This week on The Bánh Mì Chronicles, host Randy Kim brings you an urgent, on-the-ground report with Lilly Le (she/her), Community Organizing Director at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI). Lilly works to build community power among Vietnamese people in Illinois through engagement and leadership development.
In this critical discussion, we address the twin crises currently impacting Vietnamese and other immigrant communities in Chicago, particularly in the Argyle Street area of Uptown:
The Climate of Fear: Lilly shares how the recent, highly-publicized ICE raids are instilling widespread fear and anxiety in the Vietnamese community across the Chicagoland area.
The SNAP Crisis: We discuss the severe impact of the current interruption and changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, threatening food security for elders and low-income families.
VAI’s Action Plan: Lilly outlines the immediate, vital work VAI and its community partners are doing to inform the public of their rights, provide legal and material resources, and offer essential mutual aid and support to those affected.
Community Impact: Lilly speaks to the lasting effects of these political and humanitarian crises and how Vietnamese individuals are processing and mobilizing against the escalating threats to their safety and stability.
This conversation is essential listening for understanding the immediate need for mutual aid and community power-building in a time of crisis.
Support VAI’s Work:
Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI):
https://hnvi.org/
VAI IG: https://www.instagram.com/vai_chicago/
Note to listeners: VAI provides a range of services including Legal Assistance and Immigrant and Refugee Resources.
Linh “Lilly” Le (she/her) is a Community Services Manager at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois. Her work focuses on building community and power among Vietnamese people in Illinois through intergenerational community engagement and leadership development. Before joining VAI, she was a student organizer with UChicago United at the University of Chicago, fighting for material resources and building power among students of color and the surrounding community. She received her BA in Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies from the University of Chicago. Lilly is committed to grassroots power-building work to equip our communities with tools for healing and self-determination.
This week, we’re getting real and diving into the deep end with the incredible Joi Louviere from the Werk Stories Podcast. Our conversation pulls no punches as we talk about the brutal realities of toxic workplaces, especially through the lens of a Black women.
Joi and I discuss how the prevailing political environment—specifically the Trump administration—has created an even more difficult and exhausting landscape. We tackle the specific challenges of both the nonprofit and corporate world, where passion often masks a lack of resources, and how Black women and other women of color are forced to constantly innovate in order to survive their work environment. If you’ve ever felt depleted, undervalued, or just plain tired of the professional struggle, this episode offers a supportive voice and a path toward survival and lasting resilience.
About Werk Stories Podcast
Birthed out of back-to-back discriminatory work experiences, the Werk Stories creator decided to turn her trauma into community by developing a safe space for other Black women and women of color to speak about the things that have happened to them in their workplaces.
By opening up, women of color can empower each other to persevere and know that they are not alone. Werk stories works with therapists, HR professionals, and employment lawyers to provide advice on how this community can best create change in their industries.
Take this journey with us and listen to the stories of these amazing women, and most importantly, believe them!
About the Creator: Joi Louviere
Joi honed her passion for storytelling in college while studying journalism at her beloved HBCU, Hampton University. As a radio host and staff writer, then editor, in the student newspaper, she learned the many ways to tell a thoughtful story. After some newspaper work, Joi’s career pivoted to more broad communications, production assisting, public relations and magazine work. After getting her Master’s in journalism from Georgetown University, Joi sold all her things and traveled the world for 3.5 years. Her nomadic lifestyle was freeing, but more than that it highlighted the many stories that needed to be told and she began nonprofit work. She started by using her comms skills to nurture programming for children at a small, but impactful organization, and then matriculated to college access work, both roles requiring a savvy for social media and marketing leadership. While nonprofit work is rewarding, Joi could not escape the workplace bias and discrimination and overall racism present in every corner of of the nonprofit world. Werk Stories was born from a breaking point, and Joi hopes it inspires many more moments of realizations for Black women and women of color who are tired of the unnecessary obstacles just to do their jobs. With the vulnerability of brave Black and brown women and work of focused allies, Joi is sure Werk Stories will be one of many contributors to the overhaul of United States work culture. Joi currently lives, writes and (werk) stories in Dallas, Texas.
Follow Joi:
Instagram: Werkstories
LinkedIn: Joi Louviere's LinkedIn
Recorded on 10/21/25, 6:30 pm CST
TW/CW: contains discussion surrounding ICE raids
I welcome a fierce and fabulous friend, Saint Mary Clarence, who joins us in full drag to demonstrate the political power of this queer art form. But the conversation shifts into the urgent discussion of the current ICE raid crisis in and around Chicago.
Saint Mary Clarence—a dedicated community member—breaks down the crisis in their local community of Oak Park (located next to Chicago), including:
The Local Government Response: How Oak Park officials and residents are responding to the recent ICE and law enforcement activities in their area.
The “No Kings Protest”: We discuss the genesis and meaning of the growing anti-authoritarian movement and what it means to be actively engaged in the resistance against the current administration.
Drag as Political Art: We explore how the very act of dressing in drag is a radical, political statement and a form of highly visible resistance against antiquated, oppresive systems.
The Role of White Privilege: A frank and necessary discussion on how white allies can and must recognize and leverage their privilege to meaningfully support community members who are most at risk of danger and deportation.
This is an urgent and inspiring conversation about community, courage, and choosing to show up for justice.
In this candid and powerful episode, I brought a fellow podcaster friend Patrick Armstrong, a Korean American adoptee from the Midwest, a celebrated co-host of The Janchi Show, and the creator of the intimate new local series of the people in Indianapolis, Conversation Piece.
Patrick shares his deeply personal journey as an adoptee, reflecting on the decades it took to reconcile his upbringing and become more secure and fully embrace his Asian (Korean) American identity.
We also dive into the state of media today, discussing:
The Podcasting Landscape: How independent creators are navigating a world dominated by major media companies.
The “Manosphere” Reputation: Patrick and Randy address the widely discussed, often negative reputation that male-hosted podcasts have garnered, and what it means to actively work against that stereotype by hosting conversations focused on community, nuance, and growth.
Purpose-Driven Podcasting: The essential role of podcasters in pushing complex, much-needed stories that authentically represent their communities, rather than just chasing virality.
Stories of Place: We explore his latest project, Conversation Piece, which gives an intimate look at the people and untold narratives of his home city, Indianapolis, and why local storytelling matters now more than ever.
This is a conversation about identity, media responsibility, and the power of finding your voice.
Bio:
Patrick Armstrong (he/him) is a storyteller and entrepreneur. He is the host and producer of two award-winning podcasts: Conversation Piece, which explores the city of Indianapolis through the perspectives of its people, and The Janchi Show (pronounced: JohnChee), which amplifies and celebrates the Asian adoptee experience. Through conversation-based media and storytelling in all forms, Patrick works to provide new perspectives on the world – and people – around us and empower both individuals and organizations to meet each other, not with fear and judgement, but with love and affirmation.
Connect with Patrick Armstrong:
Listen to The Janchi Show:
https://janchishow.com/
Listen to Conversation Piece:
https://conversationpiecepod.com/
Personal Website:
http://www.patrickintheworld.me
Instagram: www.instagram.com/patrickintheworld
In this emergency episode, Francia Garcia Hernandez, a reporter for Block Club Chicago, joined me as a guest, focusing on the seismic impact of recent ICE raids across the city.
Francia shares her on-the-ground reporting, giving us a clear view of how these raids affect Chicago’s vibrant Latino communities and the real-world consequences for local, family-owned small businesses.
In this episode, you will learn about:
The Climate of Fear: What it feels like on the ground in neighborhoods under the threat of enforcement, and how that uncertainty translates into daily life for residents and families.
The CPD Question: The growing and uncertain role of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) as perceived by community members and leaders, and why this relationship with ICE is a major concern for local advocacy groups.
Economic Impact: How the raids are creating a ripple effect, specifically hitting the revenue and stability of small businesses in the coverage area.
The Institutional Response: How schools, local institutions, and the City of Chicago have stepped up—or fallen short—in their response to protect residents.
Community Resilience: Stories of how community members are working together to protect one another, from setting up rapid response networks to providing legal and social support.
Protection of local journalists: What Francia and her fellow journalist colleagues have experienced with the raids, the attack on her colleagues and the WGN producer who was forcibly detained, and how they are protecting themselves in their work.
This is essential listening to understand the dynamics at play in Chicago’s immigrant communities right now.
Connect with Francia Garcia Hernandez:
Read her work at: Block Club Chicago
Instagram: francia_garciah
To report any ICE activities caught on video, please send them to:
tinyurl.com/chicagojournalists
Note from Randy: The last 30 seconds of the episode went silent so my apologies to listeners
This episode features an in-depth conversation with Aaron Yin, an organizer based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Aaron shares his four years of experience in the organizing space, offering valuable insights into what it truly means to be an activist today, especially for those just starting out. He breaks down how community organizing can look on a hyper-local level, emphasizing the importance of building relationships right in your apartment complex and neighborhood.
Community Engagement, Deconstructed: Aaron demystifies the idea of “community engagement,” explaining how to connect with neighbors and build local power from the ground up.
Actionable Steps for Beginners: If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. Aaron provides concrete, actionable steps that anyone can take to enter the organizing space, regardless of their experience level.
The Burnout Antidote: Organizing is long-term work. Aaron discusses his strategies for avoiding burnout and sustaining activism, drawing from his popular viral videos on the subject.
Aaron’s approach offers a practical, grounded roadmap for moving from being a passive observer to an engaged participant in your local community.
Bio:
Aaron Yin is an organizer currently based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, with four years of experience in the field.
He is known for his work on the Politically Asian! Podcast and, more recently, for several viral Instagram videos that offer accessible guidance on community building. His popular video content covers essential topics for new organizers, including tips on how to get political slowly, strategies for finding friends and groups to organize with, and practical advice for avoiding burnout.
Aaron currently dedicates his time to organizing with several groups in Crown Heights, focusing on building strong relationships within his apartment complex and the wider neighborhood.
A State of Emergency: Resisting ICE in Chicago
Trigger/Content Warning: Episode will mention ICE raids, violent detainment, and police brutality. Recorded on Tuesday, 10/13/25 at 7:30 pm US Central.
The city of Chicago is currently grappling with a climate of fear and constitutional crisis following escalated raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In this critical emergency episode, we host Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez of the 25th Ward, a leading voice on the front lines of this fight, representing communities like Pilsen and Little Village.
Alderman Sigcho-Lopez shares a direct, unfiltered account of what is happening on the ground:
The Breakdown of Order: We discuss evidence of ICE agents violating federal court orders, challenging the constitutional rights of Chicago residents, and operating with impunity in immigrant communities.
Calling Out the Governor: The Alderman provides a sharp critique of Governor Pritzker and the failure of state-level law enforcement (Illinois State Police and Chicago Police) to utilize their authority to protect local residents and enforce existing sanctuary policies.
Community Mobilization: Hear how the 25th Ward office is working hand-in-hand with rapid response networks and grassroots organizations—the true frontline defense—to track ICE activity, connect families with legal aid, and provide necessary resources.
Systemic Roots of the Crisis: This episode connects the current immigration enforcement crisis to a broader history of systemic oppression that has long targeted and harmed Black, Latino, and other marginalized communities in Chicago.
This is more than an update—it's a call to action to understand your rights and the power of local organizing.
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward)
Alderman's Office Phone: (773) 523-4100
25th Ward Website: [Link to 25th Ward website, if applicable]
Rapid Response/Know Your Rights:
Chicago ICE Raid Hotline: [Insert Local Hotline Number]
[Link to a 'Know Your Rights' guide from a local immigrant rights organization]
1. SHARE THIS EPISODE: The best defense is community knowledge. Share this episode immediately to get this critical information to every resident in Chicago and beyond.
2. GET INVOLVED: Contact the 25th Ward office or a local rapid response network to volunteer, donate, or get Know Your Rights training.
3. SUBSCRIBE to The Banh Mi Chronicles for more episodes challenging the status quo.
Guest & ResourcesCall to Action (CTA)
What happens when your intersectional identity meets the social media algorithm?
This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, we sit down with the incredibly insightful Johnathan Gibbs—a queer Black and Filipino content creator and founder of The Otaku Choir. Johnathan shares his unique journey, from navigating his Black and Filipino roots growing up in Mississippi to making his mark as a creator in NYC. We dive deep into the current social media landscape, how platform algorithms affect building content and genuine community, and what it truly means to create space for your authentic self online.
Bio:
Johnathan Gibbs is a trailblazing content creator who has been at the forefront of online media since 2008, when YouTube and digital platforms were still in their early days. As a Black Filipino American, Johnathan brings a unique perspective on life experiences at the intersection of Black and Asian identity, which he has shared fearlessly throughout his career. His past work includes hosting the award-winning podcast This QPOC Life, which offered nuanced and insightful views of the world through the lens of a queer person of color.
In 2020, during a time of heightened tension between Black and Asian communities, Johnathan founded the Black and Asian Alliance Network, fostering solidarity, advocacy, and understanding. His work has been recognized with the Brooklyn Free Speech Award for outstanding contributions to media and activism.
Today, Johnathan is the founder and artistic director of the NYC Otaku Choir, a first-of-its-kind community ensemble that blends anime, video game, and Asian pop culture repertoire with choral traditions. Through this project, he continues his commitment to uplifting marginalized voices, advocating for representation, and creating spaces that reflect the diversity of New York City.
With an unwavering dedication to community, artistry, and social justice, Johnathan continues to inspire and empower others—leaving an indelible mark on both digital and real-world stages.
IG: @ jonahsahn
Jung is back on my podcast again to give us a rundown of what is being used by ICE, police, and military, and what you need to do in case you come in contact with any chemicals.
Also, check out my previous episode with Jung in case you missed it which is ICE Raids & Protest Safety Episode
There are more safety tips and awareness on chemical weapon contact if you go to:
https://open.substack.com/pub/randykim/p/emergency-minisode-protecting-yourself?r=z5drm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
In this emergency episode of The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast, I’m joined by Mahdis Azimi, a Chicago-based immigration attorney working closely with clients who are facing deportation threats and uncertain legal status amid the current ICE raids in the city.
Mahdis sheds light on the rapidly changing immigration landscape, the fear and confusion facing undocumented and mixed-status families and legal status folks, and the urgent work being done by attorneys and advocates to defend their clients and communities.
We also discuss what local communities can do to support those feeling threatened and how solidarity and accurate information can be a powerful defense in times like these.
🎧 Listen to the full episode for her critical insights and practical guidance.
Please share widely — our neighbors’ safety depends on awareness and action.
Bio:
Mahdis Azimi is a proud Iranian-American based out of Chicago, Illinois. She founded her immigration law practice in 2019 and has been practicing law since 2015. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In addition to her practice, Mahdis actively volunteers with several local organizations and is currently an Honors College instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
LinkedIn: Mahdis Azimi
Website: www.azimilaw.com
Email: mahdis@azimilaw.com
Relevant Links:
ICE Detainee Locator: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (“ICIRR”) Know Your Rights Cards: https://www.icirr.org/fsn
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (“ILRC”) Know Your Rights Cards: https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights
Midwest Immigration Bond Fund:
https://www.mibfc.org
Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) List of Pro Bono Legal Services Providers: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers
National Lawyers Guild Chicago: https://nlgchicago.org
More than just a vacation: Insight into the 47% rise in US expats, and how living abroad fosters profound connections and understanding.
Join us for an enlightening conversation with the incredible Nicole Brewer, an English Language teacher, travel blogger, author, and co-founder of the expansive travel community, I Luv 2 Globe Trot.
Speaking to us from Oman, her home for the past decade, Nicole shares the powerful story of what led her to embrace life abroad—from South Africa and Germany to South Korea and now Oman—and how travel became a defining part of her identity and connection to the world.
We dive into the origins of I Luv 2 Globe Trot, the active social media group she co-founded with her friend Renee Evans that has grown into a community of thousands of expats and travelers. Nicole gets candid about the struggles of navigating the expat life: balancing a new home while staying present for family and friends back in the US, and dealing with the worries about the political and social climate back home.
Finally, we discuss the rising trend of US citizens choosing to live abroad and how travel can create deeper connections, expand understanding, and expose us to essential perspectives we wouldn’t encounter otherwise.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
What led Nicole to leave the US and live abroad for over 15+ years.
The inspiration and impact behind the growing I Luv 2 Globe Trot community.
The emotional labor of being an expat: staying connected to home while building a life in a foreign country and figuring out the long-term future.
How travel can fundamentally change your worldview and understanding.
The growing number of US expats choosing a life overseas.
Bio:
Nicole Brewer is an English Language teacher, travel blogger, author, and freelance writer. She has traveled to over 50 countries and lived abroad in South Africa, Germany, South Korea and presently in Oman for 10 years. She has a zest for the expat lifestyle and has a goal of inspiring others to travel and live abroad.
She is the author of “A Guide to Landing an English Teaching Job Abroad” and “An ABC Guide to Children’s Games Around the Globe”. She is also the Co-Founder of the I Luv 2 Globe Trot travel site and community, as well as a Certified Travel Advisor with Fora. With features on CNBC, CNN Travel, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and National Geographic Traveler, she’ll continue to inspire as she globe trots.
To follow Nicole:
Instagram: nicole.iluv2globetrot
LinkedIn: Nicole Brewer
Travel Advisor Information: https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/nicole-brewer
TW/CW: Discussion of ICE Raids, civilian violence
This emergency episode responds to the ongoing ICE raids taking place in Chicago, which have left many in the Chicago communities vulnerable and at-risk. I’m joined by my return guest, friend, and community organizer Jung Messinger, to break down what’s happening right now, how these raids impact community members, and what you can do to stay safe and aware of what is happening. Jung also shares critical protest safety tips, know-your-rights information, and resources to help protect yourself and support others. At a time when fear is high, this episode centers on both urgent action and community care.
For more on protestor safety tips, community resources, and other ways to support the resistance movement, please check out
https://randykim.substack.com/p/ice-raids-and-protest-safety-in-chicago
Award-winning Korean Author Bora Chung (Cursed Bunny, Your Utopia, The Midnight Timetable) joins me to discuss how fiction warns, resists, and reimagines our world.
What if fiction isn’t just storytelling, but a foreshadow of things to come?
In this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles, I’m joined by acclaimed Korean author Bora Chung, best known for her award-winning collection Cursed Bunny, her visionary Your Utopia, and her forthcoming novel The Midnight Timetable.
Together, we explore:
How fiction reflects and warns us about real-world crises
Why speculative and dystopian stories resonate in times of upheaval
What readers can expect in her upcoming The Midnight Timetable
Role as a writer in current political times, back in Korea and globally.
Bora reminds us that fiction is more than escape — it’s a mirror, a warning, and a tool for resistance.
#BoraChung #TheMidnightTimetable #fiction #speculativefiction #resistance #storytelling #diaspora #BIPOC #Korean #KoreanAuthors
Trigger and Content Warning: This episode will discuss topics involving self-h*rm, s*icide, mental health, genocide, and involuntary hospitalization.
In this “bonus” episode, we take the time to recognize S*icide Awareness/Prevention Month this September. My good friend and longtime activist, Jung Han (they/them) and I had a conversation revolving around the challenging capacity in community activism, navigating our self-care and engagement in an increasingly chaotic political and social environment, and reflecting on our experiences with attempted s*icide and what our “bonus years” have looked like for us since then. We also break down our thoughts on the current resources and structures to support mental health crises, such as 988, institutional care, and what community support can look like for us.
Many thanks to Jung for bringing this conversation to light. Jung also shared some resources and tools you can check out below.
Jung (they/them) is an educator, facilitator, mutual aid organizer, resource mobilizer, community grief and health worker, poet, and writer. They’ve been part of racial, gender, disability, immigration, reproductive, and healing justice movement work for the past two decades through local, state, and national nonprofit, philanthropic, and grassroots community organizations and collectives. Since 2022, they’ve been the Owner and Principal of Yeojeong LLC, where they offer consulting, coaching, and grief care dedicated to the cultivation, flourishing, and growth of people of the global majority (PGM) and queer, trans, and nonbinary; disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent; and migrant and diasporic communities. They’re a street medic, movement care worker, avid reader, and pungmul dummer, and devote time to Rogers Park Free Store, Liberation Library, and the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois. Learn more about Jung and their work at www.yeojeongllc.com.
Articles:
https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/06/involuntary-hospitalization-increases-risk-suicide-study-finds/
https://drdevonprice.substack.com/p/supporting-the-suicidal-no-matter?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web
Resources:
Fireweed Collective: linktr.ee/fireweedcollectivehj / @fireweedcollectivehj
Project LETS: linktr.ee/projectlets / @projectlets
Wildflower Alliance: linktr.ee/wildflower_alliance / @wildfloweralliance
Abolitionist Social Work: linktr.ee/abolitionistsw / @abolitionistsw
National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network: linktr.ee/nqttcn / @nqttcn
Moonbow (formerly API Equality LA):
https://www.moonbow.org / @ moonboworg IDHA: linktr.ee/idha_nyc / @idha_nyc
Tools:
Care Webs: https://en.wiki.lehub.ca/index.php/Care_web
Chatting with keynote speaker, activist, and award-winning author Michelle Mijung Kim on what it means to build courage in speaking out in today's political climate.
She was a previous guest of mine in 2020 when we discussed what the DEI landscape looked like in the aftermath of George Floyd, and why Asian communities must stand in solidarity with the Black community. Since 2020, she has released her critically acclaimed debut book, “The Wake Up.” She has since sunsetted her company Awaken, focusing on DEI education for high-tech companies. She has been a prolific keynote speaker, and recently launched her new podcast, “I Feel That Way, Too.”
We caught up about the challenges and backlash she faced when she spoke up about her support for Palestine, and how that allowed her to build her courage further to stay true to her values. We spoke about navigating difficult conversations with our Asian communities relating to the current state of the US. Michelle goes in-depth about her process of unlearning beliefs and values that she was taught as a queer Korean immigrant growing up in America, and how recognizing her identities has shaped her determination to remain unapologetically authentic and build deepening relationships with her community.
Watch and listen for more here!
Bio:
https://www.michellemijungkim.com/about
For more on Michelle Mijung Kim:
IG: MichelleKimKim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmichellekim/
Website: https://www.michellemijungkim.com
On this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles Podcast, I invited guest Tony DelaRosa to share his current work and knowledge about what is happening with DEI in the K-12 public education and in higher learning at both the local and national level in the US. As DEI is getting dismantled by the federal government, and in certain states and local governments, Tony sheds some light on what DEI practitioners are doing to counter the anti-DEI movement, and how DEI is being practiced and taught in different educational spaces. Tony brings up the significance of amplifying awareness of Asian American education in his work, and how it is essential to creating meaningful solidarity with other communities and dismantling white supremacy and colonization.
Happy listening everybody!
Bio:
Tony DelaRosa is a PhD student in the UW-Madison Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis program, where he studies the impact of coalitions, institutions, and race-based policies on leadership practices. He is the author of the award-winning book "Teaching the Invisible Race: Embodying a Pro-Asian American Lens in Schools," published by Jossey-Bass. His work has been featured on CNN, NPR, Harvard Ed Magazine, and NBC. Learn more on social media @TonyRosaSpeaks or by visiting TonyRosaSpeaks.com
To follow Tony:
Instagram: tonyrosaspeaks
I sit down with my friend Ed Do for this important discussion on the current US political landscape and what progressives are facing and needing during this very critical time. Ed currently works for a US Democrat Congressman from Texas, representing his district that includes the Dallas and Ft Worth area.
In our long conversation, we talked about Ed’s upbringing as a queer, mixed Korean American, and how his mother and grandmother from his Korean side inspired him to be involved in politics through their own experiences fighting for Korean independence from Japan during the early 20th century to the Korean pro-democracy movements during the South Korean dictatorship during the 1970’s and 80’s.
Ed discusses his experience on Capitol Hill, and we dive into the current struggles within progressives, liberals, and the Democratic party in preparation for the 2026 mid-term election. From Gaza to the ICE raids to Medicaid cuts, and so on, we examined the voter frustration and how voters can find ways to resist the current administration in charge.
Also, hear Ed’s funny encounter with US Senator Ted Cruz aka the “Real” Zodiac Killer several years ago, and what he is doing to prepare for the next 3+ years of Trump and the GOP party.
(Captioning is available as well for this episode)
Bio:
Edward Do (Do Woojeong, 도우정- he/him) is a 1.5 mixed Korean American. Born and raised in Seoul, and moving to the States at age 10 and again at 13, he lived and went to college in Massachusetts/New England. While
His interest in the intersection of politics and justice was sparked in middle school after hearing about his Grandmother's involvement in anti-colonial forces during Japanese occupation and his mother's participation in Pro-Democracy protests in Korea during the 70s and 80s.
After undergrad, Edward worked in the Senate for Elizabeth Warren in Washington, D.C., before departing for Chicago to help build out NGOs whose goal was economic development in health and education through the decolonization of the NGO model.
Unfortunately for him, he has returned to D.C. to work in the House of Representatives for a Democrat in leadership, where he is the Communications Director and Advisor (East Asia, Korea, Korean American, and Asian American affairs) to the Congressman. He did this against his better judgments because he "knew the Democrats were going to lose in 2024 and felt a call to help fight".
An avowed pragmatic progressive, he has been described as the most blunt and acerbic human being on earth.
In his free time he is addicted to good coffee, remains competitive internationally at Taekwondo- where he has been a member of the US national team, and playing board games/video games with friends and his cat, Yuja.
He is also gay as fuck.
To follow Ed, check him out on Instagram at Eyeyedo or on his LinkedIn for more questions and inquiries.
I recently chatted with the creator of the IG Page PhoDaCulture (the creator asked to remain anonymous. We talked about his journey in creating content that reflects the humor and pride of the Vietnamese diaspora and Vietnamese identity. Pho Da Culture now has 480,000 followers on Instagram, and he shares about how the diaspora and native Vietnamese community have responded to his page. He also hopes to further amplify the Vietnamese culture and experience through Pho Da Culture.
My Journey to Learning Vietnamese as a Geriatric Millennial
I decided to record another solo episode, this time about my recent journey to learn Vietnamese as a now 42 year old. I recently wrote about it on my Substack and I got several wonderful feedback from folks who are also learning their family tongue for the first time. I share my early experiences in dealing with the lifelong shame and resistance to learning the Vietnamese language, and where I stand now after two months. Also, you can check me speaking Vietnamese on my TikTok at Banhmichronicles or on IG at banhmi_chronicles for your entertainment!
Content/Trigger Warning: Mentions of s*icide, mental health, and grief.
My return back to the podcast, this time through Substack. What led me to come back, my journey since August 12, 2024, and what to expect moving forward---all here in this episode!
Subscribe to my Substack at randykim.substack.com
