Top Five

On the eve of his move, Chris reflects on his time in DC, while Liz finally sees the light regarding Harry Styles. Then, as we love to do at the end of every year, we reflect on what this year of cataclysmic change meant for us personally, how it changed us, and what we’re looking forward to in 2021.  Plus, our top five things we’ll never do again after 2020.  Which leads to a discussion about an underdiscussed topic: house clothes.  Do you differentiate your wardrobe into inside clothes and outside clothes (like Chris) or day clothes and night clothes (like Liz)?  We’re dying to know.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

Music by Origami Pigeon

We’re so excited not to be talking about existential threats anymore! Liz is mourning the loss of Tony Hsieh, and Chris is binge-watching The Queen’s Gambit and The Legend of Kora. Then we get into the real quandary of the day: gifts for our parents. What do you get for an immigrant parent who has no hobbies and can buy anything they need? Why have we still not figured this out after thirty-some years of gift-giving? And keeping with our holiday theme, we end with our top five holiday songs. We can agree on one thing: There’s only one reigning queen of Christmas.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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We've got reasons to celebrate: Liz, the power of the people in getting Detroit's election results certified; Chris, the selection of Kim Ng as the General Manager of the Miami Marlins.  Then, in our final election discussion, we dig into exit poll data and try to make sense of some surprising findings:  Why did support for Trump go *up* in every community of color, compared to 2016?  Why did his support double among Asian American women?  What does all this mean for us going forward? We wrap with our top five most inspiring living figures.  We're thankful to them for guiding us through these trying times, and we're thankful for you for choosing to spend time with us.  We hope your holiday is lovely, however unusual it may be.

"How Whiteness Affected the Election," 1A, November 9, 2020

These pieces came out after we recorded, but they fit into our discussion perfectly:

- "'People of Color' Do Not Belong to the Democratic Party," Jay Caspian Kang, The New York Times, November 20, 2020

- "A New Political Force Emerges in Georgia: Asian-American Voters," Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, November 25, 2020

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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IT’S NEW DAY IN AMERICA, Y’ALL. We’re elated to talk about Biden’s election win, our experiences of election week (including Liz’s day working at the polls… in Trump country), and the results we’re celebrating and grieving. Plus, our top five states and people we have messages for, in light of the election, since that’s all we’ve been able to think about for the last two weeks. Florida, it’s not us -- it’s definitely you.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

Music by Origami Pigeon

Liz is channeling her pandemic and election anxiety into home improvement, while Chris feels the effects of an executive order at work. Then, on this Election Day Eve, we reflect on the last four years: where we were during the last presidential election, how the last four years have changed us, and (dare we even hope) what we’d want to see immediately from a Biden administration, should we be so lucky to see one. We wrap with an escapist top five: dream travel destinations. The food we want to eat, the places we want to see, and did we mention the food we want to eat?

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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We‘re jazzed about the Michelle Obama podcast (and pitching in for the election)! Then, we talk about the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - hearing the news, our favorite RBG achievements, and what progressives should do in the wake of Amy Coney Barrett's certain confirmation. And after weeks of dragging so many other people and things, we drag ourselves in this week’s top five: most embarrassing or awkward moments. So cringey, it’s delicious.

The Michelle Obama Podcast

"Part 1: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" and "Part 2: The Battle Over Her Seat," The Daily, September 21, 2020

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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So much has happened in culture since our last season ended, so consider this our pop culture catch-up.  We finally get to discuss The Last Dance (remember when that was what everyone was talking about?  Can you even remember?) and Indian Matchmaking before tackling Nice White Parents, the new podcast from the producers of Serial.  We talk about the tensions between valuing equity and public education vs. wanting what’s best for your kids, our experiences of these issues as a parent and a policy researcher, and where Asian American parents fall in this equation. Plus, our top five things that haven’t aged well.  Children’s books, revered politicians — we're coming for all of them.

Note: This episode was recorded before the passing of RBG, which we’ll discuss in our next episode.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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Happy Labor Day, everyone!  Liz is still buzzing from the Democratic National Convention, while Chris is reeling from the newly released bodycam footage of Masai Ujiri, president of the Toronto Raptors, and his run-in with police in the aftermath of his team’s championship win.  Which leads us into our topic of the day: how the racial landscape has changed in the post-George Floyd era, particularly in our Asian American communities.  We talk about the engagement we’ve seen in recent weeks compared to post-Ferguson in 2014, the conversations we’re having now, and how we hope to sustain momentum for the long haul. We end on a lighter note: our top five favorite stand-up comedians. In trying times like these, their wit and incisive observations are essential.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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We’re back for our second season! And my oh my, how the world has changed. Liz is thinking about education and equity as a new school year starts in the COVID era, and Chris runs down everything that’s happened in the world since our last episode. Which leads us right into the news of the day (of recording): Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential candidate, and we can't wait to talk about it. We wrap with our top five silver linings of COVID times. We know we are lucky lucky lucky to have any at all -- let alone five -- and we’re trying to practice gratitude in the midst of this long slog. We’re grateful to be back with you!

Note: This episode was recorded before the DNC. (Which we’ll discuss in our next episode!)

“Why Ta-Nehisi Coates Is Hopeful,” The Ezra Klein Show, June 5, 2020

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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In these trying times, we’re finding hope in the political realm, of all places -- Chris from old Obama videos, Liz from a surprising victory in Wisconsin. Speaking of politics: Now that the Democratic primary is settled, we finally have the spoons to talk about it -- who we were rooting for, our feelings about its conclusion, and our hopes and fears for the presumptive nominee. And as we wrap our first season, we leave you with the top five pieces of advice we’ve ever gotten. Thanks for taking this ride with us, y'all! We've loved sharing Season One with you. We’ll be back soon! ✌️

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Art (and episode title) by Colin Turnbull

Music by Origami Pigeon