ACAM Dialogues Podcast
The ACAM Dialogues Podcast is a student-focused series that began in 2017, hosted annually by student staff members of the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program at the University of British Columbia. It features discussion events, symposiums, panels, multimedia productions, and social drop-ins, drawing from topics that emerge in student discussions towards collective learning and community-building. The podcast was made possible by the Chan Family Foundation's generous support.
Episodes
Asian Heritage Month with ACAM
To cap off May, join Devon and Rhea as they discuss motifs of Asian Heritage Month. Your co-hosts explain the nature of Asian Heritage Month and what it means to celebrate. Rhea discusses the role of radio in Asian communities settling in so-called Vancouver. Devon goes onto sharing details of Vancouver's historic Chinatown and the upcoming exhibition “Momentum”.
Archives are Everywhere! A conversation on Archival Work in Vancouver Chinatown ft. Jennifer Douglas and Jeffrey Wong
Join Devon and Rhea in conversation with Jennifer Douglas from the Community Archival Collections Heritage Exhibitions (CACHE), and Jeffrey Wong from Wongs’ Benevolent Association (WBA). Through this roundtable discussion, Rhea and Devon learn more about the archival process and the impact of community engagement from large institutions such as UBC.
Pop Culture Catch-Up: Chinamaxxing and Representation in Film
In this episode, join Devon and Rhea as they discuss some pop-culture hot topics. They discuss the online trend of ‘Chinamaxxing’ and the implications of a fad that is based in non-Asian people. Our hosts also discuss some movies that have sparked their interest, and their picks for Best Picture at the Oscars this year.
Browning and Expanding Asian Canada: A Conversation with Dr. JP Catungal
Devon and Rhea are joined by Dr. JP Catungal to discuss Browning Asian Canada: a series of events and community gatherings that centre conversations on the need to diversify Asian Canadian storytelling and representation. Tune in to hear more about JP’s dedication and passion for ensuring minority voices are seen as knowledge producers, not just statistics in a research paper.
ACAM in Dialogue ft. Gabby Abando, Felicity Gutierrez, and Lian Lo
To kick off the start of a new semester, Devon and Rhea in Conversation with the ACAM Dialogues were joined in conversation with the ACAM Dialogues team: Gabby Abando, Felicity Gutierrez, and Lian Lo. The group discussed the various aspects of their work in the ACAM Dialogues cohorts as well as the impact they hope to make.
Basketball, Belonging, and Breaking Down Barriers with Dr. Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra
On this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, your hosts Rhea Mann and Devon Meadows are joined by Dr. Sharnjit Kaur Sandhra. Sharn is a historian, educator, storyteller, and founder of Belonging Matters Consulting. She worked as Coordinator at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV for more than 12 years and as co-curator and co-manager of the Sikh Heritage Museum, National Historic Site and G
Mini Episode: Get to Know Devon and Rhea
This episode, listeners are welcomed back to a new season of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast by getting introduced to the newest member of the ACAM team: Devon Meadows. Rhea welcomes Devon onto the Podcast, and they discuss his family’s migration story, passion for storytelling, and plans for the podcast this year. This episode ends off some current events as they discuss Karan Aujla’s performance on T
Getting to Know Dr. Bandali: A Conversation on Academia, Intersectionality, and ACAM
Join Rhea in conversation with Dr. Alifa Bandali, who is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice. Rhea and Dr. Bandali discussed her upcoming ACAM 100 course and her passion for teaching.
Inside ACAM: Reflections with 2025 ACAM Graduates Deborah Wong & Kaitlyn Lee
Join Nathan in conversation with Kaitlyn Lee and Deborah Wong, two recent ACAM grads, as they reflect on the experiences that shaped their time in the program. From impactful lessons in the classroom to unforgettable personal experiences, they share the moments that left a lasting impression.Together, they explore how ACAM’s interdisciplinary lens helped them engage more deeply with their culture,
More Than a Moment: Harpo Mander on the 5X Festival and the Rise of South Asian Music
Punjabi and South Asian music is receiving global attention, especially after the inaugural category of South Asian Music Recording of the Year at the JUNOs this year. To touch on the significance of this, Rhea is joined in conversation with Harpo Mander. Harpo is the Executive Director of 5X, which is the leading music and arts organization for diasporic Punjabis in Metro Vancouver. As a champion
From Seed to Story: Reflecting on the Backyard Garden Project
Join Nathan in conversation with Cat Hung and Jenny Lu as they reflect on their roles in the co-curated Backyard Garden Project—a collaborative exhibit between the Museum of Vancouver, ACAM, and ACRE. This episode traces the exhibit’s evolution, from its initial ideas and goals to the post-pandemic workshops and community gatherings that emerged from its development.Together, they explore themes o
An ACAM Catch-Up with Nathan and Rhea
Join your ACAM Dialogues hosts, Nathan Ko and Rhea Mann, as they catch-up and reflect on the end of the semester. The hosts discuss some of their favourite episodes and moments in the ACAM community from the past few months, as well as some personal updates. Rhea shares some thoughts on her exchange term at the University of Edinburgh, and Nathan talks about graduating, his new job, and future pla
Celebrating Asian-Canadian Filmmaking in ACAM With Curtis Huang and Evens Wong
This episode, Rhea is joined by two UBC ACAM alums Curtis Huang and Evens Wong. Both Curtis and Evens, and their short films featured in our ACAM 350 event from February. In this roundtable discussion, we get to take a deeper look into their respective films “Vancouver Special” and “Looking for Popo”. Exploring themes of migration, nostalgia, grief, and memory, Evens and Curtis remind us why Asian
From Personal to Political: Thea Loo on Inay and Asian Canadian Filmmaking
Join Nathan in conversation with special guest Thea Loo, an emerging Asian Canadian filmmaker, as they discuss her award-winning debut documentary, Inay. This deeply personal film explores the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada, shedding light on the trauma and resilience of Filipino families separated by migration. Thea shares her journey as a filmmaker, the challenges
Stories of Partnership: A conversation with hua foundation, UBC ACAM, & ACRE
This episode, recorded in front of a live audience in the summer of 2024, explores the evolution of the partnership and impact between the hua foundation, UBC’s Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE), and the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program. For over ten years, these organizations have collaborated to address systemic inequities and build community-drive
Tsunagu, つなぐ – to connect: A conversation with film director and producer Lucy Komori
In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan sits down with fundraiser and marketer turned film director and producer, Lucy Komori. They take a deep dive into the origins of Lucy’s film Tsunagu and explore the nuances of cultural storytelling. Lucy also shares her unique perspective on the state of intergenerational Japanese Canadian history telling.
Tsunagu will be featured at the Febru
ACAM Wrapped: Looking Back at ACAM 10 with Laura Ishiguro and Benjamin Cheung
Join Rhea and Nathan with special guests Dr. Benjamin Cheung, and Dr. Laura Ishiguro. In this roundtable discussion, the group discusses some of the highlights from ACAM in 2024 and the ten year anniversary of ACAM. This episode also looks toward the program's future, discussing goals and ambitions for what ACAM can do. Listen in to hear from Dr. Chueng as the ACAM minor advisor, and Dr. Ishiguro
Breaking Down the Boba Scandal and Cultural Appropriation
In this episode of the ACAM Dialogues Podcast, Nathan and Rhea discuss the recent Dragons Den episode that features a white-owned Boba tea company. Rhea gives a recap of the episode and how guest Dragon Simu Liu addresses the issues of cultural appropriation. Nathan also discusses The Mahjong Line, a company created by three white women with the intent to redesign the game that has well known root
Interrogating the White Gaze: A Conversation with Chris Cheung
Join Nathan and Rhea in conversation with Chris Chueng, Vancouver journalist and author of “Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism”. Chris speaks to how journalists can write stories that defy the white gaze, how readers can question who stories are for, and how to be a more conscious consumer of media. Nathan and Rhea also continue their new se
Mini Episode: Get to Know Rhea and Nathan
This week, get to know your new ACAM Dialogues hosts: Rhea Mann and Nathan Ko. Rhea and Nathan introduce themselves to listeners, share their respective migration stories to so-called Canada, speak about their passions and interests.
The new podcast team also shared their plan for future episodes, and introduced a new segment: The Watchlist. This week Rhea and Nathan discuss Fly Me to the Moon, Th
The beginnings of ACAM: Japanese Canadian Activism (w/ Mary & Tosh Kitagawa)
To celebrate ACAM’s 10 year anniversary, this month we have a special conversation with Mary and Tosh Kitagawa - two Japanese-Canadian advocates who were instrumental in the creation of the ACAM program. Tune in as we speak with Mary and Tosh about fighting for recognition of the 76 interned Japanese-Canadian students, the necessity of speaking up, and how we might find community in the process.
T
Centering joy: health, cultural identity, and group therapy (ft. Dr. Ben Cheung)
Health—whether physical or mental well-being—is a crucial focus in many of our lives. Yet, it becomes even more complex within the context of diasporic communities. This episode dives into these intricacies, emphasizing the transformative power of centering joy.
For this month’s episode, we sat down with Dr. Benjamin Cheung who teaches ACAM 320B: Health amongst Asian diaspora in Canada to talk joy
Flight mode: travel, privilege, and identity (ft. Chris Patterson)
Like many of us travelling for the first time, Isa’s first solo-trip to Asia brought about a lot of conflicting feelings, questions and thoughts — What privileges might our passports and accents afford us as we move through the world? What does it mean to be marked foreign or have to deliberately mark yourself foreign in places where everyone looks like you? What happens when we voyage to places a
Behind “The Paper Trail”: An inside look at the feature films and exhibit design (Part 2)
This week is part 2 of our mini-series looking behind-the-scenes at the creation of "The Paper Trail" exhibit, featured at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver's Chinatown.
As a part of the exhibit for the in remembrance of the 100 year anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, two documentary short films, "Remembering Chinese Bachelors" & "Stories of Repeal a
Behind “The Paper Trail”: What goes into creating a museum exhibit? (Part 1)
The Chinese Canadian Museum (CCM) opened in Vancouver’s Chinatown on July 1st 2023, 100 years after the passing of the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act (also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act). Its feature exhibit The Paper Trail to the 1923 Exclusion Act holds the identity documents that individuals of Chinese descent were forced to carry and the personal stories behind them.
This week’s ACAM Dial
Episode 16: Y-Dang Troeung - scholar, mentor and friend
This episode is in remembrance of Y-Dang Troeung who was a beloved teacher, researcher, friend, mentor, advocate, colleague and community member in the ACAM orbit. Her first book, Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia was published in August 2022, and her memoir, Landbridge: Life in Fragments was published posthumously. Prior to her passing in November of 2022, she also had
Episode 15: Our migration stories with ACAM student staff
This week's episode is a roundtable discussion with the ACAM student staff: Emily Law, Kaitlyn Lee, Vanessa Lee and Victoria Sin. We discuss identity, our migration stories, and the work we do at ACAM. We also have a message left by Szu Shen, ACAM's Program Manager for our ACAM voicemails on joy segment!
Episode 14: Western Canada's labor history, migrant ecologies & food systems
Our first episode of 2024 is an interview with Jane Komori, a postdoctoral research fellow in UBC’s history department. This week we discuss labor history in Western Canada, migrant ecologies, and food systems. We also have two messages left by Victoria Sin and Emily Law for our ACAM voicemails on joy segment.
https://history.ubc.ca/profile/jane-komori/
Episode 13: ACAM Voicemails on joy
This mini episode of the podcast is a collection of voicemails left by ACAM community members reflecting on Asian Canadian joy as 2023 comes to a close.
ACAM Voicemail is a new segment on the podcast. What’s bringing you joy? Do you have any recipes, stories, books, messages for other people you’d like to share? If you’d like to leave a voice message to be featured on a future episode of the podc
Episode 12: Filipinx identity, student directed seminars, and the real friends we made along the way
This week we have another group interview!
So in 2018, Phebe Ferrer hosted ACAM447A, a student directed seminar exploring Filipino identities in diaspora. She and two of the participants in the seminar, Raphael Diangkinay and Jacqueline Sarvini sat down with Isa to chat questions of Filipinx identity, the student directed seminar format, and the real friends they made along the way.
Episode 11: An Interview with Emi Sasagawa
Our guest this week on the podcast is Emi Sasagawa, author and Director of Communications at UBC Faculty of Arts. We sat down for a chat about her debut novel Atomweight, writing with empathy, and intersectionality within queer Asian womanhood.
Episode 10: An Interview with 2023 ACAM Grads
Our guests this week on the podcast are 2023 ACAM grads—Moira Henry, Lindsay Mak, Divine Reyes, and An Xu. We sat down for a chat about their takeaways from the ACAM minor program, building community, and the power of storytelling.
Episode 9: An Interview with Jocelle Refol
Our guest this week on the podcast is Jocelle Refol, Events Coordinator and Campaign Lead at Sliced Mango Collective, as well as the previous Peer 2 Peer Summer Program Leader at Collingwood Neighbourhood House Society. We sat down with her to chat about strategies for community organizing, social media as a useful tool in advocacy, and the importance of accessible summer programs for yo
Episode 8: An Interview with Wendy Yip
Our guest this week on the podcast is Wendy Yip, University Ambassador at UBC since 2016, President of the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre - Museum of Migration Society, and longtime supporter of ACAM. Alongside her husband, outgoing UBC President Santa Ono, Wendy will be relocating to Michigan, marking the end of her role with UBC. We caught up with Wendy to get her reflections on her work as Univ
Episode 7: An Interview with William Canero
Our guest this week on the ACAM podcast is William Canero, organizer for the Joyce Street Action Network and board member for the Kathara Pilipino Indigenous Arts Collective Society & the Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Society. We discuss the Joyce-Collingwood food hub, public engagement in city planning and the role of Filipino businesses within the community.
Buto/Buto: Bones are Seeds
Ka
Episode 6: An Interview with Casey Mecija
The realities of being an indie musician, the conceptualization of queer sound and the use of music in building community, these are just *some* of the subjects we cover in episode 6 of the ACAM podcast! Our guest this week is Dr. Casey Mecija, musician, scholar of queer sound and Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at York University.
Dr. Casey Mecij
Episode 5: An Interview with Fyonna Laddaran and Kin Chua
Maximalist design, banana ketchup and Filipino food's connection with resilience, these are just *some* of the subjects we cover in episode 5 of the ACAM podcast! Our guests this week are Fyonna Laddaran and Kin Chua, designers and students at Emily Carr. Their project, Bahay Natin will be on exhibit at the Emily Carr grad show from May 10 to May 24.
Links:
Fyonna Laddaran
Kin Chua
Emily
Episode 4: An Interview With Jamie Liew
Legal writing vs. creative writing, diasporic fusion foods, and ghost stories from Southeast Asia, these are just *some* of the subjects we cover in episode 4 of the ACAM podcast! Our guest this week is Jamie Chai Yun Liew, writer, lawyer, law professor and podcaster on Migration Conversations.
Stories that Haunt Us: A Conversation with Jamie Liew and Lindsay Wong
Episode 3: An Interview with Lindsay Wong
Our next guest for the ACAM podcast is Lindsay Wong, author of the #1 bestselling debut memoir The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug-Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family. We sat down for an interview to chat about the memoir writing process, language learning, and immigrant ghost stories.
Stories that Haunt Us: A Conversation with Jamie Liew and Lindsay Wong
Mini-Episode: An Interview with Laura Ishiguro
In January of 2021, ACAM launched a new mini-podcast series to accompany our ACAM Dialogues podcast "Flow of Thoughts". The mini-episodes encourage dialogue with people in the ACAM community to facilitate conversations of their past and present during this new era of working.
Our next guest is Laura Ishiguro, historian and associate professor in the Department of History at UBC. We sat down for an
Mini-Episode: An Interview with Mila Zuo
In January, ACAM launched a new mini-podcast series to accompany our ACAM Dialogues podcast "Flow of Thoughts". The mini-episodes encourage dialogue with people in the ACAM community to facilitate conversations of their past and present during this new era of working.
Our next guest is Mila Zuo, filmmaker, film scholar and assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC. We sat do
Mini-Episode: An Interview with Jeanne Sakata
In January, ACAM launched a new mini-podcast series to accompany our ACAM Dialogues podcast "Flow of Thoughts". The mini-episodes encourage dialogue with people in the ACAM community to facilitate conversations of their past and present during this new era of working.
Our next guest is Jeanne Sakata, renowned actress and playwright. Our host, Leilan Wong, speaks with Jeanne about her family's migr
Episode 2: Thoughts on Film (w/ Natalie Murao, Thea Loo, and Alejandro Yoshizawa)
Flows of thoughts surrounding film, and the filmmaking process with Natalie Murao and Thea Loo, the writer-director/producer duo behind No More Parties, as well as Alejandro Yoshizawa, filmmaker and professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Hosted and Produced by Moses Caliboso
Mini-Episode: An Interview with Winnie Cheung
The UBC Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program is excited to announce a new podcast series to accompany our ACAM Dialogues podcast "Flow of Thoughts". The mini episodes encourage dialogue with the people of the ACAM community to facilitate conversations of their past and present during this new era of working.
Our first guest is Winnie Cheung, Executive Director of the Pacific C
Flow of Thoughts (with Jackie Sarvini)
[Re-release from Soundcloud]
EPISODE 1
ACAM's inaugural episode of Flow of Thoughts is written and hosted by ACAM alumni Jackie Sarvini.
Created out of her experience processing emotions surrounding the global pandemic, Jackie returns to the music of her youth. In this return, she comes across the album SAWAYAMA by British-Japanese artist Rina Sawayama, an artpop extravaganza of colliding id
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