
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by Jeff Yang & Phil Yu
Hosts Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present They Call Us Bruce, an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
Jeff and Phil welcome their old friends George Kiriyama and Traci Kato-Kiriyama, siblings who recently lost their mother, Ikuko Kiriyama, to talk about remembrance, grief (or pre-grief), and letting go. They share personal stories of the Kiriyama family's journey with loss; the role of caregiving and supporting aging parents; the lessons learned from honoring a loved one's legacy; and the emotional process of letting go and moving forward.
Jeff and Phil welcome Kiana Hall, the Seattle resident who spotted and named the viral phenomenon "Jimothy," the unusually-shaped raccoon who has captured the internet's heart. She talks about the fateful evening she encountered Jimothy on a neighborhood walk ("What am I looking at?"); why Jimothy has become a symbol of joy and resilience for so many, especially in this moment; the unexpected viral attention Kiana has received from the discovery; and the inevitable attempts to monetize and exploit Jimothy's image. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of discovering and naming Jimothy.
Jeff and Phil welcome Alice Chu, President of the legendary Great Star Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown -- the oldest Chinese theater in North America -- and David Chiu, City Attorney of San Francisco, to talk about the rich history, legacy and future of the Great Star and Chinatown at large. They talk about the mission to preserve and revitalize the century-old performing arts venue to serve the community; the continuing resilience of Chinatown businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond; and the Great Star's interesting connection to this podcast's namesake, Bruce Lee. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of San Francisco Chinatown's historic legacy.
Jeff and Phil welcome their old friend Leonardo Nam, who stars in Disney's Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. He talks about his journey as an artist from Argentina to Australia to Hollywood, where he first broke through in films like The Perfect Score, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift; his unexpected and delightful villainous turn as Maddox Hatter in Disney's wildly popular Descendants franchise -- including his very own full-fledged musical number; and the joy of getting to share this family-friendly project with his kids. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.
Jeff and Phil welcome Annie Lee, Managing Director of Policy for Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sandra Wong, great-granddaughter of Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark 1898 Supreme Court victory established birthright citizenship in the United States. They discuss the history of United States v. Wong Kim Ark and its profound impact on American citizenship and civil rights; the contemporary political challenges to birthright citizenship and the erosion of constitutional rights; and the importance of educating the next generation about Wong Kim Ark's legacy.
Jeff and Phil welcome actor, martial artist, and stuntman Brian Le of MartialClub, whose credits include Everything Everywhere All at Once, Paper Tigers, and this summer's gritty action thriller The Furious. He talks about his humble beginnings from watching kung fu flicks on bootleg VHS, to making YouTube videos with his brother Andy as self-taught action stars; getting to work with some of the world's best film fighters in The Furious -- and the steep learning curve of making action movies in Asia; and channeling his inner baby to play the unstoppable henchman Ho. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making The Furious. This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!
Jeff and Phil check in with Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and Karthick Ramakrishnan, Executive Director of AAPI Data, to get a pulse on the upcoming midterm elections. They discuss the challenges of voter engagement — including new and ongoing barriers to voting (and how you can take action); significant data trends across Asian American and Pacific Islander voter demographics; some of the urgent issues affecting AAPI voters; and key races to keep an eye on that could shape the future of our democracy. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the upcoming midterm elections. This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!
Jeff and Phil welcome Kevin Jeung, Chef of Research and Production at the legendary restaurant Noma -- named the World's Best Restaurant -- which is finishing up a 16-week residency in Los Angeles. He talks about neglecting to inform his parents when he dropped out of college to pursue cooking full time; the culinary experimentation (both failure and success, but mostly failure) that happens inside Noma's Fermentation Lab; and what that $1500 per seat menu actually looks and tastes like. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of doing a restaurant pop-up in Los Angeles. This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!
Hosts Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present They Call Us Bruce, an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Get key takeaways from They Call Us Bruce in a 5-minute read.
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of They Call Us Bruce as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Jeff Yang & Phil Yu.
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
They Call Us Bruce publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
They Call Us Bruce covers topics including Culture, Film, Society & Culture, TV & Film. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.