Season 7 Opener: Unapologetically #VeryAsian w/ Michelle Li

(Season 7 Opener):

After being (mostly) away for 6 months since my last season, I am back and set to kick off Season 7 with a new lineup, new stories, and a new theme called, "reClaim."  reClaim. is about documenting our own lived experiences as part of our history and future-making, how reclaiming our stories through our agency sets us up to reimagine a world that we want to live in, and to position our younger generations to become stewards of our community's legacy. 

In this Season 7 opener, I brought special guest Michelle Li to kick things off.  Michelle is a news anchor based in St. Louis. On New Year's, she experienced a racist voicemail from a caller about her news segment in which she accused Michelle of being "Very Asian." We talked about how that moment would galvanize the AAPI community in a time where Anti-Asian violence has continued to escalate. We discussed her Asian adoptee upbringing and the challenges that Asian & BIPOC journalists face in less diverse newsrooms and communities. We shared so much in this episode so check it out!  

This Season 7 is dedicated to Wayne Cheong, friend & supporter of my show who passed away unexpectedly. He was a fellow podcaster and full of infectious optimism and enthusiasm for the podcasting platform. He is missed by many.  

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Bio:

Michelle Li is an award-winning, veteran journalist who co-launched The Very Asian Foundation in January 2022 alongside friend and fellow journalist Gia Vang. Her response to a racist voicemail became a global movement of unity and caught the attention of The Ellen Show. Ellen’s monetary gift of $15,000 helped start the seed money to create a nonprofit focused on shining a light on all walks of Asian life. Michelle spent many years supporting adoptees through heritage camps and volunteer tours to Korea. She also launched a program to support Missouri children in foster care. All of this led to a congressional award in 2010. Michelle’s journalistic work has been honored with a national Peabody Award, several national Murrows, and multiple regional Emmys–often dealing with race or gender inequities. Michelle has appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and The Washington Post. Michelle currently resides in St. Louis with her family. She is @michellelitv on most platforms Her IG and Twitter are @MichelleLiTV

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