Asian American History 101 Gen and Ted Lai

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 17! This is the next installment in our series on ethnic enclaves that have disappeared. Today we’re here to talk about The History of the Hawaiian Settlement of Iosepa, Utah. It was predominantly Hawaiian, but there were others from the Pacific Islands as well. Established in 1889 in Skull Valley, Utah, it was a place where Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders were able to gather in a safer, more supportive place that still kept them relatively close to Salt Lake City, Utah and the center of the Church of Latter Day Saints.
It’s hard to imagine going from the weather in Hawaii to the much harsher conditions of Skull Valley (especially in the summers and winters), but they did it… and they even thrived there for a time, growing the community from 46 to quite a few more. In this episode we share the challenges and triumphs of a community, and what eventually happened to them. To learn more about the area, you can check out the Iosepa Historical Association which is made of supporters and descendants of the original community. 
In our recurring segment, we share what we’re reading. For Ted it was the award-winning book Troublemaker by John Cho. For Gen it was the award-winning book Jade City, part of the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. Hear our thoughts on these two novels!
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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Segments
00:25 Reflecting on WonderCon and Ted in California 04:08 The History of the Hawaiian Settlement of Iosepa Utah 20:20 Reading Troublemaker and Jade City

Editors Note: We had an audio glitch in the original upload and have fixed it. 
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 16! This episode is about The History of the Buddhist Churches of America. Buddhism is one of the religions often associated with Asian countries and the people who come from Asian Pacific nations. And it’s for good reason, because it’s a religion that originates from those countries. When it comes to understanding Buddhism in America, it would be difficult to talk about the history without mentioning the Buddhist Churches of America, an organization that has its roots in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism that originated in the 13th century with the monk Shinran Shonin.
In this episode, we share a short background on Shin Buddhism, a general overview of Buddhism in America, and the long history of the Buddhist Churches of America and its impact in the Japanese American Community and beyond. Since World War II and the Japanese internment, the BCA has continued to adapt to the changing needs of different generations. To learn more, you can visit the BCA Website or visit one of their locations (they’re easy to find through the Temple Locator).
In our recurring segment, we share what we’ve been watching… The Brothers Sun on Netflix. This amazing show is an action-comedy-drama that is co-created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk. It stars Justin Chien, Sam Song Li, Michelle Yeoh, and a cast of so many other amazing Asian Pacific actors and actresses. Although it hasn’t been renewed for a 2nd season, it’s got great reviews and ratings, and it’s worth a watch. 
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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Segments
00:25 Catching Up and Remembering Akebono 05:29 The History of The Buddhist Churches of America 25:11 What Are We Watching? The Brothers Sun

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 15! Today’s guest is Kelisha Menon, the Public Relations and Partnerships Lead at Send Chinatown Love, the incredible organization that formed during the height of the pandemic when New York’s Chinatown businesses and the people who lived there were suffering the most. Already busy with a career in public relations, Kelisha is just one of many volunteers who have grown Send Chinatown Love to help more and more businesses in New York Chinatown. 
This passionate group of engineers, designers, creators, and storytellers came together with a common goal to save their Chinatown. And they worked with many of the businesses to launch their very first cookbook Made Here: Recipes and Reflections from NYC’s Asian Communities. To call it a cookbook is a little bit of a misnomer. It’s book filled with recipes, history, and cultural connections so readers can better understand the impact of these small business across New York’s Chinatown. 
You can help Send Chinatown Love and the Asian-owned New York City businesses too! Buy Made Here for yourself or friends and family, donate to Send Chinatown Love, or get involved as a volunteer (if you’re in New York City)… and listen to this conversation with Kelisha too (of course). 
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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 14! Today’s special guest is the talented and engaging actor Chen Tang. Born in Japan and raised in Guangxi, China as well as Memphis, Tennessee, Chen is best known for playing Hong in Warrior and Yao in the live action Mulan. Much like the character of Hong, Chen is an upbeat individual who is generous and multi-talented, and that comes through clearly in our conversation. 
Chen has been in several short films including Tumbler, The Wind Outside, The Company Man, When Mom Visits, and Finding Tomorrow. He has also had roles in Fresh Off the Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Outside of acting, he supports environmental conservation as well as the Cambodian Children’s Fund.
In our conversation, we had a chance to talk about his acting journey, what it’s like eating during scenes, his memories of the Deep South, what he learned through playing Hong, his hopes for storylines in Warrior Season 4, and so much more. We even had an expanded Rapid Fire segment with answers on what he misses from Memphis and Guangxi, who wins in a fight between Hong and Yao, his favorite action scene he’s filmed, and more. Check out Chen Tang on Instagram @chenlovesyall, keep watching Warrior, and ask Netflix to greenlight Season 4 of the show!
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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 13! Today’s guest is Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, an author, educator, speaker, and professional learning facilitator. Born in Bangkok, Thailand into a mixed-race Malaysian Chinese and white American family, she’s a classic “third culture kid.” She’s had a very diverse upbringing, living in various East and Southeast Asian countries as well as the Washington DC area. Sarah moved to the Deep South in 2009, and she has now lived there longer than anywhere else.
We’re so excited about the release of her book Exclusion and the Chinese American Story that is launching on March 26th 2024 (so available now!). It’s intended for middle grade students aged 10 and up, but it’s great for everyone. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story is part of the Race to the Truth series of books and helps tell the Chinese American experience in an engaging, relatable way for kids and adults to connect with. We love how she selected the narrative of what topics to include in the book… not to mention her use of deep questioning. Her intentionality and thoughtfulness makes the book so powerful. 
We talk about her thinking behind the questions, how she chose topics for the book, her hopes for the ways the book could be used, and a lot more. We also discuss her career, including reflections on her facilitation of workshops, common mistakes with Diversity and Inclusion, and even the session she does focused on Survivor (the TV Show). If you’re looking for a great book for kids (or the kid in you), pick up a copy of Exclusion and the Chinese American Story. You can also support and learn by visiting Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn’s site, following her on Instagram and LinkedIn, engaging her to help your workplace culture through diversity and inclusion, and listening to 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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 12! It’s Another Conversation with Award-Winning Author and Illustrator Grace Lin. It’s not hyperbole to say that Grace Lin is one of our favorite authors of all time… maybe that’s why we love any opportunity to talk with her, and it’s a great time for her return. We’re still enjoying Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods, and her first picture book in four years, Once Upon a Book! (co-written with Kate Messner), was just released on February 7th of this year.
In our conversation, Grace shares a little about both books and also talks about how she moves forward with ideas, the audiobook for Chinese Menu (narrated by Lisa Ling!), future work to look forward to, advice for parents who want to encourage creativity in their kids, and a lot more. Chinese Menu was on our holiday gift guide, and Once Upon a Book! would be a great gift too. You can learn more about Grace and support her work by visiting her site, buying her books, following her on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, and listening to this 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 social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.