The Asian Highway presents Storytellers in Action

Averie Bishop, 25, is the first Asian American to wear the Miss Texas America crown. She plans to use her new platform to promote diversity and inclusion. Mayra Flores, at around the same time, won a congressional seat to represent Texas's Rio Grande Valley. Ms. Flores, a 36-year-old Mexican-born American, is the first Republican Latina to represent Texas in Congress. Both are taking center stage at a time when Texas is experiencing dramatic demographic shifts. Which woman will be the new face of Texas - and, perhaps, of America? Will Ms. Bishop's quest to promote diversity and inclusion win the day? Or will Ms. Flores represent an influx of minority voters who head to the voting booths and vote Republican?

New York City will introduce Asian American curriculum into its K-12 schools. Why is this important? Will teaching about Asian American's critical role in U.S. history help reduce anti-Asian hate? What are the watershed moments in Asian American history? Host P-Mo hopes to start a conversation about the NYC pilot program. What are your thoughts?

P-mo and his co-host from the Erased podcast, Dana Miller, have a conversation with Henry, an Afghan interpreter who was given U.S. Citizenship status for his services rendered to the American military during stretches of the 20-year Afghan War. Henry (a pseudonym) was able to leave the country for the United States, but his wife and children were left behind. The wife and children were able to get to the main airport in Kabul before the completion of the U.S. withdrawal and endured 6 days without food as they awaited escape. But they were turned away. Staying in Afghanistan under Taliban rule seemed inevitable. Then, someone in Austin, Texas stepped up and helped the family escape. Their story is told on this episode.

The Anti-Asian American Hate Bill finally became law when Pres. Joe Biden signed the bipartisan legislation on May 18. Also, Alabama reverses a nearly 30-year ban on teaching yoga in public schools, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has its first fan inductee, and an Indoor Football League franchise hires an Asian American woman to run the organization.

#StopAsianHate is gaining national attention, in light of the recent murders of Asian American women in the Atlanta area and other hate crimes committed against those of Asian descent. P-Mo talks about being followed at his residence and being questioned about why he was walking around where he lives. He also talks with Dana Miller, an environmentalist and Asian American ally, about solutions and resources for Asian Americans.

Storytellers in Action is back for a sixth season! There are some changes. P-Mo is now hosting the show solo. Our episodes will now focus on topics instead of guests. All shows will be produced out of Austin, Texas, now (instead of Los Angeles, California). Check out the prologue, where P-Mo tells you everything that's going down - and the nightmare of a winter storm he lived through in the middle of February (where freezing temperatures brought Texas to a halt).

This bonus (and final) episode of Season 5 features an intimate conversation with P-Mo and film composer Colin Aguiar. Colin talks about his roots in Goa and how he discovered music at a young age. After learning the drums as a kid Colin found a passion for writing music - and he would turn that passion into a career as a film composer. He shares insights on what it's like to be a composer and how the film production process plays out.

This bonus episode of Storytellers in Action (Season 5) features Drew University Political Science professors Jinee Lokaneeta and Sangay Mishra. Jinee speaks with P-Mo about the acceptance of police violence in liberal democracies such as the United States and India. Sangay, meanwhile, challenges the use of the term "Non-Resident Indian" and discusses the Diaspora's political inclinations in the United States (as well as the complexities of Indo-US Relations).

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were projected as winners of the 2020 Presidential Election - about 5 days after Election Day. Pres. Donald Trump, of course, maintains he is the election's winner and the Democrats have stolen the election from him. What does Biden's win, assuming it holds up and he is allowed to move into the White House, mean for the future of the United States? P-mo, Farial and Debesh talk about the upcoming Biden presidency - and the work that needs to be done during the next four years.

We have less than 48 hours before the end of Election 2020. P-Mo chats with the co-chairs of Thai-Americans for Biden about the need to remain active after Nov. 3, regardless of who wins the election. What does that activism look like? What is the value of having a discussion? Can we find a way to co-exist regardless of our political inclinations? We also discuss how the Netflix/YouTube production of Cobra Kai is actually a mirror of our political climate. What can we learn from Johnny and Daniel about empathy, discussion and co-existing?