Everything You Wanted To Know About Natalie Nakase And Kaitlyn Chen (AKA Golden State Valkyries WNBA Champions AKA The Chenergizer)

It's a collage post!

Natalie Nakase’s Asian American roots help inspire her community on and off the court. The Golden State Valkyries' Natalie Nakase is the first Asian American woman to coach in the WNBA

With that greater Asian representation among coaches and players, there has been a push inside many organizations for a more inclusive arena experience. The Valkyries hosted six cultural heritage nights this season, including Asian heritage night, Filipino heritage night, Southeast Asian heritage night and Japanese heritage night.

In Nakase’s first season, the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, which helped plan Japanese heritage night, presented her with a daruma, a traditional Japanese good luck charm. This past season, Nakase sat down after the game for a chalk talk with members of the community.

Kaitlyn Chen Overview & Background

Team: Golden State Valkyries (No. 2)
Position: Point guard / Shooting guard (5'9")
College Career: Played at Princeton (2021–2024) and UConn (2024–2025), winning the 2025 NCAA National Championship with the Huskies.
Draft Status: Selected 30th overall (3rd round) in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyries, becoming the first player of Taiwanese descent drafted into and playing in the WNBA. [1, 2, 3]

NBA blew it by letting Natalie Nakase slip away — and she just proved it 

Nakase just led the Valkyries to the WNBA championship in the franchise’s second year, making them the fastest expansion franchise to win a title in major North American professional sports history. 

She took a team that had the worst field goal percentage in the league (42%) to Game 7 of the Finals by prioritizing defensive grit.

How Natalie Nakase and the Valkyries built a championship franchise at light speed
Nakase and Nyanin bonded early and worked closely to build their inaugural roster through an expansion draft, selecting a group of 11 that leaned heavily into defense and international talent and fit the culture they prioritized. Four of the Valkyries selected in their expansion draft are still rostered; Veronica Burton (Sun), Kayla Thornton (Liberty) and Cecilia Zandalasini (Lynx) all started in the Finals. Iliana Rupert (Dream), the intended starting center, missed the season on maternity leave. 

:::https://www.wnba.com/player/1642822/kaitlyn-chen/profile

Kaitlyn Chen and Justė Jocytė 2026 Season Exit Interview

How Natalie Nakase’s past makes her the WNBA’s future

Natalie Nakase didn’t just crack open the door as head coach of the Golden State Valkyries. She blew it off the hinges.

Nakase, 45, led the Valkyries to a regular season record of 23-21 before sold-out crowds at San Francisco’s Chase Center, culminating in a berth in the WNBA playoffs. Her accomplishments were historic from multiple angles. Not only is Nakase the WNBA’s first Asian American head coach, but her inaugural season with the Valkyries was arguably the best of any expansion franchise in WNBA or NBA history.

Born and raised in Orange County, Calif., basketball was synonymous with tradition in the Nakase family. In fact it was her father, Shigeo Gary Nakase, who was Natalie’s best friend, confidante, coach and mentor until 2021, when he passed away at age 78. On Sept. 17, 2025, after winning the WNBA’s Coach of the Year Award, Nakase told reporters: “I wish my dad was here.”

THE CHENERGIZER

THE CHENERGIZER

THE CHENERGIZER

Kaitlyn Chen gives Valkyries a jolt of ‘Chenergy,’ but something more to Bay Area fans

Chen often signs autographs when leaving the Chase Center court after her pregame warmups, lighting up the faces of young Asian American boys and girls — and children like Wu’s friend’s nephews, who recently visited from Taiwan. They attended Saturday’s game against the Mystics, purchased Chen jerseys and were able to meet her pregame.

Chen cherishes her position. With visibility comes responsibility, however. 

Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook. November 6th + Apple TV

Looking forward to this new series which looks to feature a ton of great people and food.

From an article at The Guardian: 

"...we are meeting to discuss her new series on Apple TV, Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook. It sees the star of box-office hits Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings travel across the US to learn from a new generation of Asian American chefs, in the hope that she might revive her own family’s long-closed Cantonese restaurant. But there’s one problem: she can’t cook.

Or so she says. “Unlikely” cook? There’s nothing unlikely about it, I wager. Sure, in the first episode, Lum looks genuinely alarmed by the triple threat of hot oil, high heat and sharp knives in wok cooking. But she does very well. She clearly has a knack for food."

The article goes on to say that in the end it's a love letter to her grandmother, who raised her after her mom passed away when she was four years old.

“With this [project], she’s calling me at all hours of the night, we’re staying up talking. Actually, she called me a week ago and was like, ‘I’m just thinking about the menu, and we should put a pu pu platter – but we shouldn’t call it pu pu, because, you know, it means shit so we should call it the volcano platter.’ It’s giving her excitement again.”

Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook airs on Apple TV November 6th.

Jimmy O. Yang Has No Friends Tour 2027 (AKA Tickets On Sale Now. No Condom Needed AKA Watch The Video)

To get more information on dates/cities and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jimmycomedy.com/.

Already have my tix and looking forward to what should be a great show!

Get yours before they sell out. 

Re: Crazy Rich Asians The Series On HBO

Just in case you have not heard, Crazy Rich Asians is coming back as an HBO series vs a film sequel. 

On one hand I am just happy to be seeing some sort of follow-up vs say being SHANG-CHI'd.

I can't speak to financially if one is better or worse, and for whom, or under what circumstances.

Maybe CRA has to be its own singular existance and this is the way to expand that world.

But I can't help but wonder if like the latest Spiderman film, the time between films, that nostalgia, would have made people come out in droves, doing this crazy amount of ticket sales.

Maybe it douibles the original and goes past half a billion in revenue. 

Maybe it catches a new generation just a little too young to have been emotionally invested in the first.

I feel like that's within reason and I think that is different than a series.

Even if you can have many series' that outshine films.

Either way--I'm excited to at least get more.

Eric Bauza, Voice Of Looney Tunes Characters, Passes Away Suddenly. A Community Mourns Him.

The community has been mourning the loss of Filipino Canadian and voice actor Eric Bauza today with the news of his passing.

Beginning in 2001, Bauza amassed more than 400 voice acting credits in a career that gave voice to beloved characters in animated Looney Tunes series including “Puss in Boots,” “Muppet Babies,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and countless others. He won three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards, from 2022 to 2025. 

“Looney Tunes will always have a special place in my heart,” Bauza said in an interview with The Associated Press this year. “I watched them on Saturday mornings originally. It’s not just the voice but the overall aesthetic has influenced me as an artist.” 

There have been so many tributes in social feeds today from so many organizations and people who knew him and worked with him. 

Here's one from Ken Jeong on his public feed.

Here's a little more from the AP article:

Raised in Scarborough, Ontario by Filipino immigrant parents, Bauza found his passion for voice acting as a teenager. In high school, he would deliver the P.A. system morning announcements in various cartoon voices. 

Beginning in 2001, Bauza amassed more than 400 voice acting credits in a career that gave voice to beloved characters in animated Looney Tunes series including “Puss in Boots,” “Muppet Babies,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and countless others. He won three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards, from 2022 to 2025. 

Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, called Bauza “a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions.” 

Rest In Power.

Late Night Vibes x BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge: beabadoobee x Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol Cover)

 

This was always a classic song, but this cover just makes me listen to it a little diffferently.

A little softer.

Love that.

KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS SOUTHEAST ASIAN GIRL SCOUTS x Theater Mu: Oct 31 - Nov 15, 2026

From Theater Mu:

Follow Thin Mint, Samoa, and Do-Si-Do as they protect their Saint Paul community, which was abandoned by local authorities during the zombie apocalypse. Between helping their elders, doing medicine runs, and building campfires, they’ve probably earned, like, four Gold Awards each. But what if the zombies aren’t the most dangerous monsters out there?

Oct 31 - Nov 15, 2026 (previews Oct 29 & 30)

• Oct 31: Halloween costume contest

• Nov 1: post-show talkback with playwright & director

• Nov 4: pre-show Trivia Mafia + post-show talkback ft. Kao Kalia Yang, Montha Chum, & Rep. Liz Lee

• Nov 8: post-show salon with Southeast Asian Girl Scout Troop #54219

• Nov 12: pre-show Trifia Mafia + designer/director fellowship showcase

• Nov 14 matinee: James Ruth in the role of Gary

Large-print playbills, accessible seating, and sensory kits will be available at every performance. Open captions: evening shows Nov 7 & 14. Mask requirements: Nov 1 & matinee Nov 14. Audio description: Nov 8. ASL interpretation: Nov 15.

Recommended for ages 12+, includes depictions of blood, violence, gore, zombies, and adult language.

PRICE

We strive to voice the stories of the Asian American community, and in order to bring performances to those communities whose stories they tell, we are committed to making them as accessible as possible. PAY AS YOU ARE pricing asks those who routinely pay market value for theater tickets to choose to pay that amount; it is the actual fair market value of the ticket. If an audience member needs to pay less, they can choose to pay less—as little as $15 per ticket.

VENUE & ACCESSIBILITY INFO

Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts will take place at Frey Theater located on the St. Catherine University campus at 2004 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105. Learn about parking and directions.

Please note that this event is general admission seating. The restrooms in the Frey Theater are not wheelchair accessible due to the age of the building. On the day of your visit, please ask an usher and they will guide you to the nearest accessible restroom in the adjacent building.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the accessibility of the venue or seating in the Frey, please contact the Frey Theater ticket office directly at 651-690-6700 or oshaughnessy@stkate.edu

IN THE NEWS

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Q&A with playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay: “I imagine these Girl Scouts in my play creating this sanctuary for their community, and how they're protecting more than … resources like food and medicine and stuff, but they're also protecting their way of life and their way of like rebuilding a world or community.”

DWTS: Harry Shum Jr. x Jenna Johnson x Foxtrot x Scores x Week 6

 

Awww....

Trump Store Sales So Soft Even Blue Chew Gold And Bobby Lee Can't Get Sales Back Up (No Really. NPR Said So)

Fine.

Technically their article's title was Trump merchandise stores are closing: "He has peaked".

It's close enough:

Trump stores first emerged during the 2016 campaign. But with the president now in his second and final term, store owners say there isn't as much to fire up the consumer fan base and sales have softened.

See? 

Softened.

Deflated.

Unable to get a standing ovation.

And they're asking for a paper bag.

Hays said unpopular policies – such as DOGE's massive government staff cuts – have had an impact. He noticed that instead of immediately putting on their new Trump gear, more buyers asked for bags.

"People were not wearing their colors, so to speak, like they did before the (2024) election," said Hays, 80.

You draw your own metaphors. 

Conclusions.

What have you.

Viet Film Fest Online (You Can Still Make It! AKA)

Just a reminder that if you are looking for some great Viet films you can still catch the film fest online up through the 25th! 

Go to https://www.vietfilmfest.com/. 

And Just Like That...Jeremy Lin Joins ESPN As A NBA Analyst For This Season

From the Twitters:

Here's a link to the post which also has some video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DehP1edm1pW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&rpxt=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Nice work if you can get it!

A Little Ray. Some J. And A Lau (AKA I Have A Tickle Bunny)

 

This specific short is from earlier this year, but I've been seeing a lot of Ray Lau coming up in my feeds. Nice work if you can get it. 

BUY TICKETS BELOW⬇️ San Francisco, CA 10/12 Philadelphia, PA 10/21 *SOLD OUT* Washington DC 10/22-10/24 Baltimore 10/25 Eugene OR 11/4 Portland OR 11/5-11/7 Atlanta GA 11/18 Raleigh NC 11/19-21 St Louis 12/2 Indianapolis 12/3-12/5 Fort Wayne, IN 12/6 Los Angeles CA 12/9 Bakersfield CA 12/12 Calgary, AL 1/7-1/9 Charlotte NC 1/21-1/23 Spokane WA 1/28 Seattle WA 1/30 Cleveland OH 2/4 Detroit MI 2/5-2/6 Las Vegas 2/12-2/13 Houston, TX 2/25-2/27 Denver, CO 3/4-3/6 Irvine, CA 3/12-3/14 Honolulu, HI 3/27 San Diego, CA 4/9-4/10 Miami, FL 4/28 West Palm Beach, FL 4/29 Tampa, FL 4/30-5/1

Links

Get ticketspunchup.live/raylau/tour

Request your city punchup.live/raylau/tour

More info

	www.youtube.com/@RayJLau
	Joined Jul 17, 2011
	139K subscribers
	403 videos
	77,562,841 views

How History Is Remembering That Time With Jeremy Lin And Kenyon Martin (AKA Dreads vs Chinese Tattoos)

 

I am glad to be seeing Jeremy Lin more around these days as older players of different generations are doing more online and on TV. History is remembering him. You see him making the rounds. It feels like he is getting the respect he should on his game, and what he meant and did for the game too.

Love it.

Love Letters to the Dirty South By Thảo Hà

A lot of people, including myself, have been excited, waiting for the release of Thảo Hà's memoir Love Letters to the Dirty South, which has now had its release today--my own copy nice and crisp, ready to be read.

Like I think other people, I know maybe a little of this story, a bit here, a piece there, knowing about Thảo Hà and what she does in the Vietnamese American community, and this very real piece of her life, chuyện tình yêu này--and want to read this ode to Ha's dirty south, if she's willing to share.

"Love Letters to the Dirty South is a memoir about what it means to love, long for, and lose someone incarcerated. Offering a counternarrative to the typical immigrant’s story, Thảo Hà deftly uses her sociology background to explore refugee trauma and prison injustice, demonstrating the impact of unconditional love when navigating the dehumanizing system of mass incarceration. In this stunning debut, she shares her story of reckless youth, love reclaimed and tragically lost, and the power of words to transcend boundaries with unflinching honesty, insight, and conviction"

Early Reads And Reviews For The New Memoir

 "An ele­giac love story and med­it­a­tion on prison advocacy, Love Let­ters to the Dirty South is a per­cept­ive mem­oir about a Viet­namese daugh­ter’s love and loss." ~Foreword Reviews

"A book that brims with empathy toward often-overlooked communities, including refugees, people of color, the incarcerated, and those who love them. This poignant memoir deserves a place in every library collection." ~Library Journal, Starred Review

“Thao Ha has written a miracle of a memoir about love in the time of mass incarceration. She writes with artistry and wisdom about growing up as a refugee, finding a community in Houston’s Little Saigon, and struggling to overcome gang violence. Most of all, she crafts a tender portrait of the remarkable man she found, lost, and found again: Hoang Vu Tran. Ha loses Vu, as his loved ones call him, when he is sentenced to sixty years in prison for aggravated assault, and when she in turn survives a gunshot wound in a pool hall. But, twenty years later, they reconnect in an unforgettable series of letters. Both Ha and Vu are exceptional writers, and their correspondence captures a love story for the ages. Ha’s memoir is as dramatic as any Hollywood film, and as devastating as anything I’ve read lately. To borrow one of Ha’s own memorable phrases, her book is ‘a luminous tragedy.’ It is also a triumph.” ~Daniel A. Gross, story editor, The New Yorker

“An urgent, lyrical coming-of-age love story that not only spans decades, but also walls. A humanizing ode to those who create their own light when facing carceral injustice.” ~Carolyn Huynh, author of Fetal Position and The Fortunes of Jaded Women

“Raw and poetic, Love Letters to the Dirty South is unlike any other story you’ve read before. More than a love story, it is a compassionate polemic against social injustice and a revelatory coming-of-age memoir that will stay with you long after you’ve closed its pages.” ~Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water

“A necessary counterpoint to the model minority myth and a beautiful, deeply felt exploration of young love as it survives the harshness of life and becomes a bond that transcends time, distance, and even death.” ~Thi Bui, award-winning author of The Best We Could Do

“This memorable book chronicles the strength of immigrant families and the plight of a prison population, the broken hopes, the turning locks, the steadfast spirits.” ~Laura Kalpakian, author of Undesirable: The Vietnam War and a Father’s Battle for Justice

“Thao’s story is not just a great American story but a great human story filled with heartbreak, resiliency, and most importantly, deep love. Her Homeric tale and relationship with Vu is evidence that a broken heart never fully heals, and because of that, it is always open.” ~Bao Nguyen, director of The Greatest Night in Pop

“Filled with hard-earned wisdom, Thao’s coming-of-age story is an invitation to love and be loved. Refugee life, youthhood, love, loss, and grief are recognizable and heartbreaking ingredients that make for a dope read. I hold her familiar and courageous story close to my heart, as it reminds me of life’s fragile miracles.” ~Lac Su, author of I Love Yous Are For White People

“Moving, electrifying, and unforgettable, Love Letters to the Dirty South leaves me breathless, devastated, and inspired. Thao Ha is a talented writer whose voice is a healing gift to our broken world.” ~Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing: A Novel

Upcomming Events

Thảo Hà at XIA Books and Cafe
Thursday. October 22, 2026 | 6:00 pm
XIA Books & Cafe
422 University Avenue West,
Saint Paul, MN 55103

Read more 

Thảo Hà at the Austin Public Library
Saturday. November 21, 2026 | 1:00 pm
Austin Public Library—Spicewood Springs Branch
8637 Spicewood Springs Rd,
Austin,TX 78759

Read more

Rep. Dave Min: "We should be leading the future, not subsidizing the horse and buggy."

 

"China is dominating the clean energy sector, creating a clear national security issue, even as Repubs keep doubling down on aging and expensive fossil fuel technologies. Clean energy is the future. It’s getting cheaper every day and the economic case is clear. We should be leading the future, not subsidizing the horse and buggy."

Mixed Roots Writers on Multiracial Identity & Both/And Belonging

I've already started reading some of the essays and I love how honest they are. From a TRA perspective this definitely speaks to me:

"29 personal essays exploring mixed identity, belonging, family, racism, community and the paradoxical ways of being in the world

“An unprecedented ode to the wide range of mixed-root experiences and what is shared across difference. Required reading for anyone who has ever been asked what are you? I want everyone to read this.”
—Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood and The Dry Season


Multiracial people are everywhere—but so often their stories are oversimplified, overlooked, or left out of the narrative altogether. Mixed Roots: Writers on Multiracial Identity & Both/And Belonging collects 29 voices from different generations, geographies, and mixes of race and ethnicity. Combining powerful personal narratives with community-oriented perspectives, Mixed Roots explores themes of inherited belief systems, racism, whiteness, migration, language, trauma, ancestry, and healing.

When society so often wants to divide us into either/or categories, Mixed Roots reminds us that multiracial experiences are complex and can be told in different ways. This anthology engages with the familiar questions of “what are you?” or “where do you belong?” with nuance, dispelling the idea that there is ever one right way to identify. In a time of increased polarization, Mixed Roots invites more of us to examine the historical legacies and harm caused by racism within ourselves and our communities.

With compelling, intimate, lyrical and conversational prose, the voices in Mixed Roots honor the realities we’ve inherited around race, while pushing against old assumptions— encouraging readers to embrace paradox and non-binary belonging."

Find it at your favorite book-seller: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/828233/mixed-roots-by-anne-liu-kellor/

Jenny Yang, CBS, And Laughing In Grocery Stores (AKA PBS Had to Get In On It Too)

A great story about comedian Jenny Yang on CBS (who I happened to miss when up in Minneapolis unfortunately...):

A stand-up and sketch comedy veteran whose acting credits include the Netflix show “The Brothers Sun,” Yang is living a dream of “the most politically and creatively fulfilling project” she’s ever done. The Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour is partly her reaction to the immigration crackdowns by President Donald Trump’s administration impacting Asian, Latino and Black communities. She wanted to entertain in cities with immigrant enclaves where she could give back. So, Yang and her team chose grocery store stops and nonprofits to donate to based on recommendations from local organizations.

The unorthodox tour has grown from five performances to nearly 20, far beyond her expectations. It started June 5 in Los Angeles, where Yang lives, and has taken her to Minneapolis, Phoenix and other cities. After stops in New York and San Francisco, the tour will wrap Sept. 26 back in L.A. with Yang filming a performance for a proposed comedy special.

She touches on topics ranging from infertility to awareness of immigrant experiences in the U.S. While comedians are divided on whether stand-up should stand down on politics, Yang has always spoken on it.

Read it in full at: https://www.cbs17.com/entertainment-news/ap-comedian-jenny-yang-uses-a-comedy-tour-to-uplift-immigrants-one-grocery-store-at-a-time/

You can also check out an interview with PBS: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2272976110136019 

Get more Jenny Yang at https://www.jennyyang.tv/

Genny Lim x Music Without Walls: San Francisco Poet Laureate Series No. 8 x Foreword By Don Bajema

 

If you get a chance check out this new offering by Genny Lim, where you can also pre-order here: https://citylights.com/poetry-city-lights-published/music-without-walls-sf-poet-laureate/

Music Without Walls: San Francisco Poet Laureate Series No. 8

by Genny Lim
Foreword by: Don Bajema

Overview

San Francisco’s Poet Laureate offers an impassioned insider’s personal homage to America’s indigenous music, jazz.

“Her poetry is a flame of truth, joy, compassion–she points to the roads we must take to bring about change and unity. I consider Genny as a key poet for the future.”–Juan Felipe Herrera, MacArthur Fellow, Poet Laureate of the USA Emeritus

Music Without Walls is a love poem and praise song for the pioneers of the indigenous American music genre called jazz. As Lim frames it, jazz is the soundtrack and the musical metaphor of our country’s confrontations with race through time, and the poems collected here pay homage to many of the innovators, such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and others. Lim’s poems capture the essence of their music and of her own personal experience as a listener and a collaborator who has performed onstage with some of the jazz greats, such as Max Roach, Herbie Lewis, Francis Wong, and Jon Jang. This collection will resonate with those already familiar with the music itself and the stories and styles of its various heroes, while readers who are new to them will find a welcoming doorway to an exciting new world.

In The News

Reviews

"In Music Without Walls, Genny Lim poetically illustrates the transcendent presence of Black Music both in the context of everyday life and sweeping world events. Today, as home-grown fascists attempt to disappear American slavery and its immoral legacy from the history books, suppress and eliminate voting rights, divide and conquer citizens via what W.E.B. Dubois called 'the problem of the color line, ' poet Genny Lim gives us her poetic manifesto. More than ever, we need the renegades that the poet praises, 'Who cracked music wide open / Inside the belly of the beast to rip / The funk and junk out of the Blues /This book's an American love story. . . .' Every American should read this book."–Michael Warr, editor, Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin 

"I don't think I have ever read anything about jazz that has touched me or revealed as much about the music in quite the way that these poems do. . . . Every poem is a musical portrait, a love letter, an invitation, a call and response. There is such a depth of understanding and a wisdom and love for the artists who have inspired this work."–Sumi Tonooka, pianist and composer

"Genny's poems evoke the spirits of giants, masters who've left us in the physical realm but who live on in our hearts thanks to their recordings and to the inspiring poetry of writers and poets like Genny Lim."–Art Sato, "In Your Ear," KPFA

Author Talk: Bao Phi with Đạp Xe / Ride ---- Saturday, December 5 • 1 PM - 2:30 PM

From: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-talk-bao-phi-with-ap-xe-ride-tickets-1999728063469

XIA Books & CaféSaint Paul, MN
Saturday, December 5  •  1 PM - 2:30 PM

Overview

Join XIA Books for an exclusive author talk and visit from Minnesota author, Bao Phi, in his new children's book Đạp Xe / Ride

Join XIA for a conversation and book signing event with Minnesota author Bao Phi in his new children's book "Đạp Xe / Ride"

From the Caldecott Honor-winning creators of A Different Pond comes a new picture book that encompasses three generations, two languages, and one universal experience. This bilingual story in English and Vietnamese explores a child’s trust, a parent’s guiding hand, and the paradox of loving and letting go.

Learning to ride a bike requires a leap of faith, and as a father teaches his child to ride, the child worries that Dad will let go before they’re ready. But with patience and persistence, father and child learn together that pedaling and letting go are part of the same thrilling ride. 

 

From https://dvan.org/events/accented-56-375/:

ÁCCENTED | Fighting for Collective Freedom: Deportation Defense in Southeast Asian Communities

Join DVAN for ÁCCENTED‘s Season 7 opener with guests Thi Bui & Thao Ha! We’ll discuss deportation defense in SE Asian communities and more.

EVENT DETAILS

Thursday, September 17, 2026 • 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET

This event is FREE. Please register in advance to receive a link to join the virtual conversation.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Thi Bui is a writer and artist from Việt Nam, California, and New York, now planting roots in New Orleans. Best known for her graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do, which tells the story of her family amidst Việt Nam’s struggles for independence, she has also been a longtime educator in public high schools, a professor of comics, a public speaker, an organizer and artist-activist, an ambivalent sculptor and puppeteer, a fledgling screenwriter, and an award-winning illustrator of children’s books and comics journalism.

Thao Ha is a Vietnamese refugee, sociology professor, author, filmmaker, and non-profit leader. She is the current board president of the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), board chair of the Doan Foundation, and founder/executive director of Collective Freedom. Love Letters to the Dirty South is her forthcoming memoir about what it means to love, long for, and lose someone incarcerated.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and numerous other awards. His most recent publication is A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial. His other books are the sequel to The Sympathizer, The Committed; a short story collection, The Refugees; Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War (a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award in General Nonfiction); and Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America. He has also published Chicken of the Sea, a children’s book written in collaboration with his son, Ellison. He is a University Professor at the University of Southern California. A recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations, he is also the editor of The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives, and the forthcoming children’s book Simone illustrated by Minnie Phan.
Website | Instagram

Philip Nguyen is the co-host for ÁCCENTED: Dialogues in Diaspora presented by the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN). He teaches Asian American Studies in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, and is the Executive Director for the Vietnamese American Roundtable, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in California’s South Bay Area. Philip has formerly served as the President of the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA) and as the Co-Chair of the Young Vietnamese Americans (YVA) Committee for PIVOT – The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization.

ABOUT DVAN

The Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN) is dedicated to moving the voices and stories of the Vietnamese diaspora from the margins to the center. For over 20 years, DVAN has uplifted diasporic writers and artists through community events, writing residencies, and publishing opportunities, ensuring their perspectives reshape and expand the broader cultural narrative.

ABOUT ÁCCENTED

ÁCCENTED is DVAN’s acclaimed talk show and podcast, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and community leader Philip Nguyen. Since launching in 2020, ÁCCENTED has become a global platform for dynamic, thought-provoking conversations that amplify the voices of writers, poets, visual artists, and other cultural producers of the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian diaspora.

Please note that by registering for this event, we may contact you about DVAN news, events, and opportunities in the future.