Letters Tou Mai Podcast: Letters that Speak, Stories that Heal
Letters Tou Mai Podcast: Letters that Speak, Stories that Heal
Podcast Description
Letters Tou Mai PodcastIn a world dominated by digital screens & instant gratification, there is an increasing divide in our human connections and difficulties expressing our vulnerabilities. Letters Tou Mai Podcast explores the tapestry of storytelling by transforming written [analog] letters in tou spoken words. Xai /Sai/ interviews courageous guests as they dedicate their letters tou a loved one showcasing vulnerability through their:(1) Past Experience(2) Present Realities(3) Future Aspirations(4) Wisdom-SharingWhat is a "Tou" and Why "Mai"The names "Mai" (Feminine) and "Tou" (masculine) are two of the most common names in Hmong culture, similar to Muhammad, Fatima, Mary, Juan, Maria, etc.“Tou” is a wordplay of: To“Mai” is a wordplay of: MyHence, the guest dedicates aLetters Tou Mai: daughter, son, etc.[I dedicate my] Letters Tou Mai [to "person"]Letters Tou Mai Podcast is hosted by a Hmong Mental Health Licensed Social Worker born in Minneapolis, MN, and currently lives in NYC. He has two parents who escaped genocide and sought refuge in America. They instilled in him hard work and uplifted him. Xai was additionally raised by his nine siblings and their partners and has over 28+ nieces, nephews, and counting.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes such as emotional vulnerability, cultural identity, and personal growth, with episodes focusing on guests' past experiences, present realities, future aspirations, and wisdom-sharing. For instance, Dr. Dia Cha's episode highlights her journey from a refugee to an educational pioneer, showcasing the importance of community support and resilience.
Letters Tou Mai Podcast
In a world dominated by digital screens & instant gratification, there is an increasing divide in our human connections and difficulties expressing our vulnerabilities. Letters Tou Mai Podcast explores the tapestry of storytelling by transforming written [analog] letters in tou spoken words.
Xai /Sai/ interviews courageous guests as they dedicate their letters tou a loved one showcasing vulnerability through their:
(1) Past Experience
(2) Present Realities
(3) Future Aspirations
(4) Wisdom-Sharing
What is a “Tou” and Why “Mai”
The names “Mai” (Feminine) and “Tou” (masculine) are two of the most common names in Hmong culture, similar to Muhammad, Fatima, Mary, Juan, Maria, etc.
“Tou” is a wordplay of: To
“Mai” is a wordplay of: My
Hence, the guest dedicates a
Letters Tou Mai: daughter, son, etc.
[I dedicate my] Letters Tou Mai [to “person”]
Letters Tou Mai Podcast is hosted by a Hmong Mental Health Licensed Social Worker born in Minneapolis, MN, and currently lives in NYC. He has two parents who escaped genocide and sought refuge in America. They instilled in him hard work and uplifted him. Xai was additionally raised by his nine siblings and their partners and has over 28+ nieces, nephews, and counting.
💌 “I dedicate this letter to my younger self — to little Bruce, to little Kou —to remind you that we are worthy of love, dignity, and compassion.” 🦋
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Welcome back to Letters Tou Mai Podcast — Season 2, Episode 2.
✨ I’m your host, Xai /Sai/ Yang — Hmong Mental Health Social Worker, storyteller,and the creator of a space where letters speak and stories heal.
Today’s guest stopped me in my tracks. Kou Thao
— also known as Cosmic Kou —is a queer, indigenous Hmong writer, cosmic shaman, and one of the most courageous storytellers I’ve ever sat across from. In this episode, he writes a handwritten letter to his younger selves: Little Bruce and Little Kou. Wha tpours out of him will remind you why vulnerability is the bravest thing we can offer another human being.
🌟 ABOUT KOU THAO / COSMIC KOU:
Kou Thao is a 2024 PEN America Emerging Voice Fellow, 2017 Aspen InstituteIdeas Festival Fellow, 2014 White House Champion of Change, and 2013 BushFoundation Fellow. He is a queer, indigenous Hmong writer and cosmic shaman whose work bridges ancestral wisdom, quantum healing, and radicalself-reclamation for the Hmong diaspora.
🎧 IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
🌾 Growing up Hmong American with no Hmong community around him🏚️ The crushing weight of his parents’ “American Dream” expectations⛪ Surviving a conservative Hmong CMA church that told him God didn’t love him
🍷 His abusive relationship with alcohol — and the moment he chose sobriety forever
🌈 Coming out as queer and Hmong — and finding SOY (Shades of Yellow), the world’s FIRST Hmong LGBTQ+ organization
🕊️ Reclaiming queer Hmong ancestors who have ALWAYS existed
🌙 SUNDS (Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome) and how Hollywood whitewashed the Hmong story into Nightmare on Elm Street🌌 Launching Cosmic Kou — a healing practice rooted in quantum energy work, breathwork, and meditation
📚 His upcoming memoir — a love letter to the entire Hmong community
💬 NOTABLE QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:
✨ “Our body knows more than we think. Trust your body’s wisdom.”
✨ “Dark days are followed by the sun — shine your light bright.”
✨ “Healing begins with embracing our collective grief and love for our ancestors.”
🌐 CONNECT WITH KOU THAO / COSMIC KOU:🌍 Website: www.kouthao.com📸 Instagram: @cosmickou📘 Facebook: @thecosmickou🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/cosmickou📝 Substack: cosmickou.substack.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ▶️ YouTube: @LettersTouMaiPodcast📸 Instagram: @letterstoumaipod📘 Facebook: @LettersTouMaiPodcast🦋 Bluesky: @letterstoumaipod.bsky.social🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1796963906
🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7LMG435540e5TRk2DAsiHu
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