Taking It Personally: Asian American Stories   

Grab a cocktail or an appetizer and join us for stories of the Asian American experience  from Asian American Storytellers in Unity. As author Chimananda Ngozi Adichie states in her TED talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,”  ”We risk critical misunderstanding of each other when we reduce complex human beings and situations to a single narrative.” In this program celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, listen to personal narratives from storytellers across the diaspora: Karin Amano, Eth-Noh-Tec, Emil Guillermo,  Archie Jamjun, M.J. Kang, and Roopa Mohan. Recommended for ages 16 and up, but the whole family is welcome.     

ABOUT THE STORYTELLERS

Karin Amano
Originally from Japan, Karin Amano was trained in Tokyo in Japanese theatre. She moved to New York City to study acting and educational theatre at New York University, and she performed in off-off-Broadway productions. Amano has been telling Japanese folktales at festivals, schools, libraries, and Walt Disney World since the 1990s. 

Eth-Noh-Tec (Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and Nancy Wang) 
Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo has been a longstanding cultural activist in the Asian American cultural scene of the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides his talent as a master storyteller, he is also a well-versed musician, songwriter, and composer. He co-founded, along with his wife and performing partner, Nancy Wang, Eth-Noh-Tec. Together they have performed on such notable stages as the National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough, Tennessee; Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Washington, D.C. (Robert solo); Wolf Trap, Virginia; the Smithsonian Discovery Theater, Washington, D.C.; and at inaugural celebrations for President Clinton and President Obama. 

Nancy Wang began as a dancer and choreographer and has since applied those skills to her story theater company, Eth-Noh-Tec, which she co-founded with Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo. Together they have created a unique style of storytelling that they perform around the world. Recently, Nancy has been writing and performing with her partner Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo, historical pieces within the Asian diaspora.  Her multi-media story theater pieces have been met with standing ovations throughout the country. 

Emil Guillermo
Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, commentator and humorist who has taken his stories of Filipino American life to the stage in one-person plays at theater festivals around the country. A former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” he blends the personal with history for a unique perspective on the Asian American story.  

Archy Jamjun
Archy Jamjun is a storyteller and writer from Chicago. He is the curator of Outspoken LGBTQ Stories at Sidetrack and a two–time winner of The Moth Grand Slam. He has also been published by Barrelhouse and The Coachella Review.   

M.J. Kang
M.J. Kang is a playwright, actor, director, and storyteller. She has won multiple story slams including The Moth, Story Collider, and National Storytelling Network. She is currently part of the Playwrights Group with Company of Angels and on several improvising troupes including Don’t Mess with Killer Kimchi. 

Roopa Mohan
Roopa Mohan is a storyteller from Walnut Creek, California. She tells folktales and sacred stories to school groups at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and is also a school docent there. She is now expanding her repertoire to personal stories and enjoys sharing experiences she had growing up in India. She serves on the board of the Storytelling Association of California (SAC), leading the Jenny Fund Project to introduce storytelling to teachers and students in underserved schools.  

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