Asian Pacific Voices Radio

AANHPI Women in Military Leadership │ 2x25

In this episode, Air Force Officer Joanne Whitlock talks about AANHPI in the military. She touches on the low degree of representation for them in leadership positions, especially if they are women, and how this impacts their experiences in the military the military demographics overall. 

Joanne recently led their service wide efforts for AAPI Heritage Month while also serving as member of their Barrier Analysis Working Group. In this capacity, Joanne is involved in analyzing data, trends and barriers to identify and address issues impacting AANHPI personnel in the Air Force. Born and raised in the Philippines, Joanne is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion and promoting AANHPI heritage across various platforms. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and a Masters Degree in Forensic Science and was a former Medicolegal Death Investigator in the Washington, DC area (Northern Virginia). Joanne also volunteers her time serving as a mentor for Big Brother Big Sister. “

Helping Heal At-Risk Youth with Connie Chung │ 2x24

On this episode, Dr. Connie Chung discusses her own experiences with homelessness and metal health and how it's translated to her activism. She has done extensive research on sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in homeless youth and investigated survival and coping strategies of young people living on the streets. She has also worked in domestic violence shelters, studying the psychosocial effects of exposure to domestic violence on children.  She has done extensive work with, and advocated for, child and adolescent survivors of sex trafficking in the SF Bay Area.  

Dr. Connie Chung graduated from Harvard University with a doctorate in educational psychology and has two master’s degrees focused on adolescent psychosocial development and resilience.  She received her bachelor’s from the University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated as Class Commencement Speaker of her department.

Dr. Chung has served as a consultant on federal housing policy for homeless veterans; and has worked in East Africa serving Masai tribal women, AIDS orphans, and disabled children. She currently serves as a volunteer member of a prison ministry outreach program.  

She has been profiled in the Korea Times, Fox News, NPR Radio, and local publications regarding her work, her achievements as well as her own experiences of severe trauma, neglect, and homelessness throughout her childhood. Dr. Chung is married to a former minister who is a doctoral candidate in seminary and is the proud mother of two little girls.   

Dr. Chung is currently a stay at home mother of a toddler on the autism spectrum and an infant.  She would like to start a special needs ministry for children and adults on the autism spectrum. 

 

Representation Behind the Scenes │ 2x23

Christine Ng is a cinematographer and a graduate from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In this episode, Sheena and Christine discuss the communal nature of working in cinematography and working behind the scenes. They also emphasize the importance of mentorship (especially female mentorship in a male-dominated field). Additionally, they discuss the importance of pursuing one's creative side as a person-of-color, and having to navigate the professional realm as a minority. 

Ng was born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City. Her work has screened at festivals worldwide including SXSW, Palm Springs, Outfest, LA Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, NY Film Festival and many more. Her most recent work can be seen on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Showtime. Learn more about her work and style at christineng.com!

 

LGBTQ+ Activism in the Military │ 2x22

Born in Guam to Filipino parents, Hosanna grew up and went to school in New York. After one year of college, she decided to enlist herself in the Army at age 18, serving a total of 5 years, where she served as an Intelligence Analyst. However, she got discharged under the old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy due to her sexual orientation.

She then became a dedicated LGBTQ+ activist in Washington, D.C. while continuing her role as an Intelligence Analyst for the Department of Defense. Years later, when the Obama administration repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, she was able to re-enlist and re-join the military, resuming her service again in 2015. 

Health and Wellness with Dr. Cindy Tsai & Dr. Khoa Truong │ 2x21

On this episode, Dr. Cindy Tsai and Dr. Khoa D. Truong chat with host Linda Schwartz on the importance of integrative medicine and holistic health and wellbeing.

Dr. Tsai was born in Vancouver, Canada and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. She is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and medical director. She has achieved balance between the cultures and medicinal philosophies of both East and West. Her philosophy is centered on the mind-body connection—something that is unique to each individual. Her training in coaching, mindfulness, and various energy healing modalities are used to curate a holistic and personalized approach to healing and growth.

San Diego native Dr. Khoa D Truong is a decorated member of several associations for over 15 years, including the American Optometric Association, the California Optometric Association, and the San Diego Optometric Society. He was a member of the President’s Lions Club and used his expertise to conduct free vision screenings and health fairs for the community of San Diego. He also has his own wellness talk show on Vietnamese Television (VNTV) that he co-hosts with Dana Vo. The show helps address different aspects of health and life.

For more info on their practices, visit cindytsaimd.com and kdtoptometry.com!

Cultivating Community for Women of Color with Asha Dahya │ 2x20

Asha Dahya is a producer, author, and speaker. She is considered a voice of authority in the feminist media space. She addresses topics of reproductive rights, gender equality, and the representation of women in media.

Dahya founded GirlTalkHQ.com in 2013 as a platform for empowerment and education for girls and women. She also gave a talk on TEDx Normal on reproductive rights in 2019 (available on YouTube).

Sheena Yap-Chan is also an author, speaker, and advocate for women empowerment. Together, they discuss topics of identity, representation, women's rights, and human resilience. 

Spearheading AAPI in Space with Dr. Leroy Chiao │ 2x19

On this episode of Asian Voices Radio, Sasha Foo sat down with Dr. Leroy Chiao, PhD, a former NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander. Dr. Chiao delves into his experiences with NASA, the process of the training program, and his missions working with Russian, Japanese and European Astronauts and their affiliated space agencies.

Across his 15-year career with NASA, he has served on four space missions, and most recently served as Commander and NASA Science Officer of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station. A native English speaker, he is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Russian. He has flown space missions and worked closely with Russian, Japanese and European Astronauts and their affiliated space agencies. Dr. Chiao is uniquely qualified to speak about the United States, Russian, Japanese, European and Chinese Space Programs.

Currently, Dr. Chiao works in business, consulting, executive coaching and space education. He is a a professional international speaker, and a co-founder and the CEO of OneOrbit, providing keynotes and training to companies and schools. Chiao also holds an appointment at the Baylor College of Medicine, and is an advisor to the Houston Association for Space and Science Education. He has worked in both government and commercial space programs, and has held leadership positions in commercial ventures and NASA.

Visit his website at https://www.leroychiao.com/

2Chang: Taking our own Stories Back │ 2x18

In this episode, brothers Jonny and Solomon Chang share their experiences growing up Asian American, their exploration of multidisciplinary art, and how it became an outlet for their stories in a world that neglects AANHPI voices.

 

Jonny Chang is a recording artist and musical producer with roots in spoken-word poetry. Solomon Chang is a passionate storyteller studying Television Writing and Production at UCLA. Together, they make up the creative duo of 2Chang: 2 Chinese-Filipino-Hawaiian American brothers, who believe it's time for the next generation of AAPI storytellers to be heard. 2Chang strives to honor forgotten perspectives, tell their stories in beauty and in truth, and empower their fellow young folks, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders to tell their own story. 

 

Their debut project, THE WEATHER INSIDE, is a 5-part narrative music video series exploring themes of identity belonging, mental health, and growing pains through their Asian American lens. To learn more about their collaborative creations, visit their website https://www.theweatherinside.org or visit @jonnychang.music on Instagram!)

Farm to Table Dreams with Chef Lan Thai │ 2x17

On this episode, Sasha Foo interviews Chef Lan Thai—aka Chef Lando—the culinary creator of Enclave Cafe. 

Chef Lando breaks down the FAM (Food as Medicine) philosophy and delves into her the nutritional value of a diverse diet. She also discusses her unique upbringing and cultural roots, growing up in a refugee camp in Thailand following her family's fleeing of Vietnam.

Chef Lando's Enclave Cafe has 3 locations across San Diego as well as a 90-acre regenerative farm. She also has a chow on YouTube called the FAM Show, where she shares knowledge on nutrition, ingredients, and recipes. 

 

Visit the website for Enclave at https://adventuroussuperfood.com 

View episodes of The FAM Show on their YouTube Channel

The Storytelling Power of Photography │ 2x16

Emanuel Hahn (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based commercial and documentary photographer/director. As a Korean Third Culture Kid growing up in Singapore and Cambodia, he developed an interest in storytelling, especially on topics of identity, culture, diasporic experiences and the question of what it means "to belong".

His deep observational and listening abilities have led him to tell the stories of the coffee farmers in Colombia, Chinese grocery store owners in the Mississippi Delta, the Korean Uzbeks in Brooklyn, and most recently the Koreatown community in Los Angeles through his photo book Koreatown Dreaming.