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Recently, there has been a movement and national debate throughout the United States regarding the merit of Ethnic Studies in K-12 and post-secondary schools. In this episode, we interview three University of Washington students, Iris, Tyler, and Frederick, who have studied Asian American Studies under the supervision of Professor Connie So. They describe the impact and meaning of Ethnic Studies for our country’s history and how learning it has impacted their personal lives by providing a justification and perhaps even a necessity as a part of Asian Americans’ civic understanding and personal development. Iris, Tyler, and Frederick also share their challenges and struggles with school, classmates, and even family members in searching for their individual and community identification. Once you hear their stories, you’ll agree that claiming Asian American identity can’t fully occur without understanding the history that goes with it.




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"There is a saying that an injustice to one is an injustice to all. No one is truly equal and free until everyone is equal and free." - Helen Zia.

Helen Zia is a second-generation Chinese American activist and journalist. She was named one of the most influential Asian Americans of the decade by
A. Magazine. Award-winning writer and social justice activist, Helen Zia was a key spokesperson and organizer in the landmark civil rights movement for justice for Vincent Chin and is the Executor of the Lily and Vincent Chin Estate. Her role is documented in the Academy Award-nominated Who Killed Vincent Chin?

Helen has written articles, essays, op-ed pieces, and analyses about Asian Americans. She has been outspoken in this current pandemic of anti-Asian violence, appearing in the PBS series The Asian Americans; New York Times; USA Today's 100 Women of the Century; Washington Post's Race in America series; and Lisa Ling/CNN's This is Life, among others.

She also testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about media portrayals of Asian Americans. In 2010 she was a witness in the landmark case for marriage equality that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a co-founder of American Citizens for Justice.

In April 2023, Helen Zia launched the Vincent Chin Institute and release the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide to fight Hate in solidarity.

Some of Helen’s most famous works include her most recent book, Last Boat out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese who Fled Mao's Revolution, was an NPR Best Book of 2019. Her most definitive work on Asian American is through her book Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Published in 2000 the book was twice quoted by President Bill Clinton in his Rose Garden address and reprinted 22 times.


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For over 30 years, Madalene Mielke of Southeast Asian heritage, has been at the forefront of politically organizing the Asian American and other communities of color along with women throughout the country. Initially starting her political carrier working for the DNC in the mid "90s, Madalene quickly became recognized as a fundraising and political campaign authority in the early 2000's expanding her political alliances with Blacks, Latinos, and other important constituencies. Eventually, she assumed the role of CEO of the famous nonpartisan nonprofit Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies founded by the renowned former Secretary Norman Mineta. In that role, she has promoted a political active and civic engaged Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community, and has focused the organization on training and educating them on campaign skills, congressional staff positions and public policy in general. Please join AAUC's 29th Episode and learn about deliberate and effective way that APAICS and Madalene are making a real difference in preparing our future community leaders to assume the roles of leadership in the public arena.


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AAUC's Podcast this May examines a nationally growing trend regarding legislation that attempts to refute what's known as the "caste system". Our interview with Suhag Shukla, a Constitutional law authority, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Hindu America in Foundation, provides a revealing and in-depth examination and explanation of the origin and history of "caste". She also describes the attempts statutorily refute it in addition to the legal and practical issues and consequences that result. Is this concept that was conceived in Europe, employed in Asia, and now alleged to be a problem that should be addressed in America? Join our Podcast and hear Suhag provide an authoritative analysis of why this issue is being debated and the potential consequences of attempted remedies that may be unintended. Will this effort promote or discourage discrimination? The subject is one that is just now starting to be publicly debated and will be even more so in the future.


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This month's episode is truly fascinating. It is about KaYing Yang's evolving self-identity while at the same time having a stellar carrier as a national/international non-profit leader and activist. Hear how arriving in the late '70's in the mid-US as a 7-year-old Hmong refugee child, KaYing had an innate sense of justice and community that lead her to the pinnacle the non-profit world in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., and even in Laos and Thailand. Hear how she adapted to her new country while supporting her ethnic community at the same time, and all the while evolving and developing a new and ever expanding self-identity. From working on local community issues in Minnesota and Wisconsin to national and international policy and services, KaYing's experiences of growing up in the US and then working and living in Laos and Thailand for 10 years provides her with a unique perspective of being Hmong, Asian and Asian-American, along with what is home for her community and herself. I hope this interview provides everyone with insights into themselves and all of our communities of ways that will have an impact on how we can achieve our own individual and community American Dream.




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Perhaps one of the most threatening exclusionary efforts by a State in the last 80-100 years, the Texas Legislature is considering at least 3 bills that exclude the rights of people solely based upon their country of origin. Please join our interview with Alice Yi and Ling Luo, two Texas community leaders who, along with their allies, have confronted and opposed this legislation that many say harken back to the Exclusionary Laws of the 19th and 20th centuries. Hear the amazing story of how in less than 2 months Alice, Ling, and others have effectively consolidated and coordinated thousands of supporters in letter writing, lobbying, and demonstrating in advocating that individuals committing no wrong are being targeted for financial restrictions without any legal basis. Hear this story that describes a threat and affront to established civil, Constitutional and human rights.






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