Cultureful: Global Identity & Intergenerational Stories

In this special bonus episode of Cultureful, host Jess Lin speaks with Tina, a 37-year-old Taiwanese Chinese American tech project manager from Fremont, California. The episode delves into the first half of Tina's life, covering her parents' immigration story from Taiwan, her upbringing, and the background of her family. Tina shares insights about her family's moves from China to Vietnam to Taiwan and eventually to the U.S., and discusses how her parents' cultural backgrounds influenced their lives and hers. The episode also touches on Tina's childhood, her experiences in school, navigating cultural differences, and her relationship with her parents. The conversation sets the stage for the second half of the interview, which will focus on Tina's intercultural marriage and raising her three multicultural children.

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Esta entrevista fue grabada en octubre de 2023.

En este capítulo, entrevisto a mi amiga Angie G. de Colombia. Ella es abogada y lingüista, actualmente está en un programa de doctorado cerca de San Francisco que combina sus dos carreras para hacer el lenguaje legal más accesible á la gente del común.

Mientras se acerca su cumpleaños 40, reflexiona en su vida. Hablamos de su ciudad natal, niñez, viaje personal y profesional, también proyectos nuevos que empieza en su nuevo capítulo de vida.  Espero que lo disfruten.

¡Gracias por escucharnos! Conéctate con nosotros en Instagram @thecultureful.

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This episode was originally recorded in Spanish in October 2023.  Para la versión original de este episodio, que fue grabada en español, regresa al feed y haz clic en el título en español. 

To share this content with more people, this English version was created with AI tools like Eleven Labs.  Though there may be differences in tone and delivery, we hope the message still resonates.  

In this episode, I interview my friend Angie G. from Colombia. She is a lawyer and linguist, currently in a PhD program in Northern California that combines her two careers to make legal language more accessible to the general public.

As her 40th birthday approached, she reflected on her life. We talked about her hometown, childhood, personal and professional journeys, and also current projects in this new chapter of her life.  This interview was both insightful and vulnerable.

Thank you for listening!  Connect with us on Instagram @thecultureful.

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Keywords
military service, Iraq, personal growth, travel, advice for youth, military experiences, career transitions, life lessons, personal development, military culture

Summary
In this conversation, Tonisha shares her journey into the military, detailing her enlistment, experiences in Iraq, and the challenges she faced during her service. She reflects on her decision to leave the military, the lessons learned, and offers advice to young people considering military service. Additionally, she discusses her current projects and aspirations, emphasizing personal growth and the importance of making informed choices.

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Keywords

identity, heritage, family stories, military aspirations, Black woman in the military, genealogy, cultural identity, personal history, military experiences, representation

Summary

Tonisha, 42, explores her identity as a Black American and the rich cultural heritage of her family. She recounts fascinating stories about her grandfather, who influenced her aspirations to join the military. Tonisha reflects on her early career choices, the challenges she faced as a Black woman in a male-dominated military environment, and the importance of representation in various fields. Through her experiences, she highlights the complexities of identity, family history, and the impact of personal narratives on career paths.

Check out Tonisha’s current work on plant care on Instagram @the.plantnanny and connect with her.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

03:13 Ethnic Identity, Family Stories, and Genealogy

05:26 Grandpa's Roots

09:34 Memories with Grandpa

12:29 Military Influence on Childhood

16:32 Impact of Kid-Friendly Military Stories

20:28 Talking About Military with Younger Generation

21:22 Community Respect for Grandpa

22:11 Influence of Stories on Mother and Her Encouragement to Enlist

24:30 Describing Grandpa

27:08 Childhood Dreams

28:25 Lack of Representation and Its Impact

30:48 High School, the ASVAP, and Military Enlistment

35:30 Becoming a Cop in the Air Force

37:26 Challenges of Being a Black Female Cop

39:47 Camaraderie and Dynamics in the Military

44:30 Branch Rivalries and Military Culture

47:16 Outro and Conclusion

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This interview was recorded on June 1, 2022.

Steve is a 36 year-old photographer who lives in New York City.  He was born in China, raised in Italy, and now lives in the United States.  He takes us through his early dating history, reflects on challenges he faced as an Asian male, and shares observations and what he learned along the way.

Check out Steve’s photography at Stevegongphoto.com and follow him on instagram @stevegong.

If you are interested in a follow-up part two episode with Steve, please send us a message on instagram @thecultureful to let us know.  And, feel free to send any questions you would like included in the interview.

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This interview was recorded on May 27, 2022.

Sheng is a Taiwanese American from Monterey Park, California who takes on an uncommon career path for Asian Americans and becomes a hockey reporter covering the San Jose Sharks.  He shares about his childhood, how his love of sports started early, and his career path.  He also reflects on what it was like to be in spaces where he often is the only Asian American in the room. 

Sheng Peng is the Editor-in-Chief of San Jose Hockey Now at www.sanjosehockeynow.com and hosts the San Jose Hockey Now podcast.  He has also appeared in VICE Sports, NBC Asian America, The Hockey News, and is a PHWA member.  Follow him on Twitter @Sheng_Peng. 

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Segolene is a 35-year-old French American Hollywood executive and entrepreneur  who grew up in California and Texas and now lives in Los Angeles.  She reflects on growing up in a French household in the U.S. and navigating two cultures and languages for school, friendship, dating, work, and more.

You can support Segolene's business at Mygreengifts.com for ecofriendly gifts and party hosting supplies. 

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This is the trailer for the podcast.  Here's the transcript!

Cultureful (Trailer)

Jess: [00:00:00] Dear listener, hi, I'm Jess. I'm a Taiwanese American, my husband is Sri Lankan Tamil, I'm multilingual, and I'm very interested in culture. I am particularly interested in how people like you and me from different backgrounds and places live their lives. I love hearing about firsthand experiences. In my 20s and early 30s, I had the privilege to live abroad for over seven years in many places ranging from a rural village in Luapula, Zambia, to busy metropolitan Bangkok, from a small town in Honduras, to a port city in Morocco. One of my favorite things to do is to get to know people, to learn about places and cultures through its people, one on one, up close. It challenges stereotypes and biases I didn't know I had.

And it's just fun. I enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories, and they fascinate me, and I have lots of questions. I [00:01:00] also love up close conversations about people's lives because it gets me outside my own culture, my own assumptions about how a life should be. It reminds me that there are many ways we can go about our human existence and spend our time on this planet.

So I'm starting a podcast. It's called Cultureful. I interview friends and other guests from around the world about personal experiences. Sometimes we talk about major life events and stages like childhood, dating, weddings, parenting, and immigration journeys. But we also talk about the everyday. I'm curious about what people cook, what they do for fun, what friendship is like for them.

These things that make up a life are what I love about culture. If this is the kind of thing you enjoy, check out the podcast. Cultureful. Living, breathing, everyday, you and me culture. It's a kind of traveling. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. It's just getting [00:02:00] started, so subscribe to support and find out when new episodes drop.

It's also on Instagram @thecultureful. Thanks and hope you give it a listen. 

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📸 Connect and Comment on Instagram: @thecultureful