The Mike Muse Show: Asian Americans Unplugged

Due to mainstream media's misrepresentation of the Asian American community, host Mike Muse asks some questions that many people are probably wondering, "Where do Asian Americans fall in the race conversation and movement for social justice?"

Please tune in for a very critical and necessary conversation about Asian Americans for racial justice, diversity, Silicon Valley, education, and media. We discuss recent lawsuit against Harvard, De Blasio's ed plan to diversify, and code switching in Hollywood. I come in heavy with the facts and clarify that the conservative AAPI voices that get all the press love do not represent the greater AAPI community.

I'm joined by two amazing guests: KJ Bagchi (Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and Nina Yang Bongiovi (Film producer, "Fruitvale Station," "Roxanne Roxanne," and "Sorry to Bother You.")

I reference work from: www.aapidata.org and www.oiyanpoon.com

After chatting on Mike's show, I realized that we need to be having more of these conversations with non-Asian American folks, blogs, and platforms -- so that we can truly shift perceptions and grow understanding. 

Tune in

We are stronger together.

Verizon HQ Talk: Think Bold, Act Bold, Be Bold

Verizon invited me to their headquarters to speak to employees, upper management, and their diversity initiatives for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month -- in celebration of this year's theme, "Think Bold, Act Bold, Be Bold." 

In this conversation, I talk about:

-- The importance of having diversity on your team, for the input and the output
-- The story of my parents escaping Vietnam as refugees, coming to the U.S., and building a life in Boston
-- My early experiences realizing race, being an "outsider," cultural shame, and "Pajama Day"
-- The turning point when I started to embrace my culture: activism, political awareness, and self-empowerment
-- Internal work + external work go hand in hand
-- Navigating different values and expectations in both the American context and Vietnamese/Asian context; ie. leadership
-- The importance of shifting culture, rather than just adapting or ditching in the bicultural context
-- My advice for those seeking to be bold: practice consciousness
-- How I transitioned from poetry to films
-- The relationship with my parents as I pursue a creative career 

I had a blast. Let me know what you think below. Thanks for watching! xo

Duke University: Keynote Speech for Women's Center 30th Anniversary & Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Honored to kick off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) and celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Duke's Women's Center! My keynote speech will be along the theme of "Unity through Diversity: Consciousness is..." ... I have so much to share, can't wait! :)

Announcement: Part of Google NextGen Leaders Program 2018

I'm stoked to announce that I was nominated (without knowing!) and selected to join the 2018 class of Google NextGen Tech Policy Leaders Program, where I'll be joining nearly 100 leaders around the country to explore creative solutions at the intersection of racial justice and tech policy. 

I spent 3 days at the kick-off Summit in Google's Silicon Valley, where I immersed myself in workshops, presentations, and conversations on everything from net neutrality, to future work, to economic inequality through/within tech. For the next year, I'll be spending a few hours every month with my cohort to study the field, and develop solutions.

As a creative through and out, it feels empowering to dive into a world I know so little about, and to enter 2018 with an open mind for learning things outside of my comfort zone. 

If you want to work together in 2018, send me a message!