Thanks for the coverage of Guru Jagat and the fake yoga lineage started by Bhajan. My question to you is, why would you drink yogi tea whilst talking about how messed up the yoga is? Please don’t support any of the companies associated with this-eg., Yogi tea, ICE, 3ho, Sikh dharma international among others

I am a small-time fan (in recent years) of some K-Pop, and I found this podcast fascinating. I love to learn about culture and society, in the US and beyond. I especially love the most recent Bonus episode #3 that delves into some uncomfortable but important discussions of race, culture and international relations. It’s great to hear various perspectives and voices to bring a wider view of the subject. Very great work all around!

Highly recommend this Kpop Dreaming season. Even if you’re not a Kpop lover, it’s so interesting to see how events and cultures shape music and how music then reshapes history and people. Vivian does a fantastic job telling us the stories from big picture to her own personal experiences. Thank you for creating such a insightful series.

I could relate! Loved the journey this podcast took me from present to past with a full circle to the present. I laughed and cried! Recommend this podcast for all K-Pop lovers at heart.

I’m 35 years old and started listening to kpop in 1996 with H.O.T’s “Candy”. I was obsessed. I was the only Korean-American girl in my entire school and barely had any Korean friends. My parents emigrated when they were kids (my mom came when she was 6, my dad when he was 16), so I didn’t have the Korean immigrant experience which made me different from most Korean-American kids here. I felt kind of alienated, and listening to kpop made me feel closer to my heritage. Unfortunately it was something I kept secret because the White kids at school would make fun of me for it (“I can’t believe you listen to that Ching-Chong music and think that guy is hot. Why can’t you just tell us if you like *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys??”). They’d even make fun of the food I’d sometimes bring to school. Being Korean was something to hide or be ashamed of. It is absolutely bewildering to me how loved and accepted Korean culture is now. I go to kpop concerts and sometimes I’m the only Korean person in my entire section. It’s wild how many people “own” kpop now, and for better or for worse, I’m glad that the world finds kpop relatable, because for so much of my life it was something I couldn’t share with anyone. Thanks for providing historical and culture context for kpop with this podcast! I feel like it’s important that people know about its history and significance because so many detractors try to write kpop off as a fad or something manufactured and inauthentic. Keep up the good work! Haven’t been so excited about a podcast in a long time!

I absolutely love this podcast! I highly recommend listening to it 😊

It gets really good starting in episode 3. This is journalism at its best! You learn about history and communities via the lens of pop culture. I love the Korean American perspective in this. You hear a lot about Korean and America but not much about the Korean American experience.

So interesting and thorough, really enjoying it and looking forward to more episodes!

I've learned so much about the origins of K Pop through this K Pop Dreaming. Thank you for making this podcast Vivian!

Haven’t listened to season 1 yet but I am loving season 2

Finally, there’s a podcast devoted to the origins of k-pop as well as related Korean genres like trot! I love how the host weaves together her personal experiences and broader Korean history with audio snippets of songs and people to bring the podcast to life. This is a gem of a podcast and anyone who’s a k-pop fan should listen to this to gain a broader understanding and appreciation for this musical genre!

Relatable for my 3rd gen kids!

Loving the K-Pop season! Such emotive and vibrant story-telling that feels deeply-rooted in the best parts LA's culture and history. A great show for anyone who wants to learn about k-pop, feel nostalgic about the 90's, or walk a mile in someone else's shoes~

Change happens in every city. Many good changes have happened in LA but you would never know it from this podcast. Also let’s stop pretending writing your initials with spray paint is art. It’s not. It’s just uncool and trashy. Good storytelling and production quality though.

Enjoyed listening to this podcast. 👍🏼

We’ll done y’all.

I so wanted to get into this podcast but twice trying to listen to it I was turned off by the endless in and out between commentary and music and snail pacing. It felt like a never ending intro. Couldn’t manage to stick with it so I moved on. Hopefully good for others.

The show would be good for five year olds learning about immigration for the first time

Very cool look at culture and real life. Love the writing and the way it’s produced.

This is the type of podcast I’ve been looking for I need more.

Truly wonderful storytelling. Exactly what I want from a podcast. Stories that are so different from my own; that open & change my mind. And I love your mom. 🥰

This whole podcast was great beginning to end. My favorite episode was “Kobe”. As a native Angeleno who grew up here and left then came back I too am always fighting to remember the way it was and trying to keep the memory alive.

My favorite episode so far is The Parrots: A Parable. It was very emotional and well done. I Plan on sharing it with my coworkers. We are all animal lovers. It might be because our motto for our organization is celebrating and saving wildlife and wild places. I hope you choose to upload my episodes or create another podcast. Great work! Thank you for sharing your stories. ¡Muchas gracias!

I’ve never done a review but I really enjoyed Diane Guerrero’s show. Both episodes were very inspiring, heartfelt and valuable. Keep it going Diane - love you girl!

I don’t listen to any podcasts but typically just take the few minutes I have as a busy mom to listen to NPR and stay current on news. The image and title struck me because I am an LA native and love my urban city and my state too. I am white and I may not be the demographic imagined for this podcast but it speaks to me too. It illuminates things I have not lived but live adjacent to. It speaks to the way I love and support my black and brown neighbors and friends. It’s immense and beautiful. My daughter is named Eleanor and we call her Elie. I went right to the Ellie podcast when I clicked on the podcast and I heard about a beautiful, bright, strong, impactful woman who is an Ellie that she can look up to. We teach our kids to be strong and to speak justice and look to be a positive part of our community to be a part of social change, speak to social and racial justice, and knowing our part as white Angelenos. Thank you, Walter. Thank you for this. Thank you for opening up and sharing your life and stories in your genuine way. It’s unique, and yet not at all, for the lives lived in our City. It means a lot to me and I just wanted to say that I appreciate you.

Thank you

Okay the intros always feel like a movie trailer and that’s what sets you guys apart from other podcast. Love the way the mood is set and love to see the Latino community thriving! ✨💫

I am a refugee from my home city of Los Angeles as well as California and was born very close to where the stories in Compton takes place. Unfortunately what was once a open black community is long gone. It’s primarily Latino now along with most of the county’s gateway cities from which I am from. The Los Angeles black identity has been mostly washed away. This isn’t addressed and glossed over so hence 1 star

This is the version of LA that only native angelenos can identify. Not the Hollywood version. We need more of these.

This is the west coast version of my east coast child hood, but with a happier ending..😂

As a native Angeleno, I totally approve and loved all gf the stories, especially the parrots, as I grew up in the ‘dena.

Another “pro-black” podcast where the narrator identifies just how much he hates white people and wishes he never saw them all within the first ten minutes. Don’t waste your time with this nonsense.

There is LOTS of content out there but not a lot of good content. If you are burning through first episodes in search of something meaningful & thoughtful and not inciting, give this a spin. It drips with composure and will not play the cheap note of grievance.

As a native Angelino I thought it’d be interesting listening to historical accounts of the history of L.A. What I got was so much more. Walter Thompson Hernandez’s tell of the human side of L.A. is thought provoking. His stories are raw, yet his compassion for our city is evident. His word are carefully crafted and, surprisingly wise for such a young man.

This podcast was so beautifully written. Just when I think the last episode was my favorite one the next one captures me. I shed tears, laughed and smiled. Brilliant.

This mans outlook on life and the world is so beautiful.

This dude is real what a dope podcast finally something different I can listen and relate too .

Thank you for bringing your story to us. I’m definitely intrigued and can’t wait for more.

Walter is an impressive storyteller both in terms of how he captivates the audience and in the honesty he demonstrates digging into his own life experiences. His mosaic of different stories showcase LA’s depth and diversity. A must listen.

The episode on graffiti art was so rich and informative. I’ve never heard graffiti describedIn a way that I could better understand the motivation behind it. Thank you so much for sharing your art through this podcast. Just absolutely awesome.

True to LA love.

This was such a good podcast! I didn’t want it to end!

This podcast is so full of brilliant storytelling and important information skillfully tucked in along with it. It was so easy to binge, I was sucked in to every episode!

Your experiences were beautifully told and humbling. Thank you

Love Walter’s perspective. He is a genius story teller.

People that think Kobe Bryant is a rapist are retards.👌🏻

I grew up in LA and it’s awesome to hear the voices of the next generation!!

I taught in Cudahy/Bell for 30 years. Not only do I love your podcast because I hear my story in it, but also because I hear the beautiful stories of my past students. Like a teacher, you too may not ever know where your influence begins or ends. But,know that definitely you are a strong and powerful force for kids who hear their story in yours. Welcome home Walter, your teachers are smiling and so am I! Marisela Maestra

Very well put together I love the stories and really everything about this podcast.

This episode has me so choked up man. Good work