Shows
Model Majority Podcast198: Mommy Legislator: State Senator Stephanie Chang Stephanie Chang (https://twitter.com/stephanielily), State Senator of Michigan and the first Asian American woman to ever serve in the Michigan legislature, joins the podcast to talk to Kevin about her path into community organizing, public service, being a working mom legislator, and more! Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2021-05-1737 minModel Majority Podcast197: Should We Get A SuperPAC? Kevin and Tony return to cohost a long-overdue episode, where they talk about the new Biden administration designation that formally includes "Native Hawaiians" in May heritage month for the Asian community, a cool story by (friend of the podcast in episode 72) Jaweed Kaleem of the LA Times on the big increase in Asian population in North Dakota, and live-workshopping Kevin's crazy idea of staring a Model MAJORITY SuperPAC to elect better local leaders to improve criminal justice. Also, Happy Mother's Day!!
2021-05-1033 minModel Majority Podcast195: Leading during COVID with Ellen Kamei Ellen Kamei (https://twitter.com/mtnviewellen), Mayor of Mountain View, CA, rejoins Kevin to talk about her path to becoming mayor, how she's leading her city through a global pandemic, and her views on the latest wave of anti-Asian racism. (Ellen was a previous guest of our podcast on episode 63. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2021-03-0636 minModel Majority Podcast193: Food Activism with Jenny Dorsey Jenny Dorsey, a chef and activist, who founded and runs Studio ATAO, a nonprofit that creates immersive experiences at the center of food, art, and social impact, joins the podcast to talk with Kevin about how and why she's using food and technology to make social impact. Sponsorship Message: the All of Us Research Program, managed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest and most diverse health resource ever, working specifically to better represent groups who have been left out of medical research in the past (People of Color, seniors...
2021-01-1352 minModel Majority Podcast192: Emergency Pod: Georgia Run-Off, Capitol Hill Riots Kevin and Tony record an emergency pod to share thoughts and commentaries on the Georgia run-off election results and the riots happening on Capitol Hill on electoral college certification day. Sponsorship Message: the All of Us Research Program, managed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest and most diverse health resource ever, working specifically to better represent groups who have been left out of medical research in the past (People of Color, seniors, rural residents, low income folks, and the LGBTQ community). As the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, racial disparities...
2021-01-0747 minModel Majority Podcast191: 2021 "Hopes and Dreams" In our first episode of 2021, Jenn, Kevin and Tony re-unite to discuss the latest COVID-19 situation, vaccine distribution, and the AAPI electorate that's becoming more influential in the Georgia special senate elections. Sponsorship Message: the All of Us Research Program, managed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest and most diverse health resource ever, working specifically to better represent groups who have been left out of medical research in the past (People of Color, seniors, rural residents, low income folks, and the LGBTQ community). As the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed...
2021-01-0450 minModel Majority Podcast189: GenZ GOP with Jesse Lamba Jesse Lamba of GenZ GOP (https://twitter.com/genzgoporg) joins the podcast to talk to Kevin about how he got involved with GenZ GOP and what is the new vision for the Republican Party this group is working to chart, so the party represents the interests of a new generation of moderate to conservative voters, who care about issues like climate change and immigration. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-11-2523 minModel Majority PodcastDr. Leana Wen (with Rock the Boat) In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with Dr. Leana Wen, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and advocates. In case you forgot, Dr. Wen was a guest on episode 145 as well, talking about leadership lessons with Kevin. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-11-2245 minModel Majority Podcast188: Re-activist to Activist with Actress Olivia Cheng Olivia Cheng (https://twitter.com/ThatOliviaCheng), actress and activist, talks to Kevin about the ups and downs that led to her acting career, her parents, the motivations behind her vocal activism, her work in Marco Polo and Warrior, and her latest push back on the Canadian bank, CIBC, and its usage of the "Asian Flu" in their corporate communications. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-11-1958 minModel Majority Podcast187: Election, Vaccine, Transition The cohost crew (Jenn, Kevin, Tony) returns after recovering (somewhat) from the election to discuss how each person processed this election season. Jenn also provides important information on the Pfizer's vaccine news and its various implications. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-11-1546 minModel Majority PodcastSenator Tammy Duckworth (with Rock the Boat) In partnership with Rock The Boat Podcast, we bring you an interview with Senator Tammy Duckworth, as part of a series of episodes featuring Asian American political leaders, activists, and advocates for the 2020 election season. Kevin also shares with Lucia Liu, host of Rock The Boat, his journey in politics and public service, and why more Asian Americans need to be involved in civic life. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-10-2129 minModel Majority Podcast186: Weightlifting Out of Racism with Amazin Lethi Amazin Lethi (https://twitter.com/amazinlethi) -- athlete, author, and advocate -- joins the podcast to share with Kevin her incredible life story: growing up in Australia as a Vietnamese transgender adoptee in a harsh environment of intense anti-Asian racism, finding weightlifting early in life which saved her, and now fighting against racism and bullying through her writing, weightlifting, and foundation: the Amazin Lethi Foundation. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-10-1852 minModel Majority Podcast184: RIP RBG, AAPI Candidates, COVID Mental HealthJenn Fang (https://twitter.com/reappropriate) cohosts with Kevin (https://twitter.com/kevinsxu) and Tony (https://twitter.com/AnthonyNagatani) to talk about mental health during COVID, the passing of Justice Ginsburg, and the AAPI candidates that have been featured on Reappropriate.co
2020-09-221h 06Model Majority Podcast183: PAC that A$$ with Linh Nguyen Linh Nguyen (https://twitter.com/l4nguyen), executive director of the Super PAC, PAC that A$$, and seasoned political organizer who's worked on campaigns like: Cory Booker for president and Beto O'Rourke for Senate, joins the podcast to have heart to heart with Kevin about how the harsh realities of being a minority staffer on campaigns, why she loves organizing, why she loves Texas, and why she decided to start her own Super PAC. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-08-1749 minModel Majority Podcast182: Has China Won? With Prof. Kishore Mahbubani Prof. Kishore Mahbubani (https://twitter.com/mahbubani_k) joins the podcast to talk about his new book, "Has China Won?". He and Kevin had an in-depth discussion about why America is being lazy to generalize China into the Chinese Community Party, when it should be considered the Chinese *Civilization* Party, why the US dollar is being weaponized recently as a unique American power and how long that could last, and why the Cold War is the wrong strategic framework to think about what’s happening between the US and China, and more! Prof. Ma...
2020-08-0538 minModel Majority Podcast181: Friendship During COVID Jenn Fang (https://twitter.com/reappropriate) of Reappropriate.co joins Tony (https://twitter.com/AnthonyNagatani) and Kevin (https://twitter.com/kevinsxu) for a long overdue conversation about life during COVID. We talked about Tony's plasma donation, Jenn's life as a young parent, Kevin's Hamilton trivia, and of course...the election! Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-07-281h 01Model Majority Podcast173: The Nerd We Need with Ronnie ChatterjiRonnie Chatterji (@RonnieChatterji) candidate for State Treasurer in North Carolina, Duke University professor, and former economic policy adviser to President Obama chats with Kevin about why he is "The Nerd We Need" in North Carolina to be its next State Treasurer, how he's been adapting to campaigning during COVID-19, his thoughts on the ongoing conflict between President Trump and Governor Cooper on the future of the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, and more! You can learn more about Ronnie's campaign: https://www.ronniechatterji.com/
2020-05-2924 minModel Majority Podcast172: Tony Got COVID Tony Nagatani (@anthonynagatani), our dear podcast cohost got COVID-19. (Don't worry, he's recovered now.) In this bonus episode, Tony recounts his experience having symptoms, eventually getting tested, and notifying his friends to do his part to practice responsible contact tracing. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-05-2223 minModel Majority Podcast170: Vote Like South Korea?Jenn Fang (@reappropriate) of Reappropriate.co joins Tony and Kevin for the monthly co-host discussion to talk about why we don't feel very celebratory going into this year's Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, and whether we should reference the recent national election in South Korea as a template to conduct ours this November to make sure everyone can vote safely!
2020-05-041h 00Model Majority Podcast165: Oh M0th3rf*ck$r... Jenn Fang (@reappropriate) returns to cohost the podcast with Tony (@anthonynagatani) and Kevin (@kevinsxu) to talk about their COVID-19 quarantine experience, Kevin's virtual townhall for people triggered or in fear of anti-Asian racism, and a wonky discussion of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package that was passed. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-03-3052 minModel Majority Podcast161: Super Tuesday, AAPI Exit Poll, Binary PrimaryCohosts Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) and Tony Nagatani (@anthonynagatani) got together (virtually) on the Saturday after Super Tuesday to share some analysis of the results, the binary primary that's shaping up between Sanders and Biden, the AAPI exit polls that were done on what our community's preferences are in the race, and thoughts on whether a strong field program still matters given Biden's success on Super Tuesday. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-03-0738 minModel Majority Podcast159: "Reporting" from Nevada Tony Nagatani (@AnthonyNagatani) our co-host spent a few days in Nevada helping the state democratic party prepare and run the Nevada Caucus. This is a special episode where Kevin talks to Tony about his on-the-ground experience. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-02-2334 minModel Majority Podcast158: Evan Low on Being an Uber #YangGang, Identity Politics, and Bridging Tech and Policy Evan Low (@evan_low) California Assemblymember and national co-chair of Andrew Yang's presidential campaign talks with Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) about what it means to be a national co-chair, why he entered electoral politics at a young age, how to navigate identity politics and intersectionality, and the importance of bridging the divide between technology innovators and policymakers. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON Transcript (note: this is machine generated and lightly edited. Please check with audio to confirm accuracy.) ...
2020-02-1731 minModel Majority Podcast157: "Reporting" from Iowa, Public Charge [CoHost Jenn Fang] Kevin Xu (@kevinsxu) is in Iowa to volunteer during the Iowa Caucus. Our guest cohost, Jenn Fang of Reappropriate.co and Tony Nagatani our long-time co-host, quizzes Kevin on all kinds of things Iowa. We also discussed the implications (and frustrations) around the latest Supreme Court ruling on "public charge" and how that could impact the future of immigration, and what it means to be an immigrant. Subscribe: Apple Podcast| Castbox| Spotify| Stitcher| Google Play| TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2020-02-0248 minModel Majority Podcast148: Minority Voters are Strategic Voters (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang) Jenn Fang (@reappropriate), founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to talk with Tony about Kamala Harris ending her campaign for President, Julian Castro's quest to change the whole game around the Presidential Primary Politics, and Andrew Yang's gimmicky campaign that might be confirming the Model Minority myth. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-12-0953 minModel Majority Podcast146: Prof. Ellen Wu of Indiana University on Where Did "Model Minority" Come From?Ellen Wu (@ellendwu), Associate Professor in the Department of History at Indiana University Bloomington and Director of the Asian American Studies Program, joins the podcast to trace the historical origin of the concept “Model Minority”. She’s also the author of the book “The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority“. In our Model Majority Review discussion segment, Tony and Kevin went deep into the implication of a set of exit polls done on Asian Americans regarding their current preferences in the Democratic primary, and Twitter’s new policy banning political content advertisemen
2019-11-171h 10Model Majority Podcast142: Coverage of the 4th Democratic Primary Debate in OhioKevin (@kevinsxu) and Tony (@AnthonyNagatani) discuss the 4th Democratic Primary debate in Ohio last week, specifically what was NOT talked about but SHOULD have been discussed, namely China/Hong Kong Protest, immigration, and climate change. We also share some thoughts on the latest feud between Tulsi Gabbard and Hillary Clinton.
2019-10-2150 minModel Majority Podcast138: Alton Wang on Anti-Model Minority (not Anti-Andrew Yang)Alton Wang (@altonwang) joins the podcast with Kevin (@kevinsxu) to discuss his op-ed in the Washington Post on why Andrew Yang’s Asian jokes are harmful and perpetuates the model minority myth. We also talked about Alton’s experience and perspective on community organizing 101, at the California Democratic Party and the AAPI Data project. Co-host Tony shared some valuable insight on how the entertainment industry works with regard to Shane Gillis, and how Elizabeth Warren’s endorsement from the Working Families Party is signaling trouble in Bernie Sander’s campaign.
2019-09-2247 minModel Majority Podcast130: Is Mitch a Russian Agent? (Guest CoHost: Jenn Fang)Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where she and Tony gave Kevin some ideas on what he should cover at the 2nd Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit. The three cohosts also talked about an important amendment that was added to the new appropriations bill for the intelligence community to prevent blatant racial profiling of Chinese American citizens for the purpose of anti-espionage, and discussed whether Mitch McConnell is under Russian influence because he keeps on blocking every bill passed that would reduce Russian cyber influence and improve U.S. election integrity.
2019-07-2946 minModel Majority Podcast129: Annabelle Schmitt on Mixed Race Identity, White Male Asian FemaleAnnabelle Schmitt, intersectional feminist fashion influencer and blogger on Mixed Hues, joins the podcast to talk about issues related to mixed race identity, fetishization of mixed race people, WMAF (White Male Asian Female), and more! Tony and Kevin also announce that Model Majority Podcast is going cover the 2nd Democratic Primary Debates in Detroit live, and putting some context into Trump's latest racist gaslighting. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-07-2152 minModel Majority Podcast128: Kevin Xu and Tony Nagatani Discuss Traveling and Tech in China and JapanCo-Hosts Tony and Kevin catch up on life from traveling, technology in China, demographic analysis of Japan, Tony's HAOLE AF insecurity, and more! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-07-1456 minModel Majority Podcast122: Doris Truong of the Poynter Institute on Diversity in JournalismDoris Truong, director of training and diversity of the Poynter Institute and former president of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), joins the podcast to talk about how journalism works, her involvement and leadership at AAJA, the recent AP style guide change, and bacon! Tony and Kevin also cover a range of topics from Virginia Beach mass shooting, New Zealand’s new budget that prioritizes “well-being” and mental health, to the latest evidence indicating that the “citizenship question” request to be entered to Census 2020 is politically motivated, and some reactions to Robert Mueller’s TV statement.
2019-06-0354 minModel Majority Podcast120: Rachana Desai Martin, COO of the DNC, on Voter ProtectionRachana Desai Martin, Chief Operating Officer of the Democratic National Committee and former Director of Voter Protection program of the DNC, joins the podcast to talk about how voter protection works on a campaign, why it matters, and why field organizing is the most rewarding jobs for a young person to get into. (You can get a head start becoming an organizer by joining Organizing Corp 2020.) Tony and Kevin also share their thoughts on Trump’s latest immigration “proposal”, how liberals should treat this “proposal”, and the latest removal of U.S. tariffs with Canada and Mexico.
2019-05-191h 02Model Majority Podcast119: Mehran Khodabandeh on Getting More AAPIs Elected in Public OfficeMehran Khodabandeh, executive director of Elect AAPI PAC founded by former Treasurer of California John Chiang, joins the podcast to talk about leading the new AAPI-focused PAC and his journey and experience working as a campaign staffer and political consultant. Tony and Kevin also shed light on the recent passage of the “fetal heartbeat bill” in Georgia, Beto O’Rourke’s hiring of Obama’s former delegate guru Jeff Berman, and why polls are the junk food of politics (aka avoid “eating” them and taking them too seriously!).
2019-05-131h 03Model Majority Podcast118: Simon Tam of The Slants on His MemoirSimon Tam, founder and bassist of The Slants returns to the podcast to talk about his new memoir, “Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court“. Tony and Kevin also discuss (more) gun violence, the senseless new Florida law to allow classroom teachers to arm themselves, the BERN app, and funny, goofy, creepy(?) presidential campaign email subject lines.
2019-05-051h 10Model Majority Podcast115: Moriah Balingit of the Washington Post on Affirmative ActionMoriah Balingit, reporter for the Washington Post who covers national education issues joins the podcast to talk about her latest long piece on Affirmative Action, mixed-race identity, and her advocacy work for more Asian America (or American Asian?) representation in the media and newsroom. Tony and Kevin also discussed a click-baity post-mortem LA Times article on the California DMV’s effort to handle voter registration, and the latest online harassment by “men’s rights” groups of Dr. Katie Bouman to discredit her contribution to the Black Hole picture.
2019-04-141h 03Model Majority Podcast114: Journalist Eileen Guo on Rejecting then Accepting Her Asian American IdentityEileen Guo, an independent print journalist and audio producer, who has published in the New York Times, Wired, New York Magazine, HuffPost, NPR, South China Morning Post with her reporting from Afghanistan, China, Mexico, and across the U.S., joins the podcast to share her life story, perspective on the Asian American identity, and her experience with Hostile Environment and First Aid Training. Kevin also shares his “grand experiment” to do due diligence on all the democratic presidential campaigns’ field operation, and Tony gives his take on the “Parscalization” of democratic campaigns in digital strategy.
2019-04-071h 13Model Majority Podcast113: Discussion on Removing Hypehn from Asian American (Co-Host: Jenn Fang)Jenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, returns to the podcast to co-host this episode, where Tony delivered a karaoke rendition of Cold Play’s “The Scientist” to fulfill our podcast’s karaoke promise, we discussed AG Barr’s incompetent summary of the Mueller Report, Associated Press’s long overdue stylistic change to remove hyphenation from racial American identity and use of “racist” to describe actual “racist” act, and the latest #metoo accusation of Joe Biden.
2019-03-3155 minModel Majority Podcast112: Madalene Mielke, President of APAICS, on Empowering More Asian American WomenMadalene Mielke, President and CEO of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and political campaign veteran, joins the podcast to share how she got started in politics to the new initiatives she’s carrying out to empower more Asian-American women in politics to lead APAICS. Tony and Kevin also discuss their experience taking a break from twitter, plan to karaoke, and an insightful article in the Washington Post that exposes the inequality among different Asian-American communities in the context of affirmative action debate.
2019-03-2454 minModel Majority Podcast109: Author Kathleen Burkinshaw on DenuclearizationKathleen Burkinshaw, author of “The Last Cherry Blossom“, a historical fiction loosely based on her mother’s first-hand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during the Second World War, shares her incredible personal story from suffering from severe medical conditions to becoming an author to tell her mother’s story. Tony and Kevin also discuss the latest Trump-Kim summit that yielded nothing but a photo, the Michael Cohen hearing, getting triggered by political memories, and shouting out to the makers of Oscar-winning “Free Solo”, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
2019-03-041h 14Model Majority Podcast107: Attorney Anoop Prasad on Immigration and Mass IncarcerationAnoop Prasad, staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus who specializes in the intersection between immigration and mass incarceration in the criminal system, joins us to share his career in immigration law, his current work representing the Southeast Asian deportees, and his analysis of why the rhetoric of mass incarceration and demonizing immigrants is one in the same. Tony and Kevin also shed light on the impending danger of the 2020 Census under-counting Asian-Americans, Roger Lau's ascendance to become the first Asian American to manage a U.S. presidential campaign (for Senator Elizabeth Warren), and another presidential ca...
2019-02-171h 03Model Majority Podcast106: Tina Maharath, State Senator of Ohio, on PerseveranceTina Maharath, State Senator of Ohio recounts her campaign journey as a first time candidate going up against her own party's write-in endorsed candidate and a mountain of negative ads from her Republican opponent to win her state senate race, and what she plans to do as the first female Asian-American state senator in Ohio. Tony and Kevin also share some thoughts on the nature and future of the Green New Deal. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-02-1043 minModel Majority Podcast104: Discussion of Domestic Violence Policy Change (Guest Co-host: Jenn Fang)Jenn Fang of https://reappropriate.co guest hosts! Kevin is away on business, so Tony and Jenn react to Trump's shutdown capitulation, while Jenn shines a light on the Trump administration redefining Domestic Violence. Plus, we get into it: Bernie Sanders' entrance into the 2020 race for Democratic Nominee. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-01-2633 minModel Majority Podcast102: Writer Do Nguyen Mai on Asian American Political Candidates ResearchDo Nguyen Mai, author/poet/research, joins the podcast to discuss her research into Asian-American political candidates in the 2018 midterm election, her upcoming good "Battlefield Blooming", and how she talks to her Republican parents about politics. Tony and Kevin also discuss the real human impact of now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, and all the AAPI candidates (so far) who are running for president in 2020. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-01-131h 01Model Majority Podcast101: Stephanie Cho, Exec Dir of AAJA-Atlanta, on Korean Adoptee ExperienceStephanie Cho, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta joins the Model Majority conversation to share her story growing up as a Korean adoptee, coming out as queer, life-long devotion to activism, current work defending voters' rights in Georgia, and her vision for liberation and justice in the future. Tony and Kevin also discuss the latest government shutdown craziness and debated about the latest moves from the progressive wing of the House Democrats. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2019-01-0759 minModel Majority Podcast100: Hard Look at AAPI Solidarity [Guest Host: Jenn Fang]Jenn Fang of Reappropriate *co-hosts* this special episode 100, joining Tony and Kevin to discuss a wide-ranging set of hard questions: - Intersectionality between AAPI support for equal pay and mainstream feminism - Scaling multilingual outreach to AAPI population - Trump's war against Southeast Asian immigrants - East Asian solidarity (or lack there of?) with Southeast Asians Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-12-2344 minModel Majority Podcast099: Sunkyu Bin on Depression and Mental Health as a College AthleteSunkyu (Paul) Bin, star soccer player at the University of Maryland, shares his journey as an Asian athlete at an American college, to becoming aware of the Asian-American identity, to his journey through depression. Tony and Kevin also discuss Trump's latest policy to try to deport Vietnamese American immigrants and refugees, and sound the alarm of the ACA's legal future. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-12-1648 minModel Majority Podcast098: Frank Shyong of the LA Times on East Asian PrivilegeFrank Shyong, reporter at the LA Times joins the podcast to share his upbringing from Michigan and Tennessee to LA, reporting on food and Asian-American culture, and his take on how "Crazy Rich Asians" brought about his own awareness of the East Asian privilege. Tony and Kevin also discuss the latest revelation in the Mueller investigation and the detainment of Huawei's CFO. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-12-0949 minModel Majority Podcast097: Hua Hsu of The New Yorker on Affirmative Action and Asian American WritingHua Hsu, associate professor at Vassar College and writer at the New Yorker, talks to Kevin about the genesis of his writing career, to the unique aspects of writing for the New Yorker, to his deep-dive piece on Affirmative Action, to the work and mission of the Asian American Writers' Workshop. Tony and Kevin also share their thoughts and feelings on the passing of former President George HW Bush. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-12-0254 minModel Majority Podcast095: Punya Krishnappa on Make Voting A Muscle MemoryTony, Kevin, and Punya powwow from three different time zones to do a post-midterm discussion on the impact of Asian-American voters, what all this could mean for 2020, and giving recognition to all the candidates who've been on the Model Majority Podcast this election cycle. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-11-1131 minModel Majority Podcast094: Kevin Xu and Tony Nagatani Share Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Pro-TipsKevin Xu and Tony Nagatani share some stories and pro-tips for all the field organizers and volunteers who will be doing Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) for the 2018 Midterm Elections.
2018-11-0217 minModel Majority Podcast093: Prof. Janelle Wong on the Pulse of Asian AmericaJanelle Wong, professor of American Studies at University of Maryland, author and senior research at AAPIdata.com, joins the podcast to share her person story, perspective on the ongoing debate on affirmative action within and outside of the AAPI community, teaching Asian-American history, and work on the AAPI Data project. Kevin and Tony also share some thoughts on the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue and MAGABomber, as both events unfold. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-10-2749 minModel Majority Podcast092: Live Event at the University of RochesterModel Majority Podcast visits the University of Rochester to speak to students at an event hosted by the Asian American Alliance, where Kevin Xu and Punya Krishnappa discusses political activism, civic engagement, and AAPI identity issues. Tony also shares his advice on what he would tell his college self on how to get involved in politics. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-10-211h 07Model Majority Podcast091: Cayden Mak on Activating 18 Million Asian AmericansCayden Mak, Executive Director of 18 Million Rising, joins the podcast to talk about his story growing up as a Midwest Asian, his first act of activism in high school, and now devoting his life to advocating for social justice and empowering the Asian-American community through innovative online and offline organizing. Tony and Kevin also sound the alarm on the latest act of voter suppression in Georgia, possibly disenfranchising 53,000 voters during a critically important gubernatorial election.
2018-10-1449 minModel Majority Podcast090: Dr. Howard Koh on TIALOD (There Is A Lack Of Data)Dr. Howard Koh, former Assistant Secretary of Health at HHS and professor at Harvard, joins the pod to talk about his personal story from being a physician to a health policy maker to a professor, and his latest research on how the Affordable Care Act is affecting the health and well-being of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders community. Kevin and Tony also shared some thoughts on the dysfunction of the Senate and a broken democracy that led to Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, and a moment of levity celebrating Awkwafina’s debut hosting Saturday Night Live.
2018-10-0747 minModel Majority Podcast089: Discussion on the Senate testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett KavanaughKevin and Tony dedicate this episode to talk about the monumental Senate testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh on Kavanaugh's sexual assault of Dr. Ford. We also take a moment of levity and discuss the fake covfefe Burmese Python-Nagini casting "controversy' in the next JK Rowling movie. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-10-0131 minModel Majority Podcast088: Tonia Bui on Local Political OrganizingTonia Bui, founder of Politics Within Politics (see detailed biography below), joins the podcast for its lucky 88th episode to talk about her extensive experience working on local and state-level campaigns, why local political engagement is important and impactful, and why the lack of diversity in campaign staffing is causing blindspots, poor messaging and outreach, and bad outcomes for campaigns. Tony and Kevin also expand on this discussion with their own campaign experience, and remind listeners that *early voting* for the Midterm Election is starting very soon!!
2018-09-2351 minModel Majority Podcast087: Actress Piper Perabo on Getting Arrested as a PrivilegePiper Perabo, Golden Globe nominated actress and political activist joins the podcast to talk about why she's became politically active, why she's opposed to Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, and the many things everyone can do to be more engaged in the political process. Tony and Kevin also shared their take on the latest in the Kavanaugh nomination and why paying your interns is a good thing! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-09-1743 minModel Majority Podcast086: Chris Lu on #BlueWave 2018Chris Lu, former Deputy Labor Secretary, White House Cabinet Secretary, and current Senior Fellow at the Miller Center of the University of Virginia returns to the podcast to do a wide-ranging interview to shed light on what we should pay attention to in the 2018 midterm election as we head into full-on general election mode. Tony and Kevin also discuss the latest disturbing development where the Justice Department and ICE is taking on the phantom work of rounding up “millions” of undocumented non-citizen voters in North Carolina, via a suspicious organization called Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.
2018-09-0953 minModel Majority Podcast084: Christine Johnson, Candidate for San Francisco Supervisor District 6Christine Johnson, Candidate for San Francisco Supervisor District 6, joins the podcast to talk about her growing up story, why she loves local politics and is running for the supervisor position, and how she plans to reach out and represent the 30% Asian population that's in her district. Tony and Kevin share their take on whether impeaching Donald Trump is a good idea or not, and Loan Tran's(aka Kelly Marie Tran) revealing op-ed about Asian-American feminism and online bullying in the New York Times. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-08-2745 minModel Majority Podcast083: Sri Kulkarni, Congressional Candidate in Texas 22nd DistrictSri Kulkarni, Congressional Candidate in Texas-22 and long-time foreign service officer, shares his story growing up in rough neighborhoods, serving the United States abroad for more than a decade, and how his campaign outreach has turned out Asian-American votes more than 12-times just by speaking everyone’s language. Tony and Kevin intentionally cut Model Majority Review segment short not give all the covfefe news stories the podcast time they don’t deserve.
2018-08-1945 minModel Majority Podcast082: Jenn Fang on Starting the Asian American Feminist Blog: ReappropriateJenn Fang, founder of Reappropriate.co, the longest running blog on Asian-American feminism and race activism, joins the podcast to share her personal story and experience with racism, early days of Asian-American online activism, the genesis of Reappropriate, Asian-American feminism, and latest advocacy work to support ending deportation of Southeast-Asian-American immigrants! Tony and Kevin also share their thoughts on the 1st anniversary of #Charlottesville and reactions to Jenn’s recent piece in Teen Vogue on Yellowfacing and Whitewashing in movies.
2018-08-121h 01Model Majority Podcast081: Oxford Kondo on White Male Asian Female and Plan A MagazineOxford Kondo, co-founder and team member of Plan A Magazine, an Asian-American identity focused online magazine, joins the podcast to talk about his journey into AAPI identity issues the origin of Plan A Magazine, WMAF, gender, and many other identity issues that gets him up in the morning. Tony and Kevin also sheds light on a copyright reappropriation case about the trendiest of Asian food, Poke! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-08-0539 minModel Majority Podcast080: Kimmy Yam of the Huffington Post on Being Loud!Kimberly Yam, Editor at Asian Voices of the Huffington Post joins the podcast to share her journey, from being ashamed of her Asian heritage, to discovering Hideki Matsui and becoming proud of her identity, to running the Asian Voices to amplify stories important to Asian-American community. Tony and Kevin also talks about the latest news in the U.S. economy and sounding the alarm on a possible Trump re-election in 2020 and highlighting Chris Lu's latest op-ed on wage stagnation. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-07-2957 minModel Majority Podcast078: Prof Karthick Ramakrishnan on Gathering AAPI Data and WeChat ConservatismKarthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of the AAPI Data Project and associate dean of the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, joins the Model MAJORITY Podcast, to talk about the genesis, goal, findings, and future of the AAPI Data Project and impact of the messaging platform, WeChat, on conservative activism of the Chinese-American community. Tony and Kevin also introduce a new weekly segment, the Model Majority Review, that seeks to provide informative and context to major news items of the past week for our audience (with an Asian-American perspective of course). Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google...
2018-07-161h 17Model Majority Podcast077: Simon Tam of The Slants on Life After Beating the Supreme CourtSimon Tam, founder and bassist of the first and only all Asian-American dance rock band, The Slants, re-joins the podcast (previous appearance Episode 26) one year after his Supreme Court victory to update us on what he's been up to since that legal victory, including more music, more activism, a new podcast, and possible a memoir! Tony also catches Kevin up on all the bad news that's been happening in America during his week of family visit in China. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-07-081h 01Model Majority Podcast075: Dave Min on Running for Congress as a First Time CandidateDave Min former candidate for CA45 joins Kevin for the interview, and talks about what it's like to be a first-time candidate running in a district where AAPI voters could swing the general election. With Kevin in China, Tony soliloquizes about the hope for a future where liberals and conservatives don't hate each other. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-06-2441 minModel Majority Podcast074: Lily Qi, Candidate for Maryland State DelegateLily Qi, candidate for Maryland State Delegate, joins the podcast to talk about her journey from experiencing China’s Cultural Revolution, to studying and working in America, to being the first Asian-American appointed Assistant Chief Administrative Officer in Montgomery County in Maryland, to now running for Maryland State Delegate. Kevin and Tony also vent about what a great week dictators around the world (namely Kim Jung-un and Vlad Putin) are having, latest trade war with China, and New York Times’s recent article on Harvard’s rating of Asian-American applicants.
2018-06-171h 06Model Majority Podcast073: Vivian Yee of the New York Times on Rising Asian American Political Enagement in Orange CountyVivian Yee, national immigration correspondent at the New York Times, talks about how she got into journalism, her coverage of the rising Asian-American presence and influence in Orange County, and how she covers complex human issues related to immigration in America. Kevin and Tony review primary night elections in California and throughout the country, and highlight LA County's voter roll debacle as a something that could deter Asian-American voter engagement. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-06-1056 minModel Majority Podcast072: Jaweed Kaleem of the LA Times on Covering Race and JusticeJaweed Kaleem, national race and justice correspondent at the Los Angeles Times, talks about how he got interested in journalism, his methodology and approach to covering race, ethnicity and civil rights in America, and what he thinks the biggest challenge to journalism is in the future. Kevin and Tony also dishes out the podcast's 3rd Ribbon of Shame to Dinesh D'Souza and discuss the latest development in the Trump-Kim (pending) Summit. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-06-031h 01Model Majority Podcast071: Disturbing Trends in AAPI Jobs NumbersHarin Contractor, former economics advisor to former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, joins the podcast. Kevin and Harin get wonky about some disturbing trends buried in the AAPI jobs numbers. Harin also talks about his work as chair of Washington Leadership Program, a foundation dedicated to developing the next generation of American leadership from the South Asian American community. And with Kevin away on business, Tony and Punya talk about the A 100 list. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-05-2635 minModel Majority Podcast070: Discussion on API Policy Summit and Net NeutralityWrap up coverage of the 2018 API Policy Summit in Sacramento, plus Tony and Kevin share their opinions and thoughts on the Santa Fe High School shooting, latest development on Net Neutrality, and the Trump-Kim Summit…?
2018-05-191h 16Model Majority Podcast069: Phil Kim and Vedant Patel of the DNC on Activating Asian American Vote in 2018Phil Kim and Vedant Patel from the Democratic National Committee joins the podcast to share their story into the campaign world and what plans does the DNC have to activate more Asian-American voters leading up to the 2018 election. Tony, Punya and Kevin also shared a LOT of feelings about John Kelly.
2018-05-1358 minModel Majority Podcast068: Konrad Ng on the Difference Between Appropriation and AppreciationKonrad Ng, Executive Director of Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and former director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, kicks off Asian-American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month 2018 with an in-depth interview about his life, career, and unique take on the intersection between art and politics. Tony and Kevin also share their take on Keziah Daum the Qipao girl and whether that’s cultural appropriation or appreciation?
2018-05-0658 minModel Majority Podcast067: Coverage of the First Asian Amerian Gubernatorial Debate in CaliforniaTony and Kevin share their impressions, analysis, and hot takes on the first-ever Asian-American focused gubernatorial debate in California’s history. #APAGovDebate
2018-04-2949 minModel Majority Podcast066: Tina Maharath, Ohio State Senate CandidateTina Maharath, Ohio State Senate candidate joins the podcast to talk about her tough upbringing as the daughter of Laotian refugees, her single motherhood, and why she’s running for Ohio’s State Senate as a minority of the minority to fight for the “little people.” Tony and Kevin also shed some light on the latest development in North Korea, and whether the latest adaption of “Mikado” at FHSU in Kansas is cultural appropriation.
2018-04-2245 minModel Majority Podcast065: Andrew Janz, Congressional Candidate in California 22nd DistrictAndrew Janz, Fresno County Deputy District Attorney, and candidate for California's 22nd Congressional District stops by the podcast for an informative, no-nonsense interview with Kevin Xu. Andrew and Kevin talk about Janz's background and why he is a better fit to represent CA-22 than Trumpist Devin Nunes. And Punya returns to the podcast and Tony, Punya, and Kevin rap about Trump's wag the dog bombing of Syria. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-04-1548 minModel Majority Podcast064: Andrew Yang on Freedom Dividend and Running for PresidentAndrew Yang, presidential candidate for 2020, joins the podcast to talk about why he is running for president, why he thinks Universal Basic Income can alleviate the plight of automation on our work force, and lessons learned from his entrepreneurial experience. Kevin and Tony and share their take on Trump DHS's compilation of a database of journalists and what that could mean to our freedom of expression, and pay tribute to the passing of Senator Daniel Akaka. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-04-0852 minModel Majority Podcast062: Aftab Pureval, Congressional Candidate in Ohio 1st DistrictAftab Pureval, Congressional Candidate for OH-01 joins the podcast to talk about his story as the son of Tibetan refugees, career in law and as the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, and his current run for Congress. Kevin and Tony record their thoughts as they watch #MarchForTheirLives live, on Trump's tariff on China, picking John Bolton as the new National Security Advisor, and a tribute to the passing of the first hockey player of Asian descent to play in the NHL, Larry Kwong. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-03-251h 05Model Majority Podcast061: Dan Koh, Congressional Candidate for Massachusetts 3rd DistrictDan Koh, Congressional Candidate for MA-03 joins the podcast to talk about his story, career, and why he's running for Congress. Tony also returns from vacation to bring news and tidings from Hawaii, and he and Kevin also discuss Ryan Zinke's racist moment with Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, and Kevin's essay in AsAmNews about family, cross-border tech trends, and AAPI identity. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-03-1850 min
Model Majority Podcast058: Dan and Tony Talk About Movies and StuffDan Hamamura, Hollywood Screenwriter and Host of "The Towel," a podcast about following your dreams, joins Tony for a one on one conversation. Dan and Tony chat about growing up in Hawaii, the Academy Awards, and AAPI representation in Hollywood. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-02-2538 minModel Majority Podcast057: Joon Kim on Asian American Political StaffersJoon Kim, Partner at New Paradigm Strategy Group and electoral campaign veteran, shared his stories and experiences in electoral politics, how to run an independent expenditure campaign, and hopes for future Asian-American political operatives. Tony and Kevin also share their thoughts on Robert Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians to undermine the 2016 US election, Peter Wang's bravery in the Parkland massive shooting tragedy, and the "otherization" of Mirai Nagasu. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-02-181h 08Model Majority Podcast056: Kathy Tran, the First Female Asian American Virginia House of DelegateKathy Tran, Delegate for Virginia's 42nd House of Delegates District Fairfax County, joins the podcast to talk about why she decided to run for office after a career in civil service, what she hopes to accomplish as a legislator, and tips for other Asian-American future candidates. Tony, Punya, and Kevin also share their thoughts on the Winter Olympics, gave shoutouts to all the Asian-Americans who are representing Team USA, and Raj Shah's first White House press briefing. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-02-111h 03Model Majority Podcast055: Ravi Bhalla on Being the first Sikh-American Mayor in the USRavi Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken and one of the first Sikh-American mayors in the US joins the podcast to share his story fighting against discrimination, his career as a lawyer to defend other victims of discrimination, and his victorious campaign to become mayor. Tony, Punya, and Kevin also shares their take on Trump's first #SOTU, the many Democratic responses (5 to be exact), and an analysis of CA-22 and Asian-American candidate Andrew Janz's challenge to Devin Nunes. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Support Us on PATREON
2018-02-0459 minModel Majority Podcast044: Andrew Hu on Healthcare PolicyAndrew Hu, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, shares his take on what we should know and do going forward with healthcare (tl;dr Obamacare is still the law of the land!). We also talk more about enrollment, particularly Tony's experience finding a new plan. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Editorial Disclaimer: The content of this episode has been edited for clarity and better listening experience. We recorded this podcast over Skype, using Pamela Skype Audio Recorder, and edited this podcast using Adobe Audition. Painstaking effort has been...
2017-11-1953 minModel Majority Podcast035: Prof. Nancy Leong on the First AmendmentNancy Leong, law professor at University of Denver Sturm College of Law, does a deep dive on hot topics like Affirmative Action, First Amendment, DACA, and gender separation in sports! Tony and Kevin also do a quick update and call to action on stopping the latest effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.
2017-09-171h 10Model Majority Podcast034: Michelle Ye Hee Lee of the Washington Post on Fact-Checking Donald TrumpMichelle Lee, Fact Checker Extraordinaire at the Washington Post joins the pod to talk about how to fact check Donald Trump, her experience reporting in Maricopa County on Sheriff Joe Arpaio, online bullying of an female Asian-American reporter, and much much more! Tony and Kevin also do a deep(ish) dive on Evan Osnos's latest reporting on North Korea in the New Yorker. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Links: Evan Osnos's Piece on North Korea (New Yorker) Washington Post Fact Check Tracker on Trump Trump Sabotaging Obamacare by Pulling Funding (VOX) Editoria...
2017-09-101h 08Model Majority PodcastMidweek #Hottakes 001: "Schulosi, Hurricanes, DACA, DPRK Nukes"Tony and Kevin launch the Model Majority Midweek Hottakes to give their POVs on Schumer-Pelosi deal with Trump, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Trump/Sessions rescinding DACA, and Kim Jung-Un's latest nuclear weapon test. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn Editorial Disclaimer: The content of this episode has been edited for clarity and better listening experience. We recorded this podcast over Skype, using Pamela Skype Audio Recorder, and edited this podcast using Adobe Audition. Painstaking effort has been taken to remove vocal annoyances like stuttering, talking too quickly, or overusing vocal cliches like “um”, “ah”, “uh”, and “you know...
2017-09-0721 minModel Majority Podcast033: Andy Kim, Congressional Candidate for New Jersey 3rd DistrictAndy Kim, candidate for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district and former Director of Iraq Policy at the National Security Council, joins the podcast to talk about his career in public service, campaign for Congress, and love of the Philadelphia Eagles. Tony and Kevin also share their take on Hurricane Harvey and the underreporting of Asian-Americans who are suffering in the aftermath of the disaster. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Andy Kim's run for Congress One of the few articles out there on Vietnamese-Americans' struggle and contribution during Hurricane Harvey OCA-Houston relief effort...
2017-09-0355 minModel Majority Podcast032: Vikrum Aiyer on Automation, Technology and TacosVikrum Aiyer former Chief of Staff at the US Patent & Trademark Office, and current Head of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at Postmates joins the pod to talk about his new podcast "American Enough." We also talk automation, Presidential Special Councils, and Vikrum's deep dark taco secret! While Kevin is off on vacation this, Tony premieres a new segment of the show: Globalist Recipes. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: WHO IS JOE ARPAIO? THE VILLAIN FROM MARICOPA, ARIZONA TRUMP HAS PARDONED? Editorial Disclaimer: The content of this episode has been edited for cl...
2017-08-2651 minModel Majority Podcast027: Catching Up On LifeTony and Kevin do a catch up episode on the news and going-ons of life. It's been too long! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Fake News pitch to Rachel Maddow Ajito--one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area Editorial Disclaimer: The content of this episode has been edited for clarity and better listening experience. We recorded this podcast over Skype, using Pamela Skype Audio Recorder, and edited this podcast using Adobe Audition. Painstaking effort has been taken to remove vocal annoyances like stuttering, talking too quickly, or overusing vocal...
2017-07-231h 02Model Majority Podcast015: Omar Khan on Managing Political Campaigns, Global TradeOmar Khan, former Obama administration official at the Office of U.S. Trade Representative and campaign manager for former Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, joins the podcast to discuss what it was like to manage a state-wide campaign in Florida as an Asian-American and work on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Also, Tony and Kevin talk about judicial independence and why Trump's latest bullet-point plan to "reform" our tax code is just a tax cut for...well Trump. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: SF Judge blocks Trump's sanctuary cities EO How Treasury Secretary Steven Mnu...
2017-04-3045 minModel Majority Podcast014: Jason Tengco on Implementing AAPI OutreachJason Tengco, former Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, former Director of AAPI Outreach for Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign, and current Executive Director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, shares his story of public service and dedication to the AAPI community. Also, Kevin goes to Mar-a-Lago to talk about Trump's tweets with Tony and Jeff Sessions disrespectful words of the state of Hawaii. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Overview of the history of Hawaii More interesting Hawaiian history The Sandwich Isles Hawaiian Anne...
2017-04-2334 minModel Majority Podcast013: Frank Aum on North Korea and Working in Foreign PolicyFrank Aum, former Special Advisor on North Korea at the Department of Defense under President Obama and current Visiting Scholar at the US-Korea Institute at School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, joins the podcast to talk about his career in foreign policy. Tony and Kevin also share their thoughts and reactions to a weekend of tension on the Korean Peninsula, all because of a Trump tweet. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: North Korea's new, fancy weaponry North Korea's history of nuclear tests and how they actually work 5 Ways the No...
2017-04-1633 minModel Majority Podcast011: Discussion on "Get Out" the MovieTony and Kevin take Trump to task on his continuous Twitter gaslighting regarding Russia, and remind people not to forget some big news items ahead: China, the border wall, and possible government shutdown. We also discuss "Get Out" the movie, its well-crafted and insightful racial commentary, and what on earth was that Asian guy doing in the movie? Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Snopes article debunking Trump's fake allegation regarding Clinton Foundation, uranium, and Russia What to expect in the upcoming Trump-Xi Meeting at Mar-a-Lago Summary of the Trump border wall requirements (th...
2017-04-0239 minModel Majority Podcast010: Where Can the Asian American Vote Can Swing a District?What does Disney FastPass and budget reconciliation have in common, and why we should care in the aftermath of the Trumpcare debacle? Find out from this episode! Also, we highlight two congressional districts where the Asian-American vote can make a decisive difference in the 2018 mid-term elections. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Avenue Q musical, where Tony first learned the word "schadenfreude" Paul Ryan's statement after Trumpcare failed This is why Trumpcare was a bad bill. Period. Asian Americans' numbers and political influence are growing (LA Times) Cook Political Report on competitive House el...
2017-03-2632 minModel Majority Podcast008: Santiago Martinez on Data Analytics in Political CampaignsSantiago Martinez, Senior Vice President of Data & Analytics at 270 Strategies, talks campaign data with Tony and Kevin, especially as it pertains to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders community, as we look ahead to the 2018 mid-term elections. We also analyze why Trumpcare is not much of a reform from Obamacare, and why it's bad for older Americans and Americans living in poverty. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Why Trumpcare is so short Wonky Explanation of the Impact of Trumpcare How the Republican Congress is Jamming through Trumpcare Asian-American population breakdown by age gr...
2017-03-1243 minModel Majority Podcast005: Dr. Franklin Odo on the 75th Anniversary of Japanese American InternmentTony and Kevin reflect on the 75th Anniversary of the Internment of Japanese Americans by interviewing Dr. Franklin Odo, John J. McCloy Visiting Professor of American Institutions and International Diplomacy at Amherst College and the first Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program. We also dissect why Trump's first solo press conference as president was a "Fine-Tuned" disaster. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: Dr. Franklin Odo's Biography John J. McCloy's Biography (Irony of History) Trump advisors citing the Internment of Japanese Americans as precedent to justify Muslim registry Confession of Error: T...
2017-02-1946 minModel Majority Podcast004: (Un)Happy Birthday Lincoln... What Would Jeff Sessions (Un)Do for Voting Rights; Campaign War StoriesTony and Kevin wish Lincoln Happy Birthday, though we doubt he'd be happy with what's going on in America right now. We discuss why Jeff Sessions's confirmation as Attorney General would be, among many other things, bad for voting rights. We also share harrowing campaign war stories to show just how hard, complicated, and unpredictable it is to get people to vote. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play Episode Links: What is Easy D? (Well we will never know, but here's the link to the original tweet.) Nordstrom's stock soars after Trump's tweets Behind-the-scenes back an...
2017-02-1248 minModel Majority Podcast003: Leave the "Governator" Alone! Plus Effective Grassroots Activism Tips; Best & Worst Campaign Chinese Takeout ExperienceTony and Kevin psychoanalyze Trump as he continues to Twitter-troll Arnold Schwarzenegger about his Apprentice ratings. We also share some practical and effective grassroots activism tips to influence your representatives, and engage in a light-hearted but sentimental banter about our best and worst Chinese food takeout experiences on the campaign trail. Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play
2017-02-0548 min