Modern Minorities

Latest Episodes:

Gene Luen Yang’s (comic book) American dream May 15, 2023

Show notes

“Being an immigrant kid - your experience and your parents’ and your grandparents’ experiences are in three completely different worlds.”

Gene Luen Yang is one of the most celebrated Asian American comics creators - an award-winning cartoonist, storyteller, and teacher - who's been creating comics since the fifth grade. And his 2006 graphic novel AMERICAN BORN CHINESE comes out as a live-action Disney+ streaming series on May 24, 2023 - by the filmmakers from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Shang Chi” - Michelle Yeoh and many others. For AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing past conversations with amazing Asian comics creators AND a few days later - a Quarantined Comics companion episode on their graphic novels.

Many of Gene’s graphic novels - AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, DRAGON HOOPS, and SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN - have won the Eisner Awards - comics greatest honor. Gene’s a former CS + Math teacher - who’s since gone on to work on some of the biggest name in pop culture and comics - including Avatar the Last AirBender, rebooting Shang Chi over @ Marvel Comics (before the hit movie), and having more than a few unique takes on DC’s Superman. Gene was named the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and has also received a MacArthur Genius Grant. Gene advocates for the importance of reading diversely - and makes his kids finish all of their projects. Raman tried really hard not to fanboy over one of his personal heroes...

LEARN ABOUT GENE LUEN YANG

geneyang.com
twitter.com/geneluenyang
American Born Chinese: goodreads.com/book/show/118944.American_Born_Chinese
Superman Smashes the Klan TRAILER: youtu.be/LQ5ID_k_iBA
Dragon Hoops: goodreads.com/book/show/44280830-dragon-hoops

MENTIONS

COMIC BOOK: Cyclopedia Exotica goodreads.com/book/show/53317432-cyclopedia-exotica
PERSON: Jason Shiga goodreads.com/author/show/469075.Jason_Shiga
PERSON: Lark Pien goodreads.com/author/show/2679817.Lark_Pien
PERSON: Derek Kirk Kim goodreads.com/author/show/150817.Derek_Kirk_Kim

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Good Talk hits (too) close to home May 11, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever wondered what a conversation would be with your bi-racial kid, reflecting on everything that's going on in the world - the good, the bad, and the ugly? Have you ever had a conversation about race with your spouse of another race? For AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing this Quarantined Comics companion episode on amazing graphic novels - following the earlier Modern Minorities author conversation.

Mira’s Jacob’s debut graphic novel “GOOD TALK” is different from any (comic) book you've ever read, and we can't recommend it enough. As an Indian American, Mira Jacob recalls - in a uniquely simple graphic form (even for comics) - conversations about work and life with her young son, her Jewish husband, her parent-pleasing brother, her Indian parents, her extended family in India, her two best friends, and her very Trumpy in-laws. This book - all told through a lens of race and gender - hit some of us a little too close to home, which is probably why we loved it so much. Hear the episode, read the book. You’ll thank us later.

LEARN ABOUT GOOD TALK / MIRA JACOB

GOOD TALK: goodreads.com/book/show/36700347-good-talk
mirajacob.com
instagram.com/goodtalkthanks

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Mira Jacob (shares a) Good Talk May 08, 2023

Show notes

“If I write this book, it's really gonna hurt — because if I write the truth, it's not a comfortable truth.”

Mira Jacob is many things - acclaimed author / illustrator, cultural critic, awesome mother, and a pretty funny brown woman in Brooklyn who happens to be from New Mexico. For AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing past conversations with amazing Asian comics creators AND a few days later - a Quarantined Comics companion episode on their graphic novels.

Mira’s debut graphic memoir ‘Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations’ is one of Raman’s all-time favorite books - and Mira’s novel “The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing” is also most excellent. In ‘Good Talk’, Mira shares hard conversations not just her young (mixed race) son, but also with her family and friends about experiences of race in America - from her childhood to the modern era. Mira shares not just her process - but stories that will make you laugh, stop, realize, maybe even cry, and then laugh again.

LEARN ABOUT MIRA

mirajacob.com
IG @goodtalkthanks // TW @mirajacob
GOOD TALK: goodreads.com/book/show/36700347-good-talk

MENTIONS

MOVIE: Heathers (1989) - imdb.com/title/tt0097493/
PERSON: Zadie Smith (Author) - goodreads.com/author/show/2522.Zadie_Smith
PERSON: Arundhati Roy (Author) - goodreads.com/author/show/6134.Arundhati_Roy

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Thi Bui’s (memoir) The Best We Could Do May 01, 2023

Show notes

“This is the same story we all have some piece of in our heritage. It’s such an American story.”

Thi Bui’s “The Best We Could Do” is an illustrated graphic memoir about her family's history and exodus from Vietnam to America. Bui’s comics debut covers love, war, and the refugee's journey — with an intimate focus on one family: her own. This is a book that will break your heart and put it back together. Awhile back Sharon joins Raman and Ryan on their other podcast - Quarantined Comics - for a deep reflection on not just the book, but all of OUR family's immigrant histories. This AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing a mix of conversations that bring the Asian American experience to life in powerful ways - covering some of the best Asian American comics / creators out there. Please be sure to show your support by picking up these beautiful works wherever you get your favorite books. Got a suggestion for something we should check out? Reach out - himom@modmypod.com

LEARN MORE

BOOK: “The Best We Could Do” (Thi Bui) - goodreads.com/book/show/29936927-the-best-we-could-do
NEWS: vulture.com/2017/03/thi-bui-best-we-could-do-refugee-comic.html
POD: Quarantined Comics - qtdcomics.com

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Talking (on) Southern Fried Asian Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

“For little kids like us growing up in the South to see someone that looked like you on the screen is super important, but I now need the white person to see the Asian story. I need the Asian person to see the Black story — representation matters on a lot of fronts.”

Keith Chow is the founder of the Nerds of Color, where Raman was recently a guest on one of Keith’s podcasts — “Southern Fried Asian.” Typically, stories about Asian Americans are centered on the experiences of those who grew up on the coasts -- New York, Southern California, the Bay Area -- where large and diverse Asian Americans communities have lived and thrived for decades. On Southern Fried Asian, Keith takes a look at a part of the country that isn't typically associated with these stories and unpack what it means to be Asian American in the American South. Keith grew up in rural Virginia, and as you know, Raman grew up in (the suburbs of) the great state of Alabama, so was really interested to have a chat with Keith to compare notes on solving racism with podcasts, what politics ought to look like in the South, the secret identities of superheroes, and of course, mom’s channa bhatura. Beyond being a podcast impresario, Keith is also one of the original creators of Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, alongside Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, and Jerry Ma. Keith’s writing has appeared in The New York Times and NBC News. Vanity Fair has called him an “incisive interviewer and chummy conversationalist” - so it’s no wonder that Raman and Keith got along famously...

LEARN ABOUT KEITH

https://southernfriedasian.libsyn.com/
twitter.com/southernasians // instagram.com/southernfriedasians
Hardnocmedia.com
BOOK: Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology - goodreads.com/book/show/5416739-secret-identities

MENTIONS

BOOK: The Loneliest Americans (Jay Caspian Kang) - goodreads.com/en/book/show/58145392
NAME: Kal-El (Clark Kent) - babynames.com/name/kal-el
FILM: Always Be My Maybe (2019) - imdb.com/title/tt7374948/

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Drew Tarvin’s (Humor) at Work Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

“I didn't realize how much I missed live events — and then I did that first in-person again. And the laughter is amazing - this is what that energy feels like. So for me having the vaccines helps me be able to do that.”

Andrew Tarvin is a Humor Engineer. He’s also a longtime FrieMMd of the Pod, and Raman’s other, other podcast host. Drew joins us for another conversation about the importance of getting your latest COVID latest vaccine - sponsored by the US department of Health & Human Services. Drew’s an internationally known speaker and trainer - who once a digital nomad, now travels the world with his wife and young daughter. We chat about how vaccines have changed his work and life for the better - making so much more possible. Also, why vanilla milkshakes aren’t necessarily a bad thing for being an honorary Modern Minority (host)

LEARN ABOUT DREW

DrewTarvin.com
“the Skill of Humor” - youtu.be/MdZAMSyn_As
Our OTHER Pod: “Learnings from Leaders” - pgalums.com/podcast

MENTIONS:

PLACE: Panama: youtu.be/fuKDBPw8wQA
PLACE: Suriname: wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriname
BOOK: Humor Seriously: goodreads.com/en/book/show/52578860
PLACE: Graeter’s Ice Cream (Cincinnati)
COMEDY: Nate Bargatze “Hello World” - amazon.com/Nate-Bargatze-Hello-World/dp/B0B856WWSB

This episode is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, who’s encouraging you and your community to make sure you’ve got your updated COVID-19 Vaccines. We can do this. Find updated vaccines near you @ VACCINES.gov

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Sarah Salem challenges (your) perceptions Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

“People have their assumptions about my faith...and I love getting to change every perception”

Sarah Z Salem is an Egyptian American Muslim in Atlanta by way of Philly. Sarah’s not our first Muslim American guest, but for the month of Ramadan we wanted to feature diverse voices from the culture. As a community advocate, Sarah strives to bring forward voices and stories of those most impacted by climate change and injustice. And as a practicing Muslim - she’s spent most of her life navigating her faith while also deepening her sense of self and identity. Be it her choice to cover (or not cover) her hair, being a cancer survivor, and even finding love - Sarah shares how she has always challenged the assumptions and perceptions that others may have - to shift the narrative. And she’s not stopping anytime soon.

This episode originally aired in April 2021 and is part of our celebration of Muslim American voices and stories this Ramadan.

LEARN ABOUT SARAH

MENTIONS:

FILM: “Someone Great” (2019) - imdb.com/title/tt8075260/
PERSON: Malcolm X - wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X

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Azhar Usman believes in (the) Truth Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

“Who controls the rhythm of the algorithm?”

Azhar Usman is a Muslim American writer, actor, comedian, producer - and many other things - of Indian descent (by way of Chicago). Dave Chappelle once declared, “Azhar’s like a comedian from the future.” One of the most outspoken voices of his generation, Azhar’s a writer & Co-Executive Producer for Hulu’s award-winning RAMY (stop what you’re doing and watch this show NOW). Marvel Studios recently also announced that Azhar would be joining the MCU in the highly anticipated Disney+ show MS.MARVEL (Raman fan-girls over the comic it’s based on). Azhar’s worked on comedic projects for Netflix, Hannibal Buress, Mo Amer, and Hasan Minhaj (he served as a writer for Minhaj’s epic 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner speech). Azhar co-created ‘ALLAH MADE ME FUNNY–The Official Muslim Comedy Tour’ (which toured 20+ countries across 5 continents), toured India for the US State Department as part of “Make Chai Not War”, was named one of ‘The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World’ (Georgetown University), and called ‘America’s Funniest Muslim’ by CNN. Oh and he’s a father of four, former attorney, and dotcom entrepreneur - so at least we know his parents are proud of something. As we continue our conversations with Muslim Americans for the Holy month of Ramadan - this is a deep one you’re going to enjoy, so buckle your seat belts...

This episode originally aired in April 2021 and is part of our celebration of Muslim American voices and stories this Ramadan.

LEARN ABOUT AZHAR

MENTIONS

TV: Ramy (Hulu): imdb.com/title/tt7649694
TV: 90 Day Fiancé - imdb.com/title/tt3469050
BOOK: The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga): goodreads.com/book/show/1768603.The_White_Tiger
PERSON: Mansur Al-Hallaj ابو المغيث الحسين بن منصور الحلاج‎ (Sufi Mystic): wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hallaj

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Misha Euceph (is) Podcast Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

“Privilege is occupying more space than is reasonably allotted for one person.”

Misha Euceph is podcast. A Pakistani-American writer, podcast host, and producer - Misha also happens to be Founder & CEO of Dustlight Productions, the critically acclaimed podcast studio that has worked on podcast projects with Spotify, Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Rolling Stone, and many more. She’s also the creator and host of the podcast "Tell Them, I Am" - a series about the small defining moments in our lives— where the voices are all Muslim, but the stories are universal. the NY Times, LA Times, TIME, The Atlantic, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post, have named it among their best podcasts. Misha is also frequently featured on IGTV, McSweeney’s, and The Wall Street Journal. Basically, Misha and Dustlight want to make mission-driven podcasts for and with awesome people. Misha only got her podcasting start in 2017, and has quickly become an important voice for today's times, speaking on storytelling, identity, and ethical entrepreneurship.

This great, funny conversation on identity and belonging comes from longtime FrieMMd of the Pod Rajiv Satyal, on HIS talk show "What Do You Bring To The Table" — where Rajiv spotlights prominent South Asian voices. Rajiv has spoken with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Comedian Hasan Minhaj, author Deepak Chopra, influencer Lilly Singh, journalist Manu Raju, TV personality Tan France, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and many more. You can SEE lots more of Rajiv's video conversations at WatchRajiv.com.

LEARN ABOUT MISHA

mishaeuceph.com
dustlight.co
instagram.com/meuceph // twitter.com/meuceph
HowToMakeaPodcast.org
RAJIV’S TALKSHOW: WatchRajiv.com

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Jhanay Williams’ Passion for (Protecting) Art & Culture Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

“A lot of people have stopped wearing masks, but In terms of service industries and entertainment, if you take a look around, we're all still wearing them. The bodies we are putting out onto a stage are human bodies and if we can find a way to make sure they're protected, of course, we'll do that. We love our actors, we love our performers, and it's an easy thing for us to do.”

Jhanay Williams is a Caribbean-American creative marketer, theater producer and entrepreneur. She has several years of experience in international marketing, business development, brand strategy, and digital advertising. She holds a Master's Degree in Global Communications, with a focus in Visual & Material Culture. Jhanay is passionate about building unique, personalized, and creative stories for brands globally – backed by her academic background in art, languages, and international communications, as well as 24+ countries visited before the age of 24.

You’ll love this fresh take on seeing the world through a different lens. Jhanay chats with us about how she’s been told that she “speaks White,” and how her global travels taught her to be an expert outsider, but also helped her to discover her own identity and place in the world. Jhanay gives us an inside look into the entertainment industry today, and how crowds coming together in-person to watch their favorite singers, dancers and entertainers are protected by crews who are committed to keeping everyone healthy with updated vaccines and regimented COVID protocols behind-the-scenes.

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