In honor of 4th of July, we wanted to examine where we are as a nation and if there's still hope for all of us to come back together after a very divisive past 4+ years... 

We discuss an often underrepresented (up to half) of the country that self-identify as independents, moderates, and/or centrists, and how a lack of strong identification with either extreme of the political spectrum has left many of them feeling underrepresented by the two-party system. We also discuss some hot button current issues (further restrictions on voting, $15 minimum wage), and how there is a lot to agree on in terms of the problem and the desire to find a solution, but where we often get stuck is the *how* and a lack of a trust in our elected officials to properly execute on these visions. We end things by postulating on if we feel hopeful for our country coming back together in a less divisive way in the future (spoiler alert: we do, with time). 

As always, we are not proclaiming to be experts on these matters by any means, and we always welcome feedback, especially from those who are much more informed! All discussion is simply our personal opinion on these matters :)

Arranged marriages are often thought of as an archaic relic of the past. But what impact does the cultural and historical relevance of this practice have on the marriages of today? This week, we'll attempt to answer this question with our special guest, Shibani Joshi. Shibani is an accomplished business and technology journalist, lecturer, and professional speaker, and is an Indian-American who has had first hand experience with trying to reconcile with checking off all the "Indian-approved" boxes and the realities of what it takes to build a successful marriage. 

We dive into the roots and perceived benefits of arranged marriages, as well as how they operate in India and the US. We also examine the cultural context of marriages in general, including how perceptions of marriage and divorce differ. Finally, we look at how we can reconcile personal happiness and cultural expectations in pursuit of love and marriage. 

Frank Striegl is Founder of 5AM Ramen and Tokyo Ramen Tours. We discuss what it was like growing up as a bi-racial Filipino-American in Japan, how he found his place within Japanese society, why he is obsessed with ramen and built a business centered around it, and how the pandemic has given him a unique opportunity to think creatively about his business and other ways he can share the joy of ramen with people around the world.

We are now entering the third decade of our lives - that's right, yours truly(s) are both in their thirties now.

But what's the big deal about the big three-oh anyways? In our opener to season 4 (!), we take a look at what it means to be in our thirties. We discuss some of the most anxiety-inducing topics associated with this decade, from job choices to personal life decisions. Listen to the expectations we set for ourselves as we compare where we are today to where we thought we would be. And finally, join us as we try to forecast the next decade of our lives - the forties. 

While we recharge and plan out new content for upcoming episodes, we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to other awesome voices from the AAPI community. This week, we're featuring Reel Asian Podcast, a podcast dedicated to exploring the stories and themes of Asian and Asian-American film. 

In this episode, the Reel Asian Podcast crew took a look at the timeless anime epic, Princess Mononoke (1997). Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, this instant classic touches upon themes that are still very relevant today, such as environmentalism, capitalism, and our personal responsibility to the natural world.  They also talk about their favorite anime growing up, and who "won" Princess Mononoke. 

Follow Reel Asian Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

Warning: NSFW topic ahead!

We are putting it all out there this week and talking sex and intimacy. What did we learn (or not learn) about sex growing up in our Asian households? How it works, who is "allowed" to have it, and under what circumstances it's "ok" to have it. And how did the taboo around talking about or having sex affect us in terms of our personal understandings of what sex is actually like, what we enjoy, and what will work well in a relationship? 

Spoiler alert: it absolutely stunted our development and we are still learning about ourselves today. 

We also discuss what intimacy means for us and how it's distinct from simply the act of sex, and what advice we have for you based on all the roadblocks we've gone through ourselves. 

This is our last episode of Season 3. We'll be back with Season 4 in a couple of weeks. If you've enjoyed what you've heard from our podcast so far, there are a bunch of ways you can support us - you can rate and review us on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, tell a friend, follow us on Instagram (@whereareyoufrompod), buy our merch on our website (butwhereareyoureallyfrompodcast.com), or support us on buy me a coffee (buymeacoffee.com/whereareyoufrom). Thank you, and see you in a few weeks!

Drag queens and kings have become one of the more public representations of the LGBTQ community. But beyond the polished acts seen through mass media, drag can be something deeply personal and raw. This week, we're joined by Untitled Queen, a drag artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Untitled's work uses drag as performance art to both construct and deconstruct different facets of his identity.  

Untitled shares with us all the behind-the-scenes of his journey with drag. We talk about his childhood growing up on Governor's Island, all the way to his beginnings in drag. Along the way, we discuss how the drag scene has changed since he started, and how drag can be a powerful tool to explore self-identity. Finally, Untitled gives some parting advice for those of us about to embark on new creative ventures. 

Follow Untitled Queen on Instagram at @untitledqueen and check out his various shows on his YouTube channel. 

On our never ending quest to meet all the Asians doing cool sh*t, we met "more than just a rapper" Lil Waterboi. He's a Montreal-based Vietnamese Canadian artist who's seeking to normalize and shine a spotlight on Asian Canadian artists through his own work and through Bahay Collective, his company dedicated to helping to support and promote Asian artists. 

We talk about what it was like growing up Asian in a French Canadian environment (he's trilingual in English, French, and Vietnamese!), the importance of a strong network and community, his hopes for his impact on Canadian culture and the broader Asian diaspora, and much more. 

Follow Lil Waterboi on Instagram at @lilwaterboi and check out his latest single "Crazy Rich" on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

Do you want to play a game?  

To take your (and our) minds off the news of the past few weeks, we're going to be drinking this episode. And not only will we be drinking, but we will also be attempting to trick each other with fake COVID-story headlines. So strap your headphones on for some fake news debunking, high-larious failures in pronunciation and enunciation, and some hot tips to avoid a drinking hangover.  

Who's keeping score? Who cares, we're drunk! 

Sophia Bailey is the founder of the More Than Yellow Blog - a community dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of the Asian-American community. We discuss how she was inspired to start More Than Yellow by the challenges she experienced herself growing up as one of the few Asians in her small midwest town, fueled further by the recent wave of anti-Asian racism growing out of the pandemic. We discuss what we as a community (both Asian-American and the broader minority communities) can do to band together and start working towards some tangible ways to dispel this hatred moving forward. 

Follow More Than Yellow on Instagram at @morethanyellowblog and/or submit your own story to be featured on morethanyellowblog.com