The Bicultural Identity

A few months ago, CBC announced the cancellation of the popular Korean-Canadian sitcom, Kim's Convenience. Since the decision was first made public, speculations have been circulating online discussing why the show may have been cancelled and whether a renewal would be possible with a different network could pick it up. Simu Liu broke the silence from the cast in a Facebook post at the beginning of June, and a few other cast members have followed since then. In this episode, we unpack all the information shared by the cast following the cancellation, and discuss the larger implication of Asian representation in Western media.

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Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

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Hans Rosling created the concept of Factfulness after a lifetime of working as a physician, academic, and public speaker. In his book "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think", Rosling explains the ten rules to approaching your view of the world in a fact-based manner. The general message boils down to how we, as individuals, tend to view the world more negatively than we need to. Touching on subjects of gender equality, racial equality, and social equality, Hans Rosling debates popular media content in stating that we have much to celebrate. In this episode, we review the ten rules of Factfulness and how they can be applied more in our lives - as well as our future activist mindsets.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

On this podcast, we have talked extensively about the experiences behind being Asian and belonging in the BIPOC community. Today, we take a more tangible approach by talking about the various systematic issues that actually create a higher cost of living for BIPOC people. The standard price many of us may be used to purchasing living necessities does not actually reflect the reality for many people in the exact same country. Join us on the episode where we can learn together about the conditions existing right within our communities that reduce access of basic goods to minorities.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

Mobile phones have become an extension of our bodies. These days, we can search for robotics tutorials on YouTube, share our deepest worries in 280 characters on Twitter, or have an entirely virtual friendship with someone you met in a Facebook group. 

In this episode, the seamless integration of AI in using the big data collected on social media platforms is explored. We also deep dive into how AI contributed to the rise of TikTok and the ethical implications behind AI-driven social media as a whole.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

Inspired by John Krasinski's "Some Good News" from earlier on in the pandemic, this episode is purely for spreading positive news. Connie and Jenny touch on 4 different optimistic articles they found, in which the topics range from mermaids to products that aim to reduce carbon emissions. Tune in to hear some fun stories as well as learn about how the world is changing for the better in certain ways!

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

Is ___ really worth visiting? Today we bring this series on our show to Kyoto, Japan. After taking two trips to this city, Connie and Jenny sit down to reminisce over some fun memories of the old capital of Japan. From a chaotic arrival to a wonderful tea ceremony, tune in to see if Kyoto deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

This episode covers a hidden story excluded from most historical accounts of the tragic Titanic sinking. On April 15th in 1912, at least six Chinese passengers were aboard the Titanic heading to the west to find work. Their journeys were met by horrifying tragedy, miraculous survival, and immediate deportation on the coasts of New York. Listen in as we retell the stories of the Chinese Titanic passengers and hold the larger conversation on the erasure of Asians in the Western history books.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

The Academy Awards were last night and it brought forward the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into the focus around diversity and representation in recent years. In this episode, we explore well-known foreign-language Best Picture nominees and winners such as Roma and Parasite. The recognition of diverse voices in the film industry has the potential of bringing more attention to previously underheard voices. 

But how did these movies reach this level of esteem and what does this say about the Academy? From director filmographies, to film networks, to sponsorships and the reality of the film industry culture, we discuss why these "diversity" nominations were chosen and whether representation was really at the forefront of the Academy's mission. At the end of the day, the Oscars are still an American award show, and perhaps we're holding it to too high a standard in recognizing and highlighting foreign films...

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

This week, we welcome Josephine Liu who brings in the topic of food identity for immigrant children. Josephine shares the story of arriving in Canada from Taiwan as a child and how the move led to an early shame surrounding her family and cultural cuisine. Contrasting with our experience as second gen children born and raised in Canada, we still found many similarities between our stories how we viewed our social currency tying in with our rejection of home food.

Today, Josephine has developed a deep interest in cooking and baking. This shift came simultaneously with a 'homecoming' experience and continuous process of learning and relearning her roots. In our conversations, we also talk about cultural foods and how they can expand your world and change your lifestyle. Plant-based diets, as an example, can be an enjoyable experience when you open your options to dishes from India, China, etc. At the root of it, food is one of the key factors of socialization, thus having a major impact on how each person experiences their cultures and find their community.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity

As a continuation of Episode 35 where we talked about various companies who chose to profiting off of cultural appropriation, today we bring the topic towards fashion and beauty. 

So many mainstream fashion trends today have roots in Black culture, and we take the time to touch on some instances where these 'inspirations' have gone wrong. From B-style in Japan to the popularity of dreadlocks, we also have a subjective discussion about what's acceptable. and what's not. As Asian Canadians, we also talk about a few trends popularized in the West that remind us of past cultural traumas growing up here. 

The larger conversation eventually leads back to the root of the problem - the erasure of darker moments in history and the single goal that arises again and again... money.

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Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below:

Website: thebiculturalidentity.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity