Joanna Ho is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of many children’s books including my favorite, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. She is a writer, educator, and mother with a passion for anti-bias, anti-racism, and equity work. She co-hosts the Kidlit Happy Hour podcast.

In our conversation, we talk about the need to build against censorship and the hope we both feel in seeing the people - and especially the children - persist against silencing. We also hear about Joanna’s experience from ideation to publishing to becoming a bestseller. She is an inspiring example of someone who refuses to compromises her values and despite facing challenges, continues to bring her creative work to life.

Joanna is on the leadership team of Authors Against Book Bans, which she encourages all creators - authors, writers, illustrators - to join here.

Joanna website

Joanna IG

Leah IG

Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone, longtime reproductive justice leaders and co-authors of Liberating Abortion, have spent years helping people share their abortion stories—not as political statements, but as acts of healing, truth, and power.

Their work centers reproductive justice organizers, abortion storytellers, and journalists whose work connects race, gender, and economic justice.

If you're in NYC, check out their featured event on Saturday November 15th at the New York Comedy Festival.

Renee Instagram

Regina Instagram

Leah Instagram

Welcome back for Part 2 with Yaffa!

If you enjoy our conversation, please rate, review, and subscribe - it really helps with visibility.

⁠Yaffa Instagram⁠

⁠Yaffa Patreon⁠

Organizing to a Living Utopia Training

⁠Leah Instagram

Yaffa As is a trans Palestinian author, culture worker, organizer, and artist. Their work lives at the intersection of disability, immigration, queerness, transness, Palestine, and Muslimness.

Their focus on direct action and community care is incredibly inspiring, and over the past year alone, they have helped redistribute over $500,000 to queer and trans communities impacted by genocide.

They have written several books, host the BCSD podcast, and always remind us to imagine and build the utopia we all deserve.

Our conversation is an infusion of hope, which feels aligned with - and necessary for - the current moment. Enjoy Part 1.

PS Yaffa is offering an 8-week session called Organizing to a Living Utopia, built around their book Letters From a Living Utopia...details here!

Yaffa Instagram

Yaffa Patreon

Leah Instagram

Danny Park is an organizer, author, and founding worker member of Skid Row Coffee, a social enterprise pop-up coffeehouse and third space. Danny is featured in the documentary Liquor Store Dreams, a film by friend of the show So Yun Um. He is rooted in his community through organizations such as Korean Resource Center and Creating Justice LA.

I am so moved by Danny's work, presence, and perspective on all things. He is the embodiment of community, humanity, and service.

As fellow diasporic Koreans, it felt significant and potent that we spoke during 추석 - Chuseok - the Korean mid-autumn harvest festival. May our conversation be seeds of abundance, compassion, and liberation for all.

Danny IG

Leah IG

Vaimoana Litia Makakaufaki Niumeitolu Khalil is a painter, poet, and educator. She has painted 38 murals all over the world, from California to New York to South Africa and to Palestine. Her murals tell stories of the people who live in the community, reflecting the openness, vulnerability, and generosity of the human spirit. 

Moana embodies her Tongan ancestry, her chosen family in Palestine, and her deep connection to life and the land. I hope our conversation uplifts your spirits and reminds you to create your own art in whatever way you feel called to.

Moana website

Moana YouTube

Moana IG

Leah IG

Welcome back for Part 2 with essayist Helio - aka @jupiterbaal.

If you enjoy our conversation, please rate, review, and subscribe - it really helps with visibility.

⁠Helio IG⁠

⁠Leah IG⁠

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Helio - aka @jupiterbaal - is an essayist and an educator, rooted in an immense love for all of life. His video essays have been a balm to so many of us during the last two years.

Our conversation spanned so many topics and trails of thought so it’ll be published in two parts. I am always learning so much from Helio and I hope you will too. 

Helio IG

Leah IG

Blasian March Founder Rohan Zhou-Lee is an award-winning dancer, writer, speaker, curator, and community organizer. In 2024, they co-curated the Critical Connections exhibit with the Pace University Art Gallery and the George Stephanopoulos photo collection of the Civil Rights Era. In 2023, they became the first mixed race Black Asian admitted to the Open City Fellowship for Journalism at the Asian American Writers' Workshop. They are also a recipient of the 2024 PEN American US Writers’ Aid Initiative, 2023 FIYAH Rest Grant, 2023 New Yorkers for Culture and The Arts, 2022 Bandung Resident, they have written for Newsweek, Hyperallergic, Truthout, and more. They have performed poetry and dance as a reflection of their activism in the United States and the 2022 Unite Festival in Zürich, Switzerland. Spotlight features include CNN, NBC Chicago, USA Today, WNYC, AJ+, and more. Zhou-Lee has spoken at Harvard University, New York University, Yale University, Oberlin College, The University of Tokyo, the 2022 Unite and Enough Festivals in Zürich, Switzerland, and more.

As a performing artist, major credits include:  Julius Eastman’s Joy Boy on trumpet (ChamberQUEER, 2021,) and for dance: Lovecraft Country (HBO, 2018) François & The Rebels (Public Theatre, 2023,) Over Here! (Triad Theatre, Off-Broadway debut, 2019) West Side Story (New Bedford Theatre Festival, 2018) and Bluebird from Sleeping Beauty (Victoria Ballet Theatre, 2019.)

Zhou-Lee holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Ethnomusicology from Northwestern University. Pronouns: They | Siya | 祂 | Elle, gender identity: Firebird.

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Links

Cha with Laura and Leah 

https://open.spotify.com/show/1z194Dm1oJ1U9GzqvJ0dT9?si=b3effad8f6484e57

Firebird's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/diaryofafirebird/

Firebird's Website

https://www.diaryofafirebird.com/

Laura Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/iamlaurachung/

Laura Website

https://www.laurakchung.com/

Laura YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@Laurakchung

Leah Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/leahsoojinkim/

Leah Substack

https://leahkim.substack.com/

Leah YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@leahsoojinkim⁩  

Links

Support us on Cha's Patreon 

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Sarinya is the founder of Angry Asian Womxn - an organization centering safety, wellness, and community for women/femmes/gender expansive folks affected by anti-Asian ra cism and/or Isl amophobia. She was also the first ever Asian woman firefighter in the FDNY. 

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!

Cha with Laura and Leah Podcast

Sarinya Links

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Cha Patreon

차 logo designed by grimeninja