TW/CW: Mentions of child exploitation, sexual violence towards women, fraud, and other potential community trauma.

For this special episode, I invited my good friend, past guest, and longtime Khmer American community leader, Sina Sam, to the show to discuss the allegations made against Khmerican founder, Phatry Derek Pan, involving financial grifting, child exploitation & predatory behavior towards the Cambodian community both in America and in Cambodia. It is important to note that Phatry has not been charged or found guilty of these allegations, and that the information we are sharing is based on the experiences and stories shared by community members, which will remain confidential for safety purposes. Sina and I also chatted about the pervasive nature of the predatory and toxic behavior of some of the Khmer leaders and members in community spaces, and how the people who have been the recipients of their harm are often not believed, forced to leave their community space(s) or exit out of the work that they have been doing in the community, and not be able to see their abusers be held accountable, and not to mention, the trauma they have to endure long after. Sina shares her reflection on what accountability can look like in community spaces and in supporting survivors. Many thanks to Sophia Sam for her contributions in this episode and for gathering stories from folks who have experienced harm in Khmer community spaces.

For additional resources, please check out the following:

Individual Khmer therapists: Recommended by Krystal from Mealea Collection:

1. Zona Keo (LCSW) at soulfulconnectiontherapy.org (U.S. based)

2. Sophay (Pai) Duch (LCSW) at sophayduchlcsw.com (U.S. based)

3. Sombok Psychology in Phnom Penh (Cambodia based, echoed by another Khmer person as “the only trusted therapy center in PH)

4. Yo Phon (LCSW) in Siem Reap (Cambodia based, recommended by Mealyann Nita Saing/Miss Cambodia USA)

This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, I did a total kiki with the multi-talented writer, dancer, and creative benedict nguyễn (she/her).

Benedict joined me as we dived deep into the genesis of her debut novel, Hot Girls With Balls (Catapult 2025). We explore the nuances of writing trans stories that center joy and athleticism, the reality of navigating social media as a public-facing creative, and why finding the right publisher and community spaces are essential for queer and trans writers of color.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Genesis of the Novel: How Hot Girls With Balls went from an idea to a USA Today National Bestseller.

Trans Athletes & Representation: Crafting a story that honors the reality of trans athletes beyond the headlines.

The Dancer Life: Benedict’s background as a dancer and how movement informs her writing.

Social Media & Community: Navigating the digital landscape and finding genuine connection through promoting her book.

The Publishing Industry: The importance of working with publishers who advocate and support QTPOC voices.

About benedict:

benedict nguyễn (she/her) is a #freelanceflailing dancer, writer, and creative producer. A Publishers Weekly 2025 “Writer to Watch,” Benedict is the author of the debut novel Hot Girls With Balls, an ABA Indie Next Pick and USA Today National Bestseller.

She has danced in projects by Sally Silvers, Kris Seto, and Monstah Black, and appeared in the short film Don’t Fck with Bà* (2024). As a producer, she has supported projects at the New York Botanical Garden, Danspace Project, and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance! Her writing on labor and culture has appeared in The Baffler, Vanity Fair, and BOMB Magazine.

Connect with Benedict

Buy "Hot Girls With Balls" Here

Website:

https://benedict-nguyen.com/

Instagram: xbennyboo

Support The Banh Mi Chronicles

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps other listeners find our community.

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(Trigger Warning: Mentions of S*xual Violence during this recording)

This episode is the last of 2025! It brings me great joy to invite former pin-up model and lead singer of Nylon Pink, who recently released her memoir, “Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,” to wrap up the final podcast episode of 2025.

Kaila recounts her experience as a former pin-up model in the early 2000s, within the import car world that was closely associated with the Asian American “AZN” culture. Think of Fast and the Furious, the souped-up 1998 Honda Civic.

Bio:

Kaila is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ was published this past August with Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing.

She is also a luxury travel, food, and culture writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles, who has written for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and more. She’s a certified PADI scuba diver, freediver, and mermaid.

Her former band, Nylon Pink, has toured in Australia: Melbourne and Sydney, played in Shanghai at the launch party for Havaianas in China, Costa Rica, played at the Hard Rock in Tokyo, Japan, Macau, China, and Penang, Malaysia.

Follow:

Instagram: kailayu

TikTok: kaila.yu

Website: www.kailayu.com