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Yes, Redfin and Zillow are great for browsing listings, but will they tell you about the home that hasn’t hit the market yet, the seller quietly desperate to move, or the problems hiding behind perfect staging?

In this episode of The Sunset Connection, we go back to the basics: real estate is complicated, full of legal and financial pitfalls, and finding someone you trust to guide you through it isn’t easy. Host Jessica Ho sits down with Sequoia Real Estate’s Kelvin Kam and Ted Manahan to tackle the myths, the truths, and the messy reality of being a Realtor in 2025.

A true professional doesn’t just shuffle paperwork. They help you reach your financial and personal goals, field hundreds of calls, juggle clashing personalities, and manage the liability that comes with high-stakes negotiations. Even in the age of AI, the best Realtors know how to find more information, create more leverage, and deliver better outcomes.

And because no episode is complete without some fun, they close with a round of San Francisco real estate trivia.

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at Realtors, wondered if you really need one, or just want a smarter take on how deals actually get done in 2025, this episode is for you.

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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In this episode, Jessica sits down with Carmen and Steven Lee, the creators of Sunset Commons, a brand-new arts and crafts café in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset. The two high school sweethearts turned small business owners talk about what it takes to launch a small business post-pandemic, the importance of third spaces, and why crocheting in public might just save your soul.

The episode was recorded earlier this summer, but we’re launching it now because Sunset Commons officially opened its doors on August 2nd!

You’ll also hear about their longtime peer learning group SPREAD (@spread_sf), their favorite DIY kits, and their vision for a Sunset where creativity, community, and curiosity collide.

Follow them at:

• @sunset.commons – for cafe & event updates
• @spread_sf – for their peer-led learning group

Lean into your hobbies. Find real connection. Join the Sunset Renaissance.

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✉️ Email: jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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What does it mean to be Chinese American in 2025, when a sweeping new federal law - HR 1, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill”—fundamentally changes immigration, enforcement, and who feels like they belong?

NEW! 📝 Transcript and Chinese translation now available on Substack:

🆕📝 訪談文字稿與中文翻譯現已上架 Substack：

https://substack.com/home/post/p-168431500

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In this episode, we speak first with Jose Ng, Immigrant Rights Program Manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), who breaks down how the BBB impacts mixed-status families, raises application fees, and heightens fear, especially among San Francisco’s estimated 10,000 undocumented Chinese immigrants and their extended communities.

If you or someone you know needs support, CAA offers free immigration consultations and legal referrals:
📞 Immigration Hotline: (415) 761-3222
🌐 www.caasf.org/immigrant-rights
📱 WeChat: CAASF1969

Then we turn to Cliff Yee, Vice President of Programs and Leadership Development at Coro Northern California and a lifelong resident of San Francisco’s Richmond District. Cliff shares how his family’s story—from his grandfather’s arrival through Angel Island to the same house he grew up in—grounds his efforts to reclaim and reimagine Chinese American identity in a neighborhood too often overlooked, despite its deep immigrant roots.

Together, we explore what it means to navigate belonging, memory, and resilience in real time - as the ground shifts beneath our feet.

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✉️ Email: jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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If you live in San Francisco, chances are you either went to public school, have a child in public school, or know someone who does. But even if you don’t, the health of our schools reflects the health of our neighborhoods, our tax dollars, and our shared future.

In this episode, I sit down with Han Li from The San Francisco Standard to unpack SFUSD’s budget crisis, the recent push for stabilization, and why school closures might still be on the horizon.

I hope that this episode will give you a clearer, human picture of what just happened and why it matters for all of us.

Episode recorded: Friday, June 20, 2025

Articles by Han Li:

• SF’s school district says it finally figured out a budget to avoid bankruptcy - 6/13/2025
• State warns SF schools: We’re not going to bail you out of budget armageddon - 5/7/2025
• SFUSD proposes major cuts to central office, slashing student services, curriculum unit - 4/15/2025
• Early retirements could spare SF public schools hundreds of painful layoffs - 2/25/2025
• SFUSD prepares for ‘painful’ cuts across schools, central office – 2/7/2025

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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Dr. Russell Jeung is a sociologist, Christian, and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. In this powerful conversation, Russell joins Jessica Ho to talk about what it means to be Asian American in a time of rising hate, surveillance, and silence. As a longtime professor at San Francisco State University, just steps from the Sunset District, Dr. Jeung shares how pandemic-era scapegoating evolved into broader anti-immigrant policies impacting researchers, families, and students.

From ICE raids to the fear of being disappeared, this episode is a call to empathy, courage, and storytelling—and a reminder that even if it doesn't feel personal, it is.

🔗 Learn more:
• Dr. Russell Jeung @ SFSU
• Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org

🎧 Listen + subscribe to The Sunset Connection wherever you get your podcasts.

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✉️ Email: jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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What happens when your kid’s school assignment isn’t tied to your address, but to a citywide lottery? In this episode of The Sunset Connection, host Jessica Ho sits down with four Sunset District parents to unpack the complexities of San Francisco’s public school system.

You’ll hear from:

• Gabi Wu, a real estate agent and bilingual education advocate who started researching kindergarten options when her daughter was three.
• Alex Wong, chair of SF Parent Action, who walks us through the school assignment process, from values to waitlists.
• Lucy Wang, a PTA leader and longtime public servant, who shares what it really takes to stay in the system through high school.
• Patrick Wolff, former U.S. Chess Champion turned education advocate, who pushes for better funding and special ed support.

Plus, we wrap up with a fun trivia round on San Francisco schools!

Whether you’re planning to start a family, already navigating TK applications, or just trying to understand how education shapes our city, this episode is for you.

🎶 Original music for this episode was licensed via Soundstripe.
Special thanks to the artists who bring these stories to life.

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✉️ Email: jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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The aroma hits you first: smoky, rich, unmistakably Texan. But this isn’t Houston. You’re in San Francisco’s Sunset District, where Daniel Ramirez and his wife, Lareina, have built something special at Smoking D’s BBQ.

Daniel, a Houston native, missed the Texas barbecue of his hometown, so he made it himself and his own. What began as casual taste tests for homesick friends turned into a farmers market hustle, and eventually, a brick-and-mortar hit on Irving Street that now sells out almost every weekend. But it wasn’t just the brisket that turned heads — it was the bao.

Inspired by a trip to a night market in China, Daniel had the idea to merge his 18-hour smoked brisket with the pillowy softness of a Chinese pork bun. After several experiments (and a few delicious mistakes), the brisket bao was born — a cross-cultural creation that honors his Mexican roots and Lareina’s Chinese heritage. It’s now their breakout hit.

🎙️ In this episode, we talk about:

• What makes Texas brisket so legendary — and so hard to master
• How Daniel and Lareina blend Mexican, Chinese, and Texan traditions in every bite
• Why doing barbecue in San Francisco comes with unique challenges
• What it takes to grow from backyard cookouts to a full-time restaurant
• And how a bao changed everything

📍 Smoking D’s BBQ is located at 2181 Irving Street in San Francisco. They’re open Wednesday–Sunday, 11am–6pm — but go early. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

🎧 Like the episode? Share it, hit follow, and leave a quick review. It helps more neighbors find the show.

💬 Got a guest idea or feedback? Reach out on social media or email me at jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.

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The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.

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What does it mean to grow up Chinese American? And how do the stories of Chinese families in the Sunset District resonate with communities everywhere?

In this episode, Jessica sits down with Lily Wong, Director of Community Engagement at Wah Mei School and Director of the Sunset Chinese Cultural District, to explore the stories that don’t always make the headlines.

Together, they dive into:

• How Wah Mei became a pioneering bilingual, bicultural preschool in the Sunset District
• How the Sunset Chinese Cultural District was born during a moment of crisis. Website: https://sfsccd.org/en/
• What it means to find belonging across cultures, generations, and neighborhoods
• How murals, street festivals, and everyday victories are weaving new roots for the future

Along the way, Lily shares personal memories of growing up in the Mission District, witnessing neighborhood change, and reconnecting with her heritage in powerful new ways.

🌟 Plus: Stick around for a fun round of Sunset District trivia! (Spoiler: Lily wins… kind of.)

Whether you grew up in San Francisco, are part of an immigrant family, or simply love stories about neighborhoods and community pride, this episode is for you.

Come for the ideas and perspectives, and stay for the heart, history, and hope.

Stay Connected

📌 Listen on Buzzsprout
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▶️ Watch on YouTube
✉️ Email: jessica.jasmine.ho@gmail.com

Subscribe, share, and leave a review — it helps more neighbors find the show!

The Sunset Connection — exploring the stories and histories that connect us.