We’re getting a different perspective today, and I’m interviewing none other than my husband, Mike Good. Born and raised in California, Mike is the epitome of what the world sees as a privileged, white male person.  

We talk about Mike’s perception of immigrant families such as mine, and how he gained awareness of the issues and challenges that first-generation Americans might be facing. We dig into our own cultural differences, the differences between certain parts of the US in the level of welcoming immigrants, as well as how it is for him as a father raising two biracial daughters. 

At the end, after a round of sports celebrity comments, Mike reveals a couple of secrets to a happy marriage. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• Surprising and challenging cultural differences Mike found when he met me and my family
• When Mike started learning about the struggles of third culture kids 
• What’s most important to him as a father of two biracial kids
• How welcome the immigrants are made to feel in the US 
• Mike’s take on why Gen Z’s hate Millennials 
• All you need to know this Monday on Messi, Ronaldo, Premier League, World Cup and Tiger Woods 
• Mike’s three keys to a happy marriage 

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]

In immigrant families, there are often a lot of rules. And where there are rules, there are also consequences for not following the rules and not staying in line. For me, that meant a lot of sneaking around so that I could do the things I wanted to do, but it also meant getting caught quite a few times and being punished for not being the 'good daughter.' 

But despite the difficulty that I had, I never ever considered leaving home and being estranged from my family. But unfortunately, estrangement is on the rise in immigrant families. So in this episode, we're going to discuss what happens when immigrant families go through estrangement, as well as some of the causes for estrangement.

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why there are so many rules in immigrant families and why breaking them is perceived as a crime
• How parents see their roles in immigrant families and how it’s different from the Western view of parenting 
• What kind of situations and events can lead to estrangement within a family
• Some examples of estrangement in immigrant families and its causes
• How to reduce the risk of estrangement

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]

There is a saying that no siblings have the same parents. Children from the same family, living under the same roof, can have completely different experiences growing up. With the children of immigrant parents, the situation gets even more complex, as there are cultural expectations on top of the common growing pains. 

On today’s episode, I’m joined by my two sisters Iqra and Sanna, and we chat about our experiences of being or not being the ‘good daughters’ in our childhood and teenage years. We talk about how our parents related to each of us, the age gap between us, how we dealt with expectations, what our tactics and coping strategies were, and how we learned to navigate the relationships with our parents as we became adults.     

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why my parents seemed to have a different approach to me and my siblings
• How my sisters perceived their own growing up 
• The examples of different coping strategies we had for similar situations
• How our parents changed through the years they’ve been living in the US
• The impact of friends and school environment on our family dynamics
• Gen Z’s vs. Millennials and the generational gap within our family
• How first-generation Americans are perceived in other parts of the world

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]

When it comes to immigrants and their kids, the big question is - to assimilate or not to assimilate? Assimilate and risk losing touch with your native culture, or not assimilate and your kids end up feeling like outsiders?

In today's episode, we'll discuss assimilation and what assimilation looks like when you are the child of immigrants. This is a complex subject, and what worked for me might not necessarily work for you. There's nothing wrong with exposing your children to your culture, traditions and values. But there is a risk that the kids might reject your culture if you become too controlling and demonize the Western culture.

Is there perhaps a better way, a third way to create a culture that is perfect for you and your kids? 

What You'll Learn: 

• Why most immigrants struggle with the assimilation question
• When immigrant families choose not to assimilate
• The signs of an overly controlling parent
• Pros and cons of assimilating into the Western culture
• How to blend the best of different cultures
• Ways to share your unique traditions with the community
• The reasons why you feel like you don't belong
• Should you let your kids assimilate into the country you live in

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]

If you grew up in an immigrant home, you probably grew up with a lot of rules and restrictions, and there were consequences for breaking any of those boundaries. Yes, rules and restrictions are meant to keep us from making mistakes. But a lot of times, when people grow up with a lot of restrictions and then get a taste of freedom, they rarely know how to handle it.

In today's episode, we'll discuss cultural expectations and what they mean for our kids. We'll also cover why children of immigrants rarely raise kids the way they were raised, and how you can raise your kids in an environment free of fear and threats. 

What You'll Learn: 

• The four main types of parenting styles
• What it's like to grow up with strict parents
• Why it's never a good idea to parent through fear
• Your parents don't have to approve 100% of your parenting style
• How strict rules force your kids to live a double life
• What to do when your kid acts out
• Effective ways to navigate the different stages of parenting
• How to prepare your child to succeed in the real world

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]

My parents had an arranged marriage. They met three days before they got married, and they're still married 36 years later. When I thought of arranged marriages, I generally saw them in a very negative light. But as I've been reading more and more about what it's like globally, I've found some interesting facts about arranged marriages that you will hear in this episode.  

I will share with you my opinion on arranged marriages, why they work, and reasons they might not work for everybody. However, the big question remains for many of us, should we say yes to an arranged marriage? I believe there are multiple choices we can make, and that’s what we’ll discuss today.  

What You'll Learn: 

• Interesting facts about arranged marriages 
• Key differences between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage
• Love marriages vs. arranged marriages
• Approaching marriage from a logical point of view
• Ways to handle pressure to get married
• Being 30 is not the end all be all of getting married
• Why you don't have to say yes to an arranged marriage
• How to choose a life partner wisely

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected] 

Have you heard of the concept of Third Culture Kids? It refers to a person who grew up in a culture different from the one their parents grew up in. 

I think there's an equal amount of positive and challenging experiences that come with being a third culture kid. But where I see most of them struggle is education. There's such immense pressure on immigrant kids to satisfy their parents' expectations when it comes to education and careers. 

In today's episode, I share the pros and cons of being a third culture kid. I also talk about the beauty of having immigrant parents and how you can handle social interactions when your friends don't understand your family dynamics. 

What You'll Learn:

• Shared characteristics and experiences of third culture kids
• What to do when your friends don't understand your family dynamics
• The biggest pros and cons of being a third culture kid
• How to reconcile Muslims, pork, and the American love for bacon
• Navigating the parental pressure to succeed in school and conform to their standards
• Dual cultures and struggling to find your identity
• How immigration led to rapid globalization

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected] 

As I record this episode, Turkey and Syria just suffered a devastating earthquake that left tens of thousands of people dead. I dove into Tik Tok and came across a video where the original creator horrendously suggested that God subjected innocent people to such horrific death simply because their country does not criminalize gay acts. 

I recently heard another TikToker say that the "haram police" are actually the ones pushing people out of religion, and I believe it's true. 

Everybody has an opinion these days and will say whatever they want to support their beliefs, no matter how asinine they sound. So in today's episode, I share why I believe social media and religion should not mix. 

What You'll Learn:

• The rising number of blasphemous posts on social media and the impact it has on society
• How to navigate problematic content on TikTok
• How to engage in the daunting fight against religious misinformation
• The issues with abortion laws and situations where it should be allowed
• The incredibly difficult restrictions around polygamy under Muslim laws
• Why most people don't believe colorism is a form of discrimination
• Why we must stop blaming religion for parental abuse
• Which takes on religion actually make sense
• How the "haram police" are ruining beautiful religions

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected] 

How many of these things sound familiar to you: changing into a different outfit when your parents aren't looking; having a secret boyfriend; going swimming in a t-shirt and shorts because you're not allowed to wear a bathing suit; saying you're spending the night at a friend's house when you're actually somewhere else?

It's not healthy for you to have secrets or constantly have the stress of getting found out. But what would happen if you were to say No to all the rules and all the restrictions? Is there a way parents and children can create rules and boundaries that are healthy and in line with the society that we live in?

In this episode, I'll discuss creative ways to raise kids without the risk of alienating them and causing them to live a secret life. 

What You'll Learn:

• Do you have to do everything your parents say?
• Why hyper-strict parents raise sneaky kids
• Is it possible to make your parents happy? 
• What would happen if you said No 
• How to give your kids the freedom to explore, imagine, create
• Why high-functioning kids are hard to raise
• What is the easiest way to develop a better relationship with your parents 

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected] 

Welcome to The Good Daughter Podcast! I'm Misha Good, and I'm here to help women experiencing cultural challenges in their personal and professional life.

So your parents came to the US from a different country. You were born here, grew up here, and all your friends are here - but the rules your parents have for you are different from the rules everyone else has. Being the child of immigrants can put you at odds with your parents, friends, society, and, most importantly, with yourself. And this can result in an identity crisis.

The first series of this podcast is going to focus on what it means to be first generation in the Western world. I will be sharing my advice on dealing with cultural conditioning and family expectations, and creating a life on your own terms. 

I will cover topics such as assimilation, cultural pressure, arranged marriage and other themes to help you overcome the feeling of guilt and anxiety about your parents’ expectations, and build an honest and healthy relationship with your family, but most importantly, with yourself. Because, we’re all more than just good daughters!

Subscribe to the show, leave a review and stay tuned for this week’s episodes! 

Resources: 

• Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thegooddaughterpodcast/
• Follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@gooddaughterpod 
• Want to be on an episode and talk about your experiences? Email me at [email protected]