Asian American History 101

Gen and Ted Lai

Asian American History 101 is a fun, family-friendly, and informative podcast co-hosted by Gen and Ted Lai, the daughter and father team. The podcast will entertain and educate people as Gen and Ted dive into the vast history of Asian Pacific Americans from the struggles they faced to their contributions and triumphs. And sometimes we cover topics of the Asian Pacific Diaspora globally.

  1. 2d ago

    A Conversation with Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist Carol Lin, Author of When News Breaks

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 33! Our guest this episode is the award-winning broadcast journalist Carol Lin. Her career has placed her at the center of some of the most consequential moments in modern American history. Other than being a broadcast journalist Carol is also an author and educator, and her work has spanned more than two decades at the local, regional, and national levels of TV News.  A Los Angeles native and UCLA graduate, Carol began her career covering politics in Washington, D.C., before reporting and anchoring in Los Angeles and eventually joining the national ranks at ABC News and CNN. Throughout her career, Carol reported on many of the defining stories of the 1990s and early 2000s, covering everything from presidential politics and natural disasters to international conflicts and breaking news that shaped the nation.  Her memoir, When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War, offers an intimate look at the person behind the headlines, exploring not only the excitement of a remarkable journalism career but also the deeply personal experiences that shaped her life away from the camera. It's an honest and beautifully written memoir and it gives insight into how she overcame both personal and professional challenges to become one of the most recognized faces on TV. Along the way, her work earned some of journalism's highest honors, including a National Emmy Award, a George Foster Peabody Award, and the prestigious Alfred I. duPont–Columbia Award. She has also been recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club and became the first recipient of the Organization of Chinese Americans' National IMAGE Award for her contributions to journalism and the Asian American community. In our conversation, we talk about the differences between being a correspondent and an anchor, some of the difficulties that Asian American women faced in broadcast journalism, the challenges with breaking news like 9/11 when you're sometimes learning just before reporting, the beauty of living in Hawaii, and so much more. To learn more about Carol, you can visit her website carollinnow.com, follow her on instagram @carollinnow, buy her memoir When News Breaks, or follow her substack to read about stories of 9/11 whennewsbreaks.substack.com. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

    A Conversation with Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist Carol Lin, Author of When News Breaks

  2. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: A Better Way to Money

    Introducing Financial Curveballs: How to Take a Hit, Make a Plan, and Come Back Stronger from A Better Way to Money. Follow the show: A Better Way to Money Most people dealing with debt don’t talk about it. They rationalize, minimize, or wait for a “better time” that never seems to arrive. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox did the same—reporting on personal finance for a living the whole time—before she confronted it, paid it all off, and built the kind of financial stability she now helps others find. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with  New York Times bestselling author of Bounce Back: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Resilience to explain how anyone can recover from a financial curveball. Lynnette shares how debt creeps in and takes over, why the standard advice doesn’t always work, what it takes to get out, and ways to build a better financial future. And debt is just one thing that can knock people off course. Lynnette’s Dreaded D’s cover the full list—divorce, death, disability, downsizing, and more. Listen here to get a game plan for when life takes a turn.  Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building a plan that holds up when life knocks you off course TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect With Lynnette Khalfani-Cox Lynnette’s website: https://lynnettekhalfanicox.com/about/Lynnette’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Bounce-Back-Ultimate-Financial-Resilience/dp/1394205163/ Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-pay-off-debt-and-recover-from-financial-setbacks Digital Asset: 29-5697-10 Getting Family Finances Right: A Workbook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/ DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: A Better Way to Money

  3. Aug 10

    The History of Old Sober... The Chinese, Black, and Creole Origins of Yakamein

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 32! It's food time again!In this episode, we're talking about a dish that may not be as widely known… Yakamein. It's one of those dishes that feels inseparable from New Orleans, but it does show up throughout the U.S. South as well as the Eastern seaboard. In New Orleans, where it may be best known, it shows up at second line parades, food festivals, neighborhood corner stores, and pop-ups.  We love it's nickname… "Old Sober"… which it gets from its reputation as a hangover cure. But more than that, it's a dependable comfort food that may be Chinese in origin, but it's been adapted and influenced by the area both in and outside of New Orleans. We'll talk about where Yakamein or variations of it show up across the South and Eastern U.S. as well as some of the different chefs who are known for making versions of it… including NOLA's Miss Linda. In our recurring segment, we talk about the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization that documents, studies and explores the food culture in the American South. They have some great articles on how Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans have impacted food in the South. To learn more, you can visit southernfoodways.org, follow them on Instagram @southfoodways, and donate at southernfoodways.org/donate.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Introduction 02:47 The History of Old Sober… The Chinese, Black, and Creole Origins of Yakamein 18:53 Organizations to Know:  Southern Foodways Alliance

    The History of Old Sober... The Chinese, Black, and Creole Origins of Yakamein

  4. Aug 3

    A Conversation with Actor Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi of Avatar The Last Airbender

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 31! Today's guest came from an artistic family, but also was literally discovered on the streets of Tokyo which gave a huge boost to his career. Actor, writer, and producer Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi was born in Tokyo, spent time in Canada while growing up, and has worked on stage and screen for film and television.   Gabriel has appeared in projects ranging from the survival thriller Something in the Water to one of the most acclaimed television series of recent years, FX's Shōgun, where he played a Gray Guard and had the opportunity to work on a production celebrated for putting Japanese language, actors, and culture at the center of its storytelling. More recently, Gabriel can be seen on Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender in the recurring role of Lieutenant Khettry, a soldier serving on the front lines of Ba Sing Se. Gabriel is also interested in creating stories himself. As a writer and producer, he has been developing projects including Go For Broke, a limited series exploring the experiences of Japanese American soldiers during World War II, as well as other film and television projects that give him opportunities both in front of and behind the camera. In our conversation we take time to talk about his background, the impact of getting noticed on the streets by legendary photographer Leslie Kee, what it was like for him to join a project like Shōgun, the responsible of being part of a global phenomena like Avatar: The Last Airbender, his hopes with Go For Broke, and much more. To learn more about Gabriel, you can watch any of his projects and you can follow him on Instagram @gabriel__prevost. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

    A Conversation with Actor Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi of Avatar The Last Airbender

  5. Jul 27

    The History of Filipino Hip Hop Part 2, The Modern Age

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 30! We're here to share the history of Filipino Hip Hop… Part 2. In this episode we're talking about the music from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s, a time that's often called "The Modern Age" of Filipino Hip Hop.  Waaaaaayyyyy back in Season 3, Episode 45 we talked about the beginning of Filipino Hip Hop, AKA "The Golden Age". The Golden Age had some moments of social awareness and commentary, but the music was definitely a lot more lighthearted than The Modern Age. This era of music marked a turning point in both Filipino and Filipino American hip hop that was defined by deeper lyrical complexity, sharper political commentary, and the democratization of the art form through independent labels and platforms like YouTube.  In this episode we discuss some of the artists in both the Philippines and the U.S. who were important to The Modern Age. Artists like Gloc-9, Aklas, Bambu, MC Geologic of Blue Scholars, and Rocky Rivera. We also share some of the big themes that were topics of songs. For our recurring segment, we share what we've been reading… Feelings Unsent by Oliver Drishila and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro 02:32 The History of Filipino Hip Hop Part 2, The Modern Age 15:28 What are We Reading? Feelings Unsent and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

    The History of Filipino Hip Hop Part 2, The Modern Age

  6. Jul 20

    Another Conversation with Award-Winning Writer and Editor Karen Yin, Author of Nice to Eat You

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 29! We have an incredible returning guest who's back with us for the third time! Karen Yin is the author of several books including The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers (published by Little, Brown Spark). She has also written several stories for children, including Whole Whale (published by Barefoot Books), So Not Ghoul (published by Page Street Kids), Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew (published by Scholastic), and her latest book Nice to Eat You (published by Scholastic, and released on July 7, 2026) Illustrated by Carolina Coroa, Nice to Eat You is a fun picture book that's full of dark humor and clever word play… a hallmark of much of Karen's work. We think kids and adults will love this Hansel & Gretel-inspired Halloween story about a friendly but sneaky witch who lures a group of children to her house. The story keeps you guessing as to whether the kids are in for a pleasant visit . . . or in danger of becoming the meal. In our conversation, Karen shares her journey to publishing Nice to Eat You, how she helps support the illustration process, why wordplay appeals to her, and a lot more! To follow more of Karen's work you can visit her website karenyin.com, follow her on instagram @karensoffice, and purchase your own copy of Nice to Eat You or any of Karen's other work. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

    Another Conversation with Award-Winning Writer and Editor Karen Yin, Author of Nice to Eat You

  7. Jul 13

    The Magical History of Ching Ling Foo vs Chung Ling Soo

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 28! Sometimes our topical episodes are focused on the obscure history of Asian Pacific Islanders. Sometimes our topical episodes are focused on the weird history of Asian Pacific Islanders. For this episode, it's Asian Pacific history that is both obscure and weird. When it comes to the magicians Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo, this is a history that might be the first instance of yellow face in popular entertainment.  Born Zhu Liankui in China during the Qing Dynasty around 1854, the entertainer Ching Ling Foo was relatively successful stage magician who toured America, Europe, and much of the world. Chung Ling Soo pretended to be the same. In the nineteenth century, it wasn't unusual for European nations to not really have much experience with people of Asian Pacific descent. This is a story full of magic, identity theft, and challenges. To learn the rest of the history, you'll have to listen to the episode.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro: Memories of Magic 02:40 The Magical History of Ching Ling Foo vs Chung Ling Soo

    The Magical History of Ching Ling Foo vs Chung Ling Soo

  8. Jul 6

    A Conversation with Cartoonist, Writer, Illustrator Miles Toriko Burks, the Creator of the Graphic Novel Encore!

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 27! Our guest this episode is Miles Toriko Burks. He's a California-based cartoonist, writer, and illustrator whose work focuses on heartfelt stories about identity, friendship, queer joy, and emotional vulnerability. His debut print graphic novel Encore! was released June 2, 2026 through HarperAlley. It's the print adaptation of his very popular Webtoon series of the same name.  Encore! is a queer YA rom-com about two former best friends reconnecting during a shared high school theater class, and after they're partnered up, they need to confront the unresolved feelings and emotional distance between them. The story has already drawn comparisons to works like Heartstopper for its warmth, sincerity, and focus on emotional connection. A lifelong artist, Burks first gained a loyal viewership online through fan comics and digital illustration before transitioning into original storytelling on Webtoon. This is where his story Encore! developed a devoted following. His work blends expressive artwork with deeply relatable coming-of-age themes, often centering characters from underrepresented backgrounds and exploring how relationships evolve over time. We love how Miles is focused on creating stories featuring characters who reflect identities and experiences that he rarely saw growing up. He creates diverse stories without focusing on all the representation he includes.  In our conversation we talk about the inspiration for Encore!, how he developed his artistic style, the conversations he hopes he inspires with his work, the impact of social media and Webtoon on feedback, the importance of queer joy, and so much more. To learn more about Miles Toriko Burks, you can visit his website at milestburks.com, follow him on instagram @milestburks, purchase your own copy of Encore!, or see his work on Webtoon. We'll link to these in our show notes.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

    A Conversation with Cartoonist, Writer, Illustrator Miles Toriko Burks, the Creator of the Graphic Novel Encore!
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4.9
out of 5
95 Ratings

About

Asian American History 101 is a fun, family-friendly, and informative podcast co-hosted by Gen and Ted Lai, the daughter and father team. The podcast will entertain and educate people as Gen and Ted dive into the vast history of Asian Pacific Americans from the struggles they faced to their contributions and triumphs. And sometimes we cover topics of the Asian Pacific Diaspora globally.

Information

  • Creator
    Gen and Ted Lai
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    312
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Attribution Non-Commercial
  • Show Website
    Asian American History 101

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