Militantly Mixed: Mental Health Hiatus – Law School Edition

After a truly amazing summer filled with Mixed Affinity experiences and the big step of starting law school, your Sir Auntie Mane is taking a much-needed Mental Health Hiatus.

If you’ve been around a while, you already know this is my rhythm—every three months I pause to rest, reset, and rebalance.
If you’re a new cousin, don’t worry—I’ll be back this November with fresh energy and a lineup of amazing guests.

Law school has added a whole new chapter to my life, and I just need some space to catch up with myself while I navigate it. Thank you for your patience, support, and love through this journey. Militantly Mixed will be back soon, stronger than ever.

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On this episode of Militantly Mixed, Alex Chester-Iwata from Mixed Asian Day returns for a heartfelt post-event conversation with Mane.

We had a wonderful, cup-filling weekend in San Francisco at the Koho Creative Hub in Japantown (Nihon Machi) celebrating Mixed-Asian identity. Together, we reflect on how the event unfolded, the community connections that were built, and our hopes for next year. Above all, this episode centers on the importance of community—why it matters, how it sustains us, and why events like Mixed Asian Day are essential spaces for Mixed folks.

Follow Alex Chester-Iwata on IG: @alexfchester
Follow Mixed Asian Media: IG:@MixedAsianMedia | mixedasianmedia.com

Support Mixed Asian Day: Please consider donating so that MAD can continue to keep these events free to the public. Go to leviathanlab.org/supportleviathanlab and make a note that your donation is for Mixed Asian Day.

Militantly Mixed is a ManeHustle Media podcast, hosted and produced by Sharmane Fury.

Connect I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a voicemail with your opinions and reflections on this subject at speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed. Your message might be played on a future episode of the show.

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Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/militantlymixed

On this episode of Militantly Mixed, I sit down with Rena Heinrich, Lauren Lola, and Ingrid Hu Dahl to talk about their upcoming panel, Our Stories, Our Ink: Mixed Asian Authors in Conversation at Mixed Asian Day 2025. We tease their panel a little bit and dig into the importance of holding space for Mixed Asian voices across generations and geographies.

I also share a bit about my own panel and why I’m so excited to be a part of this year’s event in person.

Connect with our guests:

Lauren Lola

• Instagram: @akolaurenlola

• Bluesky: akolaurenlola.bsky.social

• Substack: laurenlola.substack.com

• Book: Struggle and Strength

• Website: kidheroes.net

Rena Heinrich

• Website: renaheinrich.com

• Book: Race and Role – Rutgers University Press

• Instagram: @rena.heinrich

Ingrid Hu Dahl

• Website: ingridhudahl.com

• Instagram: @ingridhudahl

• Writing: Sun Shining on Morning Snow

Mixed Asian Day 2025
Saturday, September 13, 2025
KoHo Creative Hub
1675 Post St, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA

Learn more and get event updates: Mixed Asian Media

I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Leave a voicemail with your opinions and reflections on this subject at speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed. Your message might be played on a future episode of the show.

Militantly Mixed is a ManeHustle Media podcast, hosted and produced by Sharmane Fury.
Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/sharmanefury

This episode of Militantly Mixed comes from a recorded IG Live hosted by Nina C of @Reunion.Mixed.Race.Events. Together, we explore the concept of Liminality—what it means to exist in the “in-between” spaces of identity as Mixed-race people.

We talk about how Mixed folks often find themselves navigating liminality—sometimes by choice, sometimes due to external pressure—and what that means for how we see ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a voicemail with your opinions and reflections on this subject at https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed. Your message might be played on a future episode of the show.

And don’t forget to follow Nina’s work on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Reunion.Mixed.Race.Events.

Militantly Mixed is a ManeHustle Media podcast, hosted and produced by Sharmane Fury.
Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sharmanefury

On this episode of Militantly Mixed, I speak with author Quincy Carroll about writing from a Mixed-Asian lens and how a brief period living there as an adult reshaped his perspective and practice as a writer. We also dig into how Quincy’s work consciously centers his personal anxieties—and how the act of writing helps him process and work through issues that affect him.

Guest links

• Instagram: @quinzorro

• Website: quincycarroll.com

• Unwelcome (Changsha)

• Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside (Ningyuan)

Quincy will be appearing as a panelist at Mixed Asian Day. Learn more and get details here: https://mixedasianmedia.com/mixedasianday

“Have thoughts about this episode or the topics we cover?

Leave me a voice note on SpeakPipe at ⁠https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed⁠ — your message may be featured on a future episode!

If you love Militantly Mixed and want to help keep it going, consider supporting via Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/militantlymixed⁠

Stay connected:
Website: ⁠www.militantlymixed.com⁠
Instagram: @militantlymixed
YouTube: Militantly Mixed

This week on Militantly Mixed, I’m joined by the planning committee of Free To Be Fest, a celebration of Mixed identity, community, and creativity. Fresh off the success of this year’s festival, we sat down together to debrief the event, share our reflections, and dream out loud about the future of Free To Be Fest.

We talk about the highs, the challenges, the magic moments, and what we hope to build for next year and beyond. If you’ve ever wondered what goes into creating a festival rooted in identity, inclusion, and joy, this behind-the-scenes conversation is for you.

- Got thoughts, feelings, pitches, or film submission inquiries? Reach out to the team at: [email protected]

- Want to make a donation to support Free To Be Fest? Contribute via PayPal: https://www.paypal.biz/freetobefest

“Have thoughts about this episode or the topics we cover? Leave me a voice note on SpeakPipe at ⁠https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed⁠ — your message may be featured on a future episode!

If you love Militantly Mixed and want to help keep it going, consider supporting via Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/militantlymixed⁠

Stay connected:
Website: ⁠www.militantlymixed.com⁠
Instagram: @militantlymixed
YouTube: Militantly Mixed

In this episode, Alex Chester‑Iwata dives deep into the origins, evolution, and cultural significance of Mixed Asian Day, a vibrant celebration that amplifies the voices and experiences of Mixed Asian and Pacific Islander communities. She shares how the day came to be and what she hopes for this and future Mixed Asian Days.

Mixed Asian Day info: https://mixedasianmedia.com/mixedasianday

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Have thoughts about this episode or the topics we cover?

Leave me a voice note on SpeakPipe at ⁠https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed⁠

your message may be featured on a future episode!

If you love Militantly Mixed and want to help keep it going, consider supporting via Patreon:

⁠https://patreon.com/militantlymixed⁠

Stay connected: Website: ⁠www.militantlymixed.com⁠Instagram: @militantlymixedYouTube: Militantly Mixed

In this special “Take Over” episode, friend and Ep. 12 alum, Gretchen Brunner, returns to flip the script—interviewing Mane as the guest on their own show. Expect real talk about identity, grief, creative evolution, and what it means to hold space for Mixed folks while still claiming your own. Candid. Curious. It’s the conversation Mane usually hosts—only this time, she has to answer the tough questions.

Have thoughts about this episode or the topics we cover? Leave me a voice note on SpeakPipe at https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed — your message may be featured on a future episode!

If you love Militantly Mixed and want to help keep it going, consider supporting via Patreon: https://patreon.com/militantlymixed

Stay connected:

• Website: www.militantlymixed.com

• Instagram: @militantlymixed

• YouTube: Militantly Mixed

This week on Militantly Mixed, I’m recapping my amazing weekend in Los Angeles at the Free To Be Fest 2025 — a full day of celebrating Mixed identity, community, and representation. I also share my big personal announcement.

At the festival, I had the honor of moderating the panel:

"Permission to Be Mixed"
This panel explored the emotional and societal complexities of a Mixed identity, from questions of authenticity to the power of representation.
Panelists:

• Alex Chester-Iwata – @alexfchester

• Maris Lidaka – @MarisLidaka

• Mannie Williams – @itsmanniew

💬 Share Your Voice!Have thoughts about this episode or the topics we cover? Leave me a voice note on SpeakPipe at https://speakpipe.com/MilitantlyMixed — your message may be featured on a future episode!

💖 Support the ShowIf you love Militantly Mixed and want to help keep it going, consider supporting via Patreon: https://patreon.com/militantlymixed

📲 Follow Militantly Mixed and stay connected:

• Website: www.militantlymixed.com

• Instagram: @militantlymixed

• YouTube: Militantly Mixed

In this episode, Maris Lidaka returns to Militantly Mixed to reflect on his experience at last year’s Free to Be Fest, where his film Gabriella was screened to a fully Mixed audience. He shares how experience affinity spaces like Free To Be Fest is important for Mixed people..

This year, Maris is stepping from behind the camera to center stage as a panelist on the “Permission to Be Mixed?” panel moderated by Sharmane at this year’s fest. Together, they discuss the emotional layers of visibility, what it means to “claim” a Mixed identity, and how storytelling continues to be a vital tool for validation and connection.

🎟️ Get your tickets now for Free to Be Fest — happening August 9, 2025, in Los Angeles:
https://freetobefest2025.rsvpify.com/

🤝 Support the mission of Free to Be Fest by donating or sponsoring someone else's attendance:
https://www.paypal.com/biz/profile/freetobefest

🎬 Learn more about Maris Lidaka and the Blended Future Project at:
https://www.blendedfutureproject.com

📲 Follow Militantly Mixed and stay up to date:
Website: www.militantlymixed.com
Instagram: @militantlymixed
YouTube: Militantly Mixed