Seats at the Table

In season two’s third episode, I talk with my name twin, Kristina Wong, about her work as a performance artist and comedian. We discuss dealing with the exotification of Asian womxn through her projects, how she uses comedy as a mechanism for activism, and her newly released web series, Radical Cram School (a training ground for young Asian American girls and gender fluid children)! We also delve into her most recent project, Kristina Wong for Public Office. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Kristina Wong was featured in the New York Times’ Off Color series “highlighting artists of color who use humor to make smart social statements about the sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways that race plays out in America today.” She is a performance artist, comedian and writer who has been presented internationally across North America, the UK, Hong Kong and Africa.  Most recently, her solo theater show The Wong Street Journal was presented by the US Consulate in  Lagos, Nigeria. She’s been a guest on late night shows on Comedy Central and FX. She’s produced a viral web series called How Not to Pick Up Asian Chicks and has just released RADICAL CRAM SCHOOL. Her newest performance project is “Kristina Wong for Public Office”– a simultaneous real life campaign for Public Office and performance art piece. 

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Follow Kristina Wong on Social Media: Twitter: @mskristinawong Instagram: @mskristinawong Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilovekristinawong Website: http://www.kristinawong.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kristinawong

In season 2’s long-awaited 2nd episode, we’re talking all things Asian American in Hollywood. Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen, sociologist, professor at Biola University, and author of Reel Inequality, and I talk about race in Hollywood and Crazy Rich Asians. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers! 

Listen to the session wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe for the latest episodes! Follow Seats at the Table on Twitter (@seatsatthetable) and Instagram (@SATTpodcast) for more updates. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen is a sociologist and pop culture geek. She is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism (2016), the first book to examine the barriers actors of color face in Hollywood and how they creatively challenge stereotypes. She also pioneered the first study of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on television and the 10-year follow-up study, Tokens on the Small Screen: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on Prime Time and Streaming Television. Nancy is an expert scholar and speaker on race and media, appearing on BBC World TV, NPR, Teen Vogue, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post among others. She is a regular contributor to HuffPost. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Biola University.

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Follow Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen on Social Media: Twitter and Instagram: @nancywyuen Website: www.nancywyuen.com/

In season 2’s kickoff episode, Christina chats with Deepa Iyer, a Senior Fellow at Race Forward, writer, activist, and lawyer. They talk about solidarity in Asian communities, her book We Too Sing America, and mentorship for womxn of color. 

Listen to the session on wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe for the latest episodes!

Follow Seats at the Table on Twitter (@seatsatthetable) and Instagram (SATTpodcast) for more updates. 

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Get to Know the Guest: Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American writer, activist, and lawyer. Deepa began her work in national and local Asian American organizations in Washington, DC. In the wake of 9/11, she helped to shape the formation of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national non-profit civil rights organization, which she led for ten years. Deepa is the author of We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Race Forward, working on movement building projects related to multiracial solidarity practices. 

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Follow Deepa on Social Media: www.deepaiyer.com Twitter: @dviyer 

Listen to the Solidarity Is This podcast: www.solidarityis.org 

Buy her book: We Too Sing America; South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future (The New Press) 

Read her Letter to the Revolution: http://letterstotherevolution.com/deepa-iyer

In the eighth session of Seats At The Table, Christina chats with Janet Chang, a San Francisco-based technology entrepreneur turned personal performance coach for socially conscious entrepreneurs. Janet & Christina talk about mental health, depression, and harassment in the workplace.

Get to know the guest: Janet Chang is a technology entrepreneur turned personal performance coach for socially conscious entrepreneurs. During her foray into technology, she served as Interim CEO for serial entrepreneur and public figure Derek Sivers, the Amazon bestselling author of China Startup Guide, and marketing and technology consultant to both SMBs and the Fortune 500. Her research in women's hormone health and healing from PTSD, depression, and anxiety has been featured by Stanford University, UCLA, The New Scientist, Daily Mail UK, and Marie Claire. Janet is also a passionate supporter of the LGBTQ community, workplace harassment protection, and holistic mental health advocacy. 

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Special thanks to: Janet Chang Connect with Janet via her social media channels: http://janetchang.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.chang | https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetchang | https://medium.com/@janet Janet's Coaching Calendar: clarity.fm/janetchang 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the seventh session of Seats At The Table, Christina chats with Altaira Hatton, a mediator, negotiator and facilitator. We chat about conflict resolution and her identity as a person with a disability working and how it impacts her work as a mediator. PS: The volume is pretty low on this session.  I did my best to edit, but turn up your volume if you can! 

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Get to know the guest: Altaira Hatton is a mediator, negotiator and facilitator. She's a former database specialist and international entrepreneur, and has moved between the US West coast, Europe, the Caribbean, and Argentina. To date, she has mediation training from the American Arbitration Association, Humboldt Mediation Services, the Clingendael Institute, and from the Geneva School of Diplomacy.  She lives in Monterey, CA with her Belgian Malinois, and she spends her free time hiking, gardening, and cooking for her friends. 

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Special thanks to: Altaira Hatton http://altairahatton.com/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the sixth session of SATT, Christina pulls up a seat for Shengxiao Yu. Shengxiao shares insights about global health & international development, her immigration story, and Eastern Asian representation in popular media. About Shengxiao: Known to different people by different names, Shengxiao, also known as "Sunshine" and "Sole," has traversed the globe in pursuit of true understanding of global inequity and the common threads that connect humanity. Fluent in Mandarin, English, and Spanish, Shengxiao’s life has been characterized by the languages she’s absorbed through her immersion in different cultures, and the people whose stories she nestles in her heart along the way. Shengxiao currently serves as the Director of Partnerships at GlobeMed, an organization that seeks to transform the global health system by training young people to build relationships and engage in fruitful collaborations with community leaders. In her free time, Shengxiao looks at the world from upside down (literally) as she carves her six-pack doing aerial silks. She also enjoys photography, traveling for both work and pleasure, as well as nourishing conversations. You can take a peek into the profound conversations she has with fellow movement-builders by following her blog This Journey is Ours. 

Special thanks to: Shengxiao Yu & This Journey is Ours https://thisjourneyisours.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thisjourneyisours/ https://www.instagram.com/thisjourneyours/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the fifth session of SATT, Christina invites Nida Chowdhry and Yumna Khan over for tea! They talk about launching their own production company, taking on stereotypes, and the inspiration for their first web series, Unfair & Ugly. Get to know the guests: About Yumna: Yumna is a producer based in Los Angeles. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from UC San Diego, combining her passion for art and business. Her goal is to create media that reflects the world as she sees it. Yumna previously worked with Nida at Fashion Fighting Famine, where she began as a marketing intern and worked her way up to Associate Producer. Here, she gained a foundation in production and realized she wanted a career in filmmaking. While attending a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Yumna convinced them to hire her as an intern on the spot. On the set of The Tiger Hunter (starring Danny Pudi and Jon Heder), she was promoted three times, from intern to Assistant Production Coordinator. She interned at Intrigue Entertainment, where her boss brought her on as a board member for Creative Minorities Initiative (CMI), an LA-based network for people of color in arts & entertainment, of which she is currently President. Yumna shifted CMI’s focus to promoting minority professionals within traditionally unrepresented creative fields.Before co-founding Stranger Magic Productions, Yumna was a freelance producer, coordinating various music videos, and executive producing several short films aimed at amplifying underrepresented voices and stories. About Nida: Nida is a writer, producer, and performer based in New York City. She earned her B.A. in English and Film & Media Studies from UC Irvine. Nida’s mission and focus lies in storytelling and the impact of media representation. She’s spent the last decade gaining experience in various aspects of filmmaking, from writing (UCB Sketch Writing Program, TV Writing with Ed Lee), to production (BBC, Dancing with the Stars, Fashion Fighting Famine, Kornhaber Brown), to performance (ImprovCity, Advanced Improv at UCB, The Acting Center of LA), to project management and business administration (MIND Research, CAIR, Truth In Reality). Nida previously co-founded 501(c)3 non-profit Fashion Fighting Famine, a female empowerment organization that fostered creativity and entrepreneurship amongst its members, championed a brand shift towards ‘modest fashion‘, and was an early leading force in the ‘modest fashion movement’ (BBC, LA Times, KCET, LA Weekly). There, she executive produced international fashion shows for audiences up to 1,000, bridging Muslim women designers and customers, and creating a platform for body positivity, art, and self-representation. 

Special thanks to: Stranger Magic 

https://twitter.com/strangerxmagic 

https://www.facebook.com/strangerxmagic 

https://www.instagram.com/strangerxmagic/ 

https://strangermagic.com/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray www.sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom @tenlittlerabbits

In the fourth session of Seats At The Table, Christina chats with Prabha Dublish, a student at Babson College and co-founder of Womentum. She’s juggling school and running a nonprofit organization that connects women in rural communities to microloans that they can then pay it forward to other women entrepreneurs. Listen on to learn more! 

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Get to know the guest: Prabha is a social entrepreneur and #ladyboss. In her sophomore year at Babson, she founded Womentum, a nonprofit that connects donors who wish to make an impact with women entrepreneurs in developing countries. She was pushed to take action after taking a trip to rural India and seeing the challenges women in those communities faced. It was clear to her that entrepreneurship was a powerful vehicle to empower these women. Fueled by Prabha’s passion of empowering women, Womentum evolved from a weekend initiative to a full-fledged 501(c)3 non-profit. Under her leadership, Womentum has grown to a team of 5, funded 14 entrepreneurs in 4 countries, and graduated from Babson College's women-only accelerator, WIN Lab. She is truly an up-and-coming force in the social impact scene and she’s not stopping anytime soon. 

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Special thanks to: Prabha Dublish & Womentum 

www.womentum.io/ 

https://twitter.com/give_womentum 

https://www.facebook.com/givewomentum/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the third session of Seats At The Table, Christina gets some insight into pregnancy and motherhood from Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, the co-founder and executive director of The Tiyya Foundation. 

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Get to know the guest: Meymuna Hussein-Cattan and her mother, Owliya Dima-Hussein, are co-founders of The Tiyya Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing community support & educational opportunities for refugees and displaced American families in the Orange County and Greater Los Angeles regions. Meymuna was born in an Ethiopian refugee camp in Somalia, in 1980; her parents having fled Ethiopia in the early 1970s due to civil unrest. She received her B.A. in Social Sciences from the University of California, Irvine, her M.A. in Organizational Management from Antioch University - Los Angeles, and she holds a certificate from Cal State Dominguez Hills in Administration & Grant Writing. 

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Special thanks to: Meymuna Hussein-Cattan 

http://tiyya.org/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray 

https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom 

https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits

In the second session of Seats At The Table, Christina gabs with Irene Hong, a law and social policy student at U Penn about being a feminist as an Asian American womxn, anti-Blackness in AAPI communities, and the importance of role models. 

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Get to know the guest: She is both voice and reason (at least a reasonable amount of the time). She is heart and soul and mind and thought – she is dynamite activism in a bite sized Asian, but don’t you assume that she don’t have teeth to bite back. Because she does, and she will, armored to the teeth in well-informed memes, she’ll bring Sriracha-dipped-politics to every single party (not that modern politics need more spice). She is an open-mind and sunny-side smile, and always willing to listen to the world turn, always willing to learn, willing to smoke a cig and watch the sky burn. She is sister, friend, and daughter, and will drink soju with you to reality TV, no matter what time of night might be. And really, in a world like this, what else do you need? 

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Special thanks to: Irene Hong 

https://www.instagram.com/ireneirishong/ 

https://twitter.com/ireneirishong 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray 

https://sukanyaray.com/ 

Seats At The Table Theme by Tyler Freedom 

https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits 

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Follow Seats At The Table on Social Media! 

https://www.instagram.com/sattpodcast/ 

https://twitter.com/seatsatthetable/ 

https://www.facebook.com/SeatsAtTheTable/ 

https://seatsatthetable.com/

In the first ever session of Seats At The Table, Christina talks to her good friend, Zareen, about reflecting on direct action, being a Muslim American at the Women’s March, and smiling for photos. 

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Get to know the guest: Smart, kind, passionate, Zareen Rahman is just starting to scratch the surface of her potential. Born and raised in the golden state (named for her relentlessly sunny personality of course), she studied Business Economics at the University of California, Irvine. In her final year, she became the Runway Director for Fashion Fighting Famine, a non-profit organization that blends charity and fashion through an annual runway show and bazaar extravaganza. Voila! Zareen’s love for doing meaningful work while having free license to boss people around was born. After graduating, she tried doing the whole corporate Accountant/Finance thing but she eventually found her dream job as a Finance and Operations Manager at a national non-profit. She’s very passionate about social justice and is dedicated to creating change and equal chances for all. In her spare time, she is studying for her GMATs and plans to start a blog combining her love for fashion, fabulous women of colour, and intersectional feminism. 

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Special thanks to: Zareen Rahman 

https://www.instagram.com/zareenrahman/ 

Logo design by Sukanya Ray www.sukanyaray.com 

Seats At The Table theme by Tyler Freedom https://soundcloud.com/tenlittlerabbits