The Paper Plane Podcast

Today we’re joined by my dear brother, comrade, and friend, Virak Saroeun. He and I met in 2008 when when his life-partner, Liza and I TA’d a Raza580: Educational Equity Course with Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade as grad students at SFSU. When Liza introduced us I immediately knew this was someone I wanted to be friends with, as someone who shared so many of the same loves for music, DJing, Hip-Hop, critical pedagogy, shoes and fashion, books, film, food, beer and spirits, basketball, revolutionary politics and praxis, and so much more. Almost 20 years later, this brilliant Pedagogue, Father, and human remains my beloved and chosen family. In this episode we discuss 'The 5 Principles' (2022) by Khnum "Stic" Ibomu of the revolutionary Hip-Hop group, Dead Prez, and 'Blood in My Eye' (1972) by co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family, George Jackson. Virak is the youngest of four children and the only male. He is a child of refugees from Cambodia, first in his family to go to a university and completed an undergraduate degree with double majors in Ethnic Studies and Sociology from UC, Riverside. He also holds a multiple subject teaching credential and a Masters in Education from San Francisco State University. For the last decade and a half, he has been a classroom educator and administrator in the Bay Area and Long Beach, where he resides now with his partner and daughter. When not working towards a more just and balanced world, he enjoys music, djing, roller skating, camping and outdoor adventures with his family.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today Colin is joined by his dear sister, comrade, and beloved friend, Pamela Chavez. The two met a little more than 2 decades ago at UC Santa Cruz via mutual friends, and came together due to their love for art, music, activism, liberatory education, and being hella f------- silly together as they made the path by walking it. She is someone C has and continues to admire and learn profoundly from, via her contagious courage as a Woman of Color Artist, Youth Advocate, Cultural worker, and community member. Today's guest is someone who is otherworldly talented as it pertains to being her boldest, baddest, biggest, most brilliant self, in the face of all the dehumanizing and oppressive f---ery our society and world has to offer. Today they discuss Marjane Satrapi's groundbreaking Graphic Memoir, Persepolis...Pamela Chavez is a Costa Rican-American animation writer, director and visual storyteller shaping bold narratives at the intersection of culture, justice, and imagination. Her work translates complex ideas into emotionally resonant animated experiences that center underrepresented voices and ignite public dialogue.Pamela’s films have screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, OUTFEST, and the 92nd Street Y in New York, and are featured on platforms such as PBS Online, HBO Latino, and YouTube. As a director and collaborator, she has created original work for institutions including the LA Philharmonic, Amazon, and the American Medical Association, blending visual storytelling with social impact and clarity of vision.A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Pamela is grounded in traditional animation, oil painting, and stop-motion techniques while pushing the boundaries of narrative form to influence how stories are seen, heard, and understood.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today's guest is Colin's dear sister, comrade, and peer mentor of over 15 years. Today's guest and Colin met at San Francisco State University as Graduate student Teaching Assistants for Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade in his Raza 580: Educational Equity course. They became fast friends and also fell in platonic love with each other’s partners, Virak and Em shortly after. They formed a powerful friendship quartet that despite a global pandemic and a move from the Bay to Long Beach, continues to grow and stand the test of time. This connection now also includes their children's wonderful bonds to one another. Today's guest and Colin taught together in Richmond, CA while organizing together with People’s Education Movement-Bay Area for many years, prior to her and her family's move back to So Cal. Liza Gesuden (she/ her/ siya) has been an educator for over 20 years, teaching Ethnic Studies, English, and Social Studies in schools across the Bay Area and Los Angeles. She is currently a Leadership & Ethnic Studies teacher at Jefferson Middle School in Long Beach, CA, where she advises the gardening club to bring young people closer to the land. She has worked within and beyond the Filipinx community as a community and cultural organizer via PEP San Francisco, the Free Minds Free People Conference, and other organizations. She is a certified Breathe 4 Change Yoga instructor and teaches trauma-informed, accessible movement classes to diverse communities. She also makes up one half of @ginataangang, a Pinay duo dedicated to gardening and growing in Long Beach, CAToday, Liza and Colin discuss Mohsin Hamid's magical novel, "Exit West," and Doreen G. Fernandez powerful book of essays on Filipinx food and culture, "Tikim."The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today's episode, Colin sits down with his brother and award-winning filmmaker and storyteller Tadashi “Tad” Nakamura—someone whose work has given voice to untold histories, specifically from an AAPI perspective, and whose lens has always been guided by both craft and conscience.For this conversation, we’re grounding ourselves in two remarkable books: Mike dela Rocha’s Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father to Love and Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins’ The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well. These aren’t just books to read—they’re invitations. They call us to consider how love can be a political act, how community can be a healer and teacher, and how balance—spiritual, emotional, physical—can be a form of resistance.Today, we explore how the wisdom in these works shows up in his life—as a filmmaker who chronicles stories of cultural resilience, as an artist who builds bridges between histories, and as a father navigating what it means to pass on love and justice to the next generation.Tadashi “Tad” Nakamura is an Emmy-award winning filmmaker and the Director of the Watase Media Arts Center, a production company of the Japanese American National Museum. Tadashi was named CNN's "Young People Who Rock" for being the youngest filmmaker at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Now with over 20 years of filmmaking experience, his films include NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT (2024), MELE MURALS (2016), JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS (2013), A SONG FOR OURSELVES (2009), and PILGRIMAGE (2006). He is currently closing out touring his most recent film, THIRD ACT, about his pioneering filmmaker father, Robert A. Nakamura, and his discovery and battle with Parkinson's Disease. Tad’s father Robert, known to many as the “Godfather of Asian American Media,” passed away and transitioned into the ancestral realm in June of this year. Colin can attest as an audience member who attended the latest CAAM’s (Center for Asian American Media) Film Festival at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi/Japantown, there wasn’t a dry eye in the building as we witnessed this powerful work of art and heart.  Tad has an M.A. in Social Documentation from UC Santa Cruz and a B.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA. He made the DOC NYC '40 Under 40' list in 2019 and was a 2020-2022 Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellows and a 2022-2023 Sundance Asian American Fellow. He is currently a mentor for the 2024 CAAM Fellowship and recipient of the 2024 Rockwood Documentary Leaders Fellowship.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today’s guest is someone Colin has known for  close to a decade. They were both Teachers and Deans at sibling schools in Richmond, CA; she at Aspire Richmond Technology Academy Elementary, and Colin at Richmond Cal Prep 6-12. The two were also members of an Asian American & Pacific Islander Affinity Group, where they got to know each other and build community with other AAPI Educators in Aspire Public School’s Bay Area Region. Their children attend the same daycare and she is currently the Principal of Richmond Technology Academy, which is also where Colin's eldest daughter’s goes to school. Colin is am beyond honored to be in community with this incredible sister, colleague, and comrade, and today, it is a sincere gift for him to be discussing her late and brilliant brother’s award-winning book of short stories, 'Afterparties'.Samantha So-Lamb is a proud Cambodian American, born and raised in Stockton, California, and now living in the Bay Area. The daughter of refugees who survived the Cambodian genocide, she carries her family’s legacy of resilience into everything she does. She began her career as an elementary school teacher and went on to become a school principal, dedicating her life to empowering students and building inclusive school communities. She’s also a devoted wife and mother of three boys. And yes—she’s the sister of the late Anthony Veasna So, acclaimed author of 'Afterparties' and a New York Times bestseller.Anthony Veasna So (February 20, 1992 – December 8, 2020) was an American writer. His short stories were described by The New York Times as "crackling, kinetic and darkly comedic" and often drew from his upbringing as a child of Cambodian immigrants. So died from an accidental drug overdose in 2020, and his debut book, a short story collection entitled Afterparties, was published in 2021.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today’s guest is someone Colin had the pleasure of meeting over a decade ago, as a grad student in USF’s Urban Education and Social Justice M.A. Teaching Program. Dr. Patrick Camangian introduced the two and today's guest shortly after became Colin's cooperating and Mentor Teacher at a Leadership 6-12 in Richmond, CA. Since then, they have and continue to bond over teaching, music, and aims to grow our communities, critical consciousness, hearts, and spirits, amidst systems that attempt to stamp each and every one of these out. C adores this dear sister and is honored to have her on 'The Paper Plane' today, to discuss one of the powerful books of our generation, in bell hooks’ “All About Love: New Visions.”Anjali Rodrigues is a first-generation Indian-American, an eldest daughter, an educator, a leadership and community organizing trainer, and a fútbol enthusiast. While studying at UCLA, she worked as a writing counselor in the Community Programs Office, where she discovered the campus’s rich legacy of organizing—particularly the role of the Black Panthers.After graduating, Anjali began her teaching career in Richmond, California, and deepened her political development through the People’s Education Movement and Teachers for Social Justice. In 2015, she earned her master’s in Arts in Education from Harvard, where she also began teaching public narrative and community organizing alongside Dr. Marshall Ganz.From 2014 to 2022, Anjali taught in K–12 schools in Boston and Brownsville, New York, while simultaneously leading workshops on public narrative and organizing for organizations across the country. Her collaborators have included Stand Up Indiana, the Sunrise Movement, March For Our Lives, Vital Voices, re:power, and many more.She also founded the WARMTH Fellowship, a leadership program for young femmes of color (ages 15–29) that centers storytelling, peer coaching, and community care.Currently, Anjali serves as Deputy Director of Fellowships at Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice, where she leads the Social Change Fellowship—a year-long program for undergraduates in the City University of New York system who are interested in pursuing social movement work.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today Colin sits down with someone he met close to 2 decades ago, when a mutual Mentor– S/O Hodari Davis–connected them during the time he was an After School Intervention Program Coordinator for the non-profit, Making Waves in San Rafael, CA. Today's guest taught a DJ’ing enrichment course that their then 3rd to 8th grade students absolutely adored and his cool, calm, collected, and inquisitive demeanor immediately made Colin feel like he’d found an instant friend and comrade. Fast fwd 15+ years, they are both middle aged Papas and have since discovered many connections, be they to mutual friends and passions, or the fact that they attended the same–Fairmont–Elementary school. Today's guest is someone whose work soars at the intersection of art, education, and community. He’s a visual storyteller, a children’s book illustrator, an independent publisher, a cultural worker — and a proud father. His art is deeply rooted in family, ancestry, and the beauty of everyday people — particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, whose stories are too often left out of the mainstream. Through his illustrations, murals, and books, he brings to life the richness of identity and the quiet power of representation.He’s also the founder of Come Bien Books, an indie publishing house focused on bilingual and diverse children’s books, and a member of the Trust Your Struggle Collective, a crew of artists who use visual storytelling as a tool for justice and transformation.Rob/Robert/Roberto Trujillo (He, Him, Bruh) is an author and illustrator from Oakland, California and has been an artist most of his life. He started working professionally in the early 2000’s and has worked in murals, public art, arts education, merchandise making, illustration, and kid book publishing.His most recent books are “Fresh Juice/ Jugo Fresco” which he wrote and illustrated, “Art of Rob” a 130 page book of sketches, drawings, etc, and “We Are Yoga/ Somos Yoga” written by Jill Guerra that he illustrated. Rob is represented by Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker.You can email him at [email protected] Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In this episode, Colin sits down with someone he has known for over 2 decades and is absolutely beloved to him. The two met at UC Santa Cruz-Oakes College (OAKES!) in 2000 as freshmen, were Residential Advisors in their Sophomore and Junior years, and became especially close during Senior year, while studying abroad in West Africa, at the University of Ghana-Legon in 2004. They have witnessed up close and from afar, each other’s victories, mistakes, maturations, battles, joys, growth, healing, and transformations. Today's guest is a powerful combination of (1) softness and sensitivity, mixed brilliantly with (2) “don’t play in my face because I’m NOT the one,” type energy; the kind of person Colin wants his daughters to witness model humanity, and someone whose love of Bob Marley is rivaled only by her love of her family, be they blood or chosen. C is deeply honored to be amongst the chosen few! Asena Lillywater Tui'one, JD, MA (she/her) is a community advocate, policy strategist, and organizer committed to building equity and community power. She serves as Director of the Training Institute at the Center for Justice Innovation, in New York City, where she leads people-centered programs that foster collaboration, growth, and shared leadership. Raised in a Tongan immigrant household, Asena brings deep care, bold vision, and a justice-driven spirit to every space she enters—from education reform in the Bronx to policy advocacy across New York and California.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today’s episode, Colin sits down with his dear brother of close to 3 decades. The two met on the local basketball court in 6th grade via their mutual childhood friend, Ronnie Lang, to whom they dedicate this episode to, as a loved one who heartbreakingly passed from cancer a little over a decade ago. On the hoop court in the Richmond Annex as kids, they were affectionately known as “Asian Steve Kerr” and “Latino Khalid El-Amin”–which is f------ hilarious if you know late 90s basketball–and have had each other’s backs through countless moments and waves of good, bad, and ugly. Today's guest is an Uncle to Colin's children, the Godfather of his daughter, Mayari, and a Dominoes and “Magic the Gathering” afficionado, whose confidence in these arenas mirrors that of Marshawn Lynch being handed the ball at the one yard line. Today's guest is a person Colin accompanied to Oracle Arena to witness Stephen Curry hit his 400th 3 point pointer in the Warriors’ 73-win 2017 season, and when they took a picture together with the championship trophy and the photographer stated, “Sir, please don’t touch the trophy,” he sucked his teeth and replied, “I’m from Richmond.” Today's guest is an extremely knowledgeable, talented, and brilliant Real Estate Agent and leader/mentor with and for many in this realm. He agrees with the United Nations that housing is a human right, is hypervigilant as it pertains to issues of social justice and supporting historically dispossessed communities of color in the Bay Area, and Colin is honored to discuss Richard Rothstein's groundbreaking text, "The Color of Law," here on The Paper Plane. Victor Reyes, is an immigrant born, naturalized citizen, hailing from Lima, Peru. He and his family migrated to the US, when he was only 5 years of age. His family settled in Miami for a couple of years before moving to the Bay Area, specifically Richmond, CA, where he grew up.Prior to venturing into the real estate industry, Victor has honed his skills and expertise through an 8 year career in Sales & Service and 6 year career in Logistics. Victor’s journey endowed him with a wealth of knowledge and experience, an invaluable asset that he brings to his clients in the diverse and dynamic Bay Area markets. Victor’s desire is to empower his clients to realize their dreams of homeownership, by providing relentless support and expertise.Notably, he served as the former President of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals East Bay Chapter (NAHREP) and currently serves as the Founding President of the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates East Bay Chapter (NHORA). Victor’s dedication extends to supporting organizations like the RYSE Center, which plays a pivotal role in creating safe spaces for youth in Richmond, CA. His multifaceted commitment to bettering the lives of those around him exemplifies his unwavering passion and dedication.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today’s episode, Colin sits down with his a dear friend and Mentor that he met over a decade ago, in the University of San Francisco’s 'Teaching: Urban Education & Social Justice' Master’s Program. Whether schlepping him across the Bay Bridge to graduate seminars or connecting him with brilliant veteran Educators like Amy Crawford and Dana Moran at Berkeley High School’s Communication Arts & Sciences small school, where Colin cut his teeth student teaching, today’s guest is someone he lovingly refers to as “Uncle" and "Sensei," due to his profound wisdom, patience, support, perpetual reflection, and contagious courageous.   Dr. Rick Ayers is an associate professor of education focusing on English language arts and secondary education, and a faculty member of the urban education and social justice cohort at the University of San Francisco. Professor Ayers received his MA from Mills College, his Ph.D from UC Berkeley, and focuses on language and literacy as well as curriculum and pedagogy, with particular emphasis on equity, social justice, and decolonial approaches to education. His writing, in blogs as well as publications, is on community-engaged scholarship and community organizing. Rick was an anti-war and anti-racist activist in the 1960s and 70s, and a cadre in the Weather Underground. Rick lives in Oakland, California with his wife Ilene. He spends time with his three children and three grandchildren as much as possible. He taught in the Communication Arts and Sciences small school at Berkeley High School, where he pioneered innovative and effective strategies for academic and social success for a diverse range of students. Rick was a core team member of the Berkeley High School Diversity Project. He is the co-author, with his brother Bill Ayers, of Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom (now in its second edition); is co-author with Amy Crawford of Great Books for High School Kids: A Teacher’s Guide to Books That Can Change Teens’ Lives; and is author of Studs Terkel’s Working: A Teaching Guide; as well as numerous chapters and journal articles. He has worked with Youth Radio, Youth Speaks, Voice of Witness, and other community and arts organizations and currently teaches a poetry seminar at San Quentin prison.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

Today’s guest is someone Colin had the very fortunate privilege of meeting at San Francisco State University over 15 years ago, when both were pursuing Master’s Degrees in the College of Ethnic Studies. As Teaching Assistants in Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade’s "Raza 580: Educational Equity" course and the East Oakland Step to College Program at Fremont High School with Jeff and Dr. Patrick “Cam” Camangian, Colin was taken aback by this brother’s deep sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and humility as it pertained to the work of supporting young people emerging from historically dispossessed communities, but also by the ways he balanced these things with an unshakeable confidence and tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. More than a decade later, today's guest played a pivotal role in supporting Colin as he transitioned into teaching at the community college level, and for this and many other reasons, Colin will forever be grateful to know and walk beside him in the deeply important and challenging work of critical, liberatory, and humanizing education, here in the East Bay on unceded Bay and Plains Miwok, Confederated Villages of Lijan, and Muwekma Ohlone Territory.  Dr. Dani Ahuicapahtzin Cornejo (Ópata/Xicano/Picunche/Chileno) is a husband, father, son, brother, uncle and community member. He is also an Assistant Professor and chair of Ethnic Studies at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Native American Studies at UC Davis. His work is focused on the study of Indigenous holistic pedagogical strategies from a hemispheric perspective as well as the application of these strategies in the service of urban Native youth and other underserved communities in the Bay Area. He has designed and taught courses in the fields of Native American Studies, Urban Education, and Comparative Ethnic Studies, at the University of San Francisco, The University of California Davis, San Francisco State University, Chabot College and Diablo Valley College.  He has also published on topics such as Indigenous cultural reclamation and educational equity.   Dr. Cornejo has also worked as a public school K-12 educator serving second language learners in Denver Colorado and high school students as the assistant director of the East Oakland Step to College Program. Dani has been a practitioner of the Mexicayotl tradition through Danza Azteca and the Temescalli (Sweat Lodge) since 2004 and has facilitated Nahuatl language courses for beginning speakers situated within Mexicayotl epistemologies taught through the oral traditions of Flor y Canto and Danza Azteca. Finally, since 2004 he has served as the co-musical director and co-producer for the Hip-Hop and World Music collective Debajo del Agua, an experience that has opened opportunities for teaching world music ensembles centered in the Indigenous and African diasporas of the Americas.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

As a now middle-aged Dad with chronic back pain, today’s distinguished guest is someone Colin has known, in the words of the poet and philosopher, Earl “E-40” Stevens, since he "was knee-high to a caterpillar’s toenail.” This interviewee is someone Colin met as an undergrad at UC Santa Cruz in Oakes College (OAKES!), and has been inspired by up close when organizing with People’s Education Movement - Bay Area and at Ed. Conferences or Professional Development Trainings…and from afar via Social Media, over the last two decades. Today’s guest continues to grow her powerful family, grow powerful communities, and grows–and glows–powerfully, herself. Hailing from Richmond’s sibling city, the indomitable Vallejo, CA, this incredible Educator, Leader, Mentor, Scholar, Mother, sibling, friend, comrade, community member, and Golden State of Mind (and heart) Warrior, is someone Colin is absolutely honored to have on The Paper Plane , to discuss Trevor Noah's brilliant and complex memoir, "Born a Crime".   Dr. Katrina Traylor is a National Board Certified Teacher with nearly 20 years of teaching experience in urban secondary classrooms. She began her teaching career at June Jordan School for Equity in San Francisco, where she also worked as an administrator. Katrina then worked at her former high school, Jesse M. Bethel High School, in Vallejo, where she spent eight years as the Lead Teacher of the Law Academy. Under her leadership, the Law Academy earned the Diversity Champion Award from California LAW Pathways Advisory Council. Katrina is currently the Coordinator for Teacher Residency which is a partnership between Alder Graduate School of Equity and the Vallejo City Unified School District to recruit and train teachers specifically to work in Vallejo schools. Prior to this role, Katrina also worked as Alder’s Whole Child Initiative Manager, organizing many of the core components of Alder’s approach to whole child teaching and learning.Katrina has taught high school English and history at all grade levels and loves teaching students to become engaged readers of history, literature, and the world around them. Katrina is deeply passionate about creating healing-centered classrooms through trauma-informed care practices including restorative justice, mindfulness, and culturally relevant curriculum.Katrina holds a BA from UC Santa Cruz in American Studies, an MA in Education from Stanford’s Teacher Education Program, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC Davis where she researched how Black students define and experience joy within the context of school. When she’s not shaking things up in the world of education, she can be found reading historical fiction, conquering Beyonce’s dance moves, or delighting at the world with her four young children.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In this episode, Colin sits down with his former student/mentee, current colleague, fellow Richmond-CA-raised-May-Gemini, BDay twin of his first-born child, someone he considers family, and whom he lovingly refers to as his “Young Mentor.” Janet Muro Vera, M.Ed discusses the anthology, "This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color" (1981), edited by 3rd Wave Feminist Scholars, Cherie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua, and the powerful roles it has played in her life as a Chicana, Zacatecana, Mexican American, and Woman of Color Educator, from the Bay Area. Though he an elder millennial and she an elder Gen Z’er, Colin would argue that in the last decade, they–in different and similar ways–”grew up together,” in their careers as Educators. They dedicate this episode to their beloved former student, Kelin "KJ" Sissoko (2005-2025), whose life was tragically taken on January 10th of this year, whose May 22nd birthday was shared with Janet and Colin's first-born daughter, and whose funeral service they attended the same week this was recorded.Janet Muro Vera is an SF-born, Richmond-raised Chicana. As the first in her family to pursue higher education, Janet earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a Minor in Health Education from San Francisco State University. During her time at SF State, she studied abroad at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne, Australia, where she advanced her studies in Adolescent and Developmental Psychology. After returning home, she worked as an after-school educator at her former high school, where she discovered a love for education and decided to pursue a career in teaching. Coincidentally, her teacher residency program paired her with her former English teacher, Mr. Colin Ehara, who became her lifelong mentor and chosen family. Shortly after, she earned a Master's in Education from the University of the Pacific. Since then, she has served in various roles, including English/ELD Teacher, Lead Teacher, Interim Dean of Students, Advisor, and her personal favorite, Psychology Teacher. Janet created and implemented her school's first A-G-approved Psychology course, combining her two greatest passions: education and psychology. During her summers, she teaches Middle school Psychology through SummerSpringboard at UC Berkeley. Janet is a proud Zacatecana, the daughter of immigrant parents, and the sister of three brothers whom she affectionately calls both her greatest challenges and her biggest blessings. A fun fact about her: she had the unique experience of being her younger brother Sergio’s high school teacher, a role she considers one of the most memorable and rewarding moments of her life. Outside the classroom, you’ll often find her browsing the Google Flights Explore tab, planning her next adventure. She has a deep passion for travel, learning through experiences, and connecting with new people.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today's episode, Colin sits down with his dear colleague, comrade, friend, and Pedagogical Sibling, Professor Lisa Ang, to discuss two groundbreaking novels in the realm of Asian American and post-colonial literature. Tess Uriza Holthe's novel, When the Elephants Dance (2002) is a powerful encounter with the forces ofJapanese and U.S. imperialism--and resistance to them--in the Philippines during WWII, expressed via the lenses of multiple dynamic narrators. Martyr! (2024) by poet and writer, Kaveh Akbar, follows the journey of a queer, Muslim, Iranian American artist, searching for meaning and possibility in the paths of living and/or dying. Colin and Lisa met last summer when he taught multiple 'Intro to Ethnic Studies' Courses at Diablo Valley College, and this veteran Community College Educator played a powerful role in having his back as he stumbled into making a tough transition from secondary/HS, into post-secondary and higher education. As someone who taught high school English for a decade, Colin is excited to welcome his first guest who is an Instructor of English Composition and Literature to The Paper Plane: a podcast that centers the act of reading, studying others’ writing, and making meaning in community, as we do so. Lisa Ang (she/her/siya) is a Pilipinx-American writer, scholar, and professor from the East Bay. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in English, she worked at the Mayor’s Office of San Francisco for eight years, first as liaison to the APA community, then as Deputy Communications Director. She earned her M.A. in English Literature from SF State and taught writing there, as well as at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. Since 2017, she has taught Asian American Literature, African American Literature, The Graphic Novel as Literature, Poetry Writing, Critical Thinking, and other writing and literature classes at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Professor Ang is currently on sabbatical to conduct research on Asian American literature and media and to write her first formal poetry collection.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today's episode, Colin discusses the Hernandez Brothers’ groundbreaking comic book series, "Love & Rockets" with his dear friend, chosen family, and someone whose wedding he was honored to officiate (despite being given insufficient information as to what it should entail), veteran Educator, student advocate, dark humor/dog-lover, and jack-of-all-trades, Mr. David Galvez. David Galvez is the proud son of Mexican immigrants and spent most of his childhood growing up in the eastern LA County communities of El Monte and Baldwin Park in the San Gabriel Valley. He credits his early love of independent comics, science fiction, and punk music as being the lifelines that got him through the dogma and propaganda of conformity and standardized testing experienced during his early educational journey. After dropping out and proudly attaining his GED, David’s next steps led him to stops across California, Arizona and Texas, where he held a wide array of jobs, including photographing karate students, stripping down cars, and working as a cook, waiter, and bartender at numerous two-star restaurants and dive-bars. His search for a decent dental care plan led him back to the classroom where he eventually received his BA in English from UC Berkeley and a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from UT Austin. He’s since carved out a career as an educator for over 15 years, where he’s served as a substitute teacher, non-profit educator, counselor, professor and higher education administrator at The University of Texas, UC San Diego and Ventura College. He currently serves as the Director of Equity at the College of San Mateo where he continues to center, support and lend compassion, humor and love towards a student’s academic and career journey and search for intellectual freedom. David currently lives in Pacifica, California with his partner and wife, Marley, and their Fur Baby, Fela Cutie."Love and Rockets" (often abbreviated L&R) is a comic book series by the Hernandez brothers: Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario. It was one of the first comic books in the alternative comics movement of the 1980s. In 1982, Fantagraphics Books published the first issue of Love and Rockets by the Hernandez brothers (Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario), and the series has since gone on to become the publisher’s flagship title, a monumental work of graphic fiction. Collected under the umbrella of L&R, the series is comprised of two separate ongoing stories: Gilbert chronicles the colorful inhabitants of the fictional Latin American town of Palomar, while Jaime follows Latinx friends and sometime lovers Maggie and Hopey and their circle of friends in the punk scene of the fictional Californian town Hoppers. Over the course of L&R’s multi-decade run, its characters have aged in real time, lending these stories a depth and weight that few literary works achieve. The Hernandez brothers continue to release new issues of "Love and Rockets."The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In this episode, Colin sits down with his dear Sactown/Bay Area sibling, (who goes by the pen name) YD Hawkins, to discuss "Capital" by Karl Marx, and it's impacts on his life and identity as an Artist, former Labor Organizer, and Social Worker. YD Hawkins is a bay area social worker, thinker, and poet.  Over the years he has served as a union organizer, youth trauma response specialist, mental health case manager for adults with co-occurring disorders.  His debut poetry collection “Years Like Fevers” is a document of the labor movement, love, and murder during the great recession.  It has been described as “you did it” by three of the five people who have purchased it.  His forthcoming book, “Totem” will investigate the commoditized self – “You” and “Me” – as ontological categories needing exorcism.  More than anything YD is a husband to a beautiful wife, and father to a daughter who has expanded his life with boundless meaning.  He looks forward to the arrival of another this coming May, perfectly named Adelasoul.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

In today's episode, Colin sits down with his inaugural guest and cherished partner/spouse/co-Parent, Artist and Educator, Emalyn de la Rama Lopez (she/her/siya), to discuss Palestinian Author/Essayist, Adania Shibli's novel, "Minor Detail." Centering this short (105 pages) yet tremendously powerful novel that Em chose to have our discussion on today, we discuss the following themes...1. The Power of Silence and Ambiguity2. Themes of Trauma and Memory3. Narrative Structure and Dual Perspectives4. The Politics of Space and Place5. Gender and Violence6. The Unspoken and the Unseen7. The Role of Empathy in Art & StorytellingCW: Sexual violence, violence against women, settler-colonialism, militarization, war, imperialism.The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...

The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Educator and Artist, Colin Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, to ask them about a books that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to imperfectly/humanly operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...The Paper Plane is a podcast created and hosted by Colin Masashi Ehara, where he interviews people he is blessed and honored to share community with, and asks them about a book(s) that have had a transformational impact on their lives. In a society where literacy rates are steadily declining and a growing number of podcasts hosted by cishet men, un/consciously champion expressions of masculinity that come at the expense of women, femmes, and LGBTQIA2S+ (especially BIPOC) folx, this space aims to operate as a counter-narrative.  The Paper Plane is a space that intends to highlight the dire importance of relationships, community, dialogue, perpetual learning, honest expression as art, art as honest expression, and freedom for literacy and literacy for freedom. It speaks to planes of existence attached to the act of reading, but also as a metaphor for the “flights” we take as we sit in what Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “a one way interface” as readers, and how these “journeys” shape us...