ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST

Oct 27 2024 100 ep. 55 mins 91

ASIAN AMERICA: THE KEN FONG PODCAST artwork

Ken Fong gets to the heart of Asian American culture, history, and spirituality. Through interviews with culture-makers and -shapers in the Asian American community -- some you know, others you've never heard of before -- prepare to laugh, cry, and be amazed.

Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

EP 505: Brian Ho On How He Went From Being A Piano Prodigy To A Hammond Organ Jazz Artist

Oct 27 2024 51 mins

Brian Ho started taking piano lessons at a very early age, and even though he clearly was a prodigy, he struggled to connect to classical music. But he eventually learned that he could play all of his favorite songs by ear, which increased his passion for playing music. While still a teenager, he landed a gig at a San Jose Black Baptist church. That introduced him not only to the w

EP 504: R&B/Rap Producer Band!t On What It Took For Him To Fulfill His Dreams In The Recording Industry

Oct 20 2024 57 mins

Award-winning R&B/Rap producer Band!t fell in love with the genres as the young son of Korean American academics. Unsatisfied with the standard STEM direction, he began teaching himself the rudiments of producing original beats interwoven with samples of songs from the 70s while in college. But it would require plenty of blood, sweat, tears, and unshakeable faith in God before he w

EP 503: The Two Kens On Decision 2024 & Ongoing Uncertainty

Oct 15 2024 50 mins

VP Harris was inserted into the race just a few months ago, and now we're only 3 weeks away from the day when all the votes will be cast and counted. After that, the whole world will finally know who will be the 47th POTUS. Harris has proven to be a much more formidable adversary to Trump, and yet most polls are still saying that this race is too close to call. Podcasters Fong and

EP 502: Arcadia City Council Incumbent Paul Cheng & Candidate David Fu On Why Serving Our Communities As Elected Officials Matters So Much

Oct 14 2024 57 mins

My guests this week are Paul Cheng and David Fu. Paul is finishing his first term on Arcadia's City Council and seeking a second term, while David is running to join his friend Paul on their city's council. I started getting to know a few of the Asian Americans running for local offices when they asked me to take photographs for their campaigns of them with their families. I've rea

EP 501: Mika Shino On Launching, Mass-producing & Marketing Issei Mochi Gummies

Oct 06 2024 47 mins

Because Mika Shino was born in Japan, she possessed an innate connection to Japan's traditions, culture, aesthetics, and cuisines. But having grown up in other countries, especially America, she also was imbued with a creative curiosity that was free to explore beyond the boundaries of her native roots. When she became a mom, she soon learned that most of American snacks originatet

EP 500: Susan Lieu On Her Debut Memoir "The Manicurist's Daughter"

Sep 29 2024 67 mins

Vietnamese American playright and performer Susan Lieu recently published her memoir The Manicurist's Daughter. After her 30-something manicurist mother died from a botched tummy-tuck surgery, Susan was met with a wall of silence from all her relatives. Tragically, she internalized the body-shaming-consciousness that led to her mother's unnecessary death. This led to years and year

EP 499: Louis Wu On How He Started A Ukulele Company 18 Years Ago & Why These 4-Stringed Instruments Have Become So Popular

Sep 20 2024 55 mins

Louis Wu was an engineer, not an entrepreneur. But when he and his wife agreed that he needed a job that would allow him to spend more time with their young children, he began casting around, trying to find his new career path. In this episode, you'll hear how he ended up starting Ohana Music 18 years ago, which has become a widely respected source of quality affordable and now cus

EP 498: Carolyn Taketa On Learning To Embrace & Navigate Life's Big Changes

Sep 15 2024 67 mins

According to experts, the average person goes through at least 30 major changes in his or her life. Some changes are things that we choose, e.g., marriage, divorce, different career, while some changes are things that happen or happen to us that we must navigate, e.g, war, assault, poor health, accident, etc. Carolyn Taketa is a certified life transformation coach after being a lit

EP 497: The Two Kens On Debate #2 - Hook, Line & Stinker

Sep 13 2024 39 mins

On Tuesday night, September 3rd, Trump and Harris locked horns in what now looks to be the first and final debate between the two leading candidates for America's next POTUS. Even if you didn't watch it, by now, days later, you've no doubt heard that Harris prevailed mightily and convincingly over Trump. Regardless of the outcome, Fong and Kemp were ready to weigh in the very next

EP 496: Doreen Wong & Ken Fong On The Unexpected Miracle Of Falling In Love Again After Half A Century

Sep 11 2024 64 mins

My very special guest this bonus episode is Doreen Wong. You're going to get to hear from her because she said 'yes' to me twice last week. She accepted my surprise proposal of marriage on September 3rd, and then the next day she finally accepted my invitation to join me on my podcast to tell the miraculous story of how we've come back together fifty-plus years after we broke up be