The Bánh Mì Chronicles
The Bánh Mì Chronicles: A podcast where host Randy Kim breaks bread with Asian (American) and BIPOC creatives to explore their work, their communities, and future-making impact. Subscribe to my Substack: randykim.substack.com for more content!
Episodes
In continuation of the current Chicago ICE Raids, and recent SNAP benefits crisis affecting Chicago's Chinatown community, I invited two dedicated community leaders in the Chinatown community: Grace Chan McKibben and Andrew Frangos, to discuss the rapid response efforts in Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods.
In a time when federal actions are creating widespread fear and instability, we dived into how local leaders, residen...
In a profoundly moving conversation, host Randy Kim welcomes Dorothy Chow, the Chinese-Cambodian American host of the father-daughter podcast, "Death In Cambodia."
Dorothy shares the deeply personal and powerful genesis of her show: creating a space for her father to share his survivor experience from the Cambodian genocide. This podcast wasn't just a historical documentation; it became a transformative healing journey...
I decided to record a solo episode to gather my thoughts since returning to the podcast a few months ago, and how wild it's been recording emergency episodes amid the chaos Chicago has been experiencing with ICE and CBP raids. I also talk about my reaction to content creator Nathan Ramos-Park's reel about how Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora are deciding to live in Asia, and how that impacts them. I have a lot to say ...
This week on The Bánh Mì Chronicles, host Randy Kim sits down with the incredible Nisha Mody (she/her)—a certified Liberatory Life Coach, Facilitator, and Writer—for a profound conversation about self-compassion, unlearning harmful beliefs, and showing up authentically in relationships.
Nisha, who is currently writing a memoir about her divorce, shares the raw, deeply personal story of her toxic marriage to an Indian man that ended ...
This week on The Bánh Mì Chronicles, host Randy Kim brings you an urgent, on-the-ground report with Lilly Le (she/her), Community Organizing Director at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI). Lilly works to build community power among Vietnamese people in Illinois through engagement and leadership development.
In this critical discussion, we address the twin crises currently impacting Vietnamese and other immigrant communitie...
This week, we’re getting real and diving into the deep end with the incredible Joi Louviere from the Werk Stories Podcast. Our conversation pulls no punches as we talk about the brutal realities of toxic workplaces, especially through the lens of a Black women.
Joi and I discuss how the prevailing political environment—specifically the Trump administration—has created an even more difficult and exhausting landscape. We tackle the sp...
Recorded on 10/21/25, 6:30 pm CST
TW/CW: contains discussion surrounding ICE raids
I welcome a fierce and fabulous friend, Saint Mary Clarence, who joins us in full drag to demonstrate the political power of this queer art form. But the conversation shifts into the urgent discussion of the current ICE raid crisis in and around Chicago.
Saint Mary Clarence—a dedicated community member—breaks down the crisis in their local community of...
In this candid and powerful episode, I brought a fellow podcaster friend Patrick Armstrong, a Korean American adoptee from the Midwest, a celebrated co-host of The Janchi Show, and the creator of the intimate new local series of the people in Indianapolis, Conversation Piece.
Patrick shares his deeply personal journey as an adoptee, reflecting on the decades it took to reconcile his upbringing and become more secure and fully embrac...
In this emergency episode, Francia Garcia Hernandez, a reporter for Block Club Chicago, joined me as a guest, focusing on the seismic impact of recent ICE raids across the city.
Francia shares her on-the-ground reporting, giving us a clear view of how these raids affect Chicago’s vibrant Latino communities and the real-world consequences for local, family-owned small businesses.
In this episode, you will learn about:
The Climate o...
Note from Randy: The last 30 seconds of the episode went silent so my apologies to listeners
This episode features an in-depth conversation with Aaron Yin, an organizer based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Aaron shares his four years of experience in the organizing space, offering valuable insights into what it truly means to be an activist today, especially for those just starting out. He breaks down how co...
A State of Emergency: Resisting ICE in Chicago
Trigger/Content Warning: Episode will mention ICE raids, violent detainment, and police brutality. Recorded on Tuesday, 10/13/25 at 7:30 pm US Central.
The city of Chicago is currently grappling with a climate of fear and constitutional crisis following escalated raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In this critical emergency episode, we host Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lo...
What happens when your intersectional identity meets the social media algorithm?
This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, we sit down with the incredibly insightful Johnathan Gibbs—a queer Black and Filipino content creator and founder of The Otaku Choir. Johnathan shares his unique journey, from navigating his Black and Filipino roots growing up in Mississippi to making his mark as a creator in NYC. We dive deep into the current social...
Jung is back on my podcast again to give us a rundown of what is being used by ICE, police, and military, and what you need to do in case you come in contact with any chemicals.
Also, check out my previous episode with Jung in case you missed it which is ICE Raids & Protest Safety Episode
There are more safety tips and awareness on chemical weapon contact if you go to:
https://open.substack.com/pub/randykim/p/emergency-minisode-p...
In this emergency episode of The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast, I’m joined by Mahdis Azimi, a Chicago-based immigration attorney working closely with clients who are facing deportation threats and uncertain legal status amid the current ICE raids in the city.
Mahdis sheds light on the rapidly changing immigration landscape, the fear and confusion facing undocumented and mixed-status families and legal status folks, and the urgent work ...
More than just a vacation: Insight into the 47% rise in US expats, and how living abroad fosters profound connections and understanding.
Join us for an enlightening conversation with the incredible Nicole Brewer, an English Language teacher, travel blogger, author, and co-founder of the expansive travel community, I Luv 2 Globe Trot.
Speaking to us from Oman, her home for the past decade, Nicole shares the powerful story of what led ...
TW/CW: Discussion of ICE Raids, civilian violence
This emergency episode responds to the ongoing ICE raids taking place in Chicago, which have left many in the Chicago communities vulnerable and at-risk. I’m joined by my return guest, friend, and community organizer Jung Han, to break down what’s happening right now, how these raids impact community members, and what you can do to stay safe and aware of what is happening. Jung also ...
Award-winning Korean Author Bora Chung (Cursed Bunny, Your Utopia, The Midnight Timetable) joins me to discuss how fiction warns, resists, and reimagines our world.
What if fiction isn’t just storytelling, but a foreshadow of things to come?
In this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles, I’m joined by acclaimed Korean author Bora Chung, best known for her award-winning collection Cursed Bunny, her visionary Your Utopia, and her forthcomi...
Trigger and Content Warning: This episode will discuss topics involving self-h*rm, s*icide, mental health, genocide, and involuntary hospitalization.
In this “bonus” episode, we take the time to recognize S*icide Awareness/Prevention Month this September. My good friend and longtime activist, Jung Han (they/them) and I had a conversation revolving around the challenging capacity in community activism, navigating our self-care and en...
Chatting with keynote speaker, activist, and award-winning author Michelle Mijung Kim on what it means to build courage in speaking out in today's political climate.
She was a previous guest of mine in 2020 when we discussed what the DEI landscape looked like in the aftermath of George Floyd, and why Asian communities must stand in solidarity with the Black community. Since 2020, she has released her critically acclaimed debut ...
On this episode of The Bánh Mì Chronicles Podcast, I invited guest Tony DelaRosa to share his current work and knowledge about what is happening with DEI in the K-12 public education and in higher learning at both the local and national level in the US. As DEI is getting dismantled by the federal government, and in certain states and local governments, Tony sheds some light on what DEI practitioners are doing to counter the anti-DE...
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