• Cha with Rohan Zhou-Lee
    Sep 4 2025
    Blasian March Founder Rohan Zhou-Lee is an award-winning dancer, writer, speaker, curator, and community organizer. In 2024, they co-curated the Critical Connections exhibit with the Pace University Art Gallery and the George Stephanopoulos photo collection of the Civil Rights Era. In 2023, they became the first mixed race Black Asian admitted to the Open City Fellowship for Journalism at the Asian American Writers' Workshop. They are also a recipient of the 2024 PEN American US Writers’ Aid Initiative, 2023 FIYAH Rest Grant, 2023 New Yorkers for Culture and The Arts, 2022 Bandung Resident, they have written for Newsweek, Hyperallergic, Truthout, and more. They have performed poetry and dance as a reflection of their activism in the United States and the 2022 Unite Festival in Zürich, Switzerland. Spotlight features include CNN, NBC Chicago, USA Today, WNYC, AJ+, and more. Zhou-Lee has spoken at Harvard University, New York University, Yale University, Oberlin College, The University of Tokyo, the 2022 Unite and Enough Festivals in Zürich, Switzerland, and more.As a performing artist, major credits include: Julius Eastman’s Joy Boy on trumpet (ChamberQUEER, 2021,) and for dance: Lovecraft Country (HBO, 2018) François & The Rebels (Public Theatre, 2023,) Over Here! (Triad Theatre, Off-Broadway debut, 2019) West Side Story (New Bedford Theatre Festival, 2018) and Bluebird from Sleeping Beauty (Victoria Ballet Theatre, 2019.)Zhou-Lee holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Ethnomusicology from Northwestern University. Pronouns: They | Siya | 祂 | Elle, gender identity: Firebird.Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. Links Cha with Laura and Leah https://open.spotify.com/show/1z194Dm1oJ1U9GzqvJ0dT9?si=b3effad8f6484e57Firebird's Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/diaryofafirebird/Firebird's Websitehttps://www.diaryofafirebird.com/Laura Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/iamlaurachung/Laura Websitehttps://www.laurakchung.com/Laura YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@LaurakchungLeah Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/leahsoojinkim/Leah Substackhttps://leahkim.substack.com/Leah YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@leahsoojinkim⁩ Links Support us on Cha's Patreon https://rb.gy/g6vtbmVenmo: http://bitly.ws/iXCSPaypal: http://bitly.ws/iXCb차 logo designed by grimeninja
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    59 mins
  • Cha with Sarinya Srisakul
    Sep 4 2025

    Sarinya is the founder of Angry Asian Womxn - an organization centering safety, wellness, and community for women/femmes/gender expansive folks affected by anti-Asian ra cism and/or Isl amophobia. She was also the first ever Asian woman firefighter in the FDNY.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!


    Cha with Laura and Leah Podcast

    Sarinya Links

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Cha with Yeldā Ali
    Aug 20 2025

    Yeldā is a Brooklyn-based artist, author, and activist, known for women's rights and mental health advocacy. She is bilingual and multi-disciplinary. Her work focuses on identity, safety, and community. Yeldā is a celebrated voice of the Afghan diaspora, sharing stories of her culture and upbringing.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!

    ⁠Yeldā Instagram

    ⁠⁠Yeldā Website⁠

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Cha with Mo Hamzeh
    Aug 19 2025

    Mo is a Palestinian artist, author, digital creator, and father. He has been tireless in educating all of us on what is and has been happening in Palestine for 76+ years.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!


    Mo Hamzeh's Instagram accounts keep getting banned :/

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Cha with Solonje Burnett
    Aug 6 2025

    Solonje is lovingly known as the Weed Auntie, leading the fight for cannabis equity by putting community first. Solonje is a Brooklyn-based humanist, pleasure activist, and entrepreneur committed to carving out intentional space for marginalized voices in the world of weed.


    Raised by Caribbean immigrants in the suburbs of Newton, Massachusetts, Solonje learned from an early age how to turn the things that made her stand out into a super power. After spending her early career in event production and DEI consulting, she brought her unique skill set to the emerging cannabis industry to transform its glaring equity obstacles into inclusive opportunities.


    One of Solonje's latest creations is her hemp jumpsuit, which you can find here.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!


    Solonje Instagram

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Cha with Sammy Kim
    Aug 5 2025

    Sammy Kim (they/them) is a multifaceted individual: a queer artist, writer, healer, sex worker, community organizer, caregiver, and friend. From a young age, Sammy took on a caregiving role when their mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, moving in with relatives as her condition progressed. Seeing their mother struggle with her health, Sammy naturally came into a role of caregiving, grounding themselves in gratitude while extending empathy towards their family.


    By their pre-teen years, Sammy knew they were queer but felt compelled to hide it due to their Christian upbringing, even trying to "ungay" themselves to avoid eternal damnation. Operating out of fear, Sammy didn't come out to their parents until their mother approached them about it, by which time they had been living openly for three years. Although their mother struggled to accept this part of Sammy, she affirmed her love, signaling a need for more time to understand.


    Through sex work, what began as a caregiving role to provide for men seeking to feel wanted eventually evolved into a way for Sammy to heal from their early childhood trauma of sexual abuse. Their work became a way for them to deeply question their relationship to the sexualization tied to their identities. As Sammy continues to unravel the many intersections of their experiences, they choose with intention to feel alive in the present, living in the joy that stems from simply being themselves without distraction.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!


    Sammy Kim Instagram

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Sleepless Nights with Samar Haddad King
    Jul 25 2025

    Samar is the artistic/founding director of Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre (YSDT) and is based in Palestine and NYC. Samar graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program under the tutelage of Kazuko Hirabayashi and her work has been performed in 19 countries on four continents. YSDT's mission is to create invigorating performance and education programs that expand access to and promote understanding through the arts. They celebrated 20 years this June.


    Our conversation is rooted in curiosity about each other's cultures, appreciation of the multiple functions of art, and enduring hope for liberation.


    YSDT Website

    Leah's IG

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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Cha with Bianca Mabute-Louie
    Jul 23 2025

    Bianca is an award-winning sociologist, speaker, and author of Unassimilable. She is completing her PhD at Rice University, where she researches the intersections of race, religion, and politics. She is published in top academic journals and has been featured in major media outlets.


    Over the last decade, Bianca has served Asian American community organizations and taught Asian American Studies. Through her work in academia and the community, Bianca is committed to the praxis of solidarity and collective liberation.


    Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.


    Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!


    ⁠Bianca Website⁠⁠

    Bianca Instagram⁠

    Laura Instagram

    Laura Website

    Laura YouTube

    Leah Instagram

    Leah Substack

    Leah YouTube

    Cha Patreon


    차 logo designed by grimeninja

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    1 hr and 3 mins