A Conversation with Clinical Psychologist, Educator, and Author Dr. Helen Hsu
Release Date: 08/26/2024
The History of the Secret War in Laos, Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 26! With the fall of Saigon happening about 50 years ago, it’s important to recognize related additional moments in the history of Asians and Asian Americans. We’re talking about the Secret War in Laos which was closely tied to the Vietnam War. This will be Part 1 of 2 on the topic. Laos is in Southeast Asia, a key region that the U.S. worried about during the Cold War. The Secret War in Laos was led by the CIA and fought predominantly by the Hmong, an ethnic minority in the country, and it’s a major reason so many Hmong and Laotian people became...
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A Conversation with Actress, Writer, Director Olivia Cheng Part 2
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 25! We’re back with Part 2 of our conversation with the very talented . Last week, in , we mainly focused on Olivia’s acting career. In this episode, we pivot to her work behind the camera as a writer, director, and producer. Olivia shares how she was motivated to write and direct her short film Dinner with Dex, which starred her Warrior co-star Dianne Doan. We also talk about her feature directorial debut on the documentary I am Raquel Welch. The iconic actress was the subject of another installment of CW’s “I Am” series and aired in March...
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A Conversation with Actress, Writer, Director Olivia Cheng Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 24! In this episode, we have Part 1 of a Conversation with , a storyteller known predominantly for her acting, but beginning to make waves with her writing, directing, and producing. Originally from Edmonton, Olivia’s acting credits include playing Mei Lin in Marco Polo on Netflix, Ah Toy in Warrior on Cinemax and HBO, Charlotte in See on Apple TV+, Master Gao in Deadly Class, and Noel in the feature Lucky Star… just to name a few of her projects. Her performances have been praised for their depth and complexity, and she often plays roles that...
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The History of the Aloha Shirt
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 23! It’s hard to find any other apparel that signifies vacation more than a Hawaiian shirt AKA an Aloha shirt. It’s not just a symbol of going on vacation, for some it means being part of the ska community, hanging out at a tiki bar, relaxing at get togethers, and even just dressing up for “casual Friday.” But what is the origin and background of the Aloha shirt, how did it grow in popularity, and what is the importance of it to the Hawaiian islands? In this episode we talk about some key early designers like Ellery Chun of King-Smith Clothiers and...
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A Conversation with Two Stars of the Wedding Banquet Bobo Le and Jeremy Hoffman
Asian American History 101
Photo credit for Bobo: Kristine Cofsky Photography Photo credit for Jeremy: Studio Aviva Welcome to Season 5, Episode 22! It’s a 2-for-1 episode! Today we have a two of the stars of the re-imagination of The Wedding Banquet, Bobo Le and Jeremy Hoffman. This modernized version of the Ang Lee’s classic film is written and directed by Andrew Ahn. Bobo and Jeremy both come from creative backgrounds. Bobo in dance and martial arts, and Jeremy in music and musical theatre. But lucky for audiences, they’ve transferred some of that creativity to the screen. In the Wedding Banquet,...
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A Conversation about the 2025 STAATUS Index with TAAF Chief Programs Officer Georgette Bhathena
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 21! We’re really honored to have today’s guest Georgette Bhathena, the Chief Programs Officer at . She’s here to talk to us about the , AKA (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the United States). Georgette has extensive work experience in the philanthropy and grant-making sector. Prior to joining TAAF, they worked at Zoom as the Global Philanthropy Pillar Lead for Zoom Cares. And that’s not the only place that Georgette has left their impact. Georgette has held various roles at both private and not for profit groups including at Tipping Point...
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A Conversation about the Six Chinese Survivors of the Titanic with Award-winning Editor and Author Steven Schwankert
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 20! The Titanic sank over 110 years ago, but people are still fascinated with the disaster. This is especially true when there are new stories that come out about The RMS Titanic that are relatable or pique our curiosity. Hearing about the eight Chinese nationals who were on the Titanic as passengers and the six who survived is one of those moments where we learned something new, and we felt that we could relate to the story. But we wouldn’t have known about this obscure bit of ignored history without the work of our guest, Steven Schwankert. Steven...
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A Conversation with Award-winning Eco-Entrepeneur and Author of Sun & Ssukgat Michelle Jungmin Bang
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 19! Health and wellbeing are so important to people who want to live a more productive and fulfilling life. So it’s such a thrill that today’s guest is who is an award-winning eco-entrepreneur, Chivas Venture Social Impact Fellow, and Harvard Business School graduate who spent 16 years living in Asia as a Korean-American from New York City. She is the author of the recently published , a wellness guide covering her research, interviews, and personal eco-conscious journey in writing about centuries-old well-being traditions she learned about during her...
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A Conversation with Actor and Daily Show Correspondent Troy Iwata, Part 2
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 18! We’re back with Part two of A Conversation with Actor and Correspondent . This very talented singer and actor joined us last episode to talk about deciding on entertainment as his passion, performing on Broadway on Be More Chill, being on the feel good Netflix holiday series , getting selected as a correspondent on The Daily Show, and so much more. In today’s episode, we continue the conversation with Troy to talk more about his experiences on The Daily Show, the collaborative nature of the correspondent segments, some of his memorable moments...
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A Conversation with Actor and Daily Show Correspondent Troy Iwata, Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 17! is one of our favorite shows for so many reasons… hilarious segments, a diverse cast, and awesome writing are just a few reasons. The Daily Show is also where so many people have been introduced to the very talented . Troy is, of course, also known for several other things that include his roles as Langston on the feel good Netflix holiday series , Damien Saito in the AppleTV+ series , and as an understudy on Broadway in the viral hit musical Be More Chill. Suffice to say that Troy Iwata is a very talented and hilarious entertainer. This is Part...
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Welcome to Season 4, Episode 35! We often read to learn new information or to be entertained (or both). But we also love reading to improve ourselves, which is what we did with The Conscious Style Guide by Award-winning Editor and Author Karen Yin (S04E22). Today’s guest is Dr. Helen Hsu, whose new book is The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans published by New Harbinger. It was released in July and is informative, inspirational, and empowering. Dr. Hsu accomplishes that by creating an easy-to-use workbook that is segmented into concepts with an activity or question to make you reflect deeply and consider solutions. We really enjoyed going through the workbook and learned a lot about ourselves and how we react to stressors.
Dr. Helen Hsu is a clinical psychologist, educator, and author, and she is currently the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Director of Outreach, and a lecturer at Stanford University. With more than 20 years of experience through K-12 public schools, private practice, geriatric care, hospice, university counseling, and community-based health center, Helen also founded Hella Mental Health… an organization that’s devoted to nourishing the overall well-being and mental health of BIPOC communities through education and empowerment.
Hella is dedicated to lifelong learning of cultural humility and works with an anti-racist, LGBTQ+ affirming perspective. The workbook is the same way, which is apparent as you go through the activities and questions in it. Whether you realize it or not, so many people of AANHPI descent have experienced trauma in their backgrounds, and leveraging The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans can be a significant step towards healing and change.
In our conversation, we talk about Dr. Helen Hsu’s background, the decision to create a workbook, the inspiration for Hella Mental Health, how intergenerational trauma works, the use of mantras, and so much more. We hope you go out and get The Healing Trauma Workbook for Asian Americans, visit Hella Mental Health, or follow her work on Instagram or YouTube.
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].
