Checking Out Santa Monica's 'Human Library'; Hidden History of Oceano Dunes

In East San José, a scrappy strip mall anchored by a bánh mì shop doesn’t look like much. But it's a bustling transportation hub. Every morning by 8 a.m., there’s a steady stream of riders lining up for the daily run of the Xe Đò Hoàng, or “Royal Coach” in Vietnamese. Those in the know call it the “Bánh Mì Bus,” which takes passengers all the way to Orange County and back. Christine Nguyen takes us along for the ride. And we head to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach and travel back in time to the early 1900s. That’s where an amusement park sprung up, drawing loyal visitors for decades. As part of a collaboration with our friends at KQED’s Bay Curious podcast, reporter Christopher Beale takes us on a journey to learn about Playland-at-the-Beach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Okt 202229min

What is it like to be a dad and your first-born son goes off to college? That just happened for Adolfo Guzman-Lopez. He’s covered higher education for years at KPCC in Los Angeles, but when his own son moved into his freshman dorm this month, Adolfo was not prepared for the reaction he’d have. And we meet a mom from East Palo Alto who's spent years trying to help her kids cope with anxiety and trauma. They’re among a rising number of children across California struggling with their emotional and mental health. KQED's Blanca Torres found that just as before the pandemic, most kids who need help don’t get it. But she also discovered what happens when families like Jasmine’s can access care. And we end with writer Caroline Hatano's ode to the Japanese American community that once farmed all over Southern California. Her grandfather farmed flowers on the Palos Verdes peninsula for 70 years. This summer, the city of Palos Verdes terminated the lease, closing the last Japanese American farm in the area. Her story comes to us as part of a collaboration with Civil Eats, a daily news source for critical thought about the American food system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Sep 202229min

As the Monterey Jazz Festival kicks off again this weekend, we go back in time to a chilly evening in 1962. Sixty years ago, a groundbreaking musical premiered at the festival called “The Real Ambassadors.” It featured a glittering array of jazz titans, including Louis Armstrong. This was during the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, and the musical cast artists of different races, challenging racism and social injustice through jazz. “The Real Ambassadors” was written by two Californians influential in moving jazz into the mainstream: Dave and Iola Brubeck. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Ione in Amador County, she in Redding. They met in Stockton at College of the Pacific in 1945, and went on to become a couple and lifelong collaborators. We bring you this story from The Kitchen Sisters and producer Brandi Howell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Sep 202230min

The pioneering Asian American actress Anna May Wong will be one of five American women the U.S. Mint is recognizing this year with an image on the American quarter. Wong was born in Los Angeles in 1905, and she grew up helping out at her father's laundromat. As a kid, she skipped school to visit movie sets and mimicked the actors at home. She would eventually become Hollywood’s first Chinese American movie star. Host Sasha Khokha talks with Nancy Wang Yeun, a sociologist and expert on race in Hollywood about Wong's legacy and some of the difficult roles she had to play. Then we ask what is it like to talk about your gender identity in different languages? What happens when the pronouns for “he” and “she” in a particular language are similar, or even identical? We meet Emmett Chen-Ran, who decided during his senior year of high school to tell his parents he is transgender. While he grappled with whether they would accept and understand him, there was another challenge: deciding what language he should use to tell them – English or Chinese? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Sep 202231min

About 30 minutes off Interstate 5, in the Central Valley, there’s a town that’s a vital part of California's history, and Black history in the U.S. It’s called Allensworth, and it was founded as a kind of Black utopia back in 1908. It was self-governed by Black residents, and had its own school, church, bank, debate society and glee club. And for a while, it was thriving. These days, though, Allensworth is a dusty, tiny, farmworker town that’s struggling to survive. There are few jobs or businesses. The drinking water isn’t safe. And hardly anyone visits – or even knows about – the state park there that was built to commemorate Black history. But preserving Allensworth’s history and legacy has come up in meetings of California’s Reparations Task Force. That’s the nine-member body investigating the lingering effects of slavery. They’re coming up with proposals for how to address historical inequities for Black Californians. Reporters Lakshmi Sarah and Teresa Cotsirilos introduce us to some of today’s Allensworth residents, fighting to preserve the town’s history, and its future. We’ll also hear how water plays a vital role in the town’s survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Sep 202231min

We’re reprising an investigation from The California Report’s Central Valley reporter, Alex Hall, that recently earned a National Murrow award for News Documentary. In 2020, California’s Foster Farms became the site of one of the nation’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks at a meat or poultry plant. Hall spent a year and a half talking to spouses and family members of workers who spent decades at the company’s chicken-processing plants. She found that hundreds of Foster Farms workers tested positive for the virus in 2020. Sixteen people died and at least 20 others were hospitalized. Hall’s investigation shows that as plants stayed open to maintain the food supply, and workers got sick from COVID-19, Foster Farms didn’t always give a complete picture of the problem to health officials, state regulators and their own employees. We meet families who lost loved ones who worked at Foster Farms – families who are grieving, struggling financially, and trying to make sense of what happened. We’ll also include an update on the fact that Foster Farms was recently sold to a private equity firm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Sep 202230min

What does it means to be a journalist when the story you’re reporting on also affects you? That’s a question Ericka Cruz Guevarra, host of the KQED podcast The Bay, explored on a recent episode. She shares her story about a camping trip she went on with her best friend during the pandemic. But it’s also a story about the mental health impact of reporting the news when you’re a journalist of color. Plus, we have an update on two stories we’ve brought you about two women of color who’ve had to struggle hard to get recognition in Hollywood. Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather recently received an official apology from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for the abuse endured at the 1973 Oscars, and the impact it had on her career. Actress Juanita Moore appeared in more than 80 films and TV shows, but wasn’t always credited for her work. In 1959, she became the fifth Black actor in movie-making history to be nominated for an Oscar. The pioneering actress will finally be honored with her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Aug 202229min

Our lives are full of routines. From the time we get up, to what we eat for breakfast, to the modes of transportation we take from place to place. But do we really know the stories behind the buildings we pass by and the people who live or work in them? One reporter gives us an inside look into four different businesses on one Berkeley block. Then we go to East Oakland to meet 10-year-old Hemer as she starts sixth grade at a new school. The pandemic contributed to increases in depression and anxiety for many young people, and some students are still struggling. In this story, we learn how California is investing new dollars in an effort to address their mental health needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Aug 202231min