The Show

Self Evident is a community-driven podcast where we tell Asian America’s stories to go beyond being seen. Each episode presents an in-depth reported story or intimate conversations from specific Asian American communities in the U.S.

While Asian Americans are not a monolith, mainstream media doesn’t always reflect that. There’s a multitude of identities and experiences that fall under the term “Asian American,” and we aim to reflect those varied experiences, including those of South Asian, South East Asian, East Asian, and multi-ethnic communities. We strive to do this not only through storytelling work, but also in how we work with journalists, producers, listeners, and community leaders.

While we also intend to present stories from Pacific Islander and indigenous communities, we acknowledge that these stories are immensely diverse in their own right, and recognize that we cannot sweep those experiences into the name of our program without first doing further work on stories specifically centering them alongside Asian American and intersecting narratives. So if you’re a Pacific Islander listener or journalist, we look forward to collaborating to present your story.

You can subscribe to our podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Our stories have been aired on KALW 91.7FM in San Francisco, on over 100 North American local stations via Making Contact, and on CBC Radio via Podcast Playlist. We continue to work towards greater representation of Asian American perspectives in public radio, so if you want to bring Asian American stories to your local station, please email us!

Our non-profit fiscal sponsor is Asian CineVision, a long running platform for Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the media arts.

The Team

Host Cathy Erway is host of the IACP award-winning, James Beard Award-nominated podcast Why We Eat What We Eat, from Gimlet Creative. She has also produced and hosted the podcast Eat Your Words at the Heritage Radio Network since 2009. As a seasoned writer and reporter, Cathy is the author of the cookbook The Food of Taiwan and the memoir The Art of Eating In.

The rest of our team is made up of passionate and experienced producers, reporters, and advisors coming from places like Latino USA, Snap Judgment, BuzzFeed, The Moth, WaitWhat, Audible, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Narratively, and more.

In the Media

“...a beautifully produced show... Soft and sharp at the same time, Self Evident is a must listen.”

Justine Goode, Vanity Fair| APR 2021

“…many voices are needed to accomplish this task … and the team has made room for them.”

- Aria Bracci, Hot Pod Insider | MAR 2021

“The conversations not only got at the heart of what was on peoples' minds but provided guidance on how to talk about the problems, solutions and shenanigans that impacted so many people this year.”

Eryn Mathewson, CNN | DEC 2020

“What starts out feeling like a documentary ends up feeling more like a live therapy podcast.”

Adrian Jade Matias Bell, The AV Club | JULY 2019

“Self Evident’s audience can hear their own stories, issues, and conversations in the show,

at a depth that most mainstream podcasts are unlikely to reach.”

Eileen Guo, Columbia Journalism Review | JULY 2019

“A deliberate reframing of the national conversation on “Asian American representation —

not just telling stories about marginalized Asian Americans, but giving Asian Americans the chance to tell them.”

Andrew Hsieh, THE SLANT | MARCH 2019

The Cycles of Trauma for Vietnamese Americans

IN THE THICK WITH MARIA & JULIO (FUTURO MEDIA) | JULY 2019

The 21st’s Summer Podcast Playlist