TODOS Podcast

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. 

In this episode, we take a step away from our Asian American math journey to chat with TODOS Partnerships Director, Nolan Fossum, about his work as a visiting mathematician at the Minnesota State Fair’s Math on a Stick, curated by Christopher Danielson. Representing TODOS, Nolan reflects on how the event uses creativity and play to make math engaging and accessible for families from all backgrounds. Nolan also describes the activity that Michelle Lo, from TODOS Member Services, designed to help families play with math patterns, art, and popsicle sticks! 

This episode highlights the importance of community-centered math, rethinking pedagogy through joyful exploration, and using culturally sustaining practices to connect mathematics with real-life experiences. Download the math pattern examples shared at Math on a Stick and see how you can bring these ideas into your own spaces, courtesy of Chris Smith.

Hosts Theodore Chao and Shari Kaku chat with Dr. Cindy Jong, Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Kentucky. Cindy, who identifies as both Thai and Guatemalan. Cindy opens up about her experiences growing up biracial and how it shaped her journey in mathematics. She reflects on the challenges and joys of navigating Asian American 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.

This episode is packed with stories about math, identity, and of course, food! Don’t forget to check out the links to Cindy’s latest work in the show notes.

Welcome to Episode 2 of the new season of the TODOS podcast. This episode features high school teacher, Michelle Lo, who is also the head of member services at TODOS. In this episode, hosts Theodore Chao and Shari Kaku talk to Michelle about her journey as a math teacher and her experiences as a second-generation Taiwanese American. Michelle shares about how her early life, identity, and education shaped her passion for teaching math today. And, she reflects on how her childhood experiences, such as learning mathematics with her mother at home and navigating the pressures of academic success as an Asian American, connect with her challenges in navigating the the model minority myth.

Michelle also discusses her teaching philosophy, which focuses on deconstructing stereotypes and oppressive systems in the classroom, fostering student-centered learning, and encouraging students to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. Throughout the episode, Michelle emphasizes the importance of finding community and solidarity among educators, especially those from marginalized backgrounds.

This conversation highlights Michelle's commitment to resisting traditional pedagogical norms and building cross-racial and cross-socioeconomic solidarity through her teaching. Michelle shares about the impact of several communities to her growth as a mathematics teacher: The TODOS: Mathematics for ALL community, the miseducAsian twitter collective, and other organizing spaces for Asian American educators. The conversation concludes with a call to fellow educators to "be loud" and find their community to support their work toward equity and justice in education.

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 MathingForEquity.org.

We are so happy to finally have this episode out and in your ears, public! Back at the end of November Maria had a lovely conversation with 3 of the 4 authors of the book Teaching Math to Multilingual Students: Positioning Students for Success by Kathryn Chval, Erin Smith, Lina Trigos-Carillo, and Rachel Pinnow. Kathryn, Erin, and Lina, along with elementary school teacher Rachel Kahn, joined in the conversation, about what "positioning" has to do with teaching mathematics to multilingual students, and a whole lot more! 

This episode we are joined by Jon Oaks, Mathematics Professor at Macomb Community College, TODOS webmaster, and all-around renaissance man. You think I'm kidding, but you should see his website! We talk about the statement that TODOS released earlier this year on the need to make mathematics classrooms, and all classrooms really, safe, supportive, and vibrant spaces for LGBTQIA+ people. Jon was the lead author of the paper. He shares insights and highlights resources for us. 

find the statement on the TODOS website: https://www.todos-math.org/assets/images/TODOS%20LGBTQ%2B%20Statement.pdf 

And learn more about our incredible colleague and friend: https://jonoaks.com/