #133 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow April @april.kim.sg on social media to see some of the latest KPOP stars she has been interpreting for (like BabyMonster and Hwasa)!

Soundbites taken from YouTube:

Taeyeon Interacts With Interpreter l The ODD of Love Concert in Singapore 230820 (Channel: Ming On Film)

Ment #2 IU H.E.R. World Tour in SIngapore (Channel: ChachiTiauzon)

IU Singapore HEREH Tour Concert 2024 (Talk & Opening Song) Part 1 of 8 (Channel: Sumi_fanclub_studio)

CNBLUE is impressed by the outstanding interpreter (Channel: GOKPOP Malaysia)

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

Our Theme:

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

#KPOP #Singapore #KPOPInterpreter #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Would it surprise you to find out that many of your favorite KPOP songs are written outside of Korea? It might also surprise you to find out that a few of these Billboard-charting songs were actually written by a Canadian teenager! Today we're hearing from Toronto-based singer-songwriter Sofia Kay. Still in her teens, Sofia is an uber-talented artist who has been writing songs for about as long as she could write!  Some of her songs have been performed by some of KPOP's biggest stars, like Twice, Girls Generation, and Tomorrow x Together!  She co-wrote "Sugar Rush Ride" which has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times and has won many awards.

Sofia also writes and performs her own original songs that are so good and have been on rotation on my playlists for weeks!

You can listen to this episode wherever you get podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, etc...) or click the link in our bio.

Follow Sofia @sofiaakay on social media or find her on YouTube or Spotify at Sofia Kay.  Her lastest single, "Reinvent the Dead" is featured on this episode and will be available June 19th, 2024 on Spotify and iTunes!

Music used in this episode:

Intro: Reinvent The Dead by Sofia Kay 

"Sugar Rush Ride"  Tomorrow x Together (BIGHIT music, Korea)

"Fuu" Sofia Kay (Sofia Kay Music)

"Reinvent the Dead" Sofia Kay (Sofia Kay Music) 

Outro: "Seoul" Sofia Kay (Sofia Kay Music)

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

#KPOP #asiansinger #asian #asiancanadian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Eddie Ahn has been working in environmental justice as the executive director of Brightline Defense for the past 15+ years, here in San Francisco.  And you know me, whenever I get a chance to interview someone from SF I'll jump at the chance! Eddie has published his first graphic novel, Advocate, a memoir about navigating family and working on environmental justice issues here in SF and beyond.  He is a self-taught artist who illustrates the ups and downs of being a child of immigrants doing non-profit work in a difficult arena like California.

Listen to our episode wherever you get podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, etc...), or find the link in our bio on Instagram

You can get Advocate wherever you get books.  Follow Eddie over @ehacomics on social media, and go check out https://www.brightlinedefense.org 

Special thanks to Jessica over at Niko Niko Gifts at 2181 Union Street here in San Francisco for providing such a cool little parklet for Asian creators to use for FREE!  Check out her website https://www.shopnikoniko.com/ for more details on how to book her space!

Also huge thanks to @cornerclubofficial for letting me use "Manhattanhenge" as my outro this week.  They are also based in SF and are fantastic!  Go check out their Instagram or find them on YouTube or Spotify.  We will have Mike and Sav on the podcast one of these days so stay tuned for that!

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

Our Theme:

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

#asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

I traveled to Macau to teach English for 3 summers in the early 90's. It's a really special place to me, since so much of my Chinese identity was formed during my time there.  Since I lived there before the internet age, I needed to dial and receive phone calls from overseas, so I was familiar with telling people they needed to dial the country code for Macau, 853, before the rest of the number.  So when I heard about some content creators calling themselves the Outcasts from the 853, I knew I had to look them up!

Iasmin and Paji are so much fun to chat with.  Their reels, videos, and podcasts point out so many funny things about the Cantonese language.  It was such a joy to chat with them!

You can listen to our episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts (see link in our Instagram Bio).

Follow Paji and Iasmin @outcastsfromthe853 on social media, or check out their website www.outcasts853.com  They're even doing Cantonese classes if you're lucky enough to snag a spot before they fill up!

Special thanks to Julia for helping me with this episode!  You can find her @juleslastsforever or @savecantonese_ccsf 

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

Our Theme:

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

#outcasts853 #cantonese #cantonesehumor #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Children of immigrants face unique pressures as adults. They can get stuck in a "repay cycle," (tm) where they constantly feel like they need to always be there for their parents who gave up so much for them, often sacrificing their own desires to do that. Allison Ly is a licensed clinical social worker who offers therapy (in California) and coaching for 1st and 2nd gen adults. She has lots of insights for anyone feeling burnt out and possibly resentful of having to care for their immigrant parents.

Listen to our episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, or click on the link in our IG bio

To learn more head to alliosnlytherapy.com if you're looking for an online therapist in California, or heyallisonly.com for 2nd gen coaching in California and beyond! You can also check out Allison @heyallisonly on social media

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Our logo and cover art were designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half The World).

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#asiantherapist #2ndgen #secondgeneration #firstgen #1stgen #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters