What happens when three Asian American women math educators come together to reflect on their journeys, activism, and the role of mathematics in justice? In this powerful episode, Dr. Kari Kokka—math educator, social justice advocate, and former high school teacher—joins hosts Shari Kaku and Michelle Lo for an inspiring conversation about searching for our own stories, math identity, and community organizing.

From her experiences growing up in diverse San Jose, to teaching in New York, to her deep commitment to solidarity and reparations work, Dr. Kokka shares how mathematics can be a tool for justice. Join us for a discussion covers everything from Asian American identity in math education to the importance of centering students’ voices and lived experiences in the classroom.

And to learn more about the many resources on this episode, check out these links:

Red Cards for knowing our immigrant rights:
https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas

SEARAC: https://searac.org/

Tsuru for Solidarity: https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/

Social Justice Math Resources: www.mathsocialissues.com

A Love Letter to Women, Femme, and Nonbinary Critical Scholars of Color: Theorizing the Four I’s of Love in SiSTARhood by Kari Kokka, Rochelle Gutiérrez, and Marrielle Myers (the article, so email Dr. Kokka if you would like a copy)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10778004241269909?download=true&journalCode=qixa)  

Critical Math Drop Podcast: www.criticalmathdrop.com

David Masunaga, geometry education expert, MC Escher enthusiast, and origami aficionado, shared his passion and creativity for student thinking in the classroom with Teddy and Shari. In this episode, David delves into his journey as an Asian American educator in Hawaiʻi, reflecting on the cultural forces that shape who gets to teach math, the untold stories of his own Asian American teachers, and the beauty of mathematics as a shared experience.

We ask why haven’t more people heard of David Masunaga? And what can we learn from his deep, thoughtful approach to math education? And, please click on these links to learn more about the work that David does!

The 17-sided symmetrical pattern tie that David references can be seen here and here.
And, here's David making making one modular origami box, putting the boxes together, and then fusing a large group of boxes together at the Museum of Math.
Finally, here's a video of David using a Basho haiku to promote his NCTM session this spring.

Transcripts for this episode are here. 

We change things up this episode. Due to the devastating wild fires in Southern California, we take some time to connect with two L.A.-based Asian American Mathematics Teachers. We start our conversation with Eugene Hung, a high school math teacher and advocate for women's rights. Then, we connect with Janet Lee Ortiz, LAUSD’s Teacher of the Year and a middle school math and science educator. Both educators share their deeply personal journeys navigating teaching in Southern California amidst recent wildfires and reflect on how their Asian American identities shape their approaches to math education.

Eugene discusses breaking down stereotypes, fostering inclusivity, and emphasizing the historical and cultural contributions to mathematics. Janet opens up about overcoming personal challenges, connecting math to social justice, and building meaningful relationships with students through authentic storytelling and creativity. Together, they discuss their passion for making math human, relevant, and engaging. And finally, they share about their love of food, culture, and community.

Transcripts of this episode are available here. 

In this episode, Dr. Paulo Tan shares his powerful journey as a critical special education math educator navigating Asian American identity, assimilation, and advocacy for disability justice. Together with hosts Theodore Chao and Shari Kaku, Paulo reflects on the systemic inequities of mathematics education, the isolation of marginalized students, and the need for a revolutionary shift toward truly inclusive and humanizing classrooms. From personal stories of his immigrant experiences to reimagining "math of all students," this episode challenges listeners to rethink ableism, stereotypes, and what it means to agitate for justice in math education.

Transcript for the main session is here.

Transcript for the reflection is here. 

The TODOS Podcast is back! Join us for a fresh new season with new hosts, Theodore Chao and Shari Kaku, as we dive into issues of equity in mathematics education through the lens of Asian American identity. In Episode 1, we chat with Naehee Kwun about her work as a social justice-oriented mathematics educator and one of the founders of the Teaching for Justice conference. Naehee also shares about her identity as a first-generation Korean American mathematics educator and the way she used Resistance Capital in her own mathematics journey. Learn more about Naehee's work at PoweredByMathematics.org.

In Episode 2, high school math teacher and TODOS Member Services Director, Michelle Lo shares her journey as a second-generation Taiwanese American navigating identity and teaching. Michelle reflects on the impact of her upbringing, the pressures of the model minority myth, and her commitment to resisting traditional norms in the classroom. She discusses fostering a student-centered environment, building solidarity, and embracing the power of community spaces like TODOS and the miseducAsian Twitter collective.

This thoughtful conversation explores how Michelle’s experiences as a student and teacher shape her work to deconstruct stereotypes and advocate for justice in education.

Welcome to Season 4 of the TODOS: Mathematics for All Podcast, which  explore how invisibility and hypervisibility impact the mathematics education of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Meet the new hosts of the TODOS Podcasts, Theodore Chao and Shari Kaku, both Asian American mathematics educators, who engage with guests in deep, narrative-driven conversations that challenge conventional narratives and stereotypes, like the model minority myth. These discussions aim to uncover racial and cultural dynamics, drawing connections between Asian American and Latinx/e students’ experiences, shared struggles, and pathways to self-determination.

Mathematics education is often framed in ways that either render Asian American students hypervisible through stereotypes (e.g., "model minority") or invisible by ignoring the struggles they face in the classroom. Additionally, the rise in Anti-Asian Violence and Anti-Asian Hate over the past few years reflects the ways that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are continually positioned as forever foreigners or threats to this country. This season exposes and challenges these harmful narratives, helping educators and communities reflect on their approaches to equity in mathematics education in ways that align with TODOS' broader mission to foster inclusive practices for marginalized students.

In addition to the primary theme of invisibility and hypervisibility, the podcast will occasionally produce special episodes that highlight the work happening within the TODOS community, reinforcing the connection between this podcast and TODOS' broader mission of educational equity for all students.

Thanks to Dr. Maria Zavala, founder and previous hosts of the TODOS: Mathematics for ALL podcast. And thanks to Vector Hold for the amazing synthwave music.

This episode features Dr. Cindy Jong, Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Kentucky. Cindy, who identifies as both Thai and Guatemalan, opens up about her experiences growing up biracial and how these intersecting racial identities and communities shaped her journey in mathematics. She reflects on the challenges and joys of navigating Asian American and Latinx identity in math spaces, where stereotypes played a large role. Cindy’s stories touch on her love of problem-solving and how food, like the Thai dish Kaumangai (chicken and rice), connects her to her cultural roots.

This episode also dives into Cindy’s recent work, including an article co-authored with Jonathan Thomas and Molly Fisher, titled Being Mindful in the Mathematical Moment. Plus, Cindy shares a new project she's part of, The College Mathematics Beliefs and Belonging Survey, aimed at understanding college students' experiences in math.

In this reflective episode, Dr. Jiyeong Yi shares her remarkable journey from South Korea to becoming an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Iowa State University. Jiyeong discusses the intersections of her identity as a first-generation immigrant, a mother, and an educator navigating anti-Asian racism in America. She recounts the challenges of overcoming language barriers, the U.S. visa system, a battle with cancer, and cultural isolation while finding her voice as an advocate for immigrant and bilingual students.

This conversation delves into her groundbreaking Educational Studies in Mathematics article from 2024, Rethinking Anti-Asian Racism in Mathematics Education: The Hidden Racism Made Visible through AsianCrit with Dr. Ji Won Son and Dr. Hyunyi Jung. In this conversation, Dr. Yi expands on how she uses AsianCrit in mathematics education, her commitment to dismantling the model minority myth, and the unique struggles faced by Asian immigrant families.

Shout Out to Dr. Ruth Ahn of California State University, Pomona and her instrumental mentorship and support of Dr. Yi.

Bonus: Here are links to the books Garden of Dreams and Even Better, written in Korean and English by students and their families from the Changing the Gap Parents Book Club organized by Dr. Yi in Ames, Iowa. 

We sit down with Bernadette Salagrino, the first Filipino president of the California Math Council and a trailblazer in mathematics education. Ma Bernadette shares her journey from teaching in the Philippines to becoming a leading advocate for immigrant teachers and underrepresented students in the U.S. Theodore, Shari, and Ma Bernadette discuss the complexities of Filipino American identity, the importance of representation in education, and her inspiring work with incarcerated youth. Through this episode, Ma Bernadette weaves together how her resilience, advocacy, and love for teaching helped her transcend the difficulty of teaching mathematics in a new country, separated from her family.

Bonus: Here's a link to the Our Math World project that Ma Bernadette mentions from her work with David J. Purpusa's and Caroline Byrd Hornburg's EF+Math project at Purdue, with books available on Amazon.
Extra Bonus: Check out the Our Math World feature of mathematician Eilidh Salgarino, who uses math in her competitive swimming!

Shout out to Sunil Singh, who's story gets featured heavily in this episode.