In part 2, we trade hot takes with Dinesh Shamdasani, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Bad Idea.  

• reactions to the latest comic book movies and Albert shares his trash take on Michael B Jordan  (0:45) 
• why Top Gun: Maverick is an all-timer, we share some of our favorite film franchises (5:55)
• we revisit a cartoon classic, The Land Before Time, and learn why tragic things happen at the beginning of most of our childhood favorites (17:38)

In this two-part series, we speak with Dinesh Shamdasani, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Bad Idea, an experimental new comic book publisher. Dinesh co-founded Hivemind, an LA-based production company that produced the acclaimed sci-fi series The Expanse for Amazon Studios and The Witcher for Netflix. He also spent 10 years leading the rebirth of Valiant Entertainment, the best-selling comic book publishing house behind the largest, independently owned superhero universe – as the company's CEO and Chief Creative Officer. Under his watch, Valiant released its first-ever feature film: Bloodshot, starring international superstar Vin Diesel. 

In Part 1, we chat with Dinesh about:

• his background and family, being Asian in Hong Kong, London, and America, and we compare his experience at USC with Brian's  (2:40) 
• his love of movies, how he broke into the movie business, and his journey with Valiant Entertainment (21:48)
• Toyo Harada, a villain from The Harbinger series, whose look is based on our very own Brian Lin (40:25)
• why he founded Bad Idea, what he hopes to achieve, and how to preserve and grow the comic book art form (48:20)

In this episode, we connect with food historian and blogger, David R. Chan. He shares the origins of his incredible food journey, where he has documented over 8000 Chinese restaurants he's eaten at, and what he's learned along the way. 

• Why he doesn't consider himself a foodie (1:40)
• His life in LA and why he didn't like Chinese food growing up (6:45) 
• Origin story of "The List" and how he went about putting it together  (15:33)
• The merit of the 3.5 stars Yelp theory (35:29)
• The history of beef and broccoli and other " Chinese" dishes (39:03)
• We end the LA vs NYC Chinese food "debate"  (49:27)

In this episode, we chat with Chun-Yen Chen, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Community Fund. We discuss:

• playing instruments as a core part of Asian culture and how she might have been the inspiration for Drumline (1:55)
• the mission and work of APCF, how little mainstream philanthropies are supporting AAPI communities, and how she hopes to support AAPI serving organizations and leaders (12:39)    
• navigating the aftermath of the Monterey Park shooting, how this hit close to home for her, and how people can support the survivors and broader community moving forward (29:48)
• our love and admiration for the San Gabriel Valley, its food and culture, and argue about Panda Express (44:21)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Michelle Rhee, we discuss:

• Being in a highly visible role and the impact it has on family  (0:40)
• Michelle reflects on her time in DC (11:58) 
• Identity development, still experiencing Asian "firsts", and leading while Asian     (27:45)

In this episode, we chat with Michelle Rhee, Co-Founder of BuildWithin, and Former Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. We discuss:

• Growing up and explaining your job to your parents  (8:53)
• Three generations of Rhee's and how our parents evolve (14:22)
• Michelle and Tommy remember Layla Avila (22:50)
• Brian gets awkward talking KJ (38:38) 

In this episode, we speak with accomplished composer and musician Christopher Wong. We discuss: 

• the role of music in Asian communities and why it seems like all Asian kids can play an instrument (1:30)
• reconciling our parents' insistence that we play instruments and their lack of support in pursuing a career in music (12:20)  
• how our relationships with our parents have evolved and haven't over time (24:30)
• figuring out what it means to be Asian and American, and navigating generational divides (39:30)

In this episode, we chat with Diana Hwang, Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI). We discuss:

• trying to meet parent expectations (2:57)
• why she founded AAWPI (22:33)
• the complexity of organizing in AAPI communities (38:55)
• where AAWPI is working now (50:25)

Check out AAWPI's Instagram and website if you want to learn more about and support their work. 

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jade Agua, Chief Learning Officer at the USC Race and Equity Center. Topics include:

• her background and identity development, specifically having family roots in Hawai'i
• race and equity work in higher education
• recent events related to Affirmative Action
• the relationship between capitalism and racism 

At the top of the show, we shared information for Bring the Noise - Make Noise Today, an AAPI Student Scholarship Contest and Exhibition. This year's theme is Mental-Health Wellbeing. The deadline for submissions is March 3rd.  

We share our thoughts on Year 1 of the miseducAsian podcast and what we're looking forward to in Year 2.