Meet the Asians in Baseball Podcast Hosts

August 15 talk, L.A. Koreatown, 11 a.m. to noon

510 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020

 On Thursday, August 15,  from 11 a.m. to noon, the Service Area 4 Peer Resource Center at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in Koreatown will host a conversation with two of the hosts of the Asians in Baseball podcast. Scott Okamoto and Kim Cooper will chat with the Department of Mental Health’s Jon Matsumoto about how Asian success on the diamond has helped alter the perception of Asian Americans, and Asian Americans’ self-identity in a world still grappling with anti-Asian hate, among other topics. The event will be followed by a meet and greet with Okamoto and Cooper. Baseball-themed foods such as hot dogs and all the fixings, peanuts, and soft drinks will be served.

The Asian American male has long been viewed as much better suited to the science research lab than the athletic field. But the recent explosion of Asian and Asian American talent in Major League Baseball has turned this stereotype on its head. From Shohei Ohtani’s two Most Valuable Player awards to Steven Kwan leading the American League in batting average, Asians have become such a powerful presence in American professional baseball that there is now an entire podcast on the subject.

The Service Area 4 Peer Resource Center at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health covers a large swath of Metro L.A., from Eagle Rock to East Hollywood, Angelino Heights to Atwater Village and Boyle Heights and DTLA, to Park La Brea and West Adams. Its offices are located at 510 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020

Registration is required. To register contact Jon Matsumoto at (213) 947-6608 or jmatsumoto@dmh.lacounty.gov. Or register at forms.office.com/g/FxiVRctXaC.

Deadline for registration: Sunday, August 11, 2024.