The Bánh Mì Chronicles

Randy Kim
  • 4.8 (32)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Bánh Mì Chronicles: A podcast where host Randy Kim breaks bread with Asian (American) and BIPOC creatives to explore their work, their communities, and future-making impact. Subscribe to my Substack: randykim.substack.com for more content!

  1. 3D AGO

    A Decade in the Works: Catching up with Anton Hur

    Award-winning, critically acclaimed queer Korean author and literary translator Anton Hur makes a special appearance on this episode from Australia, where he’s currently doing his residency. I’ve known Anton for the past 10+ years, and have watched his ascending rise in the Korean and Western literary world. I asked him questions about his debut fiction novel, Toward Eternity, and what he has learned as an author after years of translating successful Korean literature for an English-speaking audience. We chatted about the art of translation in literature, AI’s consequential effects on writers, the responsibility of speaking out on social issues, Palestine, and anti-authoritarianism, Mariah Carey’s legacy, and more. Check this episode out, and follow Anton Hur’s work! Bio: Anton Hur is the author of Toward Eternity (HarperVia) and No One Told Me Not To (Across Books). He was born in Stockholm and currently resides in Seoul. He studied law and psychology at Korea University and specialized in Victorian poetry at the Seoul National University Graduate School English program under Dr. Nancy Jiwon Cho. He won a PEN Translates grant for his translation of The Underground Village by Kang Kyeong-ae and a PEN/Heim grant for Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny, the latter of which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature. His translation of Sang Young Park’s Love in the Big City was also longlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, making him the third translator in history to be double-longlisted in the same year, and he also judged the prize in 2025. Love in the Big City was also longlisted for the 2023 Dublin Literary Award, which Anton also judged in 2024. His translations of Kyung-Sook Shin’s Violets and Lee Seong-bok’s Indeterminate Inflorescence were consecutively longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Awards. His other translations include Kyung-Sook Shin’s The Court Dancer, Violets, and I Went to See My Father, Sung-Il Kim’s Bleeding Empire series, Kim Choyeop’s If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, and Baek Sehee’s international bestseller I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki and its sequel. His co-translation of Beyond the Story: 10-Year History of BTS debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. He has taught at the British Centre for Literary Translation, the Ewha University Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, and the Bread Loaf Translators Conference. Anton is represented by Safae El-Ouahabi at Rogers Coleridge & White in London. Website: AntonHur.com Instagram: AntonHur Bluesky: @ antonhur.com

    1h 18m

  2. MAR 2

    Finding Abundance In My Identities w/Poet & Professor Travis C. Lau

    I’ve known Travis C. Lau since the beginning of the pandemic, as we follow each other on social media. My interview with him for this episode was the first real conversation I’ve had with him. From the moment I hit record, we hit it off like long-lost siblings discovering new things about each other. In this episode, Travis looks back on his complicated relationship with his parents and his relationship with the queer community during his college days, and how that affected his relationship to his own queer Chinese identity. We chatted about his poetry and how his disability and neurodivergence have impacted his work and a deeper understanding of himself. Travis talked about his friendship with the late Alice Wong, a disabled Asian American disability activist and author, and how he wants to remember her. Also, he treats us to a reading of one of his poems. Travis Chi Wing Lau (he/him/his) is Assistant Professor of English at Kenyon College. His research and teaching focus on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature and culture, health humanities, and disability studies. Alongside his scholarship, he has been published widely in venues of public scholarship and poetry, including three chapbooks--The Bone Setter (Damaged Goods Press, 2019), Paring (Finishing Line Press, 2020), Vagaries (Fork Tine Press, 2022)--and a full-length collection of poems, What’s Left Is Tender (Harbor Editions, 2025). He is also co-editor of Every Place on the Map Is Disabled, an anthology of disability poetry and poetics, published with Northwestern University Press in 2026. He was the winner of the Christopher Hewitt Award for Poetry (2019), recipient of the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Artists Elevated Award in Literature (2024), and the Ohio Arts Council's Artists with Disabilities Access Program Grant (2025). [travisclau.com] IG: travisclau Bio:

    1h 19m

  3. FEB 23

    Uncovering the Untold Survivor Stories w/Jenny Chan

    TW/CW: Discussion of G*nocide, State-Sanctioned V*olence, Racism Jenny Chan, Executive Director of Pacific Atrocities Education (PAE), joins me as a guest for this week’s episode as we discuss the many parts of Asian American history during the 19th century to pre-World War 2 that have been forgotten in US History, and the racialized harm and v*olence that Asian Americans experienced during that time. Jenny dives into the Asian Pacific Wars that were happening during WW2, specifically imperial Japan’s atrocities, which include the Nanking Massacre, the Bataan Death March, and the Korean and Chinese comfort women. She brings up how necessary it is to share all of this history to gain a deeper understanding of what we are all seeing today in the US and across the globe. Tune in to learn more about this discussion. Jenny Chan is the director of Pacific Atrocities Education (PAE), a San Francisco-based nonprofit she established in 2014 to raise awareness of World War II atrocities in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the Nanjing Massacre, Unit 731, and the "comfort women" system, through books, videos, and digitized archives that have engaged over 800,000 online visitors annually. Under her leadership, PAE's internship program—offering opportunities in research, community outreach, digital archiving, and oral history—has profoundly shaped participants' careers, with several former interns advancing to become professors and scholars. Visit Pacific Atrocities Education Instagram: pacificatrocitiesedu Facebook:Pacific Atrocities Education Bio:For More:

    53 min

  4. FEB 6

    EMERGENCY EPISODE: Impact of ICE Raids in the Southeast Asian Communities w/ Quyen Dinh

    TW/CW: ICE Raid violence, imprisonment, and deportation Recorded on 2/5/2026, 9:05 am Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of SEARAC (The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center)joins me as a guest for this emergency episode regarding the current ICE raids happening in Minnesota and across the US. In Minneapolis-St Paul, ICE and CBP have been doubling down efforts to detain residents, including those with legal status, and have been under major scrutiny for the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The SE Asian communities, home to many Hmong, Lao, Cambodian, and Vietnamese residents, have faced threats from ICE and CBP agents, and the deportations among that particular group have escalated since the Trump 2.0 administration. We talk about the challenges and uncertainty with SE Asians who are being detained and going through the deportation process. We bring up Parady La, a Cambodian man who died under ICE custody earlier this year, and how his family is still searching for answers as to why he was denied medical care before his death. Quyen shares insights into what SEARAC and other SE Asian community organizations are doing in response to the ICE raids and ways to help protect their communities. Resources & Additional Information: SEARAC's website, FB.IG. BlueSkySEARAC resources for SEA refugees facing deportation pageMutual aid efforts:MinnesotaAAPIs United in the Twin CitiesHmong American Partnership’s mutual aid efforts Other mutual aidfundraisers.In Vietnam, Cambodia, and LaosCollective FreedomBa Lo ProjectKnow Your Rights materials in Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, or Vietnamese, or other Southeast Asian languages, you can visit MN8’s website. Click here for written resources or here for videos.SEAFN Deportation Resources

    40 min

  5. FEB 2

    Black Culture's Blueprint on Chicago w/Arionne Nettles

    To honor and celebrate Black History Month, I invited Chicago journalist and author Arionne Nettles to discuss her research and experience with Black Chicago’s long-lasting impact on Black culture through music, journalism, literature, politics, social justice, and so on. We talk about Chicago-based media magazine Jet’s impact on covering Emmett Till’s murder, which propelled the start of the Civil Rights Movement. From Buddy Guy to Gwendolyn Brooks, Kanye, to the Obamas, Nettles explains how Chicago has been the epicenter of creativity, innovation, and tenacity for Black creatives and leaders. We unabashedly talk about how Chicago is and will remain the best city in the world :-). Check it out! Get your copy of “We Are The Culture” now: Available on: Chicago Review Press , Independent Publishers Group , Barnes and Noble Also, please support Black-owned bookstores in Chicago: @ callandresponsechi @ semicolonchi @undergroundbooks @ slantoflightbooks Bio: Arionne Nettles is a professor, culture reporter, and audio aficionado who serves as the Garth C. Reeves Eminent Scholar chair and instructor for digital journalism at Florida A&M University. As a journalist, her stories often look into Chicago history, culture, gun violence, policing, and race & class disparities, and her work has appeared in the New York Times Opinion, Chicago Reader, The Trace, WTTW, and WBEZ. She is the author of We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything, published by Lawrence Hill Books/Chicago Review Press. Instagram: arionnenettles Website: https://arionne.com/

    51 min

  6. JAN 19

    Breaking the Silence: Accountability in Khmer Community Spaces w/Sina Sam

    TW/CW: Mentions of child exploitation, sexual violence towards women, fraud, and other potential community trauma. For this special episode, I invited my good friend, past guest, and longtime Khmer American community leader, Sina Sam, to the show to discuss the allegations made against Khmerican founder, Phatry Derek Pan, involving financial grifting, child exploitation & predatory behavior towards the Cambodian community both in America and in Cambodia. It is important to note that Phatry has not been charged or found guilty of these allegations, and that the information we are sharing is based on the experiences and stories shared by community members, which will remain confidential for safety purposes. Sina and I also chatted about the pervasive nature of the predatory and toxic behavior of some of the Khmer leaders and members in community spaces, and how the people who have been the recipients of their harm are often not believed, forced to leave their community space(s) or exit out of the work that they have been doing in the community, and not be able to see their abusers be held accountable, and not to mention, the trauma they have to endure long after. Sina shares her reflection on what accountability can look like in community spaces and in supporting survivors. Many thanks to Sophia Sam for her contributions in this episode and for gathering stories from folks who have experienced harm in Khmer community spaces. For additional resources, please check out the following: Individual Khmer therapists: Recommended by Krystal from Mealea Collection: Zona Keo (LCSW) at soulfulconnectiontherapy.org (U.S. based) Sophay (Pai) Duch (LCSW) at sophayduchlcsw.com (U.S. based) Sombok Psychology in Phnom Penh (Cambodia based, echoed by another Khmer person as “the only trusted therapy center in PH) Yo Phon (LCSW) in Siem Reap (Cambodia based, recommended by Mealyann Nita Saing/Miss Cambodia USA) Additional resources and support (provided by Sina Sam) Feedback, questions on this episode? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScB_aCuGzrqmaNvYVwt4jCoIaHPlzpVijix7nTIZCflfc3Osg/viewform

    1h 28m

  7. JAN 12

    Hot Girls With Balls w/Benedict Nguyen

    This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, I did a total kiki with the multi-talented writer, dancer, and creative benedict nguyễn (she/her). Benedict joined me as we dived deep into the genesis of her debut novel, Hot Girls With Balls (Catapult 2025). We explore the nuances of writing trans stories that center joy and athleticism, the reality of navigating social media as a public-facing creative, and why finding the right publisher and community spaces are essential for queer and trans writers of color. In this episode, we discuss: The Genesis of the Novel: How Hot Girls With Balls went from an idea to a USA Today National Bestseller. Trans Athletes & Representation: Crafting a story that honors the reality of trans athletes beyond the headlines. The Dancer Life: Benedict’s background as a dancer and how movement informs her writing. Social Media & Community: Navigating the digital landscape and finding genuine connection through promoting her book. The Publishing Industry: The importance of working with publishers who advocate and support QTPOC voices. About benedict: benedict nguyễn (she/her) is a #freelanceflailing dancer, writer, and creative producer. A Publishers Weekly 2025 “Writer to Watch,” Benedict is the author of the debut novel Hot Girls With Balls, an ABA Indie Next Pick and USA Today National Bestseller. She has danced in projects by Sally Silvers, Kris Seto, and Monstah Black, and appeared in the short film Don’t Fck with Bà* (2024). As a producer, she has supported projects at the New York Botanical Garden, Danspace Project, and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance! Her writing on labor and culture has appeared in The Baffler, Vanity Fair, and BOMB Magazine. Connect with Benedict Buy "Hot Girls With Balls" Here Website: https://benedict-nguyen.com/ Instagram: xbennyboo Support The Banh Mi Chronicles If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps other listeners find our community. Subscribe to my Substack Follow me on Instagram: BanhMi_Chronicles Support My Work

    40 min

  8. 12/22/2025

    Revisiting Yellow Fever Culture w/Kaila Yu

    (Trigger Warning: Mentions of S*xual Violence during this recording) This episode is the last of 2025! It brings me great joy to invite former pin-up model and lead singer of Nylon Pink, who recently released her memoir, “Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,” to wrap up the final podcast episode of 2025. Kaila recounts her experience as a former pin-up model in the early 2000s, within the import car world that was closely associated with the Asian American “AZN” culture. Think of Fast and the Furious, the souped-up 1998 Honda Civic. Bio: Kaila is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ was published this past August with Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing. She is also a luxury travel, food, and culture writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles, who has written for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and more. She’s a certified PADI scuba diver, freediver, and mermaid. Her former band, Nylon Pink, has toured in Australia: Melbourne and Sydney, played in Shanghai at the launch party for Havaianas in China, Costa Rica, played at the Hard Rock in Tokyo, Japan, Macau, China, and Penang, Malaysia. Follow: Instagram: kailayu TikTok: kaila.yu Website: www.kailayu.com

    47 min
See All (157)

Trailers

4.8
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

The Bánh Mì Chronicles: A podcast where host Randy Kim breaks bread with Asian (American) and BIPOC creatives to explore their work, their communities, and future-making impact. Subscribe to my Substack: randykim.substack.com for more content!

Information

  • Creator
    Randy Kim
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Randy Kim
  • Show Website
    The Bánh Mì Chronicles

You Might Also Like