Almost Home

Almost Home

By Kevin YiSociety & Culture
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Almost Home episodes

  • 1.6: A Seoulite in his Sperrys

    Bryan is Seoul born, New England educated, and now New York living.

    What's it take for a teen to fit in when moving from a homogenous Asian megacity (Seoul) to the sleepy pastures of a New England prep school?

    Sneak peek of this episode:

    • How Bryan came to feel the concept of "race"
    • The significance of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in Bryan's US life
    • Bridging the Korean and Korean-American communities in college
    • Experience adapting back to Korea after many years abroad
      • 54 min
    • 1.5: The 6th Generation

      Nick and Jun are 6th gen Indo Chinese - they're ethnically Chinese but their families have been in Indonesia for multiple generations. Now, they are residents of Singapore.

      What will overseas Asians born multiple generations after that big jump from the motherland think and sound like? As it turns out, we don't have to guess - just take a listen.

      Sneak peek of this episode:

      • Jun's reason for holding onto his non-Mandarin Chinese dialect
      • Thoughts on what cultural aspects to teach the next generation
      • The differences between Indo Chinese hailing from Jakarta vs Batam
      • How the Singaporean government categorizes Nick
        • 30 min
      • 1.4: Farewell to the mother tongue

        Nahum is a Singaporean of Chinese descent who's learned Korean to a professional level rather than Mandarin and his family's Chinese dialect.

        How should we feel about learning a language that's not the one we've inherited from our parents and grandparents? And how much do we really lose without this 'mother tongue'?

        Sneak peek of this episode:

        • Navigating the motivations for learning one language over another
        • Responsibility (?) and value of knowing Mandarin as an ethnic Chinese in the workplace
        • Significance of Mandarin as it differs across geographies

        • Requirements to identify as a Chinese person

          Also featuring inputs from:

        • Brian, a Chinese-American in Singapore learning Mandarin to do business in Asia

        • Clare, a Singaporean Chinese who uses Mandarin extensively in the workplace
          • 0 min
        • 1.3: Growing up Taiwanese in South Africa

          Catherine is a Taiwanese woman hailing from Kloof, South Africa. After attending college in the Asian-American mecca known as California, she now resides in New York.

          2nd generation immigrants blend resident and parents' cultures to create their own. So how do you do it when you're the only Asian kid in school and, at times, lost in translation with your own family?

          Sneak peek of this episode:

          • School in South Africa is a not-so-safe space for an Asian kid growing up
          • How it feels when crossing from South Africa to Asian-dominated Southern California and Taiwan
          • Becoming a different person when using Mandarin vs. English
            • 34 min
          • 1.2: Growing up Korean in Mexico City

            Eun Hee is a Korean who grew up in Mexico City and moved to New York by way of Boston.

            Trilingual without a tribe, she's found peace in the grey area between the cultures of her motherland (S. Korea) and adopted homeland (USA). Let's find out how she got there.

            Sneak peek of this episode:

            • How Korean-Mexicans and Korean-Argentineans co-exist in Mexico City
            • Fitting in (or not) with her adult alter-egos - the 'Koreans from Korea' and the 'Korean-Americans'
            • How racism feels different in the US vs Mexico
            • Pronouncing, abbreviating, and struggling to get her name right in the American workplace
              • 44 min
            • 1.1: Respect the Name

              Diego and Eun Hee are ethnic Koreans raised in Mexico with an American education.

              For culture-hoppers like these, it's clear that one name does not fit all. So how to fit in? Should we?

              Sneak peek of this episode:

              • How "Susan" became "Eun Hee" - a name that is unfortuantely mispronounced daily
              • Why Diego's parents named his brother twice
              • Korean naming techniques and why you won't find the textbook on it
              • A future ruled by BTS - how do we feel about Korean names used by non-Koreans?
                • 39 min
              • Trailer
                Trailer

                If you're an ethnic Asian who….

                1. Has endured cruel puns from the other kids in class because your name sounded 'funny'
                2. Struggles to use fork and knife as an adult
                3. Can better explain your identity crisis to your boss than to your immigrant parents

                  4. Welcome home. You'll (almost) fit right in.

                  1 min

                About Almost Home

                From the publisher's feed

                Welcome to Almost Home - the Asian diaspora’s open mic session. This podcast is a platform for ethnic Asians to share life stories, thoughts, and observations formed from building a life outside the motherland.