Real, Raw, and Racialized

When life throws you adversity, what do you do? Behavioral scientist and public health practitioner Jessica Orenstein chooses to focus on the beauty of life rather than the hardship. Even when she has dealt with discrimination from her teachers, peers, and others as early as preschool, she searches for the beauty of life. And she has found that beauty through her family, religion, her natural hair journey, and just daily living. Where can we find beauty in our own lives, even when life gets tough? 

If only there was a survival guide to navigate through the discrimination and prejudices. Nicole, a Hispanic woman and strong advocate for mental health, had to learn these coping mechanisms at an early age. Growing up in Alabama, she experienced her peers' ignorance and judgements about her cultural identity, from generalizations about Hispanic identities to negative stereotypes. So in an effort to preserve her self image, Nicole tried to hide parts of her cultural identity and explain herself to others. But such discrimination and close-mindedness can have lasting effects from developmental years to adulthood.

Now more than ever, individuals are born with multiple cultural identities. And yet, oftentimes there is a pressure in the U.S. to prioritize one culture over another or be alienated to a place where one does not feel any sense of belonging. Ale, a Jamaican American woman, comes from Black, Chinese, and possibly White backgrounds. From her personal experiences, she shares a more worldly perspective on the topic, including some advantages to exploring all sides of her ancestral history. She also shares how America's view of mixed cultures actually drastically differs from the views of other countries. So perhaps there is a way for those of mixed cultures to celebrate all sides of their identity.

Please note that the Unravel Podcast has been paused. 

Frank Garcia, who works with People of Color in Higher Education, struggled to connect with his Mexican heritage when he was young. Growing up, he did not partake in customs such as Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or speaking Spanish at home. It was not until he was a young adult when he realized how much knowledge he lacked about his own culture. So Frank decided it was time to learn more about Mexican traditions for himself and for his children. Frank shows us it's never too late to revisit our cultural identity.

Where is it ok to talk about race, gender, and identity? At home? At school? In a podcast? G Capone is a Ph.D. student at Teachers College, Columbia University. They identify as a white trans person with a Jewish and Italian heritage. During their upbringing in Brooklyn and Long Island, G found that there were very few opportunities to discuss anything related to race or gender, even when they witnessed displays of prejudice firsthand. So they decided to find other spaces and communities to ask these important subjects. They discovered that higher education can lend an open, safe space to discuss race, gender, and identity; but even in those classrooms, G found a lack of diversity and viewpoints. So, again, where is it ok for us to have these challenging but crticial conversations?

Traveling the world can be its own profound learning experience. Writing coach Nkem, who identifies as Nigerian-American, has lived in several countries across the globe, teaching self-expression through writing. Her time abroad significantly impacted her view of herself, her racial identity, and her relation to others. Nkem explores how travel and writing can cultivate a unique journey in wellness, identity, and self-expression.

Nkem will be hosting Heart Translation, a generative 8-week group writing course guiding you to deeper personal truth(s) and more authentic written expression from October 2nd - November 20th, 2022. For more information, check out: https://www.bynkem.co/heart-translation

Have you ever "code switched"? What is "code switching"? Dr. Liza Talusan has made a career of helping individuals and organizations build their skills in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and leadership. As a Filipina-American woman, Liza remembers growing up in a "sea of White people", where oftentimes her peers marginalized her for being one of the few People of Color in the town. Her life split into two worlds: acting as "White Liza" during the week and celebrating her Filipina culture on the weekends. This dual identity is practiced by more People of Color than you may realize. While code switching sounds like a super power where individuals can blend into multiple cultures, side effects may include losing connection to one's culture, loss of self-esteem, and lack of belonging in the world.

Check out Liza's New book: The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for a More Inclusive School

Season Finale: Rayana Grace celebrated her Black heritage as a child. However, she learned not very many other people grew up in the same way. In her young adult life, Rayana challenged many others' limited viewpoints on race, culture and identity. She is proud of her racial identity and never compromised her pride. How can we emulate such strength in our own lives?

Rodniel J. Pecson, a physical therapy assistant student, talks about how he could transform his Filipino-American identity in order to "survive" different environments. Rodniel explores how growing up in a diverse community and attending a predominantly white college challenged his identity. But through therapy, he learned that he did not need to change. Instead, he learned where the real value of identity came from.

Lilly Nguyen, co-host of I Speak Engrish! podcast, has been a racialized person her whole life! Even though she is very proud of her Vietnamese culture, she struggled to find positive representations of Vietnamese women. Instead, she discovered that many viewed her identity through a fetishized or submissive lens of Vietnamese women. So how does someone challenge these perceptions and maybe even change them?