ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST
406 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 208 ratingsKen 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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Episodes
Ep 383: Amman Jordan AKA "Capnificent"
August 14, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 98.1 MBWhen you learn how Amman Jordan first came across my podcast, you might be shocked to hear that he initially thought I wasn't worth listening to (it had to do with what he thought I was saying about the movie "Black Panther.") To his credit, he hung in there and came to the opposite conclusion. Today, he loves my pod, and I'm so grateful to have a compadre like him in the effort to build a deep and lasting unity between African Americans and AAPIs, and with everyone else. Among things, this...
Ep 382: Mayly Tao AKA The Donut Princess
August 07, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBComing on the heels of her Great Uncle Ted Ngoy AKA The Donut King, Cambodian American Mayly Tao grew up watching her parents resurrect a dying donut shop in Santa Monica, CA. After college, Mayly worked to refresh the shop's image, and pioneered all kinds of new donuts. You'll also learn how she's harnessed her "Mayly Magic" after her parents finally retired and she sold the business.
Ep 381: Thai Co-Producer and Cast of "Thirteen Lives" Movie
August 04, 2022 20:31 - 53 minutes - 73.5 MBDirector Ron Howard's engrossing new movie "Thirteen Lives" takes us back to those weeks in 2018 where the world was holding its collective breath, wondering if the young Thai boys and their coach would ever be rescued from the flooded cave in Chang Rai. This episode gave me the unique opportunity to interview several of the key Thai players who've brought this gripping story back to life.
Ep 380: Jo Koy, Lydia Gaston & Hannah-Kalea Enriquez
July 31, 2022 16:57 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBThis episode highlights the hilarious and groundbreaking film "Easter Sunday," which opens in theaters on August 5th. Filipino American comedian Jo Koy, actress Lydia Gaston, and SIPA Director of Operations Hannah-Kalea Enriquez share why this new comedy will truly be a love letter to their community.
Ep 379: Christina Soontornvat & the "Thirteen Lives" Movie
July 25, 2022 16:01 - 1 hour - 88.3 MBBack in June and July of 2018, the entire world was transfixed with the drama playing out deep within the flooded chambers of the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. Twelve young teens and their soccer coach found themselves trapped over two miles deep and half a mile down. Legendary director Ron Howard's newest film "Thirteen Lives" moves us to relive those unforgettable challenges, obstacles, sacrifices, and acts of heroism. And award-winning author Chris...
Ep 378: Justin Chung on Living Out Restorative Justice
July 17, 2022 17:24 - 1 hour - 99.9 MBIn 2007 18-year-old Justin Chung was sentenced to 82 years to life for the murder of one person and the shooting of another when he was part of a Korean American gang less than two years earlier. Throughout the 15 years that he spent behind bars, he refused to affiliate with any gang, renounced all violence, earned his GED and college diploma, and deepened his Christian faith. As a result, he was granted parole and California's Gov. Newsome commuted his life sentence to time served. Howeve...
Ep 378: Justin Chung
July 17, 2022 17:24 - 1 hour - 99.9 MBIn 2007 18-year-old Justin Chung was sentenced to 82 years to life for the murder of one person and the shooting of another when he was part of a Korean American gang less than two years earlier. Throughout the 15 years that he spent behind bars, he refused to affiliate with any gang, renounced all violence, earned his GED and college diploma, and deepened his Christian faith. As a result, he was granted parole and California's Gov. Newsome commuted his life sentence to time served. Howeve...
Ep 377: Marie Myung-Ok Lee on "The Evening Hero" and the Unbelievable Development in Her Autistic Son's Ability to Communicate
July 10, 2022 14:44 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBMarie is a Korean American award-winning, widely published writer and author. In this episode she explains why it took her eighteen years to publish "The Evening Hero," her first novel for adults. And in the last portion of this interview, she reveals the recent astounding development in her autistic young adult son's ability finally to communicate.
Ep 377: Marie Myung-Ok Lee
July 10, 2022 14:44 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBMarie is a Korean American award-winning, widely published writer and author. In this episode she explains why it took her eighteen years to publish "The Evening Hero," her first novel for adults. And in the last portion of this interview, she reveals the recent astounding development in her autistic young adult son's ability finally to communicate.
Ep 376: Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil on "Becoming Brave" and Why She No Longer Minces Words About Reconciliation When In Front of White People
July 03, 2022 21:03 - 1 hour - 94.4 MBDr. McNeil has long been one of the leading Christian voices on racial reconciliation. She's spoken to tens of thousands of people, written several books on the topic, and teaches the subject at Seattle Pacific University. However, when 81% of white Evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016, Brenda decided she would no longer mince words when in front of them. She's also taken the bold step to include queer and trans people in the mission of reconciliation.
Ep 376: Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil
July 03, 2022 21:03 - 1 hour - 94.4 MBDr. McNeil has long been one of the leading Christian voices on racial reconciliation. She's spoken to tens of thousands of people, written several books on the topic, and teaches the subject at Seattle Pacific University. However, when 81% of white Evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016, Brenda decided she would no longer mince words when in front of them. She's also taken the bold step to include queer and trans people in the mission of reconciliation.
Ep 375: The Two Kens_The End of Roe v Wade
June 26, 2022 13:00 - 42 minutes - 58.7 MBIn this latest collaborative episode you'll hear Ken Kemp share some key takeaways from his second Civil Rights pilgrimage, and then we jump right into reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to vacate Roe v Wade.
Ep 374: Dr. Kat Lieu on "Modern Asian Baking at Home" and Her Journey to Create the Subtle Asian Baking Global Community
June 19, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBRelocating to the Pacific Northwest and then the pandemic prompted physical therapist Dr. Kat Lieu to begin experimenting with Asian baked desserts in her new kitchen. That was 2020, and today she oversees the Subtle Asian Baking global community and has just authored the "Modern Asian Baking at Home" cookbook.
Ep 374: Dr. Kat Lieu
June 19, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBRelocating to the Pacific Northwest and then the pandemic prompted physical therapist Dr. Kat Lieu to begin experimenting with Asian baked desserts in her new kitchen. That was 2020, and today she oversees the Subtle Asian Baking global community and has just authored the "Modern Asian Baking at Home" cookbook.
Ep 373: Aiden Aizumi on Becoming and Being a Trans-male
June 13, 2022 02:13 - 1 hour - 107 MBTo celebrate PRIDE Month this year I finally landed the amazing Aiden Aizumi, a Japanese American trans-male who lives and works here in the LA area. His story is not only a testament to his courage and determination, but also how crucial it is to belong to a loving and supportive family.
Ep 373: Aiden Aizumi
June 13, 2022 02:13 - 1 hour - 107 MBTo celebrate PRIDE Month this year I finally landed the amazing Aiden Aizumi, a Japanese American trans-male who lives and works here in the LA area. His story is not only a testament to his courage and determination, but also how crucial it is to belong to a loving and supportive family.
Ep 372: Simone Heng on Making Better Connections
June 05, 2022 06:17 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBAll of us are hardwired from birth to seek meaningful connections, which is why we get so frustrated when we fail to make them or keep them. Singapore-based human connection specialist Simone Heng is traveling the world again, in order to help us all make better connections. She graciously shares her lessons with me in this episode.
Ep 372: Simone Heng
June 05, 2022 06:17 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBAll of us are hardwired from birth to seek meaningful connections, which is why we get so frustrated when we fail to make them or keep them. Singapore-based human connection specialist Simone Heng is traveling the world again, in order to help us all make better connections. She graciously shares her lessons with me in this episode.
Ep 371: Phil Yu & Jeff Yang on the "Rise" of Asian American Culture from the Nineties Till Today
May 29, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 93.5 MBMy conversation this episode is with Phil Yu and Jeff Yang, who partnered with Philip Wang to write and curate the first definitive book about the increasing prominence of Asian American culture from the Nineties till today. Much more than a descriptive history of this unprecedented surge, their amazing book "RISE" oftentimes gives the reader experiences of the culture itself!
Ep 371: Phil Yu & Jeff Yang
May 29, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 93.5 MBMy conversation this episode is with Phil Yu and Jeff Yang, who partnered with Philip Wang to write and curate the first definitive book about the increasing prominence of Asian American culture from the Nineties till today. Much more than a descriptive history of this unprecedented surge, their amazing book "RISE" oftentimes gives the reader experiences of the culture itself!
Ep 370: Dale Minami on Overturning the Conviction of Fred Korematsu
May 22, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBAttorney Dale Minami is most known for leading the legal team that overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu. Forty years earlier, Korematsu had defiantly disobyed Executive Order 9066--which unjustly incarcerated over 100,0000 Japanese Americans during World War II-- which led to Korematsu v. United States, widely considered one of the worst and most racist SCOTUS decisions in American history.
Ep 370: Dale Minami
May 22, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBAttorney Dale Minami is most known for leading the legal team that overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu. Forty years earlier, Korematsu had defiantly disobyed Executive Order 9066--which unjustly incarcerated over 100,0000 Japanese Americans during World War II-- which led to Korematsu v. United States, widely considered one of the worst and most racist SCOTUS decisions in American history.
Ep 369: The Two Kens - Let's Replace Tucker!
May 19, 2022 21:13 - 46 minutes - 63.7 MBAccording to the Dept of Homeland Security, domestic terrorism is a greater threat to the safety and well-being of Americans today than any potential outside forces. The recent mass-shooting and killing of Black Americans in Buffalo, NY, is just the latest terrorist attack. The young white gunman's rage was fueled by something called "the great replacement" theory. The Two Kens decided that it was time to talk about this.
Ep 368: Dennis Dun on His Long Career As an Asian American Actor
May 15, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBActor Dennis Dun is seared in our collective memories from his iconic role in "Big Trouble in LIttle China" (1986), but before he hit the big screen, he was learning his craft on stages in the Bay Area. In this episode he shares why he jumped at the chance to return to the stage in "King of the Yees," while also recounting how Director John Carpenter cast him in "BTILC," which soon became a cult classic.
Ep 368: Dennis Dun
May 15, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBActor Dennis Dun is seared in our collective memories from his iconic role in "Big Trouble in LIttle China" (1986), but before he hit the big screen, he was learning his craft on stages in the Bay Area. In this episode he shares why he jumped at the chance to return to the stage in "King of the Yees," while also recounting how Director John Carpenter cast him in "BTILC," which soon became a cult classic.
Ep 367: June Millington on Being One of Two Filipina American Sisters Who Formed First Critically Acclaimed All-female Rock Band "Fanny"
May 08, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBMany fans of rock and roll somehow either missed "Fanny," or forgot about this first commercially viable, critically acclaimed all-female rock band, founded and fronted by Filipina Americans sisters June and Jean Millington. I tracked June down and she packed in more stories in her episode than any other guest!
Ep 367: June Millington
May 08, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBMany fans of rock and roll somehow either missed "Fanny," or forgot about this first commercially viable, critically acclaimed all-female rock band, founded and fronted by Filipina Americans sisters June and Jean Millington. I tracked June down and she packed in more stories in her episode than any other guest!
Ep 366: Patrick Hare on Being a Criminal Defense Attorney and Running to Be a Superior Court Judge
May 08, 2022 06:03 - 57 minutes - 78.6 MBThis is a special episode for several reasons: My friend Patrick Hare is on the ballot in LA County to be a Superior Court Judge; the election is a month away on June 7th, but voters can mail in their ballots early; he would bring some unique and needed perspectives to the bench; I believe that once you hear from him, many of you will cast your vote for him, too. And even if don't live in LA County, I think you'll find Patrick to be a fascinating person and our conversation to be worth a li...
Ep 366: Patrick Hare
May 08, 2022 06:03 - 57 minutes - 78.6 MBThis is a special episode for several reasons: My friend Patrick Hare is on the ballot in LA County to be a Superior Court Judge; the election is a month away on June 7th, but voters can mail in their ballots early; he would bring some unique and needed perspectives to the bench; I believe that once you hear from him, many of you will cast your vote for him, too. And even if don't live in LA County, I think you'll find Patrick to be a fascinating person and our conversation to be worth a li...
Ep 365: Christopher Chen
May 01, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.8 MBStarting on May 20th, veteran actor Christopher Chen will be in acclaimed American playwright Lauren Yee's "King of the Yees" at the historic and charming Sierra Madre Playhouse (Sierra Madre, CA). Learn why he's so excited to be cast in one of Yee's plays, and to be directed by the legendary Tim Dang.
Ep 364: Soon Wiley
April 24, 2022 13:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBIn writing "When We Fell Apart," notable new novelist Soon Wiley has masterfully woven a story where his two protagonists come from very different experiences and places, yet share the struggle to carve out their own identities. Set in modern-day Seoul, it's also a love letter to Korea itself, but one that doesn't pull any punches.
Ep 363: Kate Tsang
April 17, 2022 20:06 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBFilmmaker Kate Tsang's inaugural creation "Marvelous and the Black Hole" has already garnered rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and from a bevy of stellar critics. It's about a rebellious 13-year-old (Miya Cech) who's struggling with the loss of her mother, only to embark on an adventure with a children's party magician (Rhea Perlman).
Ep 362: Regina Larko
April 10, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBAustrian sinologist Regina Larko launched her Hashtag Impact podcast while living and working in Hong Kong. She herself is a person of impact, and she has populated her show with a variety of people who are also making a difference in the world. Of course, all this talk about making an impact led to our facing our mortality by living more purposefully.
Ep 361: Sheena Yap Chan
April 03, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.8 MBPodcaster and author Sheena Yap Chan has amassed well over a million downloads in her mission to spotlight courageous Asian women, and to encourage Asian women everywhere to cultivate greater self-confidence.
Ep 360: Lisa Sharon Harper
March 27, 2022 08:29 - 1 hour - 102 MBI last had Lisa Sharon Harper on in the immediate aftermath of the now-infamous "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. She'd been part of a peaceful pushback by Christian clergypersons. She's recently published "Fortune," where she intertwines the experiences of ten generations of her forebearers and white America's history of passing racist, unjust laws. And in light of how some of the Senators badgered SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, we found time to talk about how ascendant BIP...
Ep 359: Russell Leong
March 21, 2022 05:48 - 1 hour - 87.2 MBRussell Leong, especially through his words, has long helped to shape the Asian American movement. He was an undergrad at SF State as students went on strike to demand an ethnic studies program. He was the editor of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center "AmerAsia Journal" for more than three decades, and then as the founding editor of "The CUNY FORUM: Asian American/Asian Studies."
Ep 358: The Two Kens - To Russia With Love?
March 13, 2022 23:28 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBIf you didn't grow up as a certain kind of Christian, you might be dumbfounded as to why so many conserverative American Christians admire Russia's President Putin, despite his ahborrent abuse of power and his current unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Fong and Kemp discuss where this oxymoronic support comes from, and also discuss the Far Right's racist dog whistles aimed at Biden's SCOTUS nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Ep 358: Michelle Li
March 07, 2022 00:28 - 1 hour - 84 MBNews anchor Michelle Li casually mentioned on-air that she'd eaten Korean dumpling soup on New Year's Day. Her comment elicited a hurtful racist critique from a White viewer. Ironically, the accusation that Michelle was being "very Asian" has given rise to the #veryasian movement where Asians everywhere are touting their favorite New Year's traditional favorites and standing together in solidarity.
Ep 357: Michelle Li
March 07, 2022 00:28 - 1 hour - 84 MBNews anchor Michelle Li casually mentioned on-air that she'd eaten Korean dumpling soup on New Year's Day. Her comment elicited a hurtful racist critique from a White viewer. Ironically, the accusation that Michelle was being "very Asian" has given rise to the #veryasian movement where Asians everywhere are touting their favorite New Year's traditional favorites and standing together in solidarity.
Ep 356: Sean Lew
February 27, 2022 20:14 - 1 hour - 93.5 MBSean Lew has already made a name for himself as an innovative choreographer and dancer, but he's now carving out a new career as an actor. Currently playing "Chris" on the new hit FOX series "The Cleaning Lady," Sean talks about this shift for him, and really unpacks how he deals with the ongoing temptations to disconnect from the source of his creativity and passion.
Dr. Pamela Rotner Sakamoto
February 20, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 87.3 MBAuthor, historian, and educator Dr. Pamela Rotner Sakamoto invested seventeen years of her life to be able to tell the unbelievable true story of the Fukuhara family, who had immigrated to the U.S. from Japan, where all four children were born. But when the patriarch died, his wife moved her young family back to Hiroshima. What followed was the rebellion of her two oldest children, and then the injustices, poverty and horrors of World War II.
Ep 354: Gedde Watanabe
February 13, 2022 17:15 - 51 minutes - 70.2 MBGedde Watanabe headlines a stellar ensemble cast in East West Players production of the Tony award-winning musical "Assassins." I've wanted to interview for years, and once you listen to our conversation, I think you'll understand why.
Ep 353: The Two Kens: Whiteness Interrupted
February 08, 2022 21:54 - 59 minutes - 81.9 MBWith February being Black History Month, Ken Fong asks Ken Kemp to unpack his remarkable transformation from being an Evangelical, Republican White Male to being a politically and theologically progressive "beached white male" today.
Ep 352: Dr. Timothy Fong
February 06, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 97.8 MBDr. Timothy Fong is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA's Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, specializing in addictions. Our conversation explored the nature of addictions, and then looked at addictions related to gambling and cannabis, two of his areas of specialization.
Linda Yoon & Soo Jin Lee @ The Yellow Chair Collective
January 30, 2022 22:20 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBPsychotherapists Linda Yoon and Soo Jin Lee weren't afraid to launch YCC during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, they saw an even greater need for mental health education and resources. Since then, their agency's staff has mushroomed to keep up with their client-load. Given how they'd grown up in conservative Korean immigrant churches, we also take time to talk about our respective journeys to embrace a more inclusive progressive faith.
Ep 350: Danny Pudi
January 20, 2022 18:14 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBMany of us first became aware of Pudi and his immense talents when he was part of the hilarious ensemble cast of "Community" (NBC, 2009-2015). In this deeply personal (and of course, still humorous) journey to uncover his estranged South Asian American father, Pudi beckons us to reflect on our parents.
Danny Pudy
January 20, 2022 18:14 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBMany of us first became of Pudi and his immense talents when he was part of the hilarious ensemble cast of "Community" (NBC, 2009-2015). In this deeply personal (and of course, still humorous) journey to uncover his estranged South Asian American father, Pudi beckons us to reflect on our parents.
Ep 349: Winnie Yee Lahkani
January 16, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBThe COVID-pandemic inspired a petite Chinese American Southern California woman named Winnie Yee Lahkani to boldly insert herself into a subculture from the Deep South which has long been populated by large Black or White men. Her deftly seasoned smoked meats and business model have created a swelling fan-base, as well as the validation and admiration of famous BBQ judges and food critics.
Ep 348: The Two Kens Collaborative Podcast
January 12, 2022 23:17 - 53 minutes - 72.9 MBThis episode was sparked by a recent Op Ed piece in the LA Times. The writer had recently learned that a 72 million year old dinosaur embryo fossil had been found in China, which then caused him to think deeply and differently about the age of Earth, and our own brief time on it. The Two Kens both share their own reflections, while also speaking openly about how they feel about being getting old and why their faith in God is no longer threatened by scientific discoveries.
Ep 347: Vu Le
January 09, 2022 19:20 - 59 minutes - 82.3 MBNonprofit expert Vu Le speaks frankly and critically about the ongoing problems and challenges facing many nonprofits, and explains what he thinks need to change in that world and why.