Asian American History 101

Asian American History 101 is a fun, family-friendly, and informative podcast co-hosted by Gen and Ted Lai, the daughter and father team. The podcast will entertain and educate people as Gen and Ted dive into the vast history of Asian Pacific Americans from the struggles they faced to their contributions and triumphs. And sometimes we cover topics of the Asian Pacific Diaspora globally.

The History of Dumplings 03/17/2025

Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer Part 2 03/10/2025

Another Conversation with Award-Winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer Part 1 03/03/2025

The History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in America 02/24/2025

A Conversation with Fajer Saeed Ebrahim Senior Policy Manager at NAPAWF 02/17/2025

A Conversation with Fajer Saeed Ebrahim Senior Policy Manager at NAPAWF 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 with substantial experience in organizing, policy, and legislative advocacy related to reproductive rights and justice, racial equity, survivor justice, and immigrant healthcare. Prior to her work with NAPAWF, she was a senior advisor with the Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access; a consultant with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; a consultant with the Center for Reproductive Rights, as well as other stops. NAPAWF is the only organization dedicated to uplifting and building power with AANHPI women and girls in the US. Employing a reproductive justice framework to guide their work, they use organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies to assert full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities. Working with the Emory University Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE), this latest report by NAPAWF seeks to uncover the systemic barriers Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women and gender-expansive individuals face in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH). We recommend you read the , to NAPAWF, stay informed, and . If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or our links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/35298530

The History of Egg Foo Young 02/10/2025

A Conversation with Award-winning Architect and Accidental Historian Peter Tao Part 2 02/03/2025

A Conversation with Award-winning Architect and Accidental Historian Peter Tao Part 1 01/27/2025

A Conversation with Award-winning Architect and Accidental Historian Peter Tao Part 1 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 Asian Pacific Americans who have lived in Missouri. Inspired to dig deeper to help honor his father’s centennial birthday back in 2017, Peter has gone on to write blogs, curate historical artifacts, and contribute to historical documents. One of his latest pieces is an essay entitled "Why Should We, the Chinese, Meet at the Fair?" in the book in the book . His deep dive into family and Chinese American history resulted in him creating his site (and great nickname) . On the site, you can find pictures of his family’s history as well as posts about a variety of topics including The Life Balance Equation and There Were Chinese in the South? If that wasn’t enough, he’s still heavily involved in The Missouri Historical Society’s St. Louis that collects pictures and stories of Chinese Americans in St. Louis. You can or to help! In Part 1, we discuss architecture, how he got into history, things he’d like people to know about Chinese Americans in St. Louis, and more. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or our links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/35002650

The History of Mahjong Part 2 01/20/2025

The History of Mahjong Part 1 01/13/2025

A Conversation with Co-Founder of Third State Books Stephanie Lim 01/06/2025

Season 4 Year in Review 12/30/2024

Season 4 Year in Review Welcome to Season 4, Episode 53! This is it! Our Season 4 year in review. In this episode we talk about the following… "Interesting topics we hope people listen to”. These are topics that need way more attention. and , The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, and , The History of Asian American Clubs and the Punk Rock Scene , The History of George Helm Jr. and Kaho’olawe Island “Topics we learned the most about”. These are topics that we knew almost nothing about before researching. , The History of the Paniolo AKA The Hawaiian Cowboy , The History of Activist Tye Leung Schulze , The History of Instant Ramen “Thought-provoking conversations everyone should listen to”. These are the conversations that made us think deeply. , A Conversation with Activists and Co-Owners of Eastwind Books Bea and Harvey Dong , A Conversation with Clinical Psychologist, Educator, and Author Dr. Helen Hsu, the author of , A Conversation with Award-Winning Editor and Author Karen Yin, the author of “Conversations we wish we had another hour for”. These are the conversations that flew by and we want to bring back the guest for more. , A Conversation with Author and Educator Chad Soon, author of , , and , Actors Perry Yung, Chen Tang, and Jaylee Hamidi , A Conversation with Educator, Speaker, and Author Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, Author of , A Conversation with Author and Filmmaker Professor William Gow, author of , A Conversation with Comic Book Artist and Writer Sarah Myer, Author of We were also fortunate enough to bring back some returning guests and go deeper into our conversations. These guests who gave us the gift of a second conversation included , , and Another season in the books. Now it’s time for Season 5! Thanks for listening and supporting us. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or social media links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . Segments 00:25 Introduction 01:41 Season 4 Year in Review /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/34651540

ICYMI Encore Episode of Christmas Traditions in Asia and the Pacific Islands 12/23/2024

The History of Wakamatsu Farm 12/16/2024

A Conversation with Educator, Author, and Activist Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan 12/09/2024

A Conversation with Educator, Author, and Activist Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan Welcome to Season 4, Episode 50! Today’s guest is … she is an author, university faculty member, and former K-8 teacher. She directs the 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 , , and . Her writing also spans , 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 , 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 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 (TAAF). Volume 1 is out now, Volume 2 will be coming soon, and Volume 3 is planned. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or social media links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/34325060

The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, Part 2 12/02/2024

The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, Part 1 11/25/2024

A Conversation with Top Chef Alum and Cookbook Author Chef Nini Nguyen 11/18/2024

The History of Asian American Clubs and the Punk Rock Scene 11/11/2024

Another Conversation with Award-Winning Writer and Editor Karen Yin 11/06/2024

The History of the Bánh Mì Vietnamese Sandwich 10/28/2024

A Conversation with Actress and Creator Jaylee Hamidi 10/21/2024

The History of the Anti-Filipino Riots in Washington State 10/14/2024

A Conversation with Author Kyo Maclear and Illustrator Gracey Zhang, Creators of Noodles on a Bicycle 10/07/2024

The History of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar 09/30/2024

A Conversation with Sydelle Barreto, Policy Manager of The National Asian Pacific American Women_s Forum 09/23/2024

The History of Activist Tye Leung Schulze 09/16/2024

A Conversation with Watercolorist, Comic Artist, and Writer Tony Moy 09/09/2024

A Conversation with Watercolorist, Comic Artist, and Writer Tony Moy Welcome to Season 4, Episode 37! Our guest this episode is the talented watercolorist, comic artist, and writer, . We first met Tony at the 2024 WonderCon in Anaheim when he was part of a panel on using comic books to help fight anti-Asian hate… a panel moderated by Stephanie Lim of that also featured Amy Chu and Sarah Myer (we had a chance to speak to Amy on and Sarah on so check those episodes out). Tony’s art is beautiful and vibrant. He’s done incredible covers and artwork focused on a variety of properties like Marvel, Star Wars, Studio Ghibli, and more. And he has also worked on his own stories and art. Our favorite series that he’s working on is called , and it focuses on the heroic stories of the 100th and 442nd Regimental Combat Teams made up of Japanese Americans during WWII. They faced intense discrimination and incarceration and became the most decorated combat unit of their size in U.S. history. We’re big believers in the need for diverse stories… and just like Tony Moy… we believe the true life heroic stories of Japanese American soldiers is something that needs more exposure. If you happen to be at (October 17-20), then you can pick-up an ultra limited edition that collects the first three episodes of The 4Forty2nd (you can see the cover below). We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he publishes a graphic novel (or two or three) with all the stories on the 442nd RCT. We talk about his watercolor style, what inspired him to write The 4Forty2nd, how he researches, and so much more! To see more of Tony’s work, visit his , go to or site, and check out his . The 4Forty2nd is free on , so it would be great if you also consider . If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or social media links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/32871967

The Story of Iconic Asian Candies - Botan Rice Candy and Dragon's Beard 09/02/2024

A Conversation with Clinical Psychologist, Educator, and Author Dr. Helen Hsu 08/26/2024

A Conversation with Clinical Psychologist, Educator, and Author Dr. Helen Hsu 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 (). Today’s guest is , whose new book is 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 … 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 , visit , or follow her work on or . If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram . For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at or social media links at . If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at . /episode/index/show/asianamericanhistory101/id/32723027

Asian American History 101

TOPICS