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

    The History of API in Vaudeville, Part 2

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 43! In this episode, we continue with Part 2 of The History of API in Vaudeville. We talk about Tessie Chong and the Chong Sisters, The Chung Hwa Comedy Four, and Prince Lai Mon Kim. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, then we recommend going back and getting caught up if you want to hear about the history of Vaudeville, Lee Tung Foo, and Princess Jue Quon Tai.  We talk about their experiences as well as what little can be gleaned about their careers based on advertisements and historical Vaudeville playbills. Sadly, there weren't as many extensive records on these performers as there were about Lee Tung Foo or Princess Jue Quon Tai.  In our opening segment, we talk about some current events including some celebrations (Bruce Lee Way!). In our recurring segment, we bring back a favorite… Obscure API Comic Book Characters. This time, we talk about the Japanese American character Jolt! 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 and Current Events 05:35 The History of API in Vaudeville, Part 2 18:09 Obscure API Comic Book Characters: Jolt

    The History of API in Vaudeville, Part 2

  2. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: The Next Five

    Introducing Sovereignty, Data and Code: Who's in Control? from The Next Five. Follow the show: The Next Five Throughout history, statecraft was defined by borders, battlelines, and territory. In the 20th century, global power shifted to financial capital and energy reserves. Today, with the digital revolution well underway, does real authority now belong to those who control our data and code? And what does sovereignty now mean in a fast changing AI landscape? Back in the day it used to mean keeping data in a local server room. But today, frontier AI models are advancing at pace, some argue at a speed we can’t control and regulatory lines are being redrawn across the world to try and keep up. Governments and boardrooms now face a fundamental question: who’s controlling who? And what can we do about it? Joining host Tom Parker is Charlie Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO of Everpure, Sana Khareghani, Chief Strategy Officer at Era4, Professor of Practice in AI at King’s College London, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK and Former Head of UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence and Clare Schramm Fergus, Managing Director, Transaction Banking Technology Platforms, Lloyds Banking Group and Board Member of OpenUK. Sources: FT Resources, Wired, TAIDE, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, UK GOV Sovereign AI Fund, Politico This content is paid for by Everpure and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims expressed are those of the guests alone and have not been independently verified by The Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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: The Next Five

  3. Oct 19

    A Conversation with Award-Winning Creator and Educator Alina Chau, the Author of the Graphic Novel Monkey King Uproar in Heaven

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 42! Our guest this episode is Alina Chau, an award-winning author, illustrator, animator, filmmaker, and educator whose work combines cinematic storytelling with delicate, expressive watercolor art. Born in Xiamen, China, and raised from infancy in Hong Kong, Chau grew up in a Chinese-Indonesian family during the British colonial era.  She studied digital graphic communication at Hong Kong Baptist University before moving to California and earning an MFA in Animation from UCLA. Her student thesis, "E=mc²," won a student Emmy, while an earlier film inspired by her children's-rights activism was donated to the United Nations. Chau went on to spend more than a decade in animation and video games, contributing to projects including "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Ben 10," "Gears of War," "God of War," and "The Tale of Despereaux." She began to illustrate by hand as a therapeutic outlet, and as her work began gaining attention, she eventually was able to leave studio production for an independent career. Eventually, she found a home in children's publishing, illustrating acclaimed books including The Nian Monster, The Rise and Falls of Jackie Chan, Bonnie's Rocket, and In the Spirit of a Dream. Her author-illustrator debut, Marshmallow & Jordan, earned honors including Japan's Sakura Medal for Best Middle-Grade Graphic Novel. Her new graphic novel, Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven, retells the wild beginnings of Sun Wukong from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Chau blends Chinese art history, mythology, martial arts, physical comedy, and contemporary comics storytelling in a story about rebellion, identity, power, and belonging—and about what happens when an irrepressible outsider challenges an institution determined to put him in his place. In our conversation, Alina shares a little about her cultural journey, the research she had to do for the graphic novel, what she hopes readers get out of the story, the challenges with balancing adaptation of a beloved story, and so much more. To learn more about Alina Chau, you can visit her website alinachau.com, follow her on instagram @alinachau, and purchase Monkey King Uproar in Heaven or any of her other work. Enjoy the conversation! 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 Creator and Educator Alina Chau, the Author of the Graphic Novel Monkey King Uproar in Heaven

  4. Oct 12

    A Conversation with E.L. Shen, the Acclaimed Author of Foreigners

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 41! Our guest today is E. L. Shen, an acclaimed author and children's-book editor. Her novels have been recognized by the New York Public Library, the American Library Association, the Junior Library Guild, and Bank Street College of Education. Elizabeth "E. L." Shen is a Chinese American writer and children's-book editor whose fiction spans middle-grade, young-adult, and historical storytelling. Raised in the suburbs of Albany, she has described experiences of racist bullying while growing up. Her debut was The Comeback, and it was released in 2021; she is also the author of The Queens of New York and Maybe It's a Sign. Her latest novel is Foreigners, which was released on September 22, 2026. It expands those themes into a multigenerational historical novel. It follows the Chin family through three timelines: Duanfang in 1878, protecting his Manchu family's legacy; Zheng Yi in 1965, arriving from Taiwan for college in New York and confronting prejudice, romance, and a life-altering decision; and present-day Dawn Chin, whose assignment to interview her grandmother exposes centuries of family secrets and a foundational lie. In our conversation, Elizabeth shares a little about her journey to being a professional author, the inspiration for Foreigners, what she hopes readers consider when it comes to identity, the challenges and benefits writing from multiple perspectives, and so much more. To learn more about E.L. Shen, you can visit elshenwrites.com, follow her on Instagram @elshenwrites, and purchase your own copy of Foreigners or any of her other titles. 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 E.L. Shen, the Acclaimed Author of Foreigners

  5. Oct 5

    The History of Asian Pacific Vaudeville Performers, Part 1

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 40! In this episode, we begin a multi-part series on Asian Pacific Vaudeville Performers. Vaudeville was a fascinating outlet for people who wanted to be entertained back in the early 1900s. Historians have called it America's first mass entertainment industry because almost everyone, regardless of age or social class, had some connection to it. At its height during the early 1900s, thousands of performers toured hundreds of theaters across the United States and Canada. Although the acts were dominated by white Americans, Asian American and Pacific Islander performers were present, even if their stories have largely been forgotten. In Part 1, we talk about Vaudeville in general and focus on two performers… Lee Tung Foo and Princess Jue Quon Tai. They worked hard to break out of the restrictive stereotypes of Chinese Americans that many people held.  In our recurring segment, we do another installment of "What Are We Reading?" This time we focus on the books Paper Performance by Ju Yon Kim and Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang. 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… Talking About Theatre 05:21 The History of Asian Pacific Vaudeville Performers, Part 1 23:24 What Are We Reading? Paper Performance by Ju Yon Kim and Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang

    The History of Asian Pacific Vaudeville Performers, Part 1

  6. Sep 28

    A Conversation with Acclaimed Writer Autumn Krause, Author of The Gods Will Sing Our Song

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 39! Our guest today is acclaimed author Autumn Krause. Her books blend fantasy, gothic storytelling, folklore, romance, and history… often with characters trying to find their place in their world while encountering forces much bigger than themselves. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Autumn has described herself as a gothic romantic at heart. She's our first guest who has worked in the bridal industry, a background she talks about a little in the conversation. Her experience as a bridal gown stylist in Beverly Hills helped inspire her first novel, A Dress for the Wicked, published in 2019, which transported the glamour and competition of high fashion into a fantastical Victorian-inspired world. She's also the author of Before the Devil Knows You're Here, that combines American folklore, horror, romance, and Mexican American identity in a reimagining of legends like Johnny Appleseed as well as Grave Flowers, that is a gothic fantasy filled with twin princesses, murder, court intrigue, and some very dangerous flowers. Her latest work, The Gods Will Sing Our Song mixes mythology, history, romance, and her own Japanese American family story. Set during the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, the novel has already earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. The story follows Ren and Violet, two teenagers who have varying outlooks on life, family, and more. As they meet and grow closer during their time at Manzanar, they also encounter supernatural beings, racism, Japanese folklore, and ancient magic. In our conversation, we talk about Autumn's background, what inspired her to write The Gods Will Sing Our Song, what she hopes readers get out of it, her family's experience in the Gila River "camp", the challenges of writing a dual perspective book, and so much more. To learn more about Autumn, you can visit her website autumnkrause.com, follow her on instagram @autumn__krause, and purchase The Gods Will Sing Our Song. Don't forget to checkout the Conversation Resources which are great for the classroom or for the family. Enjoy the Conversation. 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 Acclaimed Writer Autumn Krause, Author of The Gods Will Sing Our Song

  7. Sep 21

    A History of the Romani People… Roots in India and Routes Around the World

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 38! In this episode, we're looking at a diaspora that most people probably don't associate with Asia at all: the Romani people, or Roma. Previously known as "Gypsies" this is a term that's become degrading for some, and it's not the identity term that most Roma people choose. The ancestors of today's Romani people actually came from South Asia. From there, their descendants traveled through western Asia and eventually into Europe, and later to North and South America and other parts of the world… including the U.S. and Canada. We'll look at different Romani communities, their traditions, what remains from their South Asian origins, and the remarkable ways Romani culture adapted to the places where people settled. In our recurring segment, we'll celebrate some of the U.S. Open players of Asian descent as well as the recent Emmy wins for Hiro Murai.  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 02:09 A History of the Romani People… Roots in India and Routes Around the World 27:24 Celebration of the Emmy Awards and U.S. Open

    A History of the Romani People… Roots in India and Routes Around the World

  8. Sep 14

    A Conversation with Cassandra Lam the Founder of Mama Lams Malaysian Sauces

    Welcome to Season 6, Episode 37! Our guest today is Cassandra Lam, the Founder of Mama Lam's, the first American business to produce, package, and distribute a Malaysian curry paste. Raised in New York City, Cassandra launched the company to create a taste of their homeland in their new home in America. We were inspired to learn about how their self-funded, self-produced venture could take the various sauces and authentic flavors that Mama Lam made at home to create a unique taste that honors their Malaysian heritage for anyone to try. Since launching their Malaysian Traditional Medium Curry Paste in 2016, they've also added a peanut satay paste, a sambar belecan (aka hot sauce), chili oil, and pandan kaya. They even have several vegan variations too! You can order directly from their website or find them through their store locator. They're sold through about 137 locations across the U.S. Once you get some of their high quality sauces, then you can visit their Recipes page to see how others are using them.  In our conversation we talk about how they got their start, expansion of products, some of the challenges of scaling to sell consumer packaged goods, difficulties with creating vegan versions, plans for focusing on different cities, and so much more. To learn more about Mama Lam's authentic Malaysian sauces, you can visit their website mamalams.com, follow them on instagram @mamalams, purchase some of their sauces, and even just get inspired by their recipe section. Enjoy the conversation.  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 Cassandra Lam the Founder of Mama Lams Malaysian Sauces
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4.9
out of 5
96 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
    322
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Attribution Non-Commercial
  • Show Website
    Asian American History 101

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