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I wrote an essay about my mother that was in my collection of Emil Amok columns in my book Amok back in 2000.

I read it here, along with a preamble on the podcast, because I’ve too often given short shrift to my mom’s story, in favor of my dad’s.

But my mother’s story was pretty incredible too. She survived the Japanese occupation of Manila during WWII and found her way to the U.S. with the help of an angel, a Spanish aristocrat who was unrelated, and whom I remember as having so much makeup on her face that she she looked like a ghost. I only knew her as Lola Angelita, world traveler.

My mom is in this picture, on the left. Another one of her comadres, my Lola Rosie, is holding me. I’m just horribly disoriented looking for the right nipple. And probably crying.

All that and more on the podcast for Mothers Day in May, which is also AAPI Heritage Month.

Here’s a shoutout to The New Yorker for its funny, satirical cover, the positive yellowfacing of Dr. David Dao, who is replaced by the ousted FBI chief James Comey.

It’s funny, not racist, as some have suggested. It’s a recognition of how we felt about Dao, and how we should all feel about what’s happened to Comey.

In Trump-speak, the Comey thing is as important as the Russia thing, and so much more important than any email thing.

In the firing, Trump as Nixon was pretty obvious from Day 1. But Trump doesn’t leave well enough alone. He’s compounded it with subsequent steps that only create a growing credibility gap between his White House and the American public.

Where is the Truth about the firing of Comey? We have several versions, at this point. One too many for a real democracy.

And if Trump isn’t getting really Nixony, why did he tweet about the possibility that conversations with Comey were taped?

James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017

So our democracy under Trump is getting shakier and shakier, especially when Trump feels his people must be loyal to him and not the American people.

King Donald?

It leaves us with motherhood to hang on to for now, while we can.

My tribute to my Mom and all mothers on this podcast.

Show Log:

00: Opening :20 About our show 1:15 My theater performance 1:56 This episode 3:17 _New Yorker _spoof: Comey as David Dao 4:29 More on Trump 10:26 Preamble on my Mom, followed by the “Mom’s Sundae” commentary from my

Amok: Essays from an Asian American Perspective