VIRAL LOVE: Stories of Chinatown Resilience Xin Sheng Project

Most people don’t imagine Houston’s urban sprawl when they think of Chinatown. But Houston is the most diverse city in the U.S. for a reason—and its Chinatown/Asiatown community is no exception.

Sabrina is joined by Xin Sheng Project co-founder and Houston native Sunnie Liu as they explore the birthplace of Viet-Cajun crawfish, a Latin American grocery chain stocked with lychees and oyster sauce, and why the call to “support Asian businesses” is more complicated than it seems.

Written, recorded, and produced by Sabrina Lin. Edited by Brendon Lin and Sabrina Lin. Theme music composed and performed by Mark Fish. Additional audio sourced from Blue Dot Sessions and Tremolo Productions.

This podcast was produced as a part of the Xin Sheng Project, a digital initiative that publishes alternative, progressive perspectives on the most widely circulated issues on WeChat and among the Chinese diaspora. To learn more, visit www.xinshengproject.org.

VIRAL LOVE is made possible by funding from Projects for Peace.

What do we really mean when we say “anti-Asian violence”?

Sabrina heads to Los Angeles to speak with the team behind Chinatown Community for Equitable Development and some iconic LA Chinatown elders to learn more about why fighting for housing and economic justice is key to addressing anti-Asian violence. Also, bad karaoke.

Written, recorded, and produced by Sabrina Lin. Edited by Brendon Lin and Sabrina Lin. Theme music composed and performed by Mark Fish. Additional audio sourced from Blue Dot Sessions and Community Spaces.

This podcast was produced as a part of the Xin Sheng Project, a digital initiative that publishes alternative, progressive perspectives on the most widely circulated issues on WeChat and among the Chinese diaspora. To learn more, visit www.xinshengproject.org.

VIRAL LOVE is made possible by funding from Projects for Peace.

Other sources:

https://la.eater.com/2021/6/30/22554846/cced-la-chinatown-social-media-activism

https://laist.com/news/entertainment/destruction-las-original-chinatown-led-to-one-we-have-today

Oakland’s Chinatown might not be as well known as its San Francisco counterpart, but over the course of the pandemic, it became infamous for the viral clips of violence that originated on its streets. What’s really going on, and how is Chinatown grappling with this intense media scrutiny Join Sabrina as she speaks with Oakland-based organization Cut Fruit Collective to learn more about Oakland’s Chinatown as a living, breathing community—and the untold political history of the fortune cookie.

Written, recorded, and produced by Sabrina Lin. Edited by Brendon Lin and Sabrina Lin. Theme music composed and performed by Mark Fish. Additional music sourced from Blue Dot Sessions and Oakland Jazz Collective.

This podcast was produced as a part of the Xin Sheng Project, a digital initiative that publishes alternative, progressive perspectives on the most widely circulated issues on WeChat and among the Chinese diaspora. To learn more, visit www.xinshengproject.org.

VIRAL LOVE is made possible by funding from Projects for Peace.

Amidst the recent resurgence in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, what does the future hold for Chinatown communities across the country? While phrases like “racism is a virus” or “hate is a virus” have gained popularity over the course of the pandemic, VIRAL LOVE hopes to make room for joy by highlighting stories of community, resilience, and peace building in Oakland, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City. 

Premieres Wednesday, September 29. New episodes released every Wednesday.

Written, recorded, and produced by Sabrina Lin. Edited by Brendon Lin and Sabrina Lin. Theme music composed and performed by Mark Fish.

This podcast was produced as a part of the Xin Sheng Project, a digital initiative that publishes alternative, progressive perspectives on the most widely circulated issues on WeChat and among the Chinese diaspora. To learn more, visit www.xinshengproject.org/virallovepodcast.

VIRAL LOVE is made possible by funding from Projects for Peace.