Episodes
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“Chai is amazing — it should be right alongside a good cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino. This business helped me reconcile my American upbringing and my Indian heritage — that push and pull, that beautiful combination of everything.”
Ayan Sanyal is Co-founder of Kolkata Chai Company, which if you’re in NY, you should stop by sometime soon (or order some online) — it’s something special. I’ve been going for a couple of years, and more than a few others do to, including frieMMd of the pod Rajiv, and his bud Hasan Minhaj, who’s become a big investor and advocate. Chai is something special — and good, REAL chai is something transcendent (just don’t call it chai tea). Good chai takes time. It takes people. And it creates friendship.
Ayan and his brother founded Kolkata Chai Co. in 2018 to bring authentic masala chai to New York City. Growing up to Bengali parents in Amherst, MA, the brothers navigated tea times, rock bands, and trips back to India (street food FTW) - finding different inspirations along the way. The two built a career and background in digital advertising and media, but quickly challenged themselves to take a side passion - brewing chai at home - to farmers markets and beyond — redefining how chai and culture can be experienced in the city, and further into America. Hearing Ayan’s journey, from Amherst, MA to Kolkata and back again — and all the comic books and rock music in between - you’ll be inspired to do more, and have a great cup along the way.
LEARN MORE:
kolkatachai.co
instagram.com/kolkatachaico
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“It was not nostalgia — I kept waiting for that to hit. I was worried about — what if New York doesn't live up to it? Because then where do I go from here?
Kay Sohini is an Indian comics-maker living in New York City. She’s the author of the graphic novel THIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS CITY . But Kay’s a lot more than a comics creator - she’s a writer, researcher, and artist. Kay grew up in Kolkata, where she fell in love with American culture - through TV and literature - as a contrast to her life in India. Kay eventually left India, got her PhD in English from Stony Brook University, and drew her doctoral dissertation — "Drawing Unbelonging" — as a comic. Since then her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Nib, and more. Her work focuses on utilizing comics in the scholarly examination of healthcare justice, environmental humanities, resisting disinformation, and creating an equitable future for all.
“This Beautiful Ridiculous City” is getting glowing reviews from NPR, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, The Financial Times and more. Kay shares some of her journey from India to America, from Kolkata to New York, but we actually talked a lot about the business - and art of comics - in the US, France, and India. Kay’s a very thoughtful, observant and direct artist and thinker. Kay’s work isn’t just deeply personal — it also challenges bigger ideas through personal narratives — with themes of marginalization, intersectionality, and the power dynamics embedded in our language and culture. Kay’s work will move you in a way few comics can.
LEARN ABOUT KAY
kaysohini.com
instagram.com/kaysohini
goodreads.com/book/show/212294437-this-beautiful-ridiculous-city
MENTIONS
Alison Bechdel: goodreads.com/author/show/54223321.Alison_Bechdel
Deb JJ Lee: goodreads.com/book/show/60316964-in-limbo
BOOK: Ginseng Roots (Craig Thompson): goodreads.com/book/show/216971212-ginseng-roots
BOOK: Unflattening (Nick Sousanis): goodreads.com/book/show/23503006-unflattening
BOOK: Kari (Amruta Patil): goodreads.com/book/show/3174768-kari
BOOK: Munnu: A Boy From Kashmir (Malik Sajad): goodreads.com/book/show/25394441-munnu
BOOK: Skin (Mieke Versyp, Sabien Clement): goodreads.com/book/show/214387878-skin
COMEDIAN: Zarna Garg wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarna_Garg
BOOK: Summit of the Gods (JirĆ Taniguchi): goodreads.com/series/55939-the-summit-of-the-gods
SHOW: When Life Gives You Tangerines: imdb.com/title/tt26471411/
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Missing episodes?
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“âWe might need only 10% of the population to have a tipping point into a brighter future — to change lives for the better at scale by recognizing your potential to calm others. We're in this thing together.”
Life right now seems chaotic, but there's a method to the madness — welcome to the challenge of our generations. It sucks, it’s not fair, it’s been going on too long, and it feels like we’re sacrificing our children to some golem of change—with no relief in sight. We need something to believe in and something to do about it, so longtime friend of the pod - and personal mentor Bob Gilbreath shares what works for him in a recent essay from his Substack, the Workaround.This hit me in a moment when I needed it most. It might help you handle the stress, and maybe even convince you to be the tiny pair of butterfly wings that delivers positive change.
LEARN MORE: behearty.substack.com/
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“âIt was always in me — my grandparents were almost like these mystical figures, and they did really great things. So I was always like, ‘Why can't I discover more of that side of me?’ ”
Brian Velasquez Reid is co-founder + CFO of Dear Flor, the first Filipina-owned cannabis brand — bringing Filipino culture to the world, one flavor at a time. And he happens to be co-founder with recent FrieMMd of the pod Lisa Angulo Reid. Basically, Lisa said we had to have a chat with Brian, and we’re really glad we did. Brian and Lisa met at a Philippine Society of Boston College picnic way back when in the 90s, or the olden days as the kids call it. Brian’s originally from New Jersey, but now a proud New Yorker - him and Lisa have raised their family in Greenwich Village for years now. He actually got his start on some of Wall Street’s top firms and became one of the first Filipino Americans to be a founding partner at a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund, as well as lots of other big deal roles in the financial world. Brian also serves as Treasurer of the FilAm Democrats of NY and is on the executive board of the Filipino American Historical Society of Metro New York. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation with two guys raising families and coming to terms with our heritage, and what it means for the next generation of American.s And we didn’t even talk about punk rock, heavy metal, dungeons and dragons or comic books too much...
LEARN MORE: DearFlor.com
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“âIt's a message of resilience in the face of adversity — a sandbox, where every person has a story, an important point of view — folks doing something different who can be interesting, wonderful, and celebrated.”
âA long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, we saw Star Wars for the first time — and everything changed, for so many of us. Let’s be honest, it has been a long and winding relationship with all the space wizards and laser swords over the years — from Ahsoka to BB-8, from Yoda to Zahn, and everything in between. So for this May the Fourth, we got together many FrieMMds of the Pod, old and new, who all have Star Wars stories because like the Force that binds all living things in the universe. And like any good story, Star Wars holds a mirror to the moment we're in, especially now. ANDOR anyone? Joining our wretched hive of scum and villainy who are creative and geeky in all the right ways...
Josh Ridenour: co-host of the Rabbit Fighters podcast, Quarantined Comics frequent flyer,, and the former number one Weezer fan from Alabama. â creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/rabbit-fightersâ
Lisa Angulo Reid: our latest MM co-host, and co-founder of DearFlor - the first Filipino owned cannabis brand, bringing Filipino culture to the world, one flavor at a time - DearFlor.com
Ainsley Waller: award-winning creative director - back from our 2021 chat on Robins coming out - who blends their passion for sci-fi, fantasy, & fashion history - ainsleyrivers.com
MENTIONS
ANDOR FTW: theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/22/andor-how-a-star-wars-deep-cut-became-one-of-the-best-tv-shows-of-the-year
SW = Vietnam? â reddit.com/r/movies/comments/d5glo0/george_lucas_explaining_how_the_heroes_of_star/â
SUPERIOR SEQUELS: Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy - https://www.goodreads.com/series/42348-star-wars-the-thrawn-trilogy
HOTH WEAR (Overpriced): â columbia.com/starwarsâ
MUPPETS: Fozziebacca & Friends: muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Muppets_action_figures
TEE (Aces High): norselegionstore.com/collections/shirts/products/tie-pilot-t-shirt-and-patch
VID (What if Ep.1 was good good)? â youtube.com/watch?v=VgICnbC2-_Y
POD (Josh & Raman): Weezer OK Spreadsheet : creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/rabbit-fighters/episodes/20---Weezer-OK-Spreadsheet-e2oqla0
POD (Ainsley & Raman): Holy Bi-Robin! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holy-bi-robin-tim-drake-comes-out/id1507595726?i=1000538532578
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“Even though this is a book about snake girls and lizard boys — it's about universal experiences: we can't change what's happening, but you never know when being kind will change somebody else. ,”
Jonathan Hill’s an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and educator in Portland, Oregon — and a returning guest - to celebrate the launch of his latest graphic novel: “Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever.” While the sci-fi title might have you scratching your head, this YA sequel is actually a beautiful, compelling story of self-acceptance, community, and family — we can’t recommend it enough for parents and kids alike, as well as it’s prequel “Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy.” Jonathan is HALF Vietnamese American - and while the story is about an immigrant family, community acceptance, and belonging - Jonathan’s work, his characters and their journey are important for all of us to be reading at this particular moment in our nation.
Jonathan’s work has been published by Walker Books, First Second, and Oni Press - and featured at ABC New Voices, YALSA and JLG selections, and won awards like the 2012 Carla Cohen Free Speech Award, the 2021 Believer Book Award for Graphic Literature, and the 2022 Junior Library Guild Selection. Jonathan’s also an accomplished cartoonist with clients like Microsoft, the Portland Trailblazers, the Viet Nam Literature Project, the Inlander, Fantagraphics Books, Dark Horse Comics, Tor.com, The Believer Magazine, Literary Arts, and Powell's City of Books. AND he’s been the staff illustrator to The Asian Reporter since 2007. Jonathan also teaches comics and visual narrative - having taught at the Pacific Northwest College, the Oregon College of Art and Craft. He graduated as valedictorian from the prestigious Savannah College of Art & Design, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Literary Arts and chairs the Youth Programs Advisory Council.
Jonathan’s an important voice, creating important work for not just our kids, but for all of us to be learning from — so be sure to check out his work.
LEARN MORE
oneofthejohns.com/one-of-the-johns
instagram.com/oneofthejohns
BOOK 1: Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy - penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714742/tales-of-a-seventh-grade-lizard-boy-a-graphic-novel-by-jonathan-hill-illustrated-by-jonathan-hill/
BOOK 2: Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever - penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774237/lizard-boy-2-the-most-perfect-summer-ever-by-jonathan-hill-illustrated-by-jonathan-hill/9781536216479/
MENTIONS
OUR FIRST CHAT (May 2023): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jonathan-hills-tales-of-belonging/id1507595726?i=1000613932953
COMIC: Speechless: A Graphic Novel (Aron Nels Steinke): goodreads.com/book/show/210563340
MUSIC: Neko Case - https://www.allmusic.com/artist/neko-case-mn0000381371
MUSIC:
Kim Deal’s New Album - https://kimdeal.bandcamp.com/album/nobody-loves-you-more
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“They want your immigrant voice — they don't want to hear about me just growing up, even though that's the truth, right? And then I realized I could clearly make a living just performing for my people.”
Keith Pedro is a renowned Canadian comedian who has garnered worldwide acclaim through his captivating live performances. In 2022, he was honored with a Juno Award nomination for his Comedy Album, "TRILLIPINO," in the category of Comedy Album of the Year. He has made a name for himself as one of the standout performers on "Roast Battle Canada," earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his work on the show. Keith has been recognized by Complex as one of the top Canadian comedians in the industry. His stand-up comedy has been showcased on Kevin Hart's LOL Network, and has made numerous appearances on television, including MTV, CBC, FuseTV, and more. Keith is a regular performer at the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival and the CBC Halifax and Winnipeg Comedy Festivals. He has also made notable appearances on the hit TV show "Degrassi the Next Generation." Keith's dynamic and versatile comedy style ranges from crowd work to relatable written material, and his live performances are not to be missed.
LEARN MORE
keithpedro.com/
instagram.com/keithpedro
youtube.com/user/keithpedrocomedy
tiktok.com/@keith.pedro
open.spotify.com/artist/6nDuqILZ3e43OB3Q1sGul9
This conversation was hosted by FrieMMd of the Pod Lisa Angulo Reid —sharing conversations with Filipino and Asian American changemakers. Lisa also happens to be the Co-Founder & CEO of Dear Flor - the first infused gummy with classic Filipino flavors. Learn more @ DearFlor.com
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“When everything changed recently, we promised ourselves we would not get wrapped into the daily news. Yes, we're paying attention, but âit's going to happen - and the coping mechanisms have never changed.”
Suresh is a Malaysian-born, London-raised, gay media exec in NY, who over the years, has become an important voice about authenticity, discipline, and hard work. Suresh is direct, honest and reflective — in an industry full of a lot of talk. With everything going on in the world today, you’ll hopefully find as much relief in this conversation with a new friend.
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“âI certainly learned about how media works — our faces and our stories weren't included. That was my bat signal to make that change.”
Nicole Ponseca is a pioneering voice in the culinary world and one of the most respected thought leaders in the Hospitality and Filipino community. Nicole has proven herself on the NYC scene with critically acclaimed restaurants, Maharlika and Jeepney. She revolutionized perceptions of Filipino food in the United States, turning bold and authentic flavors into a movement that resonated with diners, critics, and food enthusiasts alike. Her debut cookbook, I Am a Filipino, is a James Beard Award finalist and hailed as a definitive work on Filipino cuisine, celebrated as a cookbook of the year and top lists from The New Yorker, NY Times, LA Times, Saveur, Food and Wine, Chicago Tribune and more. Nicole’s unconventional career journey began in advertising, but but found her true calling in food and culture. By night, she spent a decade in every restaurant role imaginable—hostess, server, bartender, manager—learning the ins and outs of the industry to fulfill her mission. Namely, the creation of Maharlika and Jeepney, two groundbreaking establishments that introduced Filipino dishes like Kamayan feasts to the mainstream and became cultural hubs for the Filipino community and a signal that Filipino food was claiming its seat at the culinary table. You’ll enjoy this conversation blending storytelling, food, and culture
This conversation was hosted by FrieMMd of the Pod Lisa Angulo Reid —sharing conversations with Filipino and Asian American changemakers. Lisa also happens to be the Co-Founder & CEO of Dear Flor - the first infused gummy with classic Filipino flavors. Learn more @ DearFlor.com
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“Food is our love language. It's those types of food memories that are straight from the motherland — these are the things we carry with us.”
Did you know April was Filipino Food Month? While we’ve all got a Filipino friend (or three), can you name more than one Filipino food besides those amazing tiny spring rolls (Lumpia FTW)? Either way, we’ve got something special for you. Co-host Lisa Angulo Reid (DearFlor.com) put up the Halo-halo Signal and got some amazing Filipino favorite food and restaurant recos from around the country, and unpacks the really really for the rest of us.
FILIPINO FOOD MENTIONS
Filipino Food & Terms to Know:
Lumpia – Thin, crispy spring rolls filled with meat and veggies.
Pancit – Stir-fried noodles with julienned carrots, celery, cabbage, and your choice of pork, shrimp, or chicken.
Sinigang – A tangy, comforting tamarind-based soup with tomato, onion, and often pork, shrimp, or fish.
Caldereta – Hearty beef stew with tomato sauce, liver paste, black pepper, and olives.
Pinakbet – A vegetable stew made with eggplant, bitter melon, tomatoes, green beans, and squash, flavored with shrimp paste. Often topped with crispy pork belly (bagnet).
Lechon Liempo – Roasted pork belly stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, and onions, slow-cooked until the skin is perfectly crispy.
Halo-Halo – A colorful shaved ice dessert with sweet beans, jackfruit, coconut, and palm fruit, topped with ube (purple yam) ice cream and leche flan.
Kare-Kare – A rich peanut-based stew featuring oxtail or fried pork belly, served with shrimp paste (bagoong).
Dinuguan – Known as "chocolate meat," this savory stew is made of pork and offal simmered in pork blood, vinegar, and garlic.
Carinderia (Turo-Turo) – Casual eateries with dishes displayed in steam tables—just point at what you want!
FILIPINO FOOD VOICES & THEIR PICKS
Lydia Querian (@ellekarayan) – Broke Da Mouth (HI) – Oxtail Adobo (brokedamouthgrindz.co)
Brian Velasquez Reid (@breid40ohz) – Naks NYC – Lechon Liempo (naks.nyc)
Nicole Ponseca (@nicoleponseca) – Orient Valley (CA) – NYT Best-selling cookbook (amzn.to/4iTosiQ)
Geraldine Mae Cueva (@ohhhmygeeg) – Lasita (LA) – Mushroom Sisig: A sizzling dish traditionally made with pork jowl and ears, replaced here with mushrooms. (lasita-la.com)
Patricia Dingalasan (@patriciadinglasancomedy) – Kabisera (NYC) – Lumpia Shanghai: Mini crispy spring rolls with seasoned pork.
Susie Quesada (@ramarfoods) – Alda’s Kitchen (CA) – Silog Breakfast Plates: A combo of garlic fried rice, egg, and meats like tocino (sweet cured pork) or longganisa (Filipino sausage). (aldaskitchenandbakery.com)
Aebbey (@chicagotestkitchen) – Ruby’s Fast Food (Chicago) – Sisig & Pancit Palabok: A noodle dish with a bright orange annatto-based sauce, topped with shrimp, pork, crispy chicharrón, and boiled egg. (rubysfastfoodchicago.com)
Ron Dizon (@teofilocoffeecompany) – Teofilo Coffee (Long Beach) – Filipino-imported coffee (teofilocoffeecompany.com)
This conversation was co-hosted by FrieMMd of the Pod Lisa Angulo Reid —sharing conversations with Filipino and Asian American changemakers. Lisa also happens to be the Co-Founder & CEO of Dear Flor - the first infused gummy with classic Filipino flavors. Learn more @ DearFlor.com
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“Living in the US was like a hand in a glove for me — I just came here and loved it. Now, my opinion is slowly changing - seeing everything that's happening. But I still miss it because it made me the person I am today.”
Vaib’s a friend of a friend - we were told we should meet because we’d get along. We covered a lot of ground — the political difference between India and America, the role of activism, the role of fear in activism in our modern era, and some of his own healthcare advocacy interests. Given everything going on right now - which we’ve lately avoided on this pod, it just felt like a very necessary conversation for the moment we’re in — so just felt nice to unpack things on my mind, including what my own role is in the current era that we're in in America. No answers, no expectations, just a ranging conversation with a new friend with a similar but different perspective.
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“It's important we bring our whole self — that's how you create trust, you bring that vulnerability. I had to learn to let my guard down, and it's made me a better leader.”
Susie Quesada is President of Ramar Foods - one of the oldest leading manufacturers of Filipino foods in America. While Ramar is news to most of us - it’s not to the 4M+ Filipino Americans out there - and we’ve all got a Filipino friend (or more than a few). While Susie Quesada grew up in the family's business - starting work at the age of 8 - she actually pursued a career in public education. She later rejoined Ramar full time in 2005 in various positions before assuming the role of President in 2013. For her - it’s all about the legacy that her grandmother and father started.
This conversation was hosted by FrieMMd of the Pod Lisa Angulo Reid —sharing conversations with Filipino and Asian American changemakers. Lisa also happens to be the Co-Founder & CEO of Dear Flor - the first infused gummy with classic Filipino flavors. Learn more @ DearFlor.com
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“There was literally nothing I could do to fit in — and at some point, I decided to not bother trying. It really encouraged an independence that has carried me through the rest of my life and career.”
David Yin, is an exec working at the intersection of consumer health and technology - who through happenstance, became a kindred spirit on so many conversations, about work, life, and even comic books. While David’s Texas born, he’s anything but a Texan, having built a career and life on both coasts of NY and SF. While we’ve already had a few chai walk and talks, sharing more than a few things in common from our Southern upbringings to wrestling with the professional lives and intellectual curiosities to just a love for all things nerdy - this was a lot of fun to reflect with a new old friend on not just where we're from and where we're going, but to also reflect on everything we've learned and have been thinking about along the way...
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“Just because your parents wanted the best for you in one way doesn't mean that you rebelling doesn't mean you still can't give back to them by living a good life.”
Michael Wong is basically a cultural anthropologist for Asian America. A Seattle-based commentator, Michael’s best known for Asian Verified on Instagram + TikTok, and also writes a monthly column for The Stranger, a Seattle newspaper. This is the first of many conversation with Filipino entrepreneurs GUEST-hosted by new FrieMMd of the Pod, past guest, and Filipina entrepreneur Lisa Angulo Reid.
LEARN MORE
instagram.com/asianverified
thestranger.com/collections/79782549/asian-verified
GUEST HOST (Lisa Reid): https://dearflor.com
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“âA lot of women are living in uncertainty about their health — so most of us are in a really weird situationship with our health. And that to me is quite sad.”
Dr. Varuna Srinivasan is the Founder & CEO of Fluid Health — she is a sexual health expert, writer, and speaker based in Brooklyn. For the past decade, Varuna has worked on improving reproductive health access with organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and more. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Paper, Health, and Parents, and has been recognized by the NHS, Bumble, and even Serena Williams. Varuna + Fluid Health’s mission is to leverage education and technology to provide inclusive and personalized sexual health care. Varuna’s actually a “friend of a FrieMMd of the Pod” - first introduced to us by past guest Dr. Nzinga Harrison - Hi Nzinga. You’ll enjoy this conversation that follows many cups of chai - chatting work, life entrepreneurship, India, and family.
LEARN MORE
myfluidhealth.com/
instagram.com/drvarunasrinivasan
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“Day in and day out, you work with these people — doctors, engineers and developers from India — I felt compelled to tell the story of a diaspora in this broken immigration system.”
Vidyut Latay — an award-winning documentary filmmaker - and director of ALIEN: AMERICAN DREAM DENIED - a new documentary (on Amazon Prime) that spotlights the emotional journey of high-skilled, documented immigrants as they seek permanence in a country that benefits from their talent, but denies them a home. Immigration continues to be a hot-button topic in today’s political climate —from H1-Bs to greencards as paths to citizenship — for highly-skilled foreign tech workers — which many of us only have a surface-level understanding of, despite it impacting so many of our friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors. Raman will be moderating a panel / screening of ALIEN on March 2, 2025 at Ridgefield Library in Connecticut (registration link below).
Vidyut was also director of her debut groundbreaking documentary "Beyond Silence" — which screened on PBS, at film festivals around the world, won awards, was part of UCLA curriculum, and was also invited to the Incloodu Deaf Arts Festival — England’s first media and arts festival for the hard of hearing. Vidyut’s also worked on award-winning documentaries like "Waiting for Superman" and "Kailash" and back in India, she was an executive producer for India's premier television networks - Zee TV and Zoom. You’ll enjoy this far-ranging conversation on not just immigration, but how Vidyat meets her calling to address meaningful social issues through documentary filmmaking.
LEARN MORE
vidyutlatay.com
FILM: primevideo.com/detail/Alien-American-Dream-Denied/0POGXJDM96X5YYZ4XQLTB9CR9S
SCREENING (3/2): ridgefieldlibrary.librarymarket.com/event/hold-documentary-alien-111504
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As we wrap 2024, here’s the year’s “minority voices for all our majority ears.” While it’s certainly been a long and winding year, we hope our conversations have shared some relief and perspective. So why not give us the gift of a fresh 5-star review? apple.co/2Le6lpM
Featuring the voices of Kamala Harris, Isaac Saul, Edel Rodriguez, Kris Stith, Ed Rigaud, Najoh Tita-Reid, John Pepper, Ursula Jones, Linda Clement-Holmes, Bonnie Wan, Bernice Ang, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar, Seif Hamid, Claire Yoon-Elvers, Andrew Tarvin, Veera Hiranandani, Mariko Tamaki, Sudha Ranganathan, Ida Abdalkhani, Wendy Nguyen, Nir Eyal, Kathy Macleoud, Lisa Angulo Reid, Chris Schmicker, Vanessa Huynh, and Pedro Martin. Heard something you liked? Be sure to go back and check out each guest’s full episode. And special thanks to YOU for your continued support of our podcast and amazing guests!
As we march ahead into a very interesting 2025, let us know what YOU think - [email protected]
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“She asked, ‘do you go by Peter or Pedro? You're writing a memoir - shouldn't, you know?’ I'm writing a story about myself and I don't know myself — so I'm going to take the journey with the character.”
”
Pedro MartiÌn is creator of MEXIKID, a graphic memoir about Pedro’s Mexican-American childhood and family in the 1970s - specifically a road trip to Mexico to their legendary abuelito - who may or may not have been part of the Mexican revolution. Mexikid has received tons of critical acclaim — listed as a top book of the year by NPR, the NY Times, The Guardian, the Boston Globe, Amazon, the NY Public Library and more — and it’s won ALL the awards, from the Newbery, the Eiser, the Harvey, and more. Once you’ve read it, you can see why. Pedro - who sometimes goes by Peter - grew up the son of sharecroppers in California, and now lives in Kansas City, where he was an artist for Hallmark for 27 years - working on lots of really interesting projects, including the company’s foray into animation - including creating the Asteroid Andy cartoon shorts. Peter shares a really deep conversation on not just origins - but that of his storytelling journey. We can’t enough great things about Mexikid - this book may just be one of our top holiday picks - for any adult or kid in your life.
LEARN ABOUT PEDRO
pedromartinbooks.com
instagram.com/mexikidstories
BOOK: Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir - goodreads.com/book/show/63249742-mexikid
MENTIONS
FILM: Paper Moon (1973) - imdb.com/title/tt0070510
PERSON: wikipedia.org/wiki/Viggo_Mortensen
SHOW: Asteroid Andy - lostmediaarchive.fandom.com/wiki/Missing_Asteroid_Andy_Shorts_(2008%3F_-_2011)
BOOK: The Road, Cormac McCarthy (graphic novel adaptation) - www.goodreads.com/book/show/207003520-the-road
FILM: Captain Fantastic (2016): imdb.com/title/tt3553976
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â“Growing up, emotional support was non-existent. Rightfully so, because they went through hell and back - their entire journey of having to escape and redoing life in a foreign country. There was no time to look back.”
Vanessa Huynh is a rising professional in Chicago - who Raman met in NY on an “intergenerational” panel, where Vanessa was one of the “younger folk” at our event. And while there are some slight differences in how we processed growing up between two worlds, Vanessa’s a fellow old soul in her acceptance - and take on how her parents had to process and present the world to her growing up - so much more than bridging the cultural divide. Hoping this very personal, non-political conversation can provide a respite from all the other noise around us...
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Vice President Kamala Harris' speech from Howard University on Wednesday, November 6, 2024
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