Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai

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Book Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Shawn Wong discovered the first Japanese American novel, No-No Boy, at a used bookstore for 50 cents, after being told by his English professors that Asian American literature didn’t exist.

He sought out the author, John Okada, and he fought to have the book republished and distributed far and wide, to unearth the legacy of Asian American writers. But all the mainstream publishers rejected it. So Shawn started to print, distribute, and sell the novel himself with friends,often from the trunk of his car.

The Asian American community turned up, ordering books by mail, telling their friends, and sending checks with handwritten letters- a testament to a generation hungry for their own stories.

Correction, 10:30 a.m., 6/6/2023: The audio version of this story misstates the name of the protagonist in No-No Boy. The character's name is Ichiro Yamada.

Related Links:

Shawn Wong
Book notes: A talk with UW English professor, author Shawn Wong about his UW Press book series for Asian American authors

Related reading:

Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian-American Writers by Frank Chin, Jeffery Paul Chan, Lawson Fusao Inada, and Shawn Wong
Toshio Mori’s Yokohama California was Ahead of its Time via International Examiner
Hisaye Yamamoto
Wakako Yamauchi
Nisei Daughter by Monica Sone
Eat a Bowl of Tea by Louis Chu
Janice Mirikitani
Frontiers of Love by Diana Chang
America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
Uncle Rico’s Encore: Mostly True Stories of Filipino Seattle by Peter Bacho
Dancer Dawkins and the California Kid by Willyce Kim
Premonitions: The Kaya Anthology of New Asian North American Poetry edited by Walter Lew
Pinoy Poetics: A Collection of Autobiographical and Critical Essays on Filipino and Filipino American Poetics edited by Nick Carbo
The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith & Spirit edited by Leah Silvieus and Lee Herrick

We can only make Ten Thousand Things because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW.

And we want to hear from you! Leave us feedback online.

Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Taika.

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Partial funding of Ten Thousand Things was made possible by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Hope Corps Grant, a recovery funded program of the National Endowment for the Arts, plus support from The Windrose Fund.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jizo Bodhisattva May 29, 2023

Show notes

During the mizu kuyo ritual for pregnancy loss, a small Jizo Bodhisattva statue enshrines ceremonial remains of a lost child.

Following Shin Yu’s miscarriage in 2012, she had a mizu kuyo ceremony to process her grief.

Miscarriage is a socially taboo topic that many people have difficulty talking about. It’s often laden with grief, shame, and self-blame and is a loss that has not been very normalized in public discourse. Through Shin Yu’s personal story this episode shines a light on the silent subject of miscarriage and how the Jizo Bodhisattva can provide comfort to grieving parents.

Water Returning to Water: A Buddhist Ritual Brings Release by Shin Yu Pai

Splitting the Milk, a poem by Shin Yu Pai

We can only make Ten Thousand Things because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW.

And we want to hear from you! Leave us feedback online.

Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator isShin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by inola and The Field Tapes.

Search for Ten Thousand Things in your podcast app!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steelhead May 22, 2023

Show notes

Dylan Tomine has a passion for steelhead trout. Or an obsession. Or an addiction. His steelhead passion has brought him close to beautiful places, driven him far from stability, and lost him some loving relationships.This is a story about how an obsession can take priority over everything. How it might provide both purpose and isolation. And how it isn’t guaranteed to last forever.

Related Links

Dylan Tomine

Wild Fish Conservancy

Wild Steelhead Coalition

We can only make Ten Thousand Things because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW.

And we want to hear from you! Leave us feedback here.

Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Tim Halperin, 12 Palms, and cloudcrush.

Search for Ten Thousand Things in your podcast app !

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time Capsule May 15, 2023

Show notes

On the eve of selling her family’s house, Donna Miscolta’s daughter had a special request: Go to the stairwell and pull back the loose board on the bottom step. There, Donna found a box of treasures that 9-year-old Ana Miscolta Cameron had hidden for future children living in the house.

Rediscovering this time capsule allowed Donna and Ana to revisit memories from the past, hopes for the future, and where mother and daughter diverge and meet in the middle.

Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by coldbrew, Jaylon Ashaun, and Gracie and Rachel.

Search for Ten Thousand Things in your podcast app!

Partial funding of Ten Thousand Things was made possible by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Hope Corps Grant, a recovery funded program of the National Endowment for the Arts, plus support from The Windrose Fund.

And of course, we don't exist without listeners like you. Support Ten Thousand Things by donating to KUOW.

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Resume May 08, 2023

Show notes

Eason Yang was on an ambitious career trajectory, helping tech companies like Uber change the world. Until he got cancer.

Eason spent two years actively fighting for his life. This meant two years spent outside of the job market, creating a gap in his resume. Potential employers often look down on such large resume gaps.

But stepping away from work helped Eason see his resume in a new way. Now he’s working to end the stigma cancer survivors face in the workplace.

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Name May 01, 2023

Show notes

When we come into this world we are given a name. It is etched in ink on our birth certificate, pasted onto our cubbies in pre-school and signed onto paper to acknowledge our union with a beloved. A name has power.

A name is an object that defines who we are. But what if our name is wrong? Poet, educator, and cultural worker Ebo Barton tells us a story about the power of names and their journey to change their name and reclaim their true identity.

Related Links:

Ebo Barton

Ebo Barton performs Freedom, Cut Me Loose

Are you looking for another podcast that explores deeply personal and totally factual conversations about race, identity, and culture? Then check out Dear White Women. Its mission is to help more white women use their privilege to uproot systemic racism.

We can only make Ten Thousand Things because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW.

And we want to hear from you! Leave us feedback online.

Search for Ten Thousand Things in your podcast app!

Partial funding of The Blue Suit was made possible by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Hope Corps Grant, a recovery funded program of the National Endowment for the Arts, plus support from The Windrose Fund.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trailer: Ten Thousand Things Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

In many Chinese sayings, “ten thousand” is used in a poetic sense to convey something infinite, vast, and unfathomable. For Shin Yu Pai – award-winning poet and museologist – the story of Asians in America is just that. Introducing Ten Thousand Things, a special series about modern-day artifacts of Asian American life, created and hosted by Shin Yu Pai and produced by KUOW.

The initial name of the series, The Blue Suit, drew inspiration from the suit worn by congressman Andy Kim on January 6 as he was photographed collecting trash following the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Today, the garment lives in the Smithsonian’s collection – and within the fabric of Asian America.

In the podcast series’ newest season, host Shin Yu builds on her focus of commonplace objects that tell the complex story of Asians in America with an expanded name and collection of objects. Ten Thousand Things is a vibrant, diverse, and bittersweet celebration of Asian America ... and a challenge for us all to reimagine stories of the past and future. Featured guests this season include Disability Visibility Project podcast host Alice Wong; transgender and non-binary, poet and educator Ebo Barton; and NED founder Eason Yang; among others.

The new season of Ten Thousand Things debuts on May 1, 2023, and new episodes release weekly on Mondays on KUOW.org, Apple Podcasts, NPR One, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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The Blue Suit Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

Congressman Andy Kim was photographed on Jan. 6 2021 picking up trash in the Capitol rotunda, in the aftermath of that day’s chaos. The indelible image of a congressperson in a blue suit, kneeling on the ground and tidying the detritus of an insurrection went viral.

The blue suit was donated to the Smithsonian, forever a physical marker of the values and actions on display that day. It also inspired Shin Yu Pai to make this podcast.

Join us for our free live event for The Blue Suit on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 at McCaw Hall's Nesholm Family Lecture Hall. You can find more information at kuow.org/events.

Related Links

Congressman Andy Kim’s twitter thread about the blue suit
Congressman Andy Kim’s twitter thread about a national AAPI museum
AP article from Jan. 7, 2021: ‘What else could I do?’ NJ Rep. Kim helps clean up Capitol
NPR: A Blue Suit, Dusted By Insurrection, Goes To The Smithsonian
Washington Post: Andy Kim and the politics of ‘humility’ in the midst of anti-Asian hate

We want to hear from you!

We’re wrapping up our first season of The Blue Suit and we’d like to hear your thoughts about the show. If you have a few minutes please consider answering our brief survey here. Your feedback will really help us as we plan for future episodes. Thanks for taking the time to fill it out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Califone Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

The vintage Califone record player allows sound artist Paul Kikuchi to access and share songs that he inherited from his great-grandfather and other 78rpm records that were left behind by Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II.

Paul Kikuchi got to know his great grandfather, Zenkichi Kikuchi, through the records he'd left behind: 78s of Japanese music from the 30s and 40s. Zenkichi immigrated here in 1900, around the time 78rpm records were invented.

When Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II under Executive Order 9066, they could take only what they could carry. Many of their music collections were lost, but Paul is helping to preserve some of the musical artifacts that survived.

In addition to helping build the archive at the Northwest Nikkei Museum (at the Japanese Community Cultural Center of Washington), Paul brought these sounds into the city, installing a Califone record player in the Panama Hotel café. It is an invitation into a soundscape of this place before Executive Order 9066 changed it forever-- and to consider the history and archives of American music in a new way.

Related Links

Paul Kikuchi

The Panama Hotel and Tea House

Japanese Cultural and Community Center of WA

Nikkei Music Archives at the JCCCW

More about the writing Bat of No Bird Island

Join us for our free live event for The Blue Suit in Seattle on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Do find our more information to kuow.org/events.

We want to hear from you!

We’re wrapping up our first season of The Blue Suit and we’d like to hear your thoughts about the show. If you have a few minutes please consider answering our brief survey here. Your feedback will really help us as we plan for future episodes. Thanks for taking the time to fill it out.

Do you have a special object that you hold close? Share it with us on Instagram. Tag @KUOW and use the hashtag: #bluesuitpod.

Your feedback matters to us. Submit your comments and questions to www.kuow.org/feedback

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chinese-English Dictionary Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

After his father’s death, Byron Au Yong turned to paper folding.

Chinese paper folding revolves around making objects for the dead. Byron folded some of his father’s personal belongings like vintage textbook pages, magazines, and even retired receipts. The process was meditative and comforting and helped Byron mourn his father. It also helped him connect to his own Chinese American heritage.

Related Links:

Byron Au Yong

Chinese paper folding

Do you have a special object that you hold close? Share it with us on Instagram. Tag @KUOW and use the hashtag: #bluesuitpod.

Your feedback matters to us. Submit your comments and questions to www.kuow.org/feedback.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.