What happens when your intersectional identity meets the social media algorithm?

This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, we sit down with the incredibly insightful Johnathan Gibbs—a queer Black and Filipino content creator and founder of The Otaku Choir. Johnathan shares his unique journey, from navigating his Black and Filipino roots growing up in Mississippi to making his mark as a creator in NYC. We dive deep into the current social media landscape, how platform algorithms affect building content and genuine community, and what it truly means to create space for your authentic self online.

Bio:

Johnathan Gibbs is a trailblazing content creator who has been at the forefront of online media since 2008, when YouTube and digital platforms were still in their early days. As a Black Filipino American, Johnathan brings a unique perspective on life experiences at the intersection of Black and Asian identity, which he has shared fearlessly throughout his career. His past work includes hosting the award-winning podcast This QPOC Life, which offered nuanced and insightful views of the world through the lens of a queer person of color.

In 2020, during a time of heightened tension between Black and Asian communities, Johnathan founded the Black and Asian Alliance Network, fostering solidarity, advocacy, and understanding. His work has been recognized with the Brooklyn Free Speech Award for outstanding contributions to media and activism.

Today, Johnathan is the founder and artistic director of the NYC Otaku Choir, a first-of-its-kind community ensemble that blends anime, video game, and Asian pop culture repertoire with choral traditions. Through this project, he continues his commitment to uplifting marginalized voices, advocating for representation, and creating spaces that reflect the diversity of New York City.

With an unwavering dedication to community, artistry, and social justice, Johnathan continues to inspire and empower others—leaving an indelible mark on both digital and real-world stages.

IG: @ jonahsahn

Jung is back on my podcast again to give us a rundown of what is being used by ICE, police, and military, and what you need to do in case you come in contact with any chemicals.

Also, check out my previous episode with Jung in case you missed it which is ICE Raids & Protest Safety Episode

There are more safety tips and awareness on chemical weapon contact if you go to:

https://open.substack.com/pub/randykim/p/emergency-minisode-protecting-yourself?r=z5drm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

In this emergency episode of The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast, I’m joined by Mahdis Azimi, a Chicago-based immigration attorney working closely with clients who are facing deportation threats and uncertain legal status amid the current ICE raids in the city.

Mahdis sheds light on the rapidly changing immigration landscape, the fear and confusion facing undocumented and mixed-status families and legal status folks, and the urgent work being done by attorneys and advocates to defend their clients and communities.

We also discuss what local communities can do to support those feeling threatened and how solidarity and accurate information can be a powerful defense in times like these.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for her critical insights and practical guidance.
Please share widely — our neighbors’ safety depends on awareness and action.

Bio:

Mahdis Azimi is a proud Iranian-American based out of Chicago, Illinois. She founded her immigration law practice in 2019 and has been practicing law since 2015. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In addition to her practice, Mahdis actively volunteers with several local organizations and is currently an Honors College instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

LinkedIn: Mahdis Azimi

Website: www.azimilaw.com

Email: [email protected]

Relevant Links:

ICE Detainee Locator: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (“ICIRR”) Know Your Rights Cards: https://www.icirr.org/fsn

Immigrant Legal Resource Center (“ILRC”) Know Your Rights Cards: https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights

Midwest Immigration Bond Fund:

https://www.mibfc.org

Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) List of Pro Bono Legal Services Providers: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers

National Lawyers Guild Chicago: https://nlgchicago.org

More than just a vacation: Insight into the 47% rise in US expats, and how living abroad fosters profound connections and understanding.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with the incredible Nicole Brewer, an English Language teacher, travel blogger, author, and co-founder of the expansive travel community, I Luv 2 Globe Trot.

Speaking to us from Oman, her home for the past decade, Nicole shares the powerful story of what led her to embrace life abroad—from South Africa and Germany to South Korea and now Oman—and how travel became a defining part of her identity and connection to the world.

We dive into the origins of I Luv 2 Globe Trot, the active social media group she co-founded with her friend Renee Evans that has grown into a community of thousands of expats and travelers. Nicole gets candid about the struggles of navigating the expat life: balancing a new home while staying present for family and friends back in the US, and dealing with the worries about the political and social climate back home.

Finally, we discuss the rising trend of US citizens choosing to live abroad and how travel can create deeper connections, expand understanding, and expose us to essential perspectives we wouldn’t encounter otherwise.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• What led Nicole to leave the US and live abroad for over 15+ years.

• The inspiration and impact behind the growing I Luv 2 Globe Trot community.

• The emotional labor of being an expat: staying connected to home while building a life in a foreign country and figuring out the long-term future.

• How travel can fundamentally change your worldview and understanding.

• The growing number of US expats choosing a life overseas.

Bio:

Nicole Brewer is an English Language teacher, travel blogger, author, and freelance writer. She has traveled to over 50 countries and lived abroad in South Africa, Germany, South Korea and presently in Oman for 10 years. She has a zest for the expat lifestyle and has a goal of inspiring others to travel and live abroad.

She is the author of “A Guide to Landing an English Teaching Job Abroad” and “An ABC Guide to Children’s Games Around the Globe”. She is also the Co-Founder of the I Luv 2 Globe Trot travel site and community, as well as a Certified Travel Advisor with Fora. With features on CNBC, CNN Travel, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and National Geographic Traveler, she’ll continue to inspire as she globe trots.

To follow Nicole:

Instagram: nicole.iluv2globetrot

LinkedIn: Nicole Brewer

Travel Advisor Information: https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/nicole-brewer

TW/CW: Discussion of ICE Raids, civilian violence

This emergency episode responds to the ongoing ICE raids taking place in Chicago, which have left many in the Chicago communities vulnerable and at-risk. I’m joined by my return guest, friend, and community organizer Jung Han, to break down what’s happening right now, how these raids impact community members, and what you can do to stay safe and aware of what is happening. Jung also shares critical protest safety tips, know-your-rights information, and resources to help protect yourself and support others. At a time when fear is high, this episode centers on both urgent action and community care.

For more on protestor safety tips, community resources, and other ways to support the resistance movement, please check out

https://randykim.substack.com/p/ice-raids-and-protest-safety-in-chicago

Award-winning Korean Author Bora Chung (Cursed Bunny, Your Utopia, The Midnight Timetable) joins me to discuss how fiction warns, resists, and reimagines our world.

What if fiction isn’t just storytelling, but a foreshadow of things to come?

In this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles, I’m joined by acclaimed Korean author Bora Chung, best known for her award-winning collection Cursed Bunny, her visionary Your Utopia, and her forthcoming novel The Midnight Timetable.

Together, we explore:

• How fiction reflects and warns us about real-world crises

• Why speculative and dystopian stories resonate in times of upheaval

• What readers can expect in her upcoming The Midnight Timetable

• Role as a writer in current political times, back in Korea and globally.

Bora reminds us that fiction is more than escape — it’s a mirror, a warning, and a tool for resistance.

#BoraChung #TheMidnightTimetable #fiction #speculativefiction #resistance #storytelling #diaspora #BIPOC #Korean #KoreanAuthors

Trigger and Content Warning: This episode will discuss topics involving self-h*rm, s*icide, mental health, genocide, and involuntary hospitalization.

In this “bonus” episode, we take the time to recognize S*icide Awareness/Prevention Month this September. My good friend and longtime activist, Jung Han (they/them) and I had a conversation revolving around the challenging capacity in community activism, navigating our self-care and engagement in an increasingly chaotic political and social environment, and reflecting on our experiences with attempted s*icide and what our “bonus years” have looked like for us since then. We also break down our thoughts on the current resources and structures to support mental health crises, such as 988, institutional care, and what community support can look like for us.

Many thanks to Jung for bringing this conversation to light. Jung also shared some resources and tools you can check out below.

Jung (they/them) is an educator, facilitator, mutual aid organizer, resource mobilizer, community grief and health worker, poet, and writer. They’ve been part of racial, gender, disability, immigration, reproductive, and healing justice movement work for the past two decades through local, state, and national nonprofit, philanthropic, and grassroots community organizations and collectives. Since 2022, they’ve been the Owner and Principal of Yeojeong LLC, where they offer consulting, coaching, and grief care dedicated to the cultivation, flourishing, and growth of people of the global majority (PGM) and queer, trans, and nonbinary; disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent; and migrant and diasporic communities. They’re a street medic, movement care worker, avid reader, and pungmul dummer, and devote time to Rogers Park Free Store, Liberation Library, and the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois. Learn more about Jung and their work at www.yeojeongllc.com.

Articles:

• https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/06/involuntary-hospitalization-increases-risk-suicide-study-finds/

https://drdevonprice.substack.com/p/supporting-the-suicidal-no-matter?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web

• https://brownstargirl.org/suicidal-ideation-2-0/

Resources:

• Fireweed Collective: linktr.ee/fireweedcollectivehj / @fireweedcollectivehj

• Project LETS: linktr.ee/projectlets / @projectlets

• Wildflower Alliance: linktr.ee/wildflower_alliance / @wildfloweralliance

• Abolitionist Social Work: linktr.ee/abolitionistsw / @abolitionistsw

• National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network: linktr.ee/nqttcn / @nqttcn

• Moonbow (formerly API Equality LA):

https://www.moonbow.org / @ moonboworg IDHA: linktr.ee/idha_nyc / @idha_nyc

Tools:

• Care Webs: https://en.wiki.lehub.ca/index.php/Care_web

• Mad Maps: https://fireweedcollective.org/publication/madness-oppression-paths-to-personal-transformation-and-collective-liberation

• Pod Maps: https://www.soiltjp.org/our-work/resources/pods

Chatting with keynote speaker, activist, and award-winning author Michelle Mijung Kim on what it means to build courage in speaking out in today's political climate.

She was a previous guest of mine in 2020 when we discussed what the DEI landscape looked like in the aftermath of George Floyd, and why Asian communities must stand in solidarity with the Black community. Since 2020, she has released her critically acclaimed debut book, “The Wake Up.” She has since sunsetted her company Awaken, focusing on DEI education for high-tech companies. She has been a prolific keynote speaker, and recently launched her new podcast, “I Feel That Way, Too.”

We caught up about the challenges and backlash she faced when she spoke up about her support for Palestine, and how that allowed her to build her courage further to stay true to her values. We spoke about navigating difficult conversations with our Asian communities relating to the current state of the US. Michelle goes in-depth about her process of unlearning beliefs and values that she was taught as a queer Korean immigrant growing up in America, and how recognizing her identities has shaped her determination to remain unapologetically authentic and build deepening relationships with her community.

Watch and listen for more here!

Bio:

https://www.michellemijungkim.com/about

For more on Michelle Mijung Kim:

IG: MichelleKimKim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmichellekim/

Website: https://www.michellemijungkim.com

On this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles Podcast, I invited guest Tony DelaRosa to share his current work and knowledge about what is happening with DEI in the K-12 public education and in higher learning at both the local and national level in the US. As DEI is getting dismantled by the federal government, and in certain states and local governments, Tony sheds some light on what DEI practitioners are doing to counter the anti-DEI movement, and how DEI is being practiced and taught in different educational spaces. Tony brings up the significance of amplifying awareness of Asian American education in his work, and how it is essential to creating meaningful solidarity with other communities and dismantling white supremacy and colonization.

Happy listening everybody!

Bio:

Tony DelaRosa is a PhD student in the UW-Madison Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis program, where he studies the impact of coalitions, institutions, and race-based policies on leadership practices. He is the author of the award-winning book "Teaching the Invisible Race: Embodying a Pro-Asian American Lens in Schools," published by Jossey-Bass. His work has been featured on CNN, NPR, Harvard Ed Magazine, and NBC. Learn more on social media @TonyRosaSpeaks or by visiting TonyRosaSpeaks.com

To follow Tony:

Instagram: tonyrosaspeaks

I sit down with my friend Ed Do for this important discussion on the current US political landscape and what progressives are facing and needing during this very critical time. Ed currently works for a US Democrat Congressman from Texas, representing his district that includes the Dallas and Ft Worth area.

In our long conversation, we talked about Ed’s upbringing as a queer, mixed Korean American, and how his mother and grandmother from his Korean side inspired him to be involved in politics through their own experiences fighting for Korean independence from Japan during the early 20th century to the Korean pro-democracy movements during the South Korean dictatorship during the 1970’s and 80’s.

Ed discusses his experience on Capitol Hill, and we dive into the current struggles within progressives, liberals, and the Democratic party in preparation for the 2026 mid-term election. From Gaza to the ICE raids to Medicaid cuts, and so on, we examined the voter frustration and how voters can find ways to resist the current administration in charge.

Also, hear Ed’s funny encounter with US Senator Ted Cruz aka the “Real” Zodiac Killer several years ago, and what he is doing to prepare for the next 3+ years of Trump and the GOP party.

(Captioning is available as well for this episode)

Bio:

Edward Do (Do Woojeong, 도우정- he/him) is a 1.5 mixed Korean American. Born and raised in Seoul, and moving to the States at age 10 and again at 13, he lived and went to college in Massachusetts/New England. While

His interest in the intersection of politics and justice was sparked in middle school after hearing about his Grandmother's involvement in anti-colonial forces during Japanese occupation and his mother's participation in Pro-Democracy protests in Korea during the 70s and 80s.

After undergrad, Edward worked in the Senate for Elizabeth Warren in Washington, D.C., before departing for Chicago to help build out NGOs whose goal was economic development in health and education through the decolonization of the NGO model.

Unfortunately for him, he has returned to D.C. to work in the House of Representatives for a Democrat in leadership, where he is the Communications Director and Advisor (East Asia, Korea, Korean American, and Asian American affairs) to the Congressman. He did this against his better judgments because he "knew the Democrats were going to lose in 2024 and felt a call to help fight".

An avowed pragmatic progressive, he has been described as the most blunt and acerbic human being on earth.

In his free time he is addicted to good coffee, remains competitive internationally at Taekwondo- where he has been a member of the US national team, and playing board games/video games with friends and his cat, Yuja.

He is also gay as fuck.

To follow Ed, check him out on Instagram at Eyeyedo or on his LinkedIn for more questions and inquiries.