From Asian Guilt to Writer's Success - Jesse's Journey | Jesse Q. Sutanto | 110

In this week's episode of What Kind of Asian Are You?, host Kyle Leung sits down with bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto to talk about her journey from Jakarta to Singapore, California, Oxford, and back again. Jesse opens up about her Chinese-Indonesian heritage, her path to becoming a prolific writer, and the ten-year grind before landing her first publishing deal. They dive into the cultural significance of her latest novel, Worth Fighting For—a modern-day Mulan retelling set in San Francisco’s finance world—created in partnership with Disney. Jesse also shares insights into Asian family dynamics, the guilt-driven productivity mindset, and her adventures in social media and screenwriting. A must-listen for aspiring writers and fans of authentic Asian representation in media.

Jesse's Bio:

Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Indonesia, Singapore, and Oxford, and considers all three places her home. She has a Masters from Oxford University, but she has yet to figure out how to say that without sounding obnoxious. Jesse has forty-two first cousins and thirty aunties and uncles, many of whom live just down the road. She used to game but with two little ones and a husband, she no longer has time for hobbies. She aspires to one day find one (1) hobby.

Worth Fighting For is coming out June 3rd. Check it out!

• https://books.disney.com/book/worth-fighting-for/

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