Faces Of NPR showcases the people behind NPR–from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio. You’ll find out about what they do and what they’re inspired by on the daily. This month, we feature NPR’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community. First up is Ailsa Chang.
The Basics:
Name: Ailsa Chang
Title: Host of All Things Considered
Twitter Handle: @ailsachang
Ailsa Chang, 2023 Oscars
Ailsa Chang
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Ailsa Chang
Ailsa Chang, 2023 Oscars
Ailsa Chang
Where are you from?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Los Altos, California. I went to Mountain View High School – go Spartans!
What does it mean to you that you’re the first Asian American woman to host an NPR show?
It means a lot to me. It has always meant a lot to me – ever since I became a host in 2018. What’s changed is how much I talk about this out loud now.
I’ve given this a lot of reflection lately. When Lulu Garcia-Navarro became host of Weekend Edition in 2017, it was openly celebrated that NPR now had its first Latina host. I was so happy to see NPR finally take that step. But when I became host of All Things Considered the very next year, there was almost no mention that I was the first Asian American woman to host a news magazine show at NPR – almost zero mention of that within NPR, or outside of NPR. I noticed that immediately, and I didn’t speak up. I didn’t speak up to remind people that having an Asian American woman…
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