Some stories don’t fit into neat categories. They stretch across oceans, languages, and generations. Wayne Coito is one of those stories.
On this episode of #OldAsianLady, Wayne is Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, Filipino—and fluent in Vietnamese. He’s a son, a father, a storyteller, and a community builder. He lives between Hawaii and Los Angeles, between tradition and reinvention, between being seen and being misunderstood.
In Part 1 of our conversation, we explore what it means to grow up in Hawaii with mixed heritage, to navigate identity politics in college, and to reclaim indigeneity not as a blood quantum—but as a worldview.
In Part 2, Wayne shares how he left teaching to launch a sports business, built a career in LA, and now finds himself in the most transformative role yet: fatherhood. We talk about creative risk, cultural responsibility, and the discomfort that often leads to growth.This is a story about belonging, about building your own path when none exists—and about honoring the land, the people, and the values that shape you.