ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST

Ken Fong

Ken Fong gets to the heart of Asian American culture, history, and spirituality. Through interviews with culture-makers and -shapers in the Asian American community -- some you know, others you've never heard of before -- prepare to laugh, cry, and be amazed.

  1. EP 597: Media Mogul & Trailblazer Yue-Sai Kan On How She Changed the Media (and Beauty Standards) of 400 Million People

    18h ago

    EP 597: Media Mogul & Trailblazer Yue-Sai Kan On How She Changed the Media (and Beauty Standards) of 400 Million People

    This week on Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast, host Ken Fong welcomes legendary media mogul, entrepreneur, and humanitarian Yue-Sai Kan. Dubbed by People magazine as "the most famous woman in China" and Time as "the Queen of the Middle Kingdom," Yue-Sai has spent over four decades serving as a definitive cultural bridge between the East and the West. In this episode, Yue-Sai opens up about her deeply personal and illuminating memoir, The Most Famous Woman in China. She revisits the 1980s when she first stepped into a monochromatic, closed-off China to host the groundbreaking television series One World, broadcasting to over 400 million households weekly, which also helped her revolutionize the beauty industry in China.

    56 min
  2. You Might Also Like: The Science of Happiness

    19h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: The Science of Happiness

    Introducing How Cities Can Make Space for Awe from The Science of Happiness. Follow the show: The Science of Happiness A simple experiment turning a parking space into a parklet reveals how small changes to public spaces can spark connection, belonging, and awe.  Summary: What if even the smallest changes to our cities could transform how we feel and connect? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we visit the site of San Francisco’s first parklet, and explore how reclaiming everyday spaces can invite people to pause, gather, and experience a sense of belonging. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Today’s Guests: BLAINE MERKER is an urban designer and public space advocate. He leads Gehl’s Enterprise & Corporations team. Learn more about Blaine here: https://www.gehlpeople.com/people/blaine-merker/ SETHA LOW is an anthropologist and Professor at City University of New York. She’s also the author of the book Why Public Space Matters, as well as many other books examining the social life of cities. Learn more about Setha here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/setha-low This episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.org Related Science of Happiness episodes: What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h Related Happiness Break episodes: How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3 Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5 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.

  3. EP 596: Sneha Villalva On Cutting To The Essence Of Who Truly You Are

    May 31

    EP 596: Sneha Villalva On Cutting To The Essence Of Who Truly You Are

    In this episode of Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast, host Ken Fong sits down with multi-talented storyteller, speaker, and former journalist Sneha Villalva to celebrate the release of her debut book, Cut to the Essence: Subtract Overload, Add Clarity, Live Renewed. Modern life systematically bombards us with excess—from overloaded schedules and information fatigue to emotional baggage—ultimately fracturing our focus and pulling us away from our authentic selves. Sneha flips the script on conventional self-help, arguing that true fulfillment isn't found by constantly adding more to our plates, but by intentionally subtracting the noise to uncover what is truly essential.

    52 min

  4. May 24

    EP 595: Writer/Director Jing Ai Ng On What It's Taken To Bring "Forge"--Her First Feature Film--To Theaters

    In this episode, we sit down with writer and director Jing Ai Ng to discuss her feature directorial debut, Forge. Fresh off its world premiere at SXSW, this stylish crime dramedy dives into the neon-lit underworld of Miami's art scene, exploring the thin line between authenticity and ambition.

    46 min

  5. May 17

    EP 594: Alex Xander Luu On Performing His Autobiographical Solo Performance "Three Lives"

    On May 22-24, solo artist Alex Xander Luu will be performing his critically-acclaimed autobiographical solo performance Three Lives @SierraMadrePlayhouse in Southern California. Written, directed, and performed by Luu, Three Lives is a raw, funny, and deeply moving one-man show that blends spoken word, physicality, and sharp observation to explore the immigrant experience. First performed in 1989 and refined over more than two decades, it has toured nationally. It traces his family's escape from war-torn Saigon in 1975 and their search for identity in America, told through the intersecting perspectives of father, son, and grandson.

    1h 1m
  6. EP 593: Actors Trieu Tran and Iris Liu On Bringing the Story of Chinese Rocket Scientist Qian Xuesen to the Stage

    May 9

    EP 593: Actors Trieu Tran and Iris Liu On Bringing the Story of Chinese Rocket Scientist Qian Xuesen to the Stage

    A new play based on the true story of Qian Xuesen, the brilliant aerospace engineer from China who helped launch America's space age—until Cold War paranoia forever changed the course of his life...and ours. Qian Xuesen, a promising young engineer from China, travels to America in 1935 on a Boxer Indemnity Scholarship. Advancing quickly through the ranks at MIT and Caltech, he becomes a pioneer of the American space age, co-founding JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and helping the United States of America win World War II. Then, as extreme nationalism swells at the beginning of the Cold War, Xuesen finds himself accused of being a Communist, and what happens next shapes the future of both his new and native homelands. Developed by Henry Ong and director and dramaturg Diana Wyenn from 2016 until the playwright's passing in 2018, this production marks the long-awaited world premiere of the beloved playwright and LA Theater champion's prescient and timely final play. Inspired by true events and filled with Ong's signature blend of heart and humor, Ascent reveals how fear, extreme nationalism, and xenophobia affects individual lives, shapes political decisions, and overshadows truth—often with lasting global consequences.

    34 min

  7. May 3

    EP 592: Johnny Itliong On the Leadership & Legacy of His Father Larry Itliong

    Americans have had to remove the late Cesar Chavez from the pedestals we've put him on amidst a recent torrent of credible allegations aimed at him of sexual abuse, rape and pedophilia. This has resulted in a newfound interest in Larry Itliong, a Filipino American labor organizer who's often called the "Father of the West Coast Labor Movement." Until now, he's been unfairly overshadowed by the iconic Chavez, but Larry's son Johnny is relieved that more of the unabridged history of that movement is now finding an audience.

    46 min
  8. EP 591: Nicole Dowd On the Smithsonian's 4th Annual IlluminAsia Arts & Culture Festival_May 2026

    Apr 29

    EP 591: Nicole Dowd On the Smithsonian's 4th Annual IlluminAsia Arts & Culture Festival_May 2026

    In this episode, we sit down with Nicole Dowd, the Head of Public Programs at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to discuss the upcoming 2026 IlluminAsia Arts and Culture Festival. Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month and the U.S. 250th anniversary, this year's festival spotlights the power of Asian American storytelling through literature, film, and community connection. #IlluminAsiaFestival #aanhpi #aapi #koreanadoptee

    50 min
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4.8
out of 5
215 Ratings

About

Ken Fong gets to the heart of Asian American culture, history, and spirituality. Through interviews with culture-makers and -shapers in the Asian American community -- some you know, others you've never heard of before -- prepare to laugh, cry, and be amazed.

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