Being Biracial

Kitiya Palaskas is a Greek/Thai multi-disciplinary designer living in Naarm.

We chat about: 

• Discovering her mix through DNA testing
• Her art sabbatical in Thailand
• Turning 40 and entering a new phase of life
• Having an identity crisis
• Can you appropriate your own culture?
• Feeling seen in colours, plants and precarious piles
• Growing up moving around the world
• Your bedroom as home
• Being ethnically ambiguous
• Family as a complicated site for cultural connection
• Greek statues were colourful!

Links:

https://kitiyapalaskas.com

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/color-chromophobia-and-colonialism-some-historical-thoughts-185710

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/29/the-myth-of-whiteness-in-classical-sculpture

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/12/1109995973/we-know-greek-statues-werent-white-now-you-can-see-them-in-color

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Kitiya Palaskas

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Milo Hartill is Botswana/Australian, and a model, performer & fat queer content creator living in Naarm.

We chat about: 

• Musical theatre school
• Growing up in Perth
• Always being the only black person in the room
• “I’m not racist but…”
• Capitalism catching on to race 
• Triple bi - bisexual, biracial, between fat and skinny
• Being asked to be ‘sassy’ in auditions
• Their show, Black fat and fa**y
• Using your trauma for good
• Black hair being seen as ‘unprofessional’ in casting
• DMs from her dad
• Surviving the arts industry as a black person
• How Milo was scouted to be a model
• Being credited as a hair stylist

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Milo Hartill

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weeks episode is just us gals.  

We chat about: 

• Maria started going to a queer Maori singing group
• Maria does her pepeha (introduces herself in te reo maori)
• The line between private and public when creating art and content
• Feeling pigeonholed to only talking about race in projects
• Visible diversity vs white decision makers
• POC artists carving opportunities in order to have a seat at the table
• We are tired lol
• Diversity is not a threat to white people

Links: 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-ve-never-seen-so-many-white-people-being-really-anxious-about-being-racist-20231102-p5eh16.html

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Om is Cambodian/Eurasian Malaysian, an ABC journalist and the author of All Mixed Up.

We chat about: 

Language around being ‘multiracial’

Being Eurasian in Malaysia v Australia

Rebellious women in his family

His parent’s newspaper personals ad meet cute

Cultural exemptions 

Being the traditional Cambodian son

Going to Cambodia with his dad

Rediscovering his mum while writing this memoir

Connecting with his half-sister Sarah

Emailing his dad about the marriage equality plebiscite 

His dad’s coming to, his coming out

“No fats, no femmes, no Asians” 

Diversifying your dating pool

How journalism has changed in the last 20 years

Visible diversity

Links: 

All Mixed Up

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Jason Om

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Cloher is Māori (Ngāpuhi & Ngāti Kahu) and Pākehā. They are a song-writer and performer living on unceded Wurundjeri land in Naarm (Melbourne). Jen joins us ahead of her solo Australian tour in June and July.

We chat about: 

• Being multiracial as opposed to biracial

• Growing up away from Aotearoa

• Those awkward and joyful moments when reconnecting to culture

• The “colonised critical parent”

• What is a marae?

• Whanau is so much bigger than immediate family

• How their reconnection journey permeated their latest album, Ko Au Te Awa, Ko Te Awa Ko Au - I Am The River, The River Is Me

• Legal personhood of the Whanganui River

• Te Ataarangi and the Kōhunga Reo (language nest) movement

• Being takatāpui

Links:

https://www.jencloher.com 

https://everybodystryingpodcast.com/ 

Mana Takatāpui (Official Video)⁠

Hirini Melbourne & Marlon Williams

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Jen Cloher

Song: Mana Takatāpui by Jen Cloher 

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

Special thanks to Jen and Milk Records for letting us use Mana Takatāpui in this episode

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nation.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are chatting to each other, about:

• Do biracial apples taste better?

• Our fav mixed-race comedians at Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Aurelia St Clair, Lizzy Hoo, Rose Matafeo and Nina Oyama

• Raewyn, Maria’s mum, visited Naarm

• Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter

• Jen Cloher and Te Hononga o nga iwi at Creative West

Links: 

Deadlock

Cowboy Carter

I Am The River, The River Is Me

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darcy Vescio is a Chinese/Italian AFLW player. 

We chat about: 

• Growing up in country Victoria

• Language barriers with grandparents 

• Moving in with their Goong at eighteen

• Relationships born of bitter melon and lasagne

• The Carlton doco Bloodlines which took Darcy to Italy and Hong Kong to explore their family history

• Being a multicultural ambassador for the AFL

• Using sport as currency at school

• Racial vilification in the AFLW last season

• Bringing your whole self to sport

Then Aurelia St Clair, a German-Cameroonian comedian, does a stand-up set and joins us all to chat about: 

• Moving to Melbourne 

• Kilmore the new queer capital 

• Kate’s new Persian rug

• Tiger balm in Darcy’s locker

• Seasoning your food

• Looking for Alibrandi

• Finding Zadie Smith’s White Teeth in German

• JW life

• Finding meaning in small rituals

This event was recorded on Thursday 21 March 2024 at The Round on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations.

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guests: Aurelia St Clair and Darcy Vescio

Special thanks to: The Round and The Wheeler Centre

Music by: the Green Twins

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lizzy Hoo is a Chinese/Malay and Australian stand up-comedian.

We chat about: 

• Lizzy’s parents’ movie meet cute
• The accidental ethnic friend group
• Looking back on the safeguards you put in place as a child
• The White Mums Club 
• Subtle Asian Traits FB group 
• Being a chameleon 
• Feeling more Asian than her brothers
• Ethnic aunty energy 
• Lizzy’s parents want her to pay superannuation
• How Lizzy got into comedy
• Lizzy’s dad Chan is an absolute icon
• Visible diversity
• Moving beyond cracking identity jokes
• Reclaiming her name

Links: 

https://www.lizzyhoo.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/lizzyhoo/ 

Hoo Cares on Amazon Prime

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Lizzy Hoo

Special thanks to: Footscray Community Arts

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back with the first episode of season 2 of Being Biracial! Today we are chatting to each other about:

• Maria’s experience in Rotorua being surrounded by more Maori people than she’s ever seen. 
• Maria and her friend connecting on a deeper level now that they’ve both explored their culture.
• Kate’s Aunt is visiting and she’s immersed in Farsi.
• The structure of season two. You’ll be hearing more from us as we reflect on our interviews, media we consume and the world around us. 
• We are in our Taylor Swift era and can’t stop talking about the Eras Tour.
• Kate is starting to grow her wheatgrass for Nowruz. She is stressed.
• The artistic process of creating our video work Threads, in collaboration with Melbourne Museum. 
• The full circle moment our artistic practice being influenced by artists we interviewed in season 1.
• Kate went to see Maxine Beneba Clarke talk about adapting her memoir The Hate Race for the stage. 
• Will Maria ever read a book again?
• We are getting hype for Melbourne International Comedy Fest. Our next guest, Lizzy Hoo, is hosting the MICF gala this year! 
• Our upcoming events in March at The Round and Melbourne Museum.

Links: 

Threads at Melbourne Museum: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/threads/ 

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s The Hate Race at the Malthouse until 17 March: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/what-s-on/malthouse-theatre/the-hate-race/ 

MICF shows: 

Rose Matafeo: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/on-and-on-and-on 

Brown Women Comedy: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/brown-women-comedy 

Lizzy Hoo: 

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/hoos-that-girl 

Aurelia St Clair: 

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/can-i-be-mean-for-a-minute 

Melbourne Museum Nocturnal: Worlds Apart on 14 March: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/nocturnal-worlds-apart/ 

Being Biracial Live at the Round with Aurelia St Clair and Darcy Vescio on 21 March: 

https://www.wheelercentre.com/events/being-biracial-live-at-the-round-with-aurelia-st-clair-and-darcy-vescio/ 

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a bonus live episode of Being Biracial. We interviewed each other and chatted about:

- Maria’s complicated return to Aotearoa

- Biracial baby names

- The Woman Life Freedom movement 

- Kate’s exhibition Zendegi at Arts Gen 

- Whether the conversation about race has moved on? 

- Cultural diversity training

Mixed Media: Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou and the musical A Strange Loop.

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

Special thanks: Maribyrnong City Council and Bluestone Church Arts Space Footscray. 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

If you have any questions or feedback you can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.