A Conversation with New York Times Bestselling Writer, Producer, Speaker, and Author of The Vale, Abigail Hing Wen
Release Date: 09/08/2025
Season 5 Review
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 52! This is it, the final episode of Season 5! As we close out 2025, we take a moment to reflect on the guests we’ve had on the show as well as the different topics we’ve talked about. We’d link them all here, but it would take a LOT of space to honor everyone. So let’s just say that we’ve had a great year, highlighted by some very special guests. Our guests this season included well-known academics like Gordon H. Chang, Ann Ishimaru, and Beth Lew-Williams; entertainers from the stage and screen like Olivia Cheng, Troy Iwata, and Nancy Wang;...
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A Conversation with Andrea Wang, Award-Winning Author of the Picture Book Worthy The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 51! Our guest today is the award-winning children’s book author, . She’s written several books and been recognized with many awards including The Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal. Andrea’s latest picture book is , a notable Chinese American who fought during the Civil War and, beyond all odds, earned naturalized citizenship. We love how she’s unafraid of tackling some heavy topics that include racism, discrimination, and belonging. The beautiful picture book is illustrated by Youa Vang, If you’re looking for some of Andrea’s...
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A Conversation with Professor Ann M Ishimaru, Co-Editor and Author of Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 50! Our guest today is doing important work in researching educational change. is an award-winning scholar, writer, educator and the Killinger Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy at the University of Washington College of Education. Her latest book is , it was published this September by Teachers College Press. This collection of research and writing that she contributed to as both an author and co-editor is created with Dr. Decoteau Irby, and it takes a deep examination of DEI initiatives and the process of change...
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The History of API in Formula 1 Racing
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 49! Vroooommmm!!! We’re exploring the story of Asian Pacific Islanders in Formula 1… and this is something we actually know a bit about. This is a sport long dominated by Europeans and a handful of South Americans, but there has been a small group of drivers of Asian Pacific descent who have made an impact in recent years. We’ll share a little about F1 racing in general as well as when API began making their mark in the sport. In addition to recent drivers like (our favorite), , , and now Arvid Lindblad, we’ll also talk about a few engineers,...
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A Conversation with Karin K Jensen, Award-Winning Writer and Author of the Memoir The Strength of Water
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 48! Our guest is Karin K. Jensen. She’s a local news writer for the Alameda Post and the author of the moving memoir The Strength of Water: An Asian American Coming of Age Memoir. It’s an award-winning memoir that was recently re-released on November 7th by Sibylline Press. The memoir follows her mother, King Ying, and her Asian American journey… from her childhood in 1920s Detroit to moving back to the village Tai Ting Pong in Guangdong, China, and then back to the US again. Along the way, she faced heaps of hardship while strengthening her resolve to...
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A Conversation with Dom Magwili, Actor, Director, Playwright, Educator, and Author of Scientific Dragons The Adventure of Ensun Castle
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 47! We’re huge fans of , and our guest this episode, , has worked with them since 1974. If that’s all he did, it would be an amazing career. However, Dom has also been an actor, director, educator, and author. His latest work is . It’s an entertaining and thrilling adventure that mixes historical figures, key fictional characters, Filipino culture, and a healthy dose of imagination in a steampunk environment. Among the work he’s created for stage and screen include Much Adobo About Nothing, A Jive Bomber’s Christmas (which had a 10-year run at the...
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A Conversation with Satsuki Ina, Trauma Therapist, Activist, Filmmaker, and the Author of The Poet and the Silk Girl
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 46! Many of our guests are multi-hyphenates when it comes to their impact in the world, and today’s guest can definitely be described that way. is a Trauma Therapist, Activist, Filmmaker, Educator, and the Author of the Memoir which was released on September 9, 2025. Satsuki is a survivor of the Japanese incarceration during World War II. She was born in the camps and spent her first few years there, both experiencing the trauma in her early years as well as through her parents. In her memoir, The Poet and the Silk Girl, Satsuki tells the story...
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The History of the Chinese Labour Corps in WWI
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 45! Today’s episodes takes us back in history to the first “great war.” We’re focused on the forgotten participants in World War I… This is the story of the Chinese Labour Corps. During World War I, over 140,000 Chinese men crossed oceans to support the Allies. Their story is often forgotten and kind of ended in betrayal. China hoped to earn respect and reclaim lost territory, especially Shandong Province. But in the end, the Allies broke their promises, reinforcing racial stereotypes and leaving China humiliated. In our opening segment we celebrate...
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A Conversation with Thien Ho, Sacramento District Attorney and Author of The People vs The Golden State Killer
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 44! Our guest today is , the Sacramento District attorney and long time prosecutor. He’s also the author of the upcoming book, which will be published by and releases on November 11th. This true crime memoir follows Thien's experience as the lead prosecutor on the case against Joseph DeAngelo, one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century. It covers never-before published details about the investigation, capture, and trial that put DeAngelo behind bars. At the same time, the book is a memoir that follows Thien's personal story escaping...
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A Conversation with Sheilah Jane, Wellness Advocate and the Author of Shadows and Sunrises A True Story of Shame, Strength, and Rebirth Across Continents
Asian American History 101
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 43! This episode’s guest is . She’s a writer, entrepreneur and wellness advocate. Her latest work is a heartfelt memoir called In it she brings lived experience and lyrical prose to tell the story of her life and family. Her book is a powerful memoir that was released on October 7, 2025. From a childhood under Martial Law in the Philippines to rebuilding a life in America, Shadows and Sunrises traces Sheilah Jane’s journey through teen motherhood, cultural dislocation, and the quiet rituals that held her together. Outside of writing, Sheila is a...
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Welcome to Season 5, Episode 36! Our guest this episode is the New York Times bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen. She’s probably best known for the book Loveboat, Taipei and its two companion novels Loveboat Reunion and Loveboat Forever, as well as Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies. Her latest work is The Vale which will be released on September 16th.
The Vale is Illustrated by Yuna Cheong and Brandon Wu, and it’s published by our favorite publisher Third State Books. It’s a coming-of-age story that is both science fiction and fantasy in a way. Bran, the main protagonist is the son of two inventors and has helped them develop an immersive VR world called the Vale. There’s a little action, romance, magic, technology, and mystery; and the themes include family, belonging, persistence, love, and friendship… in other words, there’s something for every reader young and old. There’s also a short film prequel being created called THE VALE–ORIGINS starring the award-winning actress, singer, and stage performer Lea Salonga. We highly recommend getting the Vale, and if you pre-order it and submit the receipt, you can even get some free stickers.
We learned a lot about Abigail in our conversation beyond her education and journey to writing. Other than novels, she’s a producer, director, and woman-in-tech leader specializing in artificial intelligence… and she’s a mother of two. She writes and speaks about tech, AI ethics, women’s leadership and transforming culture.
In our conversation, we also discuss:
- How The Vale got published
- Ways she included technology that’s truly believable
- What it was like to create an illustrated novel
- The power of teacher guides and thoughtful questions
- What to expect from her debut directorial short film The Vale Origins
- And much more.
To learn more about Abigail Hing Wen, you can visit her website abigailhingwen.com, follow her instagram @abigailhingwen, go to her Linktree for even more links, and of course, purchase The Vale! And don’t forget, if you pre-order through Barnes & Noble or an independent bookseller, you can get some free stickers. And if you’re in New York, stop by Chinatown Ice Cream Factory before September 21 for a free trial size of any flavor, but we recommend The Vale inspired Elfberry Blue.
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 our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
