A Conversation with Educator, Author, and Activist Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan
Release Date: 12/09/2024
The History of Dumplings
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 11! We love dumplings, and we’re not alone in that opinion. We’re talking about asian dumplings… boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried, there are a variety of dumplings all across Asia, and they are not only delicious but represent culture, family, and history. In this episode, we discuss the history of dumplings, some different types across Asia, and some notable chefs and groups (like Din Tai Fung) who have done a lot to grow awareness and love for this amazing food. One of the most notable, of course, is Zhang Zhongjing, the believed creator of...
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Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer Part 2
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 10! This is Part 2 of Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer. Last week (S05E09) we brought you . In this episode, we continue to focus on , and Sarah shares how they researched for the series, gives us a few spoilers for future chapters of the story, talks about the transformation of Don, and so much more. As serious as the story can get, we really loved Cheer Up, Michael!, and we highly recommend you check it out, especially if you’re a Disney fan. To learn more about Sarah, then go to their or Instagram , and you...
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Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 9! Our returning guest is , the amazing, award-winning comic book artist and writer who is probably best known for her critically acclaimed and recognized graphic memoir, , published by . However, they show their skills on so many other titles as well, including as the main artist on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, colorist on TMNT vs Street Fighter, as well as a variant cover artist on TMNT Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen issues. In this episode, we focus on one of Sarah’s passion projects, This is their independent...
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The History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in America
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 8! Today’s episode impacts AANHPI communities, but it’s not necessarily solely focuses on our history. We’re going to talk about The History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is an extremely scary topic to some people… especially the leaders of the Republican Party in the U.S. If you believe what they rant about, DEI is at the heart of unqualified candidates, accidents, and probably hurricanes. But when you listen closely, you’ll realize that as much as DEI has become a target, some of the people complaining the loudest actually don’t know...
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A Conversation with Fajer Saeed Ebrahim Senior Policy Manager at NAPAWF
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 7! Today’s guest is Fajer Saeed Ebrahim, a Senior Policy Manager at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, AKA . If you’re a longtime listener, then you’ll remember we were fortunate enough to bring in Sydelle Barreto, the Policy Manager NAPAWF to talk about Clocking Inequality back on ! NAPAWF has been hard at work with their entitled “Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Community: Understanding Barriers to Access in Georgia”. Fajer is a skilled legal advocate...
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The History of Egg Foo Young
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 6! Today we’re talking about food (one of our favorite recurring themes). Specifically we’re going to talk about Egg Foo Young, a popular staple in Chinese American restaurants for generations. Egg Foo Young may not be as popular now as it used to be, but it still has a special place in the history of the Chinese diaspora. In this episode, we discuss the Cantonese dish’s origin, it’s adaptation in the U.S. and across the globe, and how Colonialism played a part in transforming it… yep, even with food, we need to talk about Colonialism. We begin the...
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A Conversation with Award-winning Architect and Accidental Historian Peter Tao Part 2
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 5! If you didn’t hear the last episode, then go do it! is Part 1 of this conversation with Peter Tao, one of the co-founders of the award-winning architectural design firm in St. Louis, In this episode, we continue our conversation with Peter, AKA , and we talk more about how his family has supported his journey into researching and telling Chinese American history, his love of hockey (specifically the St. Louis Blues), the documentary Day One, his advice for people with historical artifacts or stories to tell, and so much more. Peter also...
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A Conversation with Award-winning Architect and Accidental Historian Peter Tao Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 4! Peter Tao and his real life partner Helen Lee are the force behind an award winning St. Louis based design firm. They provide Architectural, Planning, Interiors, and Creative Design services for a diversity of project types, sizes & applications. Their projects have been built both domestically and internationally. That alone would have interested us enough to have a conversation with Peter, but he’s also heavily involved in the St. Louis community, working to raise awareness of the history and stories of Chinese Americans and the greater...
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The History of Mahjong Part 2
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 3! We’re back with Part 2 of The History of Mahjong. Last episode we talked about the games origins and how it came to America. In this episode, we discuss the rise of Jewish-American Mah-Jongg and how it was standardized and simplified in America by the National Mah-Jongg League. We also take time to talk about cultural appropriation and how the Asian American community has tried to reclaim the narrative of Mahjong as a connection to our culture. We open the episode by talking about some current events that include the Philadelphia arena, the passing of...
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The History of Mahjong Part 1
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 2! Most people are familiar with the game of Mahjong. Maybe their family or community plays it or maybe they’ve just seen it in the movies or TV. But most people have seen the tiles and heard the clacking. This is part 1 of a 2 part series on The History of Mahjong. In this episode, we talk about the origin of Mahjong, how its popularity went up and down over the years, how it came to the U.S., and how it was received. We talk a little about the gameplay and how to win. In our intro, we talk about some current events including passing of President...
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Welcome to Season 4, Episode 50! Today’s guest is Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan… she is an author, university faculty member, and former K-8 teacher. She directs the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center at San Diego State University (SDSU), which raises awareness of issues facing Asian Americans, celebrates APIDA culture, and amplifies APIDA contributions. At SDSU, she also led the Liberal Studies program and co-founded the APIDA Employee Resource Group.
Beyond SDSU, Dr. Loh-Hagan is an author. To say she’s a “prolific author” wouldn’t do her justice, because she’s authored over 400 books on diverse topics that include Asian American heritage, women’s issues, and quirky subjects like urban legends and monsters. Some of her notable works include A is for Asian American, The Jade Dragon, and Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America. Her writing also spans multiple series, such as My Itty-Bitty Bio Series, Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient World, and Urban Legends (Don’t Read Alone!).
In advocacy, she co-leads The Asian American Education Project, which develops curriculum and professional training for K-12 schools to provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of APIDA history. Their work bridges education, literature, and activism, exploring themes from exclusion to acceptance. On their site, they state that “By showcasing the struggles and triumphs of Asian Americans over the course of two centuries, our lesson plans amplify the importance and voices of this growing, integral segment of the U.S. population in building the country into what it is today and can become tomorrow, together as Americans. It is important for all Americans, young and old, to join in on this learning experience.”
They helped create the amazing graphic novel Fighting to Belong! written by Amy Chu and Alexander Chang, and illustrated by Louie Chin. Published by Third State Books, the graphic novel was a collaboration between The Asian American Education Project and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). Volume 1 is out now, Volume 2 will be coming soon, and Volume 3 is planned.
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