Strong Asian Lead

Actress and activist Akemi Look hops on the pod to discuss the complexities of intergenerational trauma, her journey of healing through creative endeavors like dance and acting, the future of queer Asian American stories, and the necessity of why we need Asian American directors spearheading projects.

Podcast Show Notes

Guest Title: Akemi Look

Recording Date: 2021-02-04

Episode Title: Looking At The Larger Picture w/ Akemi Look

Episode Summary Introduction: Actress Akemi Look joins David and Emi to speak about her journey as an artist and performer, and her goals with amplifying the voices of the Asian American community.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

Topic 1 - Akemi’s identity

Topic 2 - Creative outlets Akemi was able to use for healing

Topic 3 - What has kept her going through hard times

Topic 4 - Goals Akemi is working towards

Topic 5 - Work that has made her feel fully in power

Topic 6 - What Akemi has seen in the entertainment industry as having contributed to the success of Asian Americans in Hollywood

Topic 7 - What is something that she’d like to see changed in the industry?

Topic 8 - Why do you think influencers and actors in power don’t speak out?

Topic 9 - Rapid Fire Questions

Links:

Handles:

Akemi’s Website - https://www.akemilook.com/

Akemi’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/akemilook/

Akemi’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/AkemiLook

David's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Mentioned Notes:

The Ailey School - https://www.alvinailey.org/school

Jeff Gordon Writers Bootcamp - http://www.writersbootcamp.com/creative_team.asp

Daryn Wakasa & ‘Seppuku’ - https://iexaminer.org/a-conversation-with-daryn-wakasa-director-of-the-haunting-intergenerational-trauma-thriller-seppuku/

Steven Yeun NYTimes Article - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/magazine/steven-yeun.html

Hate Is A Virus - https://hateisavirus.org/

SAL Links:

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ /

Crowdfunding - https://strongasianlead.com/crowdfunding

SAL’s Feature in Feedspot’s Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/

SAL Podcast Team:

Project Manager - Sanjana DeSilva (www.theangryelephantproductions.com)

Audio Editor - Ravi Lad (www.itsravilad.com and @itsravilad on Instagram)

Podcast Producer - Kenna Tanouye (Connect with her on LinkedIn)

Podcast Volunteer Intern - Sadia Hussain

Episode Transcript: Transcript of the episode's audio.

Calls to Action: Join the movement, stay tuned and follow us on Instagram!

Wrapping up their two-part episode on microaggressions, David and Emi further discuss the importance of taking the initiative to learn on your own and how it helps not only yourself, but those around you. They also break down their frustrations with the lack of representation in the director’s seat and their confusion as to why we don’t see any Filipino nurses on medical dramas. 

Podcast Show Notes 

Guest Title: Emi Lea Kamemoto 

Recording Date: October 2020 Episode Title: Microaggressions (Part 2) w/ Emi Lea Kamemoto 

Episode Summary Introduction: In this episode, David and Emi continue their conversation about microaggressions, what bystander intervention can look like, and more. 

Topics Discussed In This Episode: 

Topic 1 - Taking the time to learn on your own 

Topic 2 - The many ways bystander intervention can look like 

Topic 3 - Being in a time of change 

Topic 4 - Call-outs & call-in’s 

Links:

Handles:

Emi’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/defiant.changemaker/

Defiant Changemakers Twitter - https://twitter.com/defiantchange?lang=en

David's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Mentioned Notes:

Ron Howard Directing Biopic About Pianist Lang Lang - https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/lulu-wang-ron-howard-lang-lang-movie-1234588312/

Adele Lim & Crazy Rich Asians - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/crazy-rich-asians-screenwriter-adele-lim-exits-sequel-pay-disparity-dispute-1236431/

NBC’s Lack of Filipino Representation on “Nurses” - https://www.colorlines.com/articles/why-are-there-no-filipino-nurses-medical-tv-shows

Gold House’s 2021 A100 List - https://goldhouse.org/a100/?y=2021

Resources Mentioned Notes:

Hollaback’s Bystander Intervention (“The Five D’s”) - https://www.ihollaback.org/bystander-resources/

SAL Links:

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ /

Crowdfunding - https://strongasianlead.com/crowdfunding

SAL’s Feature in Feedspot’s Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/

SAL Podcast Team:

Project Manager - Sanjana DeSilva (www.theangryelephantproductions.com)

Audio Editor - Ravi Lad (www.itsravilad.com and @itsravilad on Instagram)

Podcast Producer - Kenna Tanouye (Connect with her on LinkedIn)

Podcast Volunteer Intern - Sadia Hussain

Episode Transcript: Transcript of the episode's audio.

Calls to Action: Join the movement, stay tuned and follow us on Instagram!

Breaking down the differences between feeling included and actually having the power and capability to speak up, David and Emi reunite once again for the first episode of a two-part series on microaggressions. From their personal experiences with Asian stereotypes to what spaces of equity and inclusion actually look like, they discuss the harmful repercussions of microaggressions and what steps we can take to solve the issue. 

Podcast Show Notes 

Guest Title: Emi Lea Kamemoto 

Recording Date: October 2020 

Episode Title: Microaggressions (Part 1) w/ Emi Lea Kamemoto 

Episode Summary Introduction: In this episode, David talks with Emi Lea Kamemoto about what microaggressions are, how it is embedded in the entertainment industry, and more. 

Topics Discussed In This Episode: 

Topic 1 - What are microaggressions? 

Topic 2 - Navigating microaggressions and helping the communities around us 

Topic 3 - Personal experiences 

Topic 4 - “Calling out” vs. “Calling in” 

Topic 5 - Responses to confronting microaggressions 

Topic 6 - Perpetuation of microaggressions in the entertainment industry 

Topic 7 - Being mixed-race and stepping into your confidence 

Topic 8 - Creating spaces of equity and inclusion 

Topic 9 - The downfall of “diversity hires” 

Topic 10 - Generational repercussions of stereotypes 

Topic 11 - Working towards sustainable solutions for the future 

Links: 

Handles: 

Emi’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/defiant.changemaker/

Defiant Changemakers Twitter - https://twitter.com/defiantchange?lang=en

David's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Mentioned Notes: 

Saigon Bodyguards Remake w/ Chris Pratt - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/chris-pratt-wu-jing-to-star-in-saigon-bodyguards-remake-from-russo-bros-4090350/

SAL Links: 

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ /

Crowdfunding - https://strongasianlead.com/crowdfunding

SAL’s Feature in Feedspot’s Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/

SAL Podcast Team: 

Project Manager - Sanjana DeSilva (www.theangryelephantproductions.com) 

Audio Editor - Ravi Lad (www.itsravilad.com and @itsravilad on Instagram) 

Podcast Producer - Kenna Tanouye (Connect with her on LinkedIn) 

Podcast Volunteer Intern - Sadia Hussain 

Episode Transcript: Transcript of the episode’s audio. 

Calls to Action: Join the movement, stay tuned and follow us on Instagram!

Emphasizing the importance of solidarity and unity across all Asian American communities, David is joined by rapper/activist, jason chu, and triple-threat in the entertainment industry, Alan Z. They dive deeper into why being unapologetically yourself is crucial, the importance of Asian American ancestors, and the need to always push the conversation one level deeper.

Podcast Show Notes

Guest Title: jason chu & Alan Z

Recording Date: 2021-05-05

Episode Title: Music As a Catalyst For Change w/ jason chu & Alan Z

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

Topic 1 - Introduction

Topic 2 - How they approach music as a social movement

Topic 3 - Their journey into rap/entertainment industry

Topic 4 - How they identify and how they bring that into their music

Topic 5 - People they want others to learn about

Topic 6 - Rapid Fire Questions

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

E. A. R. L.: The Autobiography of DMX - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earl-dmx/1103476090

Be Water, My Friend: The True Teachings of Bruce Lee - https://www.waterstones.com/book/be-water-my-friend/shannon-lee/9781846046667

Face Value Album - https://orcd.co/jasonchu-alanz-facevalue

Links:

Handles:

Jason’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonchumusic/?hl=en

Alan’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alanzmusic/?hl=en

Jason’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jasonchumusic

Alan’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlanZmusic

Jason’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0GLbbr3humz46fGwijwHQ

Alan’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpUZULtrIfCQqxFehxcK63w

Jason’s Website - https://www.jasonchumusic.com/

David’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

SAL Links:

https://www.strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ /

SAL's Feature in Feedspot's Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/

SAL Podcast Team:

Project Manager - Sanjana DeSilva (www.theangryelephantproductions.com)

Audio Editor - Ravi Lad (www.itsravilad.com) and @itsravilad on Instagram)

Podcast Producer - Kenna Tanouye (Connect with her on LinkedIn)

Podcast Volunteer Intern - Sadia Hussain

Episode Transcript: Transcript of the episode's audio

Full Episode Shownotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OGNwTj-_UvXi5BUY1ZA2o9kOoP_gu7ySQp-gsU2K7VM/edit?usp=sharing

Calls to Action: Join the movement, stay tuned, and follow us on Instagram!

Coming from a place of authenticity and truth, actresses, writers, and co-creators of Second Jen, Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan, join David this week to talk about everything and anything. From being locked in the trunk of a car during one of their early gigs, to breaking down the nuances of identity on screen and behind the camera, this week’s talk focuses on the importance of comedy as a vehicle for social change.

Podcast Show Notes

Guest(s): Amanda Joy & Samantha Wan

Recording Date: 2021-04-19

Episode Title: Diversity Behind The Camera w/ Amanda Joy & Samantha Wan

Episode Summary Introduction: Actresses, writers, and co-creators of Second Jen join David to speak about their show, having an impact through comedy, and more.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

Topic 1 - Amanda and Sam introduce themselves

Topic 2 - How they both met

Topic 3 - Second Jen and how the idea for the show came about

Topic 4 - Challenging society though comedy

Topic 5 - What does it mean to have more diversity in our lives and workplace?

Topic 6 - Changes they have witnessed throughout their series

Topic 7 - What they want people to know and understand about being Asian women and Asian women in comedy

Topic 8 - What's next for them?

Topic 9 - One message they'd like future agents and entertainment to take away

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

https://thetvjunkies.com/second-jen-samantha-wan-amanda-joy-season-2/ - TV Junkie Article

https://www.omnitv.ca/on/en/shows/second-jen/ - Click to Watch Second Jen (Season 3)

Links:

Handles:

Samantha's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesamanthawan/?hl=en

Samantha's Twitter - https://twitter.com/thesamanthawan?lang=en

Amanda's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/notamandajoy/

Amanda's Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/notamandajoy?lang=en

David's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Mentioned Notes: 

Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker Show - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14359536/

SAL Links:

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ /

SAL's Feature in Feedspot's Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/

SAL Podcast Team:

Project Manager - Sanjana DeSilva (www.theangryelephantproductions.com)

Audio Editor - Ravi Lad (www.itsravilad.com and @itsravilad on Instagram)

Podcast Producer - Kenna Tanouye (Connect with her on LinkedIn)

Podcast Volunteer Intern - Sadia Hussain

Episode Transcript: Transcript of the episode's audio.

Calls to Action: Join the movement, stay tuned, and follow us on Instagram!

What does it mean to be typecast and how does typecasting perpetuate stereotypes in the media and society? This week, I interview Nancy Wang Yuen - scholar and author of the book "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism." Her data dives deep into inequities in Hollywood as well as how structural racism plays out in films. 

Guest: Nancy Wang Yuen 

Podcast Show Notes

Episode title: Nancy Wang Yuen

Topics discussed in this episode:

Topic 1: How Nancy is practicing self-care

Topic 2: What Nancy identifies as and her background

Topic 3: Cinema and TV influencing society

Topic 4: Nancy’s Book - Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism

Topic 5: The message Nancy wants future agents to take away

Topic 6: How she works with studios

Topic 6: Rapid Fire questions

Handles: 

https://www.nancywyuen.com/about.html

Twitter - 

https://twitter.com/nancywyuen

Instagram - 

https://www.instagram.com/nancywyuen/

LinkedIn - 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyyuen/

https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/nancy-yuen

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Nancy’s book:

‘Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism’ 

https://bookshop.org/books/reel-inequality-hollywood-actors-and-racism/9780813586298

‘Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Children’s Television Use and 

Self- Esteem: A Longitudinal Panel Study’

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0093650211401376

‘The Rooney Rule’ 

https://www.visier.com/clarity/how-hr-can-tackle-diversity-using-the-rooney-rule/

Mentioned Notes: Mulan, Pachinko, Gran Tarino, Crazy Rich Asians

SAL Links: 

Website - 

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram - 

https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_/

Twitter - 

https://twitter.com/strongasianlead

David's Instagram - 

https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Music

Up In My Jam (All Of A Sudden) by - Kubbi https://soundcloud.com/kubbi Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/tDexBj46oNI

Hollywood has a huge impact on our culture’s morals and values but often doesn’t think about it or even recognize its power at all times. It may seem like an innocent hobby now-a-days when you’re just going on your phone every day looking through Instagram feeds or watching movies; but the content we consume have a deep impact on society around the globe. Hollywood needs to take responsibility for the content they put out into this world. Tune in to our first podcast episode and listen as we discuss how Hollywood should be more responsible with what types of film and TV shows studios put out into the world.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Topic 1: Making an impact using the entertainment industry

Topic 2: Derogatary terms

Topic 3: History in Education

Topic 4: Article from 1970

Topic 5: Personal Experience

Topic 6: Responsibility of Hollywood

Topic 7: Stereotypes

Topic 8: Changing the industry

Topic 9: The idea of Strong Asian Lead

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Gidra (Vol.2 No. 101) Article - “Amerasian Culture”

by Natsue - 1970. Sourced from

@denshoproject

Episode transcript: Transcript of the episode’s audio.

Calls to action: Join the movement, stay tuned and follow us on Instagram

Guest: Emi Lea Kamemoto

Title: Responsibility of Hollywood

Date - 11-02-2020

Emi’s Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/emi_lea_kame/?hl=en

SAL Links:

https://strongasianlead.com/

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_/

David's Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/davidmoriya/?hl=en

Mentioned Notes:

Gidra (Vol.2 No. 101) Article - “Amerasian Culture” by Natsue - 1970.

Sourced from

@denshoproject

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