This is the story of a girl and her car. That girl is me, May, and the car is Bonnie Blue 2.0. Believe it or not, this story is related to Anti-Asian Hate and how the anxiety of this ongoing crisis has made me and others think twice about what we wear, drive, live and socialize. I'm sharing this story because it could have ended with total defeat and heartbreak, but because of the power of storytelling and connecting with others, this has a happy and inspiring ending. Bonnie Blue 2.0 served as so much more than just a pretty car. She played a role in fighting Asian Hate. 

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On the 40th anniversary of the murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin, the AANHPI community is still fighting against racism and invisibilization as well as working towards more representation and empowerment. In March of 2020, when Covid-19 was raging across the U.S. and the world, an episode of “The May Lee Show” featuring Helen Zia, legendary journalist, author and activist, was released. Helen, who covered the Vincent Chin case in Detroit as a young journalist, shares her memories from 40 years ago and how it ignited a movement for change that’s more important now than ever before. This latest episode is an edited re-release of that interview. 

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The numbers are paltry when it comes to AANHPI representation in politics on every level. According to recent data, AANHPI are the most underrepresented in politics at less than 1%. When it comes to Asian women, the number is even smaller. Meanwhile, Congress is still 74% white and 73% male. Wow! All the more reason to help shape and train potential AANHPI women to run for office and that's exactly what New American Leaders and its Women Rising program is trying to do. In this episode, May speaks with Sara Le Brusq, NAL COO, about how they are preparing women to enter the, often, brutal world of public service as well as talking with Tongan American trainee, Celina Tupou-Fulivai, who wants to serve because she's tired of the invisibilization of AANHPIs like herself. One person, one voice CAN make a difference, but it also takes organizational and community support.

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We continue our celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with an explosion of events, programs, celebrations, rallies and so much more! May has been diving in head first to help amplify AAPI issues and educate and inform anyone and everyone who's willing to learn with an open heart and mind. AAPIs are making progress, BUT, and it's a big BUT, new studies and surveys by Bain & Company, STAATUS, USA Today and AAJA reveal that progress in many areas including big business, visibility, belonging and media representation is lagging. May highlights these findings as well as calls out the need for activists to fight with real and authentic intention rather than practicing "performative activism". She explains in this episode in her usual unbridled and unapologetic way!

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On April 29, 1992 Los Angeles exploded and became a virtual war zone because four white LA police officers were acquitted in the brutal beating of black motorist, Rodney King. Massive riots were triggered, but much of the violence and destruction took place in Koreatown. Lives were lost, businesses were destroyed, but perhaps the worst damage was the misleading narratives that were perpetuated and inflamed about Black-Korean conflict. 30 years on, there are still misunderstandings and misinformation about the root causes of the LA Riots, but activists, faith leaders, public servants and ordinary people have been working towards better understanding and more unity. May talks with Hyepin Im, President and CEO of FACE LA, Faith and Community Empowerment, who has been at the forefront of building bridges between communities of color. To Im, this is a personal mission to find answers and help heal old wounds.

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May is back after a few weeks off to revive, refresh and renew. It's been a trying 2+ years, but she's ready to highlight and tackle AAPI issues and topics again ..the ups and downs, the victories and losses, the love and hate, and everything in between. While May was taking a break from the show, she still stayed active on social media. So this episode is called "Hiatus in Review". It's a compilation of May's commentary, updates,  and riffing about social, political, cultural news and issues that she posted on social media. As a bonus, May gives you a peek into some day-in-the-life scenes, including some furry cameos. It's a unique episode, but leave it to May to play by her own rules, but always with purpose!

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May recently did an Instagram Live with activist and NY assembly candidate, Grace Lee. She is the woman who was misidentified as Michelle Go, the woman who was pushed in front of an oncoming subway in NY,  by ABC News when attending a vigil for Christina Yuna Lee, who was brutally murdered in her NYC apartment.  They talked openly about how AAPI women need to fight against the invisibilization and dehumanization and the need to empower each other as well as other BIPOC communities in order to truly see systemic change. 

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It's been 2 years since "The May Lee Show" launched as a scrappy, experimental vodcast that set out to elevate AAPI voices and issues. It's been a challenging two years...COVID-19, Anti-Asian Hate, social and political unrest. But something happened recently that made May stop and assess her purpose very deeply...the suicide of Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA, attorney and correspondent for "Extra". In this episode, May, a 55-year-old Asian woman, explains why the suicide of a very successful 31-year-old black woman has shaken her deeply and is prompting her to take a breath and pause. It's honest, it's raw and it's exactly what she wants to say to whomever wants to listen.

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On New Year's Day 2022, local news anchor Michelle Li received a racist voicemail from a viewer who had an issue with her story on foods that people eat for New Year's. In the short 20 second story, Michelle mentioned in passing that she had traditional Korean dumplings to celebrate the holiday. The viewer accused her of being "Very Asian" and that she should "keep her Korean to herself". Michelle posted a video herself silently listening to the voicemail on Twitter and it immediately went viral. The uproar was explosive, especially since the AAPI community has been and is STILL dealing with anti-Asian hate for the past two years. Michelle and fellow broadcast journalist Gia Vang decided to turn the hate into something powerfully positive by taking what the viewer meant to be derogatory, "Very Asian", and turn it into something that represents Asian pride...#VeryAsian. That hashtag has, of course, gone viral. Michelle and Gia have a very honest, genuine and, at times, raw conversation with May about the call, the unexpected reaction and why #VeryAsian is so significant to so many. 

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What a year it’s been, AGAIN! 2021 has been another year full of ups and downs, turmoil and triumphs and overall craziness. BUT, we’ve learned a lot about the world, each other and, hopefully, ourselves. So as we get ready to head into 2022, May wanted to share something uplifting that she experienced with a group of dynamic young women who give us all hope about the future. They are part of “Girl Power Talk”,  a purpose-driven organization empowering today’s most capable youth with the confidence, knowledge, and opportunity to become tomorrow’s global leaders. They interviewed May recently for their series, “People We Admire”, but May decided to turn their Zoom interview into the final 2021 episode of “The May Lee Show”. Why? Because the conversation is  insightful, inspiring and empowering. A tagline that may adopted recently is “Make an Impact” and these young women of “Girl Power Talk” are doing just that. Happy New Year everyone! 

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