Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai
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This is an episode from a podcast called Inheriting from our friends at LAist Studios and the NPR Network. Hosted by NPR's Emily Kwong. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, exploring how a single event can ripple through generations.
Bảo Trương’s parents both fled Vietnam in 1975 following the war. His father Thuận was a pilot for the South Vietnamese Air Force and left the day before the Fall of Saigon, evacuating almost 100 people to Thailand on a plane. Thuận has now been settled in the U.S. for decades, but he still writes songs mourning the Vietnam of his childhood – a country that, to him, no longer exists because it is still under a communist government. On the flipside, his son Bảo wants to live in the Vietnam of today, a yearning his father doesn’t understand. In this episode, the father and son sit down for a frank conversation about the country they both long for, in different ways.
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The E. Kong Yick building houses the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the country, The Wing Luke Museum. And it’s an anchor in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. The Wing began in an old mechanic’s garage, exhibiting old folk-art relics from Asia. This episode tells the story of how The Wing transformed from a traditional museum into a BIPOC-owned building, community, and movement … and how people responded when it was threatened.
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This episode of Ten Thousand Things is about the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle. It was recorded before 26 members of its 52-person staff walked out on May 22nd, in protest of a new exhibition entitled “Confronting Hate Together.”
Staff returned May 29 and leadership continues to work to resolve the dispute. As of June 18, the museum is operating with limited hours.
As you’re about to hear, The Wing is a beloved Seattle institution that has been no stranger to turmoil and disruption. Regardless, its strong relationship to the community has allowed it to grow and thrive.
If you want to learn more:
- Wing Luke exhibit shows how Black, Asian, and Jewish Seattleites confront hate together
- With 'heart, sensitivity, and delicacy,' Wing Luke Museum plans to re-open after staff walkout
- Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum closed after staff say exhibit 'frames Palestinian liberation' as antisemitism
Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Ben Noble, Christopher Wohrle, From Somewhere Quiet.
And of course, we don't exist without listeners like you. Support Ten Thousand Things by donating to KUOW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Some trees are just special. One tree in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District has reached legendary status. The loquat tree is an artifact of the Engs, a pioneer Chinese-American family who planted the fruit seed in their front yard. The tree has thrived for over 60 years, nourishing the family and the community. Now, it stands as a legacy tree in the C-ID, accessible to a new generation and the tree’s arboreal descendants grow all over the city, forming their own non-human diaspora.
Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Ben Noble, Christopher Wohrle, From Somewhere Quiet.
And of course, we don't exist without listeners like you. Support Ten Thousand Things by donating to KUOW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is the sweet story of a viral and photogenic ube cheesecake. To many Filipino-Americans, ube is not a trend. It’s a staple. Yet here in the United States, it was known for decades as an ethnic specialty ingredient. That is, until Chera Amlag got her hands on it and made it the star of her Hood Famous cheesecake. When Chera’s homemade ube cheesecake became a culinary phenomenon, ube was transformed. Chera’s cheesecake put Filipino culture and identity in the spotlight through her imaginative use of ube. And her collaborative approach has strengthened the Filipino-American community.
Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Young Collective, Olive James, Sonny Oh, N. Kerbin.
And of course, we don't exist without listeners like you. Support Ten Thousand Things by donating to KUOW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Tiffany Ran left for college, her mom gifted her a Tatung cooker. The Tatung is a unique kitchen appliance that would be familiar to anyone with ties to Taiwan. Everyone uses it slightly differently, as its versatility is passed down by word of mouth. Tiffany’s Tatung has accompanied her throughout the chapters of her unfolding adulthood. It has offered nourishment and comfort to her through the years, from broths to rice to Eggo waffles (not recommended). And it is the foundation of her burgeoning culinary career.
Ten Thousand Things is produced by KUOW in Seattle. Our host, writer, and creator is Shin Yu Pai. Whitney Henry-Lester produced this episode. Jim Gates is our editor. Tomo Nakayama wrote our theme music. Additional music in this episode by Young Collective, Jonny Southard, N. Kerbin.
And of course, we don't exist without listeners like you. Support Ten Thousand Things by donating to KUOW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.