Back to the Roots

Food, Culture & Becoming


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Food is never just food - especially when you grow up between two contrasting cultures. 


In this episode, we sit down with Jerry, an American Born Chinese who grew up between Bangkok and Texas, to talk about how food shaped the way we saw ourselves growing up. From lunchbox insecurities and awkward school moments to comfort foods, cravings, and the meals that quietly brought us back home, we reflect on the emotional side of food as WBCs. 


We talk about what it felt like growing up in Chinese households while trying to fit into largely white environments, and how food could sometimes make us feel connected, different, proud, or embarrassed - all at once. 


Jerry also shares his journey building his own craft beer brand in China, bringing something deeply tied to American culture into a completely different market, and how identity, taste, and culture constantly influence one another. 


A funny, reflective, and surprisingly emotional conversation about memory, belonging, and the things we eventually learn to appreciate. 


We unpack:   

• Growing up WBC around food and identity   

• Lunchbox moments, insecurities, and stereotypes   

• Chinese home food culture vs Western environments   

• Comfort foods and childhood nostalgia   

• Why food can both connect and isolate us   

• Bringing cultures together through taste and experience   


Because sometimes the fastest way back to yourself… is through food.


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Back to the RootsBy Back to the roots