ACAM Dialogues Podcast

Asian Heritage Month with ACAM 27.05.2026 1h 1min

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 05.05.2026 1h 2min

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 14.03.2026 40min

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 20.02.2026 45min

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 10.01.2026 56min

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 28.10.2025 42min

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 Gur Sikh Temple (gurdwara). Sharn became the first Sikh person to complete her PhD from the Department of History at UBC in 2022. Sharn is a passionate activist, building bridges between community and academia through museum work.Stream now to hear all about her newest project We Are Basketball, an exploration and celebration on the impact of sport on Punjabi and Filipinx on communities across British Columbia.

Mini Episode: Get to Know Devon and Rhea 06.10.2025 20min

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 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the upcoming Tamio Wakayama exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and more…

Getting to Know Dr. Bandali: A Conversation on Academia, Intersectionality, and ACAM 27.08.2025 37min

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 02.07.2025 56min

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, identity, migration, and belonging - and offer an honest, grounded reflection on what the program has meant to them during their undergraduate years.

More Than a Moment: Harpo Mander on the 5X Festival and the Rise of South Asian Music 07.06.2025 34min

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 for South Asian artists, she has helped to transform the cultural landscape through advocacy, mentorship, and industry partnerships. As Co-Chair of the inaugural JUNOS South Asian Music Committee, Harpo has advanced national recognition for South Asian talent, and most recently made history as the first Punjabi woman appointed to the Board of BC’s PavCo.

From Seed to Story: Reflecting on the Backyard Garden Project 28.05.2025 47min

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 of food security and sovereignty, and examine the cultural significance of food in Chinese communities—how it connects to memory, place, intergenerational knowledge, and identity. Through personal stories and collaborative insight, the episode offers a thoughtful look at how community-based projects can nurture both cultural resilience and collective healing.

An ACAM Catch-Up with Nathan and Rhea 13.05.2025 39min

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 plans!

Celebrating Asian-Canadian Filmmaking in ACAM With Curtis Huang and Evens Wong 01.04.2025 53min

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 Canadian voices and stories must continue to be uplifted! Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

From Personal to Political: Thea Loo on Inay and Asian Canadian Filmmaking 07.03.2025 57min

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 of telling intergenerational stories, and the current landscape of Asian Canadian cinema. Listen in as Nathan and Thea delve into the power of storytelling, mental health, and the evolving role of Asian Canadian voices in film.

Stories of Partnership: A conversation with hua foundation, UBC ACAM, & ACRE 23.02.2025 1h 4min

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-driven solutions. In the sit-down, co-instructors christina lee (hua foundation) and Dr. JP Catungal (ACRE), moderated by Szu Shen (ACAM), shares how this partnership has tackled language access issues, co-developed curricula, and built lasting relationships based on trust and shared values.If you’re passionate about decolonizing academia, strengthening university-community partnerships, or making education more equitable, this conversation is for you.

Tsunagu, つなぐ – to connect: A conversation with film director and producer Lucy Komori 30.01.2025 45min

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 February 6, 2025 “Ten Years of Asian Canadian Community Filmmaking”, a special event focused on celebrating a decade of cultural storytelling through film.

ACAM Wrapped: Looking Back at ACAM 10 with Laura Ishiguro and Benjamin Cheung 28.12.2024 1h 2min

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 as the director of ACAM but also as passionate and dedicated members of the ACAM community.

Breaking Down the Boba Scandal and Cultural Appropriation 30.11.2024 33min

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 roots in China. Nathan and Rhea end the episode with their segment The Watchlist, where they discuss Richard Fung’s “Reorientations” and UBC alumni Victoria So’s “In Search of Mah Hang”.

Interrogating the White Gaze: A Conversation with Chris Cheung 15.11.2024 49min

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 segment “The Watchlist” discussing Shogun, Late Bloomers, and Culinary Class Wars.

Mini Episode: Get to Know Rhea and Nathan 18.10.2024 21min

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, The Juno Awards, and Past Lives. Tune in now.