AAUC Podcast

Perhaps one of the most threatening exclusionary efforts by a State in the last 80-100 years, the Texas Legislature is considering at least 3 bills that exclude the rights of people solely based upon their country of origin. Please join our interview with Alice Yi and Ling Luo, two Texas community leaders who, along with their allies, have confronted and opposed this legislation that many say harken back to the Exclusionary Laws of the 19th and 20th centuries. Hear the amazing story of how in less than 2 months Alice, Ling, and others have effectively consolidated and coordinated thousands of supporters in letter writing, lobbying, and demonstrating in advocating that individuals committing no wrong are being targeted for financial restrictions without any legal basis. Hear this story that describes a threat and affront to established civil, Constitutional and human rights.

Gun violence throughout the country continues to increase. Tragically just last week two shootings struck AAPI communities in California,  Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, in addition to a third event in Oakland, all within 72 hours. And although the Oakland event did not specifically involve Asian Americans, they and everyone else living there have been organizing the community attempting to refute the killing and violence that results from guns. Join us in our discussion with Carl Chan, a prominent and longtime Oakland community leader, who describes the problems and efforts they are employing to make their community safer. Carl informs us not only about the problem but also the efforts for solutions while also reminding us of the history of discrimination that we must not forget so as to avoid past mistakes and injustices.

For our final episode for 2022, we end the year having Vivek Pandit join us as our guest. Vivek is a second generation South Asian and a 2020 graduate of Brown University who recently started a national consulting firm for job placement of college graduates. But much more than that, Vivek has become a voice for Gen Z as exemplified by his recent TED Talks Podcast where he described his unique and different perspective on revising capitalism to include values. Here he also discusses how social media impacts his generation's manner of communication and politics, how COVID affected them, and the valuable skill immigrant entrepreneurs have. He analyzes all this while still incorporating and honoring his Asian American values and heritage . This is an interview that provides real insight into our newest generation that should not be missed. 

When you hear the story of Ambassador Sichan Siv, a survivor of the Cambodian killing fields, you truly will be inspired. After arriving in America in 1976 with only $2.00 dollars in his pocket, Ambassador Siv picketed apples, drove taxis, obtained a Masters Degree from Columbia University and then serves in President George H. W. Bush's White House in all of only 13 years. He went on to serve in the United Nations and represented the United states there in a truly unique and very effective fashion. It's an amazing personal story of perseverance and public service that you will not want to miss. He shares with us the special values America has and the determination and sacrifice it took for him to acquire the " American Dream" and what we need do to obtain it collectively.

Even though AAPI are well represented in the legal profession, there are very few of them in the judiciary system as judges. This Month we host Oregon Multnomah County Judge Chanpone Sinlapasai, the first Laotian Judge in the State of Oregon and perhaps in the country. Hear Judge Chanpone described her family's and heritage's inspiration for her in becoming a lawyer and recently appointed as a circuit court Judge.  This, along with a fascinating and detailed historical description of the laws that have been employed since the country's founding that impeded the rights and discriminated against Asian Americans.  This episode is not only an inspiring personal profile but also a 230 year recitation of laws affecting immigrants and refugees. It is a case in point of the importance of having Asian Americans be represented in our judicial branch of government. Please join us for this unique examination of the successes and challenges that the law and Judges have on our community.

Individually, AAPIs are quite successful in many different professions. However, we have long been stereotyped as the “perpetual foreigners” and the silent, passive minority. It is the great awakening to see ourselves as an integral part of American society that we all belong here. We should not be silent anymore and wholeheartedly take on our civic responsibility and actively engage in civic affairs to have a strong voice. In this episode we focus on the perspectives of civic engagements from the speakers of our National Civic Leadership Forum 2022. Together we weave the fabric of the past, present and future of civic engagement of our diverse AAPI communities. Our guest speakers (ordered by first name) include: Aziz Haniffa, former Executive Editor and Chief Diplomatic and Political Correspondent of India Abroad            Islam Siddiqui, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Obama Administration and current President of American Muslim Institution KaYing Yang, community activist, management consultant and member of President Biden's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders Mona Pasquil Rogers, former lieutenant governor of California and current Director of Public Policy for Meta Paul Jhin, former Director of Peace Corps' Special Initiatives and current CEO of the Global Initiative on computers for Schools (GICS) Suhag Shukla, Executive Director and Co-founder of Hindu American Foundation Russell Jeung, Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University AAUC Podcast is supported by the individual lifetime members and organization members of Asian American Unity Coalition. Visit our website: https://asamunitycoalition.org.

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are not monolithic and should not be treated as such. Through the works of AAPI Data we learn that within the AAPI communities there are racial differences, conflicts and concerns. It is important that we learn how to use these data to influence decision making, to achieve equal rights and protection from violence, and to leverage it to achieve our Collective American Dream. We are fortunate to have Dr. Janelle Wong, Co-Director of AAPI Data and Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland to be our guest to discuss this important topic.

Listen to the power couple Ron and Maeley Tom, you will understand why the lobbying skill set and experience is crucial for Asian Americans. Our community often lacks the skill set to advocate for our issues before the powerful decision makers to initiate beneficial changes. We also need such skills in advancing our own career as well. Mrs. Maeley Tom held the highest appointed offices in the California State Assembly and the Senate in the 1980s before joining the power national lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates as a senior VP. Her husband, Ron Tom transitioned from a career pharmacist to represent the healthcare industries as a senior lobbyist and partner of a law firm. Now they have their own lobbying firm. Their insightful experience is an eye-opener for all of us. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

How little do we know and appreciate our Pacific Islander community having a culture of discovery and resourcefulness and are known as warriors willing to fight for the things that matter to them. Joe Enlet our podcast guest in this episode is the consulate general of Micronesia in Oregon. He reminded us that Pacific Islander is included in many organization names which have no Pacific Islander representation on their board or speak up on behalf of them on issues that matter to their community. It's time that we learn more about the Pacific Islanders besides their geopolitical importance. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

Successful Community and Political Activism is the cumulation of decades of dedications to the welfare of the community. In this month of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage month, we have invited two exemplary Asian American trail blazers of Hmong Heritage to share their journeys and successful community building experiences with our audience. Our outstanding guests are Bo Thao-Urabe, Founder & former Network Director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders Minnesota (CAALMN) KaYing Yang, former Director of Programs and Partnerships of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders Minnesota (CAALMN) Bo Thao-Urabe has served under President Obama on the Advisory Commission of the White House Initiative on AANHPI and KaYing was just appointed to the same position under President Biden. Mr. Rajeev Singh is our interviewer on this episode with introduction and takeaways by Mr. Jack Hanna. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

Education is dear in the heart of every immigrant as the way to gain social mobility. Joel Wong and Dennis Wu describe SFCause's huge success in organizing, networking and developing strategies that contributed to the overwhelming results earlier this year ousting 3 very controversial San Francisco School Board members. Hear the fascinating story of Willie Brown and how he inspired the Asian American community to unite itself and also partner with other ethnic and disenfranchised communities to win at the ballot box there and possibly use the effort as a model for the entire country. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this episode, we focus on the challenges of political engagement for the API community, including language proficiency and general apathy. The use of data revealed the significant and unquestionable progress recently made in addressing those problems. APIAVote conducting their American voter survey every two years is a huge and essential tool for existing API candidates.  Our guest for this episode is Raymond Partolan, National Field Director of APIAVote is also a Grammy Award jazz musician. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

The focus of this podcast is on the importance of data and data collection in impacting public policy. Our guest for this episode is Suhag Shukla, a co-founder and current Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation or HAF. HAF is a member of the Asian American Unity Coalition. It has successfully organized and expanded its work and impact here in America since its inception 20 years ago. What is HAF and what kind of work does HAF do? How has data collection enabled HAF to exert influence on public policy? What mindset is needed for coalition-building? Let’s find out from Suhag Shukla. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this episode, our host and board member, Rajeev Singh, conducted a fascinating interview with Norman Chen, the new Chief Executive Officer of the Asian American foundation TAAF. TAAF has quickly emerged as a very successful leader of the community by securing $1.1 billion for AAPI funding. Let's join Rajeev and Norman and hear his unique story of Asian American self-identity and the goals and aspirations he and TAAF have for the future. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this December episode, we focus on what are the roles of the ethnic media? How can ethnic media and TV stations survive and thrive in this hostile environment of consolidation and decreasing advertisement revenue? What can the community do to encourage our youth to embrace and Grove the industry?  We are very fortunate today to have a social entrepreneur and journalist Mr. Rafi Kapoor, owner of 24 ethnic TV stations to share his insight on the matter.  For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this November episode, we focus on our ethnic media and how it helps shape our collective American Dream. What makes up ethnic media? What work do they do? How it helps build a better future for our community? We are very fortunate today to have three distinguished guests, Ms. Diana Ding, founder of DDTV in the Silicon Valley. Mr. Steven Lu, founder of Asian Media Access located in Minneapolis, and Ms. Emma Wu, who is managing media relations and communication for the Committee of 100. They will share with us their unique perspectives on the subject from their vastly different backgrounds. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this October episode, we focus on the fall out of the 2020 census and redistricting with the goal of achieving fair ethnic representation at all local and federal levels. Should Asian Americans be concerned with redistricting or jerrymandering? Is redistricting just a partisan issue between Democrats and Republicans? Does it have any impact on Asian Americans in representing the districts they live in? We are very fortunate today to have our outstanding guests, Ms. Christine Chen, founder of APIAVote Atty. Michael Li of Brennan Center, a think tank attached to NYU Law School, and Mr. Rishi Kumar, a 2022 candidate for the US Congress in CA. They will share with us their unique perspectives on the subject. Jack Hanna, our AAUC board member is our host for this podcast today. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this September episode, we focus on what is the global perspective for Asian Americans, the challenges we face, and how we can build our collective American Dream together. Asian American has an important role to play in bridging the widening gap between the US and the rise of Asia. How should we view ourselves and be viewed – is this dual identity an advantage or a burden? What is the global perspective on anti-Asian hate? How can Asian Americans make a difference in the US? We are very fortunate today to have our outstanding guest, Dr. Parag Khanna, a globalist and futurist and author of many publications, including the latest book “MOVE” are on the best-seller list. Dr. Parag Khanna will share with us his unique perspective on the subject. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this August podcast, we focus on what makes up the Asian Americans, the challenges we face, and how we can build a collective American dream together. Asian American is the fastest-growing minority in the U.S. 2020 census. It has grown over 36% and constitutes roughly 7.2% or over 20 million of the total U.S. population. Who are Asian Americans and how it becomes the fastest-growing minority in the U.S.. What history did we not know about this group? How can Asian Americans make a difference in the US? We are very fortunate today to have the distinguished and outstanding guest professor Frank Wu. President of Queens College, New York City, and author of many publications on Asian Americans to give us a comprehensive account with storytelling details on the subject. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this increasingly individualized and polarized world, who doesn’t want peace and harmony in their lives? Is racial harmony just an ideal or can it be achieved? Does this Confucian Asian value of harmony elevate or harm us as Asian Americans? The flip side of harmony is distrust, hatred, strive, systemic discrimination, and injustice. How can these racial inequalities be leveled and racial distrust be unlearned? We are very fortunate today to have gathered a circle of experts and community activists to discuss the subject matter and how we can provide a long-term strategy to overcome racial discrimination, and build harmony in our society so everyone can thrive. Our featured speakers include: Prof. Karen Umemoto, UCLA, Asian American Studies Prof. Russell Jeung, San Francisco State University, Asian American Studies, founder, Stop AAPI Hate Dr. Raymond Chong, creator, and writer, 6th generation Chinese American Mr. Jonathan Leong, founder, Asian American Donor Program For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

Mental health and youth suicide is a serious issue in the AAPI community. The devastating news of a young love one taking his/her life touches almost everyone. There is insurmountable guilt and sadness in the survivors around the victim. To overcome this serious challenge, we need to understand the cause and what we can do as a community to prevent future attempts of youth suicide. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In this podcast, we will focus on the hate crisis that our community faces due to COVID 19. When our innocent, respected seniors, vulnerable children, and women were being attacked, the urge to do good, to defend our community is hard to resist in each of us. It is heart-warming to see our Asian American community rises up, unites, and speaks out against hate. We, the silent minority can no longer be silent. There were many notable rallies, vigils, and protests held in various parts of the US since the beginning of the year. Each brought us closer to the realization that we need to unite and reach out for all the public support to combat and overcome the stigma of being perpetual foreigners in a land that we all belong. We need to bring change to the system to eradicate hate and racism. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

The wellbeing of our community hinges on good healthcare which is an important building block in our collective American dream. In this podcast, we focus on the health crises in our AAPI community during the pandemic of COVID19. Our complex communities face double crises in being disproportionately infected and died as well as being stigmatized as the harbinger of the virus. We are combating the viruses of the disease as well as misguided hate. What we learned from this podcast includes the pandemic only heightens our long, existing problems in overcoming the stigma, language, and cultural barriers of being an Asian American and Pacific Islander in the US. A big part of good healthcare, especially in our complex communities that speak 32 different languages from widely different cultures, not only includes early detection, prevention, cure, and healing care, it should also be proximal to and advocate for those in needs. The power of advocacy starts with discussing the issues among our family and friends which we all can do. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

AAUC’s third Podcast episode “Racial Profiling, a Threat to our American Dream” focuses on the “China Initiative”. We wish to first, however, acknowledge and condemn the recent Atlanta murders which is a traumatic blow to our entire country. We at AAUC join Asian Americans and all Americans in working to end racial violence, racial profiling, and racial discrimination. Although our episode tonight is not about racial violence, it is but another example of other methods employed that improperly and adversely affect and victimize Asian American professional lives and their families by using racial profiling and discrimination. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

The Asian American Unity Coalition is proud to introduce a new podcast series titled “Building our Collective American Dream” with our second episode airing on Sunday, Feb 28 at 8:00 pm EST. Welcome to AAUC Podcast “Building our Collective American Dream” episode 2: “Entrepreneurship, A Pathway to the American Dream”. According to a 2019 report issued by The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD), AAPI entrepreneurs serve diverse AAPI communities encompassing over 40 different languages and cultural traditions. They are a vital part of the American economy. Many members of the AAPI community believe that entrepreneurship is a pathway to the American dream. They are dedicated, persistent, hardworking, and enduring whatever hardship they encountered. In our second episode, we will hear from two successful Asian American entrepreneurs, Dr. Karen Eng and Dr. S.K. Lo, about their journeys in achieving the American Dream The AAUC podcast series is supported by our member organizations and our lifetime Individual members.  For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!

In building our collective American Dream, AAUC recognizes having Asian American political representation is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Currently, there are three senators and 16 US congressional members with Asian American heritage. Among them, Senator Kamala Harris has resigned to become Vice president while four US congressional members and 30+ presidential appointees are of Indian American origin. Why are South Asian Americans so successful in US political engagement and what we can learn from their success. AAUC invited three Indian American Community leaders to share their personal experiences on how Indian Americans become politically active and successful in the US. Their stories give insights to other minorities and learn from their success. For more information about AAUC please go to our website or follow us on Facebook!