On a new episode of Southern Fried Asian, Keith speaks with surgeon, scientist, and political activist Dr. Eugene Gu.

Though he is originally from San Francisco, Dr. Gu has made headlines for his very public dispute with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He discusses how living in the South has influenced his activism and recounts the story of what led to his famous “Taking a Knee” photo (2:00). They also talk about the importance of liberal politicians engaging in the South (11:15), how the model minority myth is deeply racist (14:00), and what was so disturbing about President Trump’s first State of the Union (18:45). Later, they talk about the ways social media can be a positive agent of change (25:30) and dive into the politics of health care in the United States (31:00). Finally, Dr. Gu reveals why pho is his favorite food in Tennessee (36:00)

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Our official theme music is the song “Top Down” by Chops, Timothy Flu, and Mic Barz.

Southern Fried Asian is produced by Keith Chow and Jes Vu.