A Conversation with Comic Book Author and Screenwriter Amy Chu
Release Date: 02/19/2024
A Conversation with Author and Filmmaker Professor William Gow
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 20! There are plenty of things we love… and for sure one of them is the world of film and entertainment… especially when it’s Asian American cinema. But what happens when what you see represented in Hollywood becomes blurred with the actual experience in an ethnic enclave… or even drives it? Our conversation today dives a bit into that. We’re excited to share this conversation with Professor William Gow. Dr. Gow is a California-based community historian, educator, and documentary filmmaker who is currently an Assistant Professor at California State...
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The History of The Kim Sisters
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 19! Back in , we talked about one of the first popular Asian American singing groups, the Kim Loo Sisters, but there was also another group a few years later that made a longer lasting impact… the Kim Sisters. Originally from South Korea, the trio of ladies that included Sook-ja, Ai-ja, and Min-ja, were a dynamic vocal group that could also play a multitude of instruments. They recorded several songs in the U.S. and made a splash in Las Vegas and on television through several variety shows. Their early life wasn’t smooth, but they overcame those...
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A Conversation with Award-Winning Illustrator and Comic Artist Christie Shinn
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 18! Free Comic Book Day is coming soon… not to mention Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so as a lead-up to this confluence, we had a conversation with the Ringo Award-winning illustrator and comic artist, . If you’re in Southern California on May 4th and 5th, you can meet Christie, other API creators, and some non-API comic book creators at in Manhattan Beach (May4th) and Culver City (May 5th). Christie won the 2018 Ringo Award for Best Anthology for her work on Mine! a comics collection to benefit Planned Parenthood....
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The History of the Hawaiian Settlement of Iosepa Utah
Asian American History 101
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...
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The History of the Buddhist Churches of America
Asian American History 101
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...
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A Conversation with Send Chinatown Love PR and Partnerships Lead Kelisha Menon
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 15! Today’s guest is Kelisha Menon, the Public Relations and Partnerships Lead at , 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...
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A Conversation with Actor Chen Tang
Asian American History 101
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...
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A Conversation with Educator, Speaker, and Author Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 13! Today’s guest is , 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 that is launching on March 26th 2024 (so available now!). It’s intended...
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Another Conversation with Award-winning Author and Illustrator Grace Lin
Asian American History 101
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 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 , and her first picture book in four years, (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...
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A Conversation with Professional Speaker and Author Dr. Michael Soon Lee
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 4, Episode 11. Today’s guest is Dr. , a fifth-generation Chinese American. He overcame prejudice, systemic discrimination, and depression to become a TV and film producer, an actor, a top-producing real estate broker, and the Dean of a university business school. HeI was the first Asian to earn the "Certified Speaking Professional" (CSP) designation in the history of the National Speakers Association and has spoken over 1,000 times around the world to major companies that include Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, General Motors, just to name a few. Michael is the author of...
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Welcome to Season 4, Episode 8! Today’s conversation is with Amy Chu, a co-founder and former editor of A. Magazine, screenwriter, co-founder of Alpha Girl Comics, and well-known comic book author. Her latest title is Fighting to Belong! Volume 1 (out now, so go get it), which is a graphic novel focused on the history and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders in America. Published by Third State Books, Fighting to Belong! is co-written with Amy’s son, Alexander Chang, and illustrated by Louie Chin. It’s a collaborative project with The Asian American Foundation, The Asian American Education Project, and others. The importance of Fighting to Belong! cannot be overstated. Through an engaging story, readers will be entertained, engaged, educated, and empowered.
Amy has written a diverse collection of titles that include Poison Ivy, Kiss, Wonder Woman, Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris, and Ant-Man. Two of our favorite works by Amy are the Trot and Cap’n Bill series for teens and Carmilla: The First Vampire graphic novel. Amy is able to weave in diversity and depth to her stories in a way that makes typically underrepresented people (like API) feel seen and heard. In our conversation, we talk about all of these things as well as her journey to comics, the importance of diverse storytelling, the status of Fighting to Belong! Volume 2, what draws her to writing complex characters, and so much more.
Whether you like comics, good storytelling, history, or diversity, we highly recommend getting Fighting to Belong! or any of Amy’s other work, but especially the Trot and Cap’n Bill series, Carmilla: The First Vampire, and Poison Ivy. You can learn more about Amy through her website and her work with Alpha Girl Comics. She also has signed copies of her work available. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram as well.
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 [email protected].
