In this SEASON FINALE of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie take a trip down memory lane and go off-script in this perplexing episode. We've come a long way - like 5 months, so join us as we revisit some previous topics like what it means to be Asian-American, reopen some debates like whether homemade or store bought chili oil is better, and have a few drinks in the process.NCO will be back for another season, better than ever, in the near future, so stay tuned for more as we take the pod back to the drawing board and return with more episodes and fun surprises!Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com      Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

No Coast Oriental

E13: Our Season Finale Goes Off-Script

What does it mean to succeed? In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie contemplate life in the workforce, recruitment out of college, and how our upbringing shaped our view of success. Join us as we discuss the bamboo ceiling, taking the easy way out, and what we really desire.Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

E12: Success, Working in Corporate, and Entrepreneurship

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, Stevie and James talk relationships. Join us as we discuss mixed race relationships, the nuances and challenges of dating as an Asian-American, non-monogamy, buying sex toys on GoPuff, and much more. Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com     Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

E11 - Relationships, Dating, Sex, and More

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie talk affirmative action. Join us for our tenth episode as we discuss the pros and cons of affirmative action, our college applications, equity vs equality, whether college is a scam, and if race inequality will ever be solved.   Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com    Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

E10 - Affirmative Action: Past, Present, and Future

On this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie talk about parents. Join us as we discuss parenting styles, independence, tiger parents, how our parents shaped us, and how we shaped our parents.  Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com   Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

E9: Parenting - Eastern, Western, and Everything in Between

 In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie talk cultural appropriation. A common talking point in the discussion on race and social justice, cultural appropriation is when one culture adopts elements of another culture. Join us as we talk tattoos and Sushiritos, and as we attempt to create a definition for the term, consider its neutrality, and try to answer difficult questions in regard to cultural appropriation in the Asian-American community.Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com   Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

E8: Dissecting the Debate on Cultural Appropriation

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie reflect on their time in elementary, middle, and high school. Join us as we expand on our backstories and talk about bullying, padding our college applications, student organizations, and why the college you go to might not really matter. Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

7: School - The Highs, the Lows, and How to Make the Best of It

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie answer YOUR questions! Join us as we revisit what it means to be an Asian-American, reflect on our insecurities growing up, and consider what it means to be an ally.Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

6: Questions from the Internet, vol. 1

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie talk about food, namely the food they ate growing up and the food they enjoy now. Join us as we complain about the lack of great Asian restaurants in our hometown, the "weird" food we ate growing up, food censorship in children's anime, and whether or not homemade is better than store-bought when it comes to chili oil.Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

5: Asian Food, and How Food Shapes Your Identity

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie talk about mental health in Asian-American communities. Join us as we talk about the stats and research on the issue, trends in Asian-American mental health, and our personal experiences with emotional and mental health. This episode covers topics including depression and suicide, thus, listener discretion is advised. Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

4: Mental Health

In this episode of No Coast Oriental, Stevie and James talk about Asian American representation in movies, music, and more. Join us as we discuss "orientalism," stereotyping, American Dragon: Jake Long, and why representation is important.  Timestamps:  00:00:00 - Intro and Cold Open  00:04:30 - "Orientalism" in Media  00:17:00 - Examples of Whitewashing & Stereotyping  00:44:00 - An Asian wave in music  00:53:00 - Bruce Lee's Impact in Film  00:57:48 - Technical difficulties  00:59:35 - Reconnected  01:04:53 - Drawn-out Kung Fu Panda digression  01:11:15 - Early Asian Youtube Stars, their impact, and Eddie Huang  01:28:00 - Outro: Why is representation important?  Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOriental  Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

3: Asians in Media

What is Asian-American Activism? Where are the Asian-American activists today? In this episode of No Coast Oriental, James and Stevie discuss cultural appropriation, affirmative action, student advocacy, and how we can all be activists on a daily basis. Follow the Pod on Twitter & Instagram: @nocoastoriental and tweet us your questions/comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOrientalBusiness inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

2: Asian American Activism

What does Asian even mean? Is it an accurate term? How is it problematic? In our pilot episode, we'll be talking about identity and our experiences growing up.Follow the pod on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nocoastorientalTweet us your questions and comments with the hashtag #NoCoastOrientalFollow the pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nocoastoriental/Business inquiries and longer messages: nocoastoriental@gmail.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=17297277)

1: What does it mean to be Asian American?

The Asian-American community is a diverse one. While the conversation in many cities – especially on the East and West Coasts – concerns diversity, inclusion, and representation, Asian-Americans in the Midwest and Middle America are still seeking cultural identity. In this podcast, Stevie Zheng and James He, two Asian-American guys from the Chicago suburbs, talk about their experiences growing up in developing a sense of identity and finding community.