Dear Houston — Love, Asian America

Storytelling is a powerful and beautiful art form that transcends language, space, and time; through this medium of archival practice, we are connected and inspired by stories passed on through generations. In this podcast, we will be sharing stories from the Asian American community in Houston, where stories collected by oral history interviews at the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA), are weaved, told, and retold, via a myriad of topics that relate to their intersections with the Asian American identity. HAAA is managed by Rice University’s Chao Center for Asian Studies, and located at the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library. It collects, documents, and preserves the lived experiences of the Asian diaspora in Houston, aiming to develop a broader understanding of history through their lens, which continues to evolve towards the studies of Asia from a transnational perspective. The series is produced by Anne Chao, Program Manager and Co-Founder of Houston Asian American Archive, adjunct faculty of School of Humanities, Rice University. Special thanks to Lisa Balabanlilar, Director of Chao Center for Asian Studies, without whose support this series would not have been possible; and thanks to Haejin Koh and Hae Hun Matos for their meticulous organization. Funding is provided by the Houston Asian American Archive and Liu Distinguished Visitor Series, of the Chao Center for Asian Studies, Rice University; with additional support from Dr. Anne Chao, who generously provided her research funding.

In the spirit of the season for love, the Houston Asian American Archive has selected four love stories from our archive to premiere on Valentine’s day. These stories from past to present consist of ones crossing the ocean, crossing generations, and crossing gender norms. We hope this episode will bring you some laughter, some nostalgia, and… some love from Asian America.

This podcast is produced by Ann Shi, written by Tyler Stoddard Smith, and sound-edited by Matthew Lai (Senior, NYU). Assisted by Gordan Liu (Junior, Rice).