Asian Pacific Voices Radio

Maru Kim: Bridging Cultures, One Mic at a Time | 3x35

Known as MC MARU, Maru Kim is a Korean-American professional emcee, motivational speaker, and CEO of @maruonthestage Entertainment. With his unique, uncanny trilingual (Korean, English, Spanish) ability, cross-cultural sensitivity, and 600+ appearances on the stage as MC and speaker, he has been entertaining, motivating, and growing with Korean, Hispanic, and many other multi-ethnic immigrant communities.

Maru is based in LA, and with an enormous amount of support and recognition from his Korean American and Latino community, he has been traveling all around the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Paraguay, etc. to embrace and connect multicultural audience gathered at all kinds of events such as K-pop concert, multi-ethnic festival, leadership conference, fundraising gala, business expo, showcase, fan meeting, corporate/private events, weddings, and so on. With his “No one left out” emceeing philosophy, MC MARU does his magic on stage firing up the audience with his charisma, character, and passion. 

In this episode, MC MARU talks about his ongoing journey as the face of the Korean American community, and his relentless efforts to expand his territory and influence to embrace and engage with the Latino community. You can see his footprints on his Instagram @maruonthestage.  

Illuminating humanity through laughter and narratives | 3x34

Joining us in this episode is a remarkable storyteller and creative activist, Alaudin Ullah, whose work resonates deeply across cultures and communities. One of the first South Asians to appear as a stand-up comedian on national television, including Comedy Central, BET, MTV, and PBS, his groundbreaking one-person, multi-character play, Dishwasher Dreams, has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, shedding light on the immigrant experience with humor and profound narrative depth.

Ullah's three-act play Halal Brothers centers on the interactions between African American and Bengali Muslims in a Harlem halal butcher's shop on the day of Malcolm X's murder in 1965. In his autobiographical solo show, Dishwasher Dreams, Ullah and musician Avirodh Sharma take audiences on a journey of vivid remembrances and discoveries from 1930s India (now Bangladesh) to 1970s Spanish Harlem to present-day Hollywood. 

Alaudin shares his experiences growing up in a culturally divided household, and opens up about the significant impacts in his life that had shaped his cultural identity. As a creative activist, Alaudin expresses the role as an artist and storyteller when it comes to shaping societal perceptions and fostering empathy, especially in today's diverse and often divided world. 

Geeranan Chuersanga: Connecting Global Thai Community through Art | 3x33

Geeranan Chuersanga (Jeer-rah-nahn Choo-er-sahng-ah) , also known as Cartoon, is a Thai American, diversity, (health) equity and inclusion advocate as well as a self-taught artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Fun fact: Her nickname "Cartoon" was given by her parents since birth and derived from the popular cartoon character "Tweety" for her big eyes.

Her full-time career and art endeavors were heavily influenced by her parents' experiences navigating their Thai cultural beliefs with the US healthcare system. As a result, she received her BA in Public Health Policy from the University of California, Irvine and her MS in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice at Boston University.

Her interest in art and niche in capturing Thai elements led to the creation of @kwamsookxo on Instagram. With increased exposure of Asian American art and artists on various social media platforms, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed a lack of Thai-American representation and switched gears to shift her art to educate about Thai culture and capture the experiences of the Thai diaspora community.

Envisioning Connectivity and Redefinition in the World of Public Relations | 3x32

Paloma B. Concordia (She/her) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and gives credit to New York City for developing her business-savvy state of mind. Her education and career began in the fashion and retail industry and transitioned into the music business at the height of the digital media boom.Inspired by progressive artists in the Bay Area, Paloma began to explore youth empowerment programs and social justice initiatives and found her passion in supporting the progressive arts community through public relations.

Paloma has served as a program coordinator in partnership with Beats Rhymes and Life, and the East Bay Asian Youth Center in Oakland, CA, as well as a Program Director with a non-profit arts organization, the Estria Foundation. Combining her experience in these fields, she founded the PapaLoDown Agency in 2009, a boutique public relations company specializing in a client base of entrepreneurs and community organizations in the arts, culture, and community spaces.

Paloma is passionate about empowering APIA women through entrepreneurship and public relations and has served on Daly City’s inaugural Small Business Commission, was a founding advisory board member for Pinayista, and is currently an advisory board member for the Asian American Women Artists Association, and the Pinays Rising Scholarship fund. She now lives in Oxnard, CA where she serves on the city’s Cultural Arts Commission. When she's not working with clients, she enjoys running, practicing yoga, and raising a family of three boys with her husband.

Fostering Connection and Positivity through Coffee Culture and Heartwarming Content | 3x31

In this episode we are joined by coffee expert, entrepreneur, and internet personality Nick Cho. Known for his online persona "Your Korean Dad," he uses social media to share heartwarming and relatable content that fosters a sense of connection and positivity among his followers.

Nick was born in Seoul, Korea in 1973. He immigrated to the US in 1975 with his father and mother, eventually settling in the Washington DC suburbs in Northern Virginia where he and his younger sister, Jennifer, grew up. After a number of different jobs including car sales, music teacher, and assistant to a radio producer for a nationally syndicated comedy radio show, he opened a small coffee shop in Washington DC in 2002 called "murky coffee." It quickly became renown throughout the country as one of the pioneering cafes for what would be called "third wave coffee."

He moved to San Francisco in 2010, starting a new coffee company with Trish Rothgeb called Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters. Both Nick and Trish would split time between running the coffee company and traveling the world, being invited as leading industry experts to speak and teach at various venues and events throughout the coffee world.

Nick started on TikTok in late 2019, and started posting videos as what would be known as "Your Korean Dad" in April of 2020. His audience has been growing rapidly ever since.

Kathy Khang: Inspiring Change, One Voice at a Time | 3x30

As a writer, speaker, and yoga teacher, Kathy Khang is also the author of Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent & How to Speak Up (IV Press, 2018) and Alabaster Guided Meditations, Psalms Vol. 1 and 2 (IV Press, 2020), and a contributing author in More Than Serving Tea (IV Press, 2006) and Voices of Lament (Revell, 2022). Her next book co-authored with Matt Mikalatos, Loving Disagreement, releases in October.

Ms. Khang is the board chair for Christians for Social Action, co-host of The Fascinating Podcast, and president of the Northwestern University Asian and Asian American Alumni (A-5) Club.

Ms. Khang was a newspaper reporter in Green Bay and Milwaukee, WI before spending more than two decades in vocational ministry where she focused on leadership development and training leaders in diversity and justice. She holds a BS in journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

She is based in the north suburbs of Chicago and blogs at www.kathykhang.com, is on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok as @mskathykhang, and posts at www.facebook.com/kathykhangauthor 

Empowering communities, uplifting futures: Dante Dauz, a Catalyst for Change | 3x29

Dante Dauz was born and raised in San Diego and developed and implemented numerous community engagement and empowerment programs with the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) throughout San Diego for 13 years. Programs included: community violence response, victim support, gang prevention, homeless advocacy, youth mentorship, employment, and business development for individuals with serious mental illness. Over the last 5 years, Dante spearheaded the development of a community center and social enterprise called “UPAC
Neighborhood Enterprise Center” (NEC) that focuses on advancing diversity, building neighborhood unity, and developing youth leaders. NEC’s focus is providing training and employment for disadvantaged youth in City Heights and Southeast San Diego through its café,
catering company, and print shop/graphic design operations; more importantly, youth are trained to lead and supervise numerous community impact programs. Dante is currently working on two
other social enterprise programs. One will be located in downtown that will train and employ homeless youth and modeled after NEC. The other will be coffee kiosk operations that will employ youth on probation. Another unique project is the development of a “cultural” food
distribution program. These new ventures have potential to impact and employ up to 150 youth within the next year. Dante has been a well-respected and reliable community advocate for 25 years and earned a reputation of being at the front-line of serious matters that impact the
community. Prior to joining UPAC, he was a successful probation officer, business owner, and community advocate. He is the recipient of several awards including: Probation Officer of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Peacemaker of the Year, and recently named the Anthony Medina
People’s Champion. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University in Criminal Justice and his Juris Doctorate and Certificate in Global Legal Studies from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Spreading Smiles and Joy: Kathleen Kim’s Sesame Street Magic | 3x28

In this episode we are joined by puppeteer, voice actor, and producer Kathleen Kim, who has brought asian representation to Sesame Street, through the newest member of the beloved cast, Ji-Young. Her incredible role as Ji-Young not only empowers AAPI children as they see themselves in such a manner, but also reconnects the bond of diverse communities within this PBS longtime favorite. 

As Kathleen touches on the creation, progress, and overall impact of this journey with Ji-Young, we are immersed into the deeper meaning of Ji-Young’s presence, creating a picture of how she contributes to the AAPI community. On a more personal note, Kathleen shares her own relationship to the character, gratefully expressing that she learns many characteristics that she herself does not hone, describing that puppeteering is a force in which you breathe life into someone/ or something. Her lively personality rings through her jokes, laughs, and smiles as she expresses her luck in receiving this role, and how she plans to continue making a positive impact in television.

The See Us Coming Together special has been nominated in 2022 for Outstanding Fictional Special Emmy, and Outstanding Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children's Program Emmy. You can also find her work in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (2020), Helpsters (2019), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019).

Flavors Unleashed: Cheetie Kumar’s Culinary Adventure | 3x27

In this episode we are joined by Raleigh Star Chef, Cheetie Kumar, who has been profiled by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She has been recognized as someone to watch in the culinary world, with numerous James Beard award nominations. Her new restaurant Ajja has opened up recently in Raleigh, and serves delicious  She is also known to master her crafts in the music industry as a guitarist in her band known as “Birds of Avalon”, a rock band hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kumar opens up about her time spent in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother in her younger years. Through her family's cultural roots, Cheetie shares that every new home was anchored by food, and was used as a powerful tool for memory and connection. Through these connections, she was also drawn to the wonderful world of music, brewing her passions of both culinary and melody, for most of her life. 

Her inspirations illuminate throughout her creations, championing through each path she lays before her. As Cheetie continues to grow in her knowledge and skill, she becomes a force in the kitchen and rock-star on tour, amplifying and empowering her voice

 

Shaping the World of Autobiographical Comics and Amplifying Underrepresented Voices | 3x26

In this episode, we are joined by the charismatic cartoonist MariNaomi (she/they), known for their evocative autobiographical comics and dedication to promoting underrepresented voices, their raw and intimate storytelling has captivated readers worldwide, while their creation of three online databases has empowered countless fellow cartoonists. MariNaomi opens up about how their Japanese culture plays a part in their work and how they intertwine those roots in their storytelling and visual styles. 

She is very excited to share their memoir I Thought You Loved Me, an homage to their past, recollecting the memories behind this journalistic story, paving the way through with growth due to such influence. As she continues their work today, their aim to amplify underrepresented voices in the comic industry, is an influential staple in the queer, disabled, and POC communities. Their unflinchingly honest and charismatic personality emanates through their narratives, and resonates with countless hearts. 

MariNaomi is the award-winning author and illustrator who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their work has appeared in over eighty print publications and has been featured on websites such as The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, The Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast and BuzzFeed.