Model Majority Podcast
Kevin Xu, Tony Nagatani, Jenn Fang
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A podcast about politics, culture, and life through the eyes of two Asian-American grassroots organizers--former members of (a lot of) political campaigns, the Obama White House, Department of Commerce, the DNC; currently in tech and Hollywood. We have stuff to say.
Available episodes
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Sep 11, 2021
200: “Lifelines” with Dr. Leana Wen
Dr. Leana Wen returns to the pod (previous appearance episode 145) to talk about her new book, “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health“, now available wherever you buy books! Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google...
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Sep 6, 2021
199: “Enough About Me” with Richard Lui
Richard Lui, breaking news anchor of NBC News and MSNBC, returns to the pod (previous appearance episode 26) to talk about his new book, “Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness“, now available wherever...
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Aug 12, 2021
Rebooting Model MAJORITY Podcast
Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
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May 17, 2021
198: Mommy Legislator: State Senator Stephanie Chang
Stephanie Chang (https://twitter.com/stephanielily), State Senator of Michigan and the first Asian American woman to ever serve in the Michigan legislature, joins the podcast to talk to Kevin about her path into community organizing, public service,...
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May 10, 2021
197: Should We Get A SuperPAC?
Kevin and Tony return to cohost a long-overdue episode, where they talk about the new Biden administration designation that formally includes “Native Hawaiians” in May heritage month for the Asian community, a cool story by...
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Apr 23, 2021
196: Biracial Identity with Actress Jade Ma
Jade Ma (https://twitter.com/Jade_Y_Ma), actress who stars in “Zero Chill” on Netflix and the upcoming Marvel blockbuster, Black Widow, joins the pod to talk about her biracial upbringing, speaking up about harmful Asian stereotypes in Hollywood,...
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Mar 6, 2021
195: Leading during COVID with Ellen Kamei
Ellen Kamei (https://twitter.com/mtnviewellen), Mayor of Mountain View, CA, rejoins Kevin to talk about her path to becoming mayor, how she’s leading her city through a global pandemic, and her views on the latest wave of...
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Jan 19, 2021
194: No AAPI Cabinet Secretary!? (With Madalene Mielke)
Madalene Mielke (https://twitter.com/MadaleneMielke), President and CEO of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), returns to the podcast to talk about her frustration with no Asian American or Pacific Islander Cabinet Secretary in the...
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Jan 13, 2021
193: Food Activism with Jenny Dorsey
Jenny Dorsey, a chef and activist, who founded and runs Studio ATAO, a nonprofit that creates immersive experiences at the center of food, art, and social impact, joins the podcast to talk with Kevin about...
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Jan 7, 2021
192: Emergency Pod: Georgia Run-Off, Capitol Hill Riots
Kevin and Tony record an emergency pod to share thoughts and commentaries on the Georgia run-off election results and the riots happening on Capitol Hill on electoral college certification day. Sponsorship Message: the All of...
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Jan 3, 2021
191: 2021 “Hopes and Dreams”
In our first episode of 2021, Jenn, Kevin and Tony re-unite to discuss the latest COVID-19 situation, vaccine distribution, and the AAPI electorate that’s becoming more influential in the Georgia special senate elections. Sponsorship Message:...
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Dec 3, 2020
190: California Democratic Party with Jenny Bach
Jenny Bach (https://twitter.com/BachForCDP), Secretary of the California Democratic Party who’s running for Vice-Chair, joins Kevin to talk about her raw personal experience running for party positions as a Young Democrat, why she’s running for Vice-Chair,...
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Nov 25, 2020
189: GenZ GOP with Jesse Lamba
Jesse Lamba of GenZ GOP (https://twitter.com/genzgoporg) joins the podcast to talk to Kevin about how he got involved with GenZ GOP and what is the new vision for the Republican Party this group is working...
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Nov 22, 2020
Dr. Leana Wen (with Rock the Boat)
In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with Dr. Leana Wen, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and advocates. In case you forgot,...
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Nov 18, 2020
188: Re-activist to Activist with Actress Olivia Cheng
Olivia Cheng (https://twitter.com/ThatOliviaCheng), actress and activist, talks to Kevin about the ups and downs that led to her acting career, her parents, the motivations behind her vocal activism, her work in Marco Polo and Warrior,...
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Nov 17, 2020
Congressional Candidate Qasim Rashid (with Rock the Boat)
In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with congressional candidate for Virginia’s first district, Qasim Rashid, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and...
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Nov 15, 2020
187: Election, Vaccine, Transition
The cohost crew (Jenn, Kevin, Tony) returns after recovering (somewhat) from the election to discuss how each person processed this election season. Jenn also provides important information on the Pfizer’s vaccine news and its various...
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Oct 29, 2020
Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou (with Rock the Boat)
In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with NY Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and advocates for the 2020...
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Oct 20, 2020
Senator Tammy Duckworth (with Rock the Boat)
In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with Senator Tammy Duckworth, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and advocates for the 2020 election...
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Oct 18, 2020
186: Weightlifting Out of Racism with Amazin Lethi
Amazin Lethi (https://twitter.com/amazinlethi) — athlete, author, and advocate — joins the podcast to share with Kevin her incredible life story: growing up in Australia as a Vietnamese transracial adoptee in a harsh environment of intense...
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Oct 13, 2020
185: From Immigrant to Local Leader with Hongbin Gu
Hongbin Gu (https://twitter.com/hongbin4council), Town Councilmember of Chapel Hill, NC, joins the podcast to share her incredible life story from growing in China during the Cultural Revolution to serving her local town council in Chapel Hill,...
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Sep 21, 2020
184: RIP RBG, AAPI Candidates, COVID Mental Health
Jenn Fang (https://twitter.com/reappropriate) cohosts with Kevin (https://twitter.com/kevinsxu) and Tony (https://twitter.com/AnthonyNagatani) to talk about mental health during COVID, the passing of Justice Ginsburg, and the AAPI candidates that have been featured on Reappropriate.co Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn...
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Aug 16, 2020
183: PAC that A$$ with Linh Nguyen
Linh Nguyen (https://twitter.com/l4nguyen), executive director of the Super PAC, PAC that A$$, and seasoned political organizer who’s worked on campaigns like: Cory Booker for president and Beto O’Rourke for Senate, joins the podcast to have...
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Aug 5, 2020
182: Has China Won? With Prof. Kishore Mahbubani
Prof. Kishore Mahbubani (https://twitter.com/mahbubani_k) joins the podcast to talk about his new book, “Has China Won?“. He and Kevin had an in-depth discussion about why America is being lazy to generalize China into the Chinese...
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Jul 27, 2020
181: Friendship During COVID
Jenn Fang (https://twitter.com/reappropriate) of Reappropriate.co joins Tony (https://twitter.com/AnthonyNagatani) and Kevin (https://twitter.com/kevinsxu) for a long overdue conversation about life during COVID. We talked about Tony’s plasma donation, Jenn’s life as a young parent, Kevin’s Hamilton trivia,...
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Jun 28, 2020
178: Allyship Series with Pearl Low
Pearl Low (https://twitter.com/Fumi_chun), an Afro-Asian Oscar Winning Story Artist, Illustrator and Comics Artist based in Vancouver, Canada, joins the podcast’s “Allyship Series” with the Black community to discuss unique challenges she has faced as a...
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Jun 18, 2020
177: Allyship Series with Jesse Moore
Jesse Moore, former White House speechwriter and associate director for public engagement, returns to the podcast for our “Allyship Series” with the Black community to share his experience doing training with the NYPD, the police...
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Jun 16, 2020
176: Allyship Series with Brandon West
Brandon West (https://twitter.com/westforcouncil), candidate for New York City Council’s 39th District, joins the podcast’s “Allyship Series” with the Black community to discuss what “defund the police” actually means from a policy and budgetary perspective, how...
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Jun 13, 2020
175: Allyship Series with Charmion Kinder
Charmion Kinder (https://twitter.com/charmionkinder), Founder & Chief Impact Officer, CNKinder, Inc., global head of PR for Global Citizen and former press aide to First Lady Michelle Obama, joins the podcast’s “Allyship Series” with the Black community...
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Jun 11, 2020
174: Allyship Series with Arthur Tripp
Arthur Tripp (https://twitter.com/ArthurTrippJr) candidate for State Senate in Georgia joins the podcast’s “Allyship Series” with the Black community to discuss why he’s running for office as an Independent, how he reacted to George Floyd’s murder...
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May 28, 2020
173: The Nerd We Need with Ronnie Chatterji
Ronnie Chatterji (@RonnieChatterji) candidate for State Treasurer in North Carolina, Duke University professor, and former economic policy adviser to President Obama chats with Kevin about why he is “The Nerd We Need” in North Carolina...
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May 22, 2020
172: Tony Got COVID
Tony Nagatani (@anthonynagatani), our dear podcast cohost got COVID-19. (Don’t worry, he’s recovered now.) In this bonus episode, Tony recounts his experience having symptoms, eventually getting tested, and notifying his friends to do his part...
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May 17, 2020
171: No More Bullying! with Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy (@MaulikPancholy) actor, author, activist, and co-founder of Act to Change, joins the podcast to talk with Kevin about his anti-bullying activism work, the origin and mission of Act to Change, and the organization’s...
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May 4, 2020
170: Vote Like South Korea?
Jenn Fang (@reappropriate) of Reappropriate.co joins Tony and Kevin for the monthly co-host discussion to talk about why we don’t feel very celebratory going into this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, and...
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Apr 16, 2020
169: Sri Preston Kulkarni on Anti-Asian Racism, Campaign During COVID-19
Sri Preston Kulkarni, who is running for Congress in Texas’s 22nd district, joins Kevin (@kevinsxu) for Part 3 of our 3-part series with congressional representatives and candidate on how their campaign is adapting to COVID-19,...
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Apr 16, 2020
168: Rep. Gil Cisneros on Anti-Asian Racism, Campaign During COVID-19
Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39) joins Kevin (@kevinsxu) for Part 2 of our 3-part series with congressional representatives and candidate on how their campaign is adapting to COVID-19, what they are doing to fight back against...
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Apr 15, 2020
167: Rep. Harley Rouda on Anti-Asian Racism, Campaign During COVID-19
Congressman Harley Rouda (CA-48) joins Kevin (@kevinsxu) for Part 1 of our 3-part series with congressional representatives and candidate on how their campaign is adapting to COVID-19, and what they are doing to fight back...
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Apr 10, 2020
166: Sung Yeon Choimorrow on National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
Sung Yeon Choimorrow (@schoimorrow), Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) talks to Kevin (@kevinsxu) about human-centered policy advocacy, protecting AAPI women from hate crimes, and all the racial, social, and...
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Mar 29, 2020
165: Oh M0th3rf*ck$r…
Jenn Fang (@reappropriate) returns to cohost the podcast with Tony (@anthonynagatani) and Kevin (@kevinsxu) to talk about their COVID-19 quarantine experience, Kevin’s virtual townhall for people triggered or in fear of anti-Asian racism, and a...
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Mar 26, 2020
164: Don Tamaki on Stop Repeating History, Protecting Civil Liberty During COVID-19 Pandemic
Don Tamaki, a lawyer and one of the leaders of the Stop Repeating History campaign, joins the podcast to discuss with Kevin (@kevinsxu) how the rationale behind locking up Americans of Japanese descent during WWII...
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Mar 22, 2020
163: Traci Lee on Racializing Pandemics, Media Diversity, NBC Asian America
Traci Lee (@traciglee) former Managing Editor of NBA Asian America and current fellow at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism talks to Kevin (@kevinsxu) about the racialization of pandemics during the COVID-19 health crisis,...
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Mar 12, 2020
162: Amna Nawaz: Being the Best, Not the First
Amna Nawaz (@IAmAmnaNawaz), senior national correspondent of PBS NewsHour talks to Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) about her career in journalism, being the first Asian American journalist to moderate a presidential debate, and how she deals with...
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Mar 7, 2020
161: Super Tuesday, AAPI Exit Poll, Binary Primary
Cohosts Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) and Tony Nagatani (@anthonynagatani) got together (virtually) on the Saturday after Super Tuesday to share some analysis of the results, the binary primary that’s shaping up between Sanders and Biden, the...
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Mar 2, 2020
160: South Carolina, Super Tuesday, AAPI Policy Plans, COVID-19 [CoHost Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang of Reappropriate.co returns to the podcast for our monthly recording with Kevin and Tony to discuss a whole host of issues: South Carolina Primary, Super Tuesday, how much will Joe Biden’s lack of...
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Feb 22, 2020
159: “Reporting” from Nevada
Tony Nagatani (@AnthonyNagatani) our co-host spent a few days in Nevada helping the state democratic party prepare and run the Nevada Caucus. This is a special episode where Kevin talks to Tony about his on-the-ground...
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Feb 16, 2020
158: Evan Low on Being an Uber #YangGang, Identity Politics, and Bridging Tech and Policy
Evan Low (@evan_low) California Assemblymember and national co-chair of Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign talks with Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) about what it means to be a national co-chair, why he entered electoral politics at a young...
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Feb 1, 2020
157: “Reporting” from Iowa, Public Charge [CoHost Jenn Fang]
Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) is in Iowa to volunteer during the Iowa Caucus. Our guest cohost, Jenn Fang of Reappropriate.co and Tony Nagatani our long-time co-host, quizzes Kevin on all kinds of things Iowa. We also...
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Jan 16, 2020
156: Caucus 101 — Part 4: Early State Mini-Series with Punya Krishnappa
Punya Krishnappa (@_punya_) returns to the podcast for Part 4 of our Early State Mini-Series to teach Kevin the fundamentals of how a caucus works, and recount the details and strategies of running one of...
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Jan 15, 2020
155: Nevada — Part 3: Early State Mini-Series with Phil Kim (Cory Booker Campaign)
Phil Kim (@philkimtweets), Nevada State Director for the Cory Booker campaign joins us for Part 3 of our Early State Mini-Series to talk about the unique challenges of campaigning in a union-heavy, service-oriented economy like...
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Jan 14, 2020
154: New Hampshire — Part 2: Early State Mini-Series with Suraj Budathoki (Bernie Sanders Campaign)
Suraj Budathoki, Constituency Director of New Hampshire for the Bernie Sanders Campaign, joins us for Part 2 of our Early State Mini-Series to talk about his incredible journey from being refugee in Bhutan and Nepal...
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Jan 12, 2020
153: Iowa — Part 1: Early State Mini-Series with Grace Smith (Elizabeth Warren Campaign)
Grace Smith (@textFIGHT_24477), Field Organizer for the Elizabeth Warren campaign in West Des Moines joins us for Part 1 of our Early State Mini-Series to talk about her journey into the Warren campaign and how...
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Jan 5, 2020
152: “Angry” Appa Unplugged (Guest: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee)
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (@bitterasiandude), Canadian actor who stars in the comedy TV series “Kim’s Convenience“, chronicles his life journey from a young struggling actor of color–persevering through bad roles and insulting stereotypes, to starring in...
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Dec 29, 2019
151: Does AAPI Make Sense? (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, hosts this last episode 2019 with Kevin Xu and Tony Nagatani to explore the perennial raison d’etre question: Does Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Make Sense? We reflect on how...
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Dec 22, 2019
150: Hong Kong — Fighting For Its Soul (Guest: Jiayang Fan)
Jiayang Fan (@JiayangFan), China correspondent of the New Yorker, returns to the podcast to discuss in-depth her recent reporting on the Hong Kong protests: the city’s fight for its identity and soul, Jiayang’s own experience...
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Dec 15, 2019
149: Future of Local Journalism (Guest: Theodora Yu)
Theodora Yu (@theodorayuhk), who covers Asian American local news at the Sacramento Bee, joins the show to talk about how she covers Asian American local issues, why local news is important, and her thoughts on...
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Dec 8, 2019
148: Minority Voters are Strategic Voters (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang (@reappropriate), founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to talk with Tony about Kamala Harris ending her campaign for President, Julian Castro's quest to change the whole game around the Presidential Primary Politics, and Andrew Yang's gimmicky campaign that might be confirming the Model Minority myth.
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Nov 24, 2019
147: “A Team of Their Own” (Guest: Seth Berkman)
Author Seth Berkman joins the Model Majority Podcast to talk about his book, “A Team of Their Own,” which chronicles the story of the combined North/South Korea Olympic Women’s Hockey Team who played at the...
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Nov 17, 2019
146: Where Did “Model Minority” Come From? (Guest: Ellen Wu)
Ellen Wu (@ellendwu), Associate Professor in the Department of History at Indiana University Bloomington and Director of the Asian American Studies Program, joins the podcast to trace the historical origin of the concept “Model Minority”....
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Nov 10, 2019
145: Leadership (Guest: Dr. Leana Wen)
Leana Wen (@DrLeanaWen), visiting professor at George Washington University and former president of Planned Parenthood, joins the podcast to discuss her work fighting the opioid crisis in Baltimore, dealing with “otherization” and representation as an...
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Nov 3, 2019
144: Twitter -> Map, Online -> Offline (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang (@reappropriate), founder of Reappropriate.co the oldest Asian American feminist blog, returns to the podcast to cohost. We talked about the implications of Twitter’s ban of political ads, North Carolina’s heavily gerrymandered map that...
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Oct 27, 2019
143: Hong Kong, North Korea, Historically Speaking (Guest: John Delury)
John Delury (@JohnDelury), Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, joins the podcast to put everything that’s been happening in Hong Kong, China, and North Korea in proper historical context....
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Oct 21, 2019
142: When Bigger Isn’t Better (on the 4th Democratic Primary Debate)
Kevin (@kevinsxu) and Tony (@AnthonyNagatani) discuss the 4th Democratic Primary debate in Ohio last week, specifically what was NOT talked about but SHOULD have been discussed, namely China/Hong Kong Protest, immigration, and climate change. We...
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Oct 13, 2019
141: Who is Arthur Chu? (Guest: Yu Gu)
Yu Gu (@yuisrain) documentary filmmaker and co-director and producer of the award-winning documentary “Who is Arthur Chu?” joins the podcast to talk about the making of this documentary, its exploration of Asian American identity, social...
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Oct 6, 2019
140: Just Some Guy on the Street? (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang (@reappropriate), founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host with *exclusive* audio clip from her on the record lunch gathering with presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, where they talked about Shane Gillis, his...
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Sep 29, 2019
139: Baddest Bitch in the Room (Guest: Sophia Chang)
Sophia Chang (@sophchang), a music business matriarchitect, who has managed multiple rap and R&B stars like the Wu Tang Clan’s RZA, GZA and ODB, chats with Kevin (@kevinsxu) about her new Audible-exclusive audio memoir, “The...
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Sep 22, 2019
138: It’s Anti-Model Minority, not Anti-Andrew Yang (Guest: Alton Wang)
Alton Wang (@altonwang) joins the podcast with Kevin (@kevinsxu) to discuss his op-ed in the Washington Post on why Andrew Yang’s Asian jokes are harmful and perpetuates the model minority myth. We also talked about...
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Sep 15, 2019
137: “She’s Asian and female. But she’s not me” (Guest: Michelle Ye Hee Lee)
Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) of the Washington Post returns to chat with Kevin (@kevinsxu) in a wide-ranging interview from her new role covering money in politics, exploring the issue of diversity in the political...
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Sep 9, 2019
136: Purpose Abroad = Aspiration at Home (Guest: Anka Lee)
Anka Lee (@Anka_Lee) chats with Kevin (@kevinsxu) in this wide-ranging interview from Anka’s immigrant story, to first moment of political activism in high school, to a fascinating and illustrious career in foreign policy in D.C.,...
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Sep 2, 2019
135: Remember the Alaskeros (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this Labor Day 2019 special edition, where we discuss the history of the Alaskeros (Filipino American laborers who were one of the first to unionize...
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Aug 25, 2019
134: Telling It Like It Is (Guest: Kimmy Yam)
Kimmy Yam (@kimmythepooh), Huffington Post Asian Voices editor returns to the podcast to chat with (@kevinsxu) and recap all that happened in Asian America in the past year, progress that still need to be made,...
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Aug 18, 2019
133: Unlock Potential for All Zipcodes (Guest: Vien Truong)
Vien Truong (@viendetta), policy expert on building equitable green economy and former president of Dream Corps, chats with Kevin (@kevinsxu) about growing up in a refugee family in the “wrong” zipcodes to devoting her life...
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Aug 12, 2019
132: What’s a “Good/Bad” Immigrant? (Guest: Saira Hussain)
Saira Hussain, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and former staff attorney in the Criminal Justice Reform Program at Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (ALC), joins the podcast to share her growing up...
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Aug 5, 2019
131: Debate About the Debates (Guest: Chris Lu)
Chris Lu, former Deputy Labor Secretary and White House Cabinet Secretary during the Obama administration and frequent commentators on TV, re-joins the podcast for a third time to talk about his impression and suggestions on...
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Aug 1, 2019
Day 2: Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit, Michigan
Kevin Xu brings a special episode of his coverage of Day 2 of the Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit, Michigan, with both stories from real people he met in Detroit and his thoughts on the...
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Jul 31, 2019
Day 1: Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit, Michigan
Kevin Xu brings a special episode of his coverage of Day 1 of the Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit, Michigan, with both stories from real people he met in Detroit and his thoughts on the...
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Jul 29, 2019
130: Is Mitch a Russian Agent? (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where she and Tony gave Kevin some ideas on what he should cover at the 2nd Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit. The three...
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Jul 21, 2019
129: Mixing Our Hues (Guest: Annabelle Schmitt)
Annabelle Schmitt, intersectional feminist fashion influencer and blogger on Mixed Hues, joins the podcast to talk about issues related to mixed race identity, fetishization of mixed race people, WMAF (White Male Asian Female), and more!...
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Jul 14, 2019
128: An “Okonomiyaki” Conversation
Co-Hosts Tony and Kevin catch up on life from traveling, technology in China, demographic analysis of Japan, Tony’s HAOLE AF insecurity, and more! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn...
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Jul 7, 2019
127: Playwriting and Power Rangers (Guest: Carolina Do)
Carolina Do, actress, playwright, union member, and advocate for more AAPI representation on stage and screen, joins Kevin for a great interview! They talk about her family’s amazing immigrant story, and Carolina shares her insights...
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Jun 30, 2019
126: Reappropriating the Democratic Debates (guest co-host Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, and she and Tony get into all things Democratic Primary Debate. The good, the bad, and everything in between, we talk Kamala v...
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Jun 23, 2019
125: Maggie Gee & the Oakland Airport (Guest: Tiffany Miller)
Tiffany Miller, a bay area activist, joins Kevin to talk about why the Oakland Airport should be renamed after Maggie Gee, one of only two Chinese American women to have flown for the US military...
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Jun 16, 2019
124: We need an Asian Oprah (Guest: Professor Nancy Wang Yuen)
Nancy Wang Yuen, professor of sociology at Biola University, and author of the book Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, stops by the podcast to chat with Kevin about the struggle for AAPI representation in Hollywood....
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Jun 9, 2019
123: Seat At The Table (Guest: Attorney General William Tong)
William Tong, attorney general of Connecticut and the first Chinese American attorney general, joins the podcast to share his inspiring story from working in his family’s Chinese restaurant growing up to becoming the attorney general...
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Jun 2, 2019
122: Journalism With Bacon (Guest: Doris Truong)
Doris Truong, director of training and diversity of the Poynter Institute and former president of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), joins the podcast to talk about how journalism works, her involvement and leadership at...
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May 26, 2019
121: Know Your Yolk Sac, Bro (Guest Co-Host: Jenn Fang)
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where we did a deep dive on both the politics and the science (and how those two things intertwine) in the current...
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May 19, 2019
120: Be a Pro at VoPro (Guest: Rachana Desai Martin)
Rachana Desai Martin, Chief Operating Officer of the Democratic National Committee and former Director of Voter Protection program of the DNC, joins the podcast to talk about how voter protection works on a campaign, why...
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May 12, 2019
119: Let’s Elect AAPIs! (Guest: Mehran Khodabandeh)
Mehran Khodabandeh, executive director of Elect AAPI PAC founded by former Treasurer of California John Chiang, joins the podcast to talk about leading the new AAPI-focused PAC and his journey and experience working as a...
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May 5, 2019
118: Slanted: Asian American Troublemaking (Guest: Simon Tam)
Simon Tam, founder and bassist of The Slants returns to the podcast to talk about his new memoir, “Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court“. Tony and Kevin also discuss (more)...
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May 1, 2019
117: ‘Citizenship’ is One Question Too Many [Guest Co-host: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where she and Kevin discussed what they’ve read and learned from the Mueller report (so far, it’s long!), which presidential candidate got...
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Apr 21, 2019
116: “Even if it’s negative…” [Guest: Rumana Ahmed]
Rumana Ahmed, former White House staffer for BOTH the Obama and Trump administrations joins Kevin for an excellent conversation! They talk about her pathway into the West Wing, and pull back the curtains on what...
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Apr 14, 2019
115: We Are AMERICAN Asians [Guest: Moriah Balingit]
Moriah Balingit, reporter for the Washington Post who covers national education issues joins the podcast to talk about her latest long piece on Affirmative Action, mixed-race identity, and her advocacy work for more Asian America...
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Apr 7, 2019
114: From Rejecting To Accepting [Guest: Eileen Guo]
Eileen Guo, an independent print journalist and audio producer, who has published in the New York Times, Wired, New York Magazine, HuffPost, NPR, South China Morning Post with her reporting from Afghanistan, China, Mexico, and...
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Mar 30, 2019
113: No More Hyphen! [Guest Co-Host: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where Tony delivered a karaoke rendition of Cold Play’s “The Scientist” to fulfill our podcast’s karaoke promise, we discussed AG Barr’s incompetent summary...
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Mar 23, 2019
112: No More Chicken Dinner! [Guest: Madalene Mielke]
Madalene Mielke, President and CEO of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and political campaign veteran, joins the podcast to share how she got started in politics to the new initiatives she’s carrying...
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Mar 17, 2019
111: Equal Treatment? [Guest: Kumar Rao]
Kumar Rao, senior staff attorney for racial justice at the Center for Popular Democracy, joins the podcast to share his work in the criminal and racial justice space as a trial attorney and policy advocate,...
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Mar 10, 2019
110: China Articulation [Guest: Frankie Huang]
Frankie Huang, writer and storyteller whose writing appeared in Foreign Policy, Asian Articulation, Sup China, and many others, join the podcast to talk about her upbringing (which mirrored in many ways to Kevin’s), her various...
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Mar 3, 2019
109: Mushroom Clouds Are *NOT* Cool [Guest: Kathleen Burkinshaw]
Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of “The Last Cherry Blossom“, a historical fiction loosely based on her mother’s first-hand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during the Second World War, shares her incredible personal story from...
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Feb 24, 2019
108: Wonk Out Gattaca Style [Guest Host: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode where we discuss the latest news of sex trafficking in Florida in the larger context of human trafficking globally, and how DNA...
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Feb 17, 2019
107: No More Cages! [Guest: Anoop Prasad]
Anoop Prasad, staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus who specializes in the intersection between immigration and mass incarceration in the criminal system, joins us to share his career in immigration...
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Feb 9, 2019
106: Never Say Never [Guest: Tina Maharath]
Tina Maharath, State Senator of Ohio recounts her campaign journey as a first time candidate going up against her own party’s write-in endorsed candidate and a mountain of negative ads from her Republican opponent to...
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Feb 3, 2019
105: Representing the Hmong Community [Guest: Kaohly Her]
Kaohly Her, newly inaugurated member of the Minnesota House of Representatives joins Kevin for an awesome interview! Kaohly shares her personal story of her family immigrating to the US, and how she built a career...
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Jan 27, 2019
104: Capitulation Nation [Guest Co-host: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang of https://reappropriate.co guest hosts! Kevin is away on business, so Tony and Jenn react to Trump’s shutdown capitulation, while Jenn shines a light on the Trump administration redefining Domestic Violence. Plus, we get...
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Jan 20, 2019
103: Seoul Food with Brad Jenkins
Brad Jenkins, former Executive Producer and Washington D.C. Bureau chief for FunnyOrDie.com stops by for a long interview. Kevin and Brad talk about Brad’s biracial background growing up in New Jersey. They also talk about...
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Jan 13, 2019
102: “Pay the Workers, Furlough Trump!” [Guest: Do Nguyen Mai]
Do Nguyen Mai, author/poet/researcher joins the podcast to discuss her research into Asian-American political candidates in the 2018 midterm election, her upcoming book “Battlefield Blooming”, and how she talks to her Republican parents about politics....
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Jan 6, 2019
101: Road to Liberation and Justice [Guest: Stephanie Cho]
Stephanie Cho, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta joins the Model Majority conversation to share her story growing up as a Korean adoptee, coming out as queer, life-long devotion to activism, current...
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Dec 23, 2018
100: Hard Look at AAPI Solidarity [Guest Host: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang of Reappropriate *co-hosts* this special episode 100, joining Tony and Kevin to discuss a wide-ranging set of hard questions: – Intersectionality between AAPI support for equal pay and mainstream feminism – Scaling multilingual...
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Dec 15, 2018
099: From Tentpole to the Soccer Field [Guest: Sunkyu Bin]
Sunkyu (Paul) Bin, star soccer player at the University of Maryland, shares his experience as an Asian athlete at an American college, becoming aware of the Asian-American identity, and his journey through depression. Tony and...
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Dec 8, 2018
098: Awareness of East Asian Privilege [Guest: Frank Shyong]
Frank Shyong, reporter at the LA Times joins the podcast to share his upbringing from Michigan and Tennessee to LA, reporting on food and Asian-American culture, and his take on how “Crazy Rich Asians” brought...
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Dec 2, 2018
097: From Zine to New Yorker-ing [Guest: Hua Hsu]
Hua Hsu, associate professor at Vassar College and writer at the New Yorker, talks to Kevin about the genesis of his writing career, to the unique aspects of writing for the New Yorker, to his...
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Nov 18, 2018
096: My first two words were Jimmy Carter [Guest: Chang Chiu]
Chang Chiu, co-founder of Chinese American Progressive Action, joins this podcast this week to talk about his story growing up in Texas to progressive politics. They talk about Chang’s unconventional entrance into the realm of...
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Nov 11, 2018
095: Make Voting Muscle Memory
Tony, Kevin, and Punya powwow from three different time zones to do a post-midterm discussion on the impact of Asian-American voters, what all this could mean for 2020, and giving recognition to all the candidates...
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Nov 2, 2018
094: Field Organizers Will Make America Great Again
Tony and Kevin share some stories and pro-tips for all the field organizers and volunteers who will be doing Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) for the 2018 Midterm Elections. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google...
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Oct 27, 2018
093: The Pulse of Asian America [Guest: Janelle Wong]
Janelle Wong, professor of American Studies at University of Maryland, author and senior research at AAPIdata.com, joins the podcast to share her person story, perspective on the ongoing debate on affirmative action within and outside of...
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Oct 21, 2018
092: Have You Tried Changing Your Name? [Event Hosted by Asian American Alliance @ University of Rochester]
Model Majority Podcast visits the University of Rochester to speak to students at an event hosted by the Asian American Alliance, where Kevin Xu and Punya Krishnappa discuss political activism, civic engagement, and AAPI identity...
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Oct 14, 2018
091: Profound Humanity, Profound Identity [Guest: Cayden Mak]
Cayden Mak, Executive Director of 18 Million Rising, joins the podcast to talk about his story growing up as a Midwest Asian, his first act of activism in high school, and now devoting his life...
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Oct 7, 2018
090: TIALOD (There Is A Lack Of Data) [Guest: Dr. Howard Koh]
Dr. Howard Koh, former Assistant Secretary of Health at HHS and professor at Harvard, joins the pod to talk about his personal story from being a physician to a health policy maker to a professor,...
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Oct 1, 2018
089: Civic Duty v. Devil’s Triangle
Kevin and Tony dedicate this episode to talk about the monumental Senate testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh on Kavanaugh’s sexual assault of Dr. Ford. We also take a moment of levity...
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Sep 23, 2018
088: All Politics is Local [Guest: Tonia Bui]
Tonia Bui, founder of Politics Within Politics (see detailed biography below), joins the podcast for its lucky 88th episode to talk about her extensive experience working on local and state-level campaigns, why local political engagement...
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Sep 16, 2018
087: Getting Arrested is a Privilege [Guest: Piper Perabo]
Piper Perabo, Golden Globe nominated actress and political activist joins the podcast to talk about why she’s become politically active, why she’s opposed to Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, and the many things everyone can do to...
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Sep 9, 2018
086: Make Sure #BlueWave Hits [Guest: Chris Lu]
Chris Lu, former Deputy Labor Secretary, White House Cabinet Secretary, and current Senior Fellow at the Miller Center of the University of Virginia returns to the podcast to do a wide-ranging interview to shed light...
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Sep 2, 2018
085: All of the Things, Yet Different [Guest: Dr. Tung Nguyen]
Dr. Tung Nguyen, of the Asian American Research Center on Health, joins Kevin for the interview. They talk about Dr. Nguyen’s work in the Obama Administration, as well as his upbringing as a Vietnamese immigrant from...
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Aug 27, 2018
084: Golden Age of AAPI Discourse? [Guest: Christine Johnson]
Christine Johnson, Candidate for San Francisco Supervisor District 6, joins the podcast to talk about her growing up story, why she loves local politics and is running for the supervisor position, and how she plans...
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Aug 19, 2018
083: NOT Your Model Minority [Guest: Sri Kulkarni]
Sri Kulkarni, Congressional Candidate in Texas-22 and long-time foreign service officer, shares his story growing up in rough neighborhoods, serving the United States abroad for more than a decade, and how his campaign outreach has...
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Aug 15, 2018
082 CRA: #CrazyRichAsians
Special Pod! Our review of #CrazyRichAsians. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
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Aug 12, 2018
082: Tell Our Story…Reappropriate-ly! [Guest: Jenn Fang]
Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, the longest running blog on Asian-American feminism and race activism, joins the podcast to share her personal story and experience with racism, early days of Asian-American online activism, the genesis of...
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Aug 5, 2018
081: Gender, WMAF, Permission to Complain [Guest: Oxford Kondo]
Oxford Kondo, co-founder and team member of Plan A Magazine, an Asian-American identity focused online magazine, joins the podcast to talk about his journey into AAPI identity issues the origin of Plan A Magazine, WMAF,...
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Jul 29, 2018
080: Dear Asians, Be Loud! [Guest: Kimmy Yam]
Kimmy Yam, Editor at Asian Voices of the Huffington Post joins the podcast to share her journey, from being ashamed of her Asian heritage, to discovering Hideki Matsui and becoming proud of her identity, to...
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Jul 21, 2018
079: China: Strong Man or Just Water Weight? [Guest: Jiayang Fan]
Jiayang Fan, correspondent and writer for the New Yorker covering China, U.S. and Asian-America, joins the podcast to talk about her upbringing, her Chinese American dual identity, how to write for the New Yorker, how...
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Jul 15, 2018
078: (We)Chat about (AAPI) Data [Guest: Karthick Ramakrishnan]
Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of the AAPI Data Project and associate dean of the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, joins the Model MAJORITY Podcast, to talk about the genesis, goal, findings, and future...
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Jul 8, 2018
077: A Bittersweet Victory (Part II) [Guest: Simon Tam]
Simon Tam, founder and bassist of the first and only all Asian-American dance rock band, The Slants, re-joins the podcast (previous appearance Episode 26) one year after his Supreme Court victory to update us on...
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Jul 1, 2018
076: Are AAPIs Unified? [Guest: Rohan Kumar]
Rohan Kumar joins the podcast to talk about the future of AAPI Democratic politics, running for office, and contends that the AAPI community isn’t as unified as we need it to be. Be sure to follow...
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Jun 24, 2018
075: Catching Up with Dave Min [Guest: Dave Min]
Dave Min former candidate for CA45 joins Kevin for the interview, and talks about what it’s like to be a first-time candidate running in a district where AAPI voters could swing the general election. With...
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Jun 17, 2018
074: ‘Standard Strong’ with Badass Personality [Guest: Lily Qi]
Lily Qi, candidate for Maryland State Delegate, joins the podcast to talk about her journey from experiencing China’s Cultural Revolution, to studying and working in America, to being the first Asian-American appointed Assistant Chief Administrative...
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Jun 9, 2018
073: The O.C. Gets Political [Guest: Vivian Yee]
Vivian Yee, national immigration correspondent at the New York Times, talks about how she got into journalism, her coverage of the rising Asian-American presence and influence in Orange County, and how she covers complex human...
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Jun 3, 2018
072: Diversity is Credibility [Guest: Jaweed Kaleem]
Jaweed Kaleem, national race and justice correspondent at the Los Angeles Times, talks about how he got interested in journalism, his methodology and approach to covering race, ethnicity and civil rights in America, and what...
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May 27, 2018
071: Disturbing Trends in AAPI Jobs Numbers [Guest: Harin Contractor]
Harin Contractor, former economics advisor to former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, joins the podcast. Kevin and Harin get wonky about some disturbing trends buried in the AAPI jobs numbers. Harin also talks about his work as chair of...
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May 19, 2018
070: Podcasters Are Journalists Too
Wrap up coverage of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, plus Tony and Kevin share their opinions and thoughts on the Santa Fe High School shooting, latest development on Net Neutrality, and the Trump-Kim...
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May 15, 2018
Thi Bui: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Thi Bui, author and cartoonist, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA, to talk about her story and why she wrote “The Best We Could Do.” Subscribe: Apple...
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May 15, 2018
Ke Lam: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Ke Lam, Reentry Coordinator at the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA, to share his incredible story from a refugee, to an inmate,...
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May 15, 2018
Cat Nou and Jenny Bach: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Cat Nou and Jenny Bach of the California API Legislative Caucus join Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA, to talk about the hard work that went into organizing...
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May 15, 2018
Richard Pan: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Dr. Richard Pan, California State Senator, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on...
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May 15, 2018
Rob Bonta: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Rob Bonta, CA Assembly Member and Chair of the API Legislative Caucus, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google...
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May 15, 2018
Amanda Nguyen: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Amanda Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Rise, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us...
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May 15, 2018
Evan Low: Special Coverage-2018 API Policy Summit
Evan Low, CA Assembly Member and API Legislative Caucus Parliamentarian, joins Kevin on the sideline of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, CA. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play |...
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May 12, 2018
069: #DearJohnKelly, Your English Sucks [Guest: Phil Kim, Vedant Patel]
Phil Kim and Vedant Patel from the Democratic National Committee joins the podcast to share their story into the campaign world and what plans does the DNC have to activate more Asian-American voters leading up...
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May 5, 2018
068: Appropriation or Appreciation? [Guest: Konrad Ng]
Konrad Ng, Executive Director of Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and former director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, kicks off Asian-American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month 2018 with an...
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Apr 29, 2018
067: Lights, Camera, APA Debate!
Tony and Kevin share their impressions, analysis, and hot takes on the first-ever Asian-American focused gubernatorial debate in California’s history. #APAGovDebate Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us...
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Apr 21, 2018
066: Trump’s Bin Laden Moment? [Guest: Tina Maharath]
Tina Maharath, Ohio State Senate candidate joins the podcast to talk about her tough upbringing as the daughter of Laotian refugees, her single motherhood, and why she’s running for Ohio’s State Senate as a minority...
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Apr 15, 2018
065: Syria, Pootie-Trump, and Janz [Guest: Andrew Janz]
Andrew Janz, Fresno County Deputy District Attorney, and candidate for California’s 22nd Congressional District stops by the podcast for an informative, no-nonsense interview with Kevin Xu. Andrew and Kevin talk about Janz’s background and why he...
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Apr 7, 2018
064: Robots, Pay Your Taxes! [Guest: Andrew Yang]
Andrew Yang, presidential candidate for 2020, joins the podcast to talk about why he is running for president, why he thinks Universal Basic Income can alleviate the plight of automation on our work force, and...
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Mar 31, 2018
063: Time to Run is Now! [Guest: Ellen Kamei, Lin Yang]
Ellen Kamei and Lin Yang, Presidents of the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club (SVAPADC) and the Peninsula Young Democrats (PYD), respectively, join the podcast for a rare, in-person interview to talk about how...
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Mar 24, 2018
062: Turn Weakness to Strength [Guest: Aftab Pureval]
Aftab Pureval, Congressional Candidate for OH-01 joins the podcast to talk about his story as the son of Tibetan refugees, career in law and as the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, and his current run...
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Mar 17, 2018
061: It’s Ohayou Gozaimasu, Idiot! [Guest: Dan Koh]
Dan Koh, Congressional Candidate for MA-03 joins the podcast to talk about his story, career, and why he’s running for Congress. Tony also returns from vacation to bring news and tidings from Hawaii, and he...
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Mar 10, 2018
060: Let the Nerd within Shine [Guest: Anna Chu]
Anna Chu, Vice President for Strategy and Policy at the National Women’s Law Center, joins the podcast to share her story growing up in the Chinese community of San Francisco as a daughter of refugee, career...
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Mar 3, 2018
059: Easier Lives For Our Kids [Guest: Goutam Jois]
Goutam Jois, congressional candidate for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, Supreme Court litigator, standup comedian, and business owner, joins the pod to share his life story, why he is running for congress, what he’s learned...
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Feb 25, 2018
058: Dan and Tony Talk About Movies and Stuff
Dan Hamamura, Hollywood Screenwriter and Host of “The Towel,” a podcast about following your dreams, joins Tony for a one on one conversation. Dan and Tony chat about growing up in Hawaii, the Academy Awards, and...
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Feb 17, 2018
057: Enough is ENOUGH [Guest: Joon Kim]
Joon Kim, Partner at New Paradigm Strategy Group and electoral campaign veteran, shared his stories and experiences in electoral politics, how to run an independent expenditure campaign, and hopes for future Asian-American political operatives. Tony...
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Feb 10, 2018
056: Go Team (Asian) America! [Guest: Kathy Tran]
Kathy Tran, Delegate for Virginia’s 42nd House of Delegates District Fairfax County, joins the podcast to talk about why she decided to run for office after a career in civil service, what she hopes to...
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Feb 3, 2018
055: Response to the Response(sssss) [Guest: Ravi Bhalla]
Ravi Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, and one of the first Sikh-American mayors in the US joins the podcast to share his personal story, his career as a lawyer defending victims of discrimination, and...
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Jan 27, 2018
054: Three Better Than Two
Punya Krishnappa makes her debut as the newest co-host of the Model Majority Podcast, bringing in her POV and experience from both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, Enroll America, and the restaurant...
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Jan 20, 2018
053: Demand A Seat At The Table [Guest: Yvonne Leow]
Yvonne Leow, president of the Asian American Journalists Association and co-founder of By The Bay, joins us to share her experience in journalism, why she founded By The Bay, and some expert advice on how...
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Jan 14, 2018
052: To(o) Racist or Not To(o) Racist [Guest: Christina Kuo]
Christina Kuo, Senior Strategist at Grassroots Solutions and former State and Local Campaign Managers for U.S. Green Building Council, joins us to share her vast experience in managing issue advocacy campaigns and how they differ...
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Jan 6, 2018
051: Not Enough “We”, Too Much “Me” [Guest: John Chiang]
John Chiang, California’s State Treasurer and candidate for governors, joins the podcast to share his personal story growing up amidst racism, his record in public service, and his plan for California if elected governor. We...
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Dec 30, 2017
050: Does AAPI Still Make Sense?
Wrapping up 2017, we revisit the question “Does AAPI Still Make Sense?” and reflect on our learnings and lessons after a year of podcasting about Asian-American issues and current affairs in 2017. Subscribe: Apple Podcast...
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Dec 23, 2017
049: We Wish You A Muslim Christmas [Guest: Taz Ahmed]
Tazila “Taz” Ahmed, activist, storyteller, and co-host of the Good Muslim Bad Muslim podcast joins us this week for a special #CrossPodLination episode, where we talked about her work as an activist for the Asian-American...
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Dec 16, 2017
048: Rockstar Refugee Immigrant Children [Guest: Tina Tchen]
Tina Tchen, former Assistant to President Obama and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama, shares her thought on sexual harassment in the work place, growing up in the Midwest, and favorite holiday food at the...
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Dec 13, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 013: Roy Moore Effect, Mayor Ed Lee’s Passing, DDK 4 Superman
Roy Moore effect lasts into 2018. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee passing too soon. May Daniel Dae Kim be the first Asian superhero on the big screen. These are the burning questions that we will...
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Dec 9, 2017
047: Myth of the Model Minority [Guest: Anna Sterling]
Anna Sterling, reporter and video journalist for NBC News, Vice, PRI, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, and Fusion joins the podcast to talk about her upbringing and family in the San Francisco Bay Area, the myth of the...
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Dec 2, 2017
046: Let Them Eat ‘Pai’ [Guest: Shin Inouye]
Shin Inouye, former White House Director of Specialty Media, shares his growing up story in Japan, work at the White House, and current mission to help bring more equality and civil rights to people at...
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Nov 29, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 012: Who’s Good Enough for a H1-B Visa? Should a White Guy Pretend to be Japanese to Get Ahead?
Who’s Good Enough for a H1-B Visa? Should a White Guy Pretend to be Japanese to Get Ahead? These are the burning questions that we will hot take on this week. Subscribe: Apple Podcast |...
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Nov 25, 2017
045: Are We Perpetual Outsiders? [Guest: Michael Luo]
Michael Luo, editor of the NewYorker.com, joins the podcast to share his story and thoughts, including his career as a journalist at the New York Times, the otherization of Asian-Americans, why Jeremy Lin means different...
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Nov 18, 2017
044: Super Nerdy Healthcare Talk [Guest: Andrew Hu]
Andrew Hu, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, shares his take on what we should know and do going forward with healthcare (tl;dr Obamacare is still the law of...
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Nov 15, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 011: Tax “Reform” Tries to Gut Healthcare, All-Asian TV Drama on NBC (hopefully)
Tax “reform” turns its ugly head towards healthcare and NBC might be doing an All-Asian drama soon (fingers-crossed), those are the hot take items on this midweek’s mini-pod. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher...
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Nov 11, 2017
043: Bullying the Quiet Asians [Guest: Crystal Strait]
Crystal Strait, CEO of Planned Parenthood California, talks about her career in California electoral politics, being a super delegate, her love for Hello Kitty, and much much more. We continue our commentary on Trump’s long Asia trip,...
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Nov 8, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 010: Electoral Victories (Finally), Trump Still Asia-ing
Democratic (and AAPI) candidates win big in the 2017 off-year elections in VA and NJ, while Trump continues to sojourn in Asia, puffing his chest at North Korea and getting flattered by Chinese leaders. Subscribe: Apple...
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Nov 4, 2017
042: Loneliness Kills, Love Heals [Guest: Dr. Vivek Murthy]
Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States, talks about his tenure in public service, health technology, loneliness as a health epidemic, and an awesome Indian-Chinese restaurant suggestion. We also share our take...
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Nov 2, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 009: Terror Attack in NYC, Racist Mailer in NJ, Steve Aoki Kneeling with Kap
Uzbeki man attacks pedestrians in NYC, blatantly anti-Asian mailers are sent around for Edison, NJ’s school board election, and Steve Aoki kneels with Colin Kaepernick to highlight Japanese American civil liberties struggle. That’s what’s hot...
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Oct 28, 2017
041: Get Your “Chinito” Straight [Guest: Gautam Raghavan]
Gautam Raghavan, former White House AAPI and LGBTQ liaison and current advisor to the Biden Foundation, joins the podcast to talk about his coming out story, career in public service, raising money from the AAPI...
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Oct 25, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 008: John Cho’s BUTT, Jeff Flake “Flaking”
John Cho shows his butt on the big screen while Jeff Flake shows himself out of the Senate chamber door–these are the topics of this week’s midweek hottakes. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher...
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Oct 21, 2017
040: Heirs to Jefferson, Madison, MLK Jr [Guest: Anil Kalhan]
Anil Kalhan, law professor of Drexel University, shares his knowledge and thoughts on DACA, immigration broadly, and other legal issues. We also share our take on Obama and Bush speaking publicly against Trumpism, and Chris...
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Oct 18, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 007: Derrick Watson v Muslim Ban, Bi-Partisan Healthcare, AAPI Voting Preference
Judge Watson shuts down Muslim Ban, latest bipartisan effort to save healthcare, and AAPI’s NON-Monolithic voting preferences–these are the topics of this week’s midweek hottakes. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play...
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Oct 14, 2017
039: Where are the AAPIs? [Guest: Bel Leong-Hong]
Bel Leong-Hong, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair and retired career public servant for 30 years shares her story in government and political activism, where we nerd out about inner workings and reforms of the Democratic Party....
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Oct 11, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 006: “Tax ‘Reform’, Pence v. 49ers, Jeremy Lin’s Dreads”
Tax ‘Reform’, Pence v. 49ers, Jeremy Lin’s Dreads–these are the topics of this week’s midweek hottakes. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn
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Oct 8, 2017
038: The Born Identity [Guest: Matt Stevens]
Matt Stevens, breaking news reporter at the New York Times and South Korean adoptee, talks about how to break news, how he got in touch with his Korean heritage, and where to satisfy his taco...
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Oct 4, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 005: “Las Vegas Mass Shooting, Tule Lake”
During this Midweek episode, we share our thoughts on the tragic and horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas and saving Tule Lake from a fence building proposal that would desecrate the site from proper memorializing...
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Sep 30, 2017
037: Drain the Trump [Guest: Aneesh Raman]
Aneesh Raman, the first Indian-American presidential speechwriter and former CNN war correspondent, joins the pod to share his stories writing for President Obama, being stationed in the Middle East, and what technology companies should do...
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Sep 27, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 004: “[FAIL] Graham-Cassidy, North Korea Provocation, Ohio Voter Purge”
This is the hottest and takiest #hottakes yet with discussions on: Graham-Cassidy Failure, “war declaration” with DPRK, and SCOTUS case of Ohio voter purge which affected Asian-American and Pacific Islanders voters. Subscribe: Apple Podcast |...
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Sep 23, 2017
036: Mixing Vanilla Ice Cream with Horse Manure [Guest: Ken Fong]
Ken Fong, former pastor at Evergreen Baptist Church of LA and host of the “Asian America: the Ken Fong podcast”, joins our podcast to talk about religion, politics, progressive Christians, LGBTQ inclusion, and race relations in America....
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Sep 20, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 003: “Graham-Cassidy, UNGA, Emmy”
Your hotter and takier #hottakes of the midweek continues with discussions on: Graham-Cassidy Obamacare repeal bill, Trump’s first trip to UNGA, and Asian Emmy winners. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play |...
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Sep 16, 2017
035: Know the Law [Guest: Nancy Leong]
Nancy Leong, law professor at University of Denver Sturm College of Law, does a deep dive on hot topics like Affirmative Action, First Amendment, DACA, and gender separation in sports! Tony and Kevin also do a...
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Sep 13, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 002: “AAPI Population Growth, Medicare For All, Daniel Dae Kim in Hellboy”
Tony and Kevin share hotier and takier Midweek #hottakes on AAPIs’ rapid population growth, Medicare for all, and Daniel Dae Kim’s new role in the upcoming movie “Hellboy.” Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher |...
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Sep 9, 2017
034: Fact-Checking North Korean Poetry [Guest: Michelle Ye Hee Lee]
Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Fact Checker Extraordinaire at the Washington Post joins the pod to talk about how to fact check Donald Trump, her experience reporting in Maricopa County on Sheriff Joe Arpaio, online bullying...
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Sep 6, 2017
Midweek #Hottakes 001: “Schulosi, Hurricanes, DACA, DPRK Nukes”
Tony and Kevin launch the Model Majority Midweek Hottakes to give their POVs on Schumer-Pelosi deal with Trump, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Trump/Sessions rescinding DACA, and Kim Jung-Un’s latest nuclear weapon test. Subscribe: Apple Podcast...
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Sep 3, 2017
033: 700,000 Bosses [Guest: Andy Kim]
Andy Kim, candidate for New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district and former Director of Iraq Policy at the National Security Council, joins the podcast to talk about his career in public service, campaign for Congress, and...
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Aug 27, 2017
032: The Taco Accords [Guest: Vikrum Aiyer]
Vikrum Aiyer former Chief of Staff at the US Patent & Trademark Office, and current Head of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at Postmates joins the pod to talk about his new podcast “American Enough.”...
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Aug 20, 2017
031: Bannon Schadenfreude Orgasm [Guest: Vicki Tung]
Vicki Tung, Director of Public Affairs at Texas Instrument, 40 under 40s by Silicon Valley Business Journal, and former Associate Director of Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs at Department of Commerce, joins the podcast to talk about her...
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Aug 13, 2017
030: “Asians are the loneliest Americans” [Guest: Dr. Meena Seshamani]
Dr. Meena Seshamani, former director of the Office of Health Reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, shares her knowledge on the current state of healthcare and what policymakers should do to make...
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Aug 6, 2017
029: Don’t Forget Vincent Chin [Guest: Frank Wu]
Frank Wu, Distinguished Professor at UC Hastings, author of “Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White,” and prolific writer and blogger on civil rights and Asian-American-related issues, talk to us about the importance of...
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Jul 30, 2017
028: Credit Where Credit is Due [Guest: Alissa Ko]
Alissa Ko, former Senior Associate Director at the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Office of Public Affairs, joins the podcast to share her amazing career story in public service (as well as her...
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Jul 23, 2017
027: Catching Up On Life
Tony and Kevin do a catch up episode on the news and going-ons of life. It’s been too long! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Fake News pitch to Rachel Maddow Ajito–one of the best Japanese...
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Jul 16, 2017
026: Zig, When Others Zag [Guest: Richard Lui]
Richard Lui, news anchor of NBC News and MSNBC, shares his amazing life story, career, and thoughts on journalism and the fourth estate. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn...
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Jul 9, 2017
025: Greatest Hits v.1
Re-introducing some of our favorite interview segments from the past 24 episodes, this episode is a mash-up of our “greatest hits” from five amazing guests: Jennifer 8 Lee, Punya Krishnappa, Ronnie Cho, Kiran Ahuja, and...
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Jul 2, 2017
024: Voter Fraud (ahem Suppression) Panel [Guest: Kathy Ko Chin]
Kathy Ko Chin, the President and CEO of Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, joins the podcast to talk about the current healthcare debate, especially as it pertains to the Asian-American & Pacific Islanders community....
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Jun 25, 2017
023: A Bittersweet Victory [Guest: Simon Tam]
Simon Tam of The Slants joins the podcast to talk about life story, music, and of course their victory at the Supreme Court that allows them to trademark their band’s name. We also talk about...
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Jun 18, 2017
022: “It’s not a hand-out, it’s a hand-up!” [Guest: Leah Cowan]
Leah Cowan, Director of Mobilization for Common Sense Kids Action and a field campaign veteran, joins the podcast this week to talk about her incredible rise in the world of campaign politics and share her...
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Jun 11, 2017
021: Lordy, I hope there are tapes [Guest: Chris Lu]
Chris Lu, former Deputy Secretary of Labor and Cabinet Secretary in the Obama White House, joins the podcast to talk about important issues of disparity within the Asian-American and Pacific Islanders community (and how the Trump...
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Jun 4, 2017
020: Make Our Planet Great Again
Taking a break from guest interviews this week to talk about Paris, Hillary at Recode, CA34 special election, Asian cooking, and of course…covfefe! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn...
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May 28, 2017
019: “We gotta be actively engaged!” [Guest: Gov. Gary Locke]
Gary Locke, former Governor of Washington, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and U.S. Ambassador to China, joins the podcast to cap off our final episode of Asian-American & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month and shares stories from...
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May 21, 2017
018: It’s Mueller Time [Guest: Parita Shah]
Parita Shah, former Chief of Staff of the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the Obama administration and former VP at APCO Worldwide, a global public relations consulting firm, joins the podcast for our 3rd episode to...
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May 14, 2017
017: Priming the (Watergate) Pump [Guest: Kiran Ahuja]
Kiran Ahuja, former Executive Director of the White House Asian-American & Pacific Islanders Initiative, joins the podcast for our second installment of AAPI Heritage month to share her inspiring story growing up in the Deep...
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May 7, 2017
016: Asian-American Heritage Month Ruined by Trumpcare [Guest: Ro Khanna]
Ro Khanna, Congressman of CA-17, joins the podcast to kick off this year’s May Asian-American & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month with his inspirational story in public service (and also shares some great restaurant recommendations in Fremont,...
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Apr 30, 2017
015: Trump Cuts Taxes…for Trump [Guest: Omar Khan]
Omar Khan, former Obama administration official at the Office of U.S. Trade Representative and campaign manager for former Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, joins the podcast to discuss what it was like to manage a state-wide...
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Apr 23, 2017
014: “Live” from Mar-a-Lago [Guest: Jason Tengco]
Jason Tengco, former Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, former Director of AAPI Outreach for Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign, and current Executive Director of the National Federation of...
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Apr 16, 2017
013: Almost a Twitter War [Guest: Frank Aum]
Frank Aum, former Special Advisor on North Korea at the Department of Defense under President Obama and current Visiting Scholar at the US-Korea Institute at School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, joins the...
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Apr 9, 2017
012: Just Show Up! [Guest: Ronnie Cho]
Ronnie Cho, candidate for NY City Council District 2, Head of Public Affairs at MTV, and long time Obama campaign and White House staffer joins the podcast to talk about his experience in politics. One...
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Apr 2, 2017
011: “Get Out” Comrade Putin!
Tony and Kevin take Trump to task on his continuous Twitter gaslighting to defend Comrade Putin, and remind people not to forget some big news items ahead: China, the border wall, and possible government shutdown....
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Mar 26, 2017
010: Trumpcare Dies (For Now)
What do Disney FastPass and budget reconciliation have in common, and why we should care in the aftermath of the Trumpcare debacle? Find out from this episode! Also, we highlight two congressional districts where the Asian-American...
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Mar 19, 2017
009: When North Carolina Turned Blue [Guest: Jesse Moore]
Jesse Moore, former VP at Rock The Vote and speechwriter and associate director of public engagement in the Obama White House, joins us to talk about youth engagement. We also reminisce about our times together...
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Mar 12, 2017
008: Get Tiny Trumpcare Hands Off My Healthcare [Guest: Santiago Martinez]
Santiago Martinez, Senior Vice President of Data & Analytics at 270 Strategies, talks campaign data with Tony and Kevin, especially as it pertains to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders community, as we look ahead...
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Mar 5, 2017
007: Don’t Insult Campaign Volunteers [Guest: Punya Krishnappa]
Punya Krishnappa, Affordable Care Act Deputy Campaign Manager at Organizing for America, joins the podcast to talk about her journey in electoral politics as an Indian-American growing up in Illinois. We also take Trump White House...
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Feb 26, 2017
006: “Man Date” on Oscar Sunday [Guest: Jennifer 8. Lee]
Jennifer 8. Lee joins us for a “Man Date” over Skype to share her experience and insight on filmmaking on this Oscar Sunday. We also avoid Trump’s Twitter gaslighting of his war with the media,...
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Feb 19, 2017
005: 75th Anniversary of the Internment of Japanese Americans [Guest: Dr. Franklin Odo]
Dr. Franklin Odo, John J. McCloy Visiting Professor of American Institutions and International Diplomacy at Amherst College and the first Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program, reflects on the 75th Anniversary of the...
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Feb 15, 2017
[BONUS] 004.5: Usher–Worst Early Vote Surrogate Ever!
In this bonus episode, Kevin calls out Usher for being the worst early vote surrogate ever during the 2008 campaign. We also share our first voting stories. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play
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Feb 12, 2017
004: (Un)Happy Birthday Lincoln… What Would Jeff Sessions (Un)Do for Voting Rights; Campaign War Stories
We wish Lincoln a Happy Birthday, though we doubt he’d be happy with what’s going on in America right now. We discuss why Jeff Sessions’s confirmation as Attorney General would be, among many other things,...
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Feb 5, 2017
003: Leave the “Governator” Alone! Best & Worst Campaign Chinese Takeout Experience
Tony and Kevin psychoanalyze Trump as he continues to Twitter-troll Arnold Schwarzenegger about his Apprentice ratings. We also share some practical and effective grassroots activism tips to influence your representatives, and engage in a light-hearted but...
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Jan 29, 2017
002: “Voter Fraud”…What?; Growing up “Asian” in America
We apply our previous field organizing experiences to deconstruct Trump’s alleged “voter fraud” investigation in “This Week’s Trump Tweets” #twtt. We also launch a mini-series called Growing up “Asian” in America, where we feature stories of...
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Jan 22, 2017
001: AAPI Makes No Sense
In this official first episode, we introduce our weekly segment, “This Week’s Trump Tweets” #twtt. We also chat about why the AAPI racial category makes no sense, each ethnicities home country politics, and why you...
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Jan 17, 2017
000: What’s this Podcast?
In this inaugural episode of the Model Majority Podcast, we talk about the reasons why we started this podcast, the pillars and principles that underpin this project, and brief introductions of our own stories. Subscribe: iTunes...
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