Carol Li, co-host of #impact Podcast shared her story of belonging at the first Asian Podcast Festival organsised by the Asian American Podcasters Association.

Sharing our stories

It is incredibly powerful to let others in on our stories. Why? Because it gives the listeners comfort, as they realise they are not alone in their quest of finding a place and a sense of belonging.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or any of your favorite Podcast players.

Full transcription

Regina Larko 0:03
I am Regina Larko and this is #impact – A Podcast about stuff that matters. We recently aired the story behind #impact, the full story. That is my personal account of how I got this podcast started. Thank you all so much for the lovely comments and reactions to this episode that I was so reluctant and quite nervous to be frank to publish.

But I guess I should really take my own advice to heart that I am sharing all the way back in this episode, where I encourage everyone to show up for their own stories. Many of you have reached out curious to hear more about the stories of our #impact team members too.

Courageoulsy sharing our stories

I have started this podcast on my own. But today I am not alone in this anymore. #impact is joined by brilliant talented co-hosts all over the globe that share my vision to empower organizations and individuals to take action, live consciously, give back and identify how their contributions can make the world a better place.

Today you hear from our co-host Carol Li.

After graduating from university, Carol went on to teaching English abroad in China, South Korea to learn more about where her family came from. This quest was not easy, at times, unsettling, but mostly healing.

This podcast was recorded live at the first Asian Podcast Festival during Asian Heritage Month in May 2021. Listen all the way to the end to hear how the audience reacted to Carol’s moving story searching for a place of belonging.

Recorded LIVE at the 1st Asian Podcast Festival

You will also hear the wonderful and powerful voice of Lee Uehara. She is the founder of the Asian American Podcasters Association based in the US and also the organizer behind the Asian Podcast Festival.

I want to say a huge thanks to Lee Uehara and Andrew Wang, who is the co-founder of the Asian American Podcasters Association for bringing us all together and not just on that day but all through the year. So let’s get started.

Broadcasting from New York — Honolulu — Hong Kong

Lee Uehara 2:53
So now so excited to share our next show, which is #impact with Regina Larko and her guests Carol Li. Regina, welcome. Carol Li, Welcome back. You ladies were here earlier. I know it’s a long day and Regina, you look fresh as a daisy.

You just got up, right? You’re in Hong Kong, right?

Regina Larko 3:20
I just, I just got up. I can’t believe it. I’ve made it happen. I’m so happy to be here. Good morning from Hong Kong. And I have to check if my mic is set up correctly. But I have my coffee here. And I’m so happy to see you all and to have been listening to some of you earlier.

Mila, I was there Late Night when you were on. But then I had to go to bed at some point. Angela, I heard as well. I’m sure you did all amazing. Thank you for having us. And Good morning, hello. Good afternoon to Carol in Honolulu.

Lee Uehara 3:54
Yes, welcome. And Carol has been here most of the time as well, love the background and we are now going to hand it over to you. You’re going to record your episode as though, yeah, we’re watching you record. Okay, so I’m going to take it away.

Celebrating Asian Heritage Month

Regina Larko 4:18
Welcome, everyone. We are recording for #impact podcast at Asian Podcast Festival. And I am so thrilled to introduce you to a very special guest. Actually, I was thinking about how am I going to introduce Carol, because her story is so fascinating and so complicated at the same time.

So I actually thought well, maybe let Carol share about her story and we will get to know her a bit better.

We’re celebrating Asian Heritage Month. And here at #impact podcast we feature a lot of Asian voices and we’re really proud that we also have an Asian American co-host who is bringing us beautiful episodes from all over the globe actually.

And Carol brought us the most downloaded podcast episode of all times of #impact, where she featured Teach North Korean Refugees, an amazing nonprofit working in South Korea to support North Korean refugees.

And I’m already talking way too long. Carol, I want to hear your beautiful voice. And actually, you know, Carol, before we get into the story, maybe we should also explain to listeners how we first met, we have a story as well.

Carol’s unique story

Carol Li 5:36
Yeah, absolutely. Hi, everyone. So good to be here at this festival. It’s been such a joy, hearing all your incredible work and creating this space, especially for our Asian community.

And it’s interesting how my life turned out. But long story short, I was in Hong Kong, working as an English tutor at Lingnan University. And my boss forwarded us an email saying, oh, Regina Larko is going to be speaking at a TED talk that our school was organizing. And then I looked up #impact. And knowing myself, I really wanted to pursue a career where I can make a difference in people’s lives.

I just sent her an email. I didn’t even meet her before I just sent an email saying, Hi, I’m just fresh out of college, looking for some experiences. And I really like the work that you do. And I thought, oh, maybe I could help out and maybe learn a few things.

And it’s just been an incredible journey that we’ve kept in touch for I think this is our fourth year, third or fourth, third year now. And I’ve been able to work a lot on the podcasts and write blogs and do social media.

And it’s also helped me land a job, part time job here in Hawaii with the Asian Studies Department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. So, yeah, this is our relationship. And then this is kind of interesting for me to be a guest on the podcast for once.

Starting out with her first #impact Podcast recording in Cambodia

Regina Larko 7:00
Yeah, it feels a bit nerve wracking, right? If you’re the one on the spot. Now we can I think always when we put ourselves in that place to answer the questions, then we can relate even more to the guests and how actually, how nerve wracking it is to put yourself out there like that with with your own story.

And so I love that we get to do this now, Carol, because I know I pushed you into recording your first episode as well, when you were traveling in Cambodia. Just record with someone inspiring you find there. And you’re like, Are you sure? Should I do that?

And I think you were shocked when I then actually put that episode on the channel. But that’s yet another story.

Actually, I want to go back, you know, four years ago, something really, I think pivotal happened in your life, you made a decision to to go to China.

Searching for her roots in China

And that was inspired by you really wanting to look into your roots and connect with your roots even more. And why I find this so interesting that you actually made that decision, as you just said, you were already also interested in doing communications journalism. So these were things that were already on your mind as well, when you were a young student.

And you had a prestigious internship lined up at CBS, you could have gone to LA work there. I guess many of your peers were kind of looking at you. Like, are you sure you want to go to China now Carol? What are you doing? So what what made you go through that, to go to China four years ago?

Carol’s Grandparents – A special bond

Carol Li 8:35
That is a good question. But I immediately think I don’t regret it whatsoever. And I think what really pushed me to make that decision was the year before my senior year in college, my junior year, all three of my grandparents passed away, one after another.

And that was really hard, because I was extremely close with them. And I’m not sure if anyone in this audience kind of feels close with family or friends or grandparents and in the Asian community, but they just carry a very special something in our lives.

And when they passed away, I felt I kind of lost a connection to where they came from and my roots and my heritage. So even though, I mean I wouldn’t say it’s the most prestigious internship with CBS, but it would have been a stepping stone in that career I initially thought I wanted to do, which was get into the media industry and do work in diversity and inclusion and have, you know, representations of like marginalized people in the media.

I don’t know my heart just felt like I needed to go to China because before my grandmother passed away, and I was extremely close with her. All she wanted to do was to take me back to China to see where she came from. And I don’t think they really were able to go back since they immigrated here to Hawaii, I think they only went back once or twice.

So yeah, I think I was like I don’t, I’ve never lived in China for a long period of time, and doesn’t pay a lot. But it’s enough to get by. And I decided to do it. And it was probably one of the most life-changing experiences for me. And, and it led me to go to Hong Kong, and work there and meet you, and then ended up making me think about my mom’s side of the family. So I went to South Korea and taught there and then back home and graduate school. So kind of full circle.

Regina Larko 10:40
Now, in preparation for this talk, of course, I checked out all the things of you were writing on your blog during your time abroad. And there is this, quote and I am going to quote this back to you now, because I thought it was really intriguing. And it brings us to your mom’s side of the story, so to say, of your roots.

You wrote in that blog:

“When I meet new people, I have to say, I’m American, my dad is Chinese, and my mom is Korean. I can speak a little bit Chinese, but I can’t really speak a lot of Korean. So I could not talk to my maternal grandmother. I wanted to be Korean, but my paternal grandmother did not allow me to eat kimchi, I feel I have a lot of pressure.”

So that’s in one of the blogs you wrote, actually in three different languages. So I think to me, it’s amazing how you actually took on that journey on your own in order to learn more about where your parents came from, where your grandparents came from, how they grew up and learn their language as well.

So I thought that was beautiful that you actually put out a blog in all the languages, even the languages you found most challenging, like Korean that you had just started studying at that time.

And I also remember what you said to me in an earlier conversation where you said, you know, you landed in South Korea as a stopover before you came to China, and you could not imagine living there, you were like, I don’t fit in. I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to be there.

But then you still, after your time in China, you made the decision to actually go to South Korea, and live there and teach there. So how was that journey for you then exploring your mom’s side of your roots?

Exploring her roots in South Korea – Do I fit in?

Carol Li 12:36
I think that initial feeling when I went to Seoul, I feel like I did not fit in. I think Seoul has a very, you know, very stylish, everyone is on point. And I also couldn’t read or speak any Korean. And that’s kind of been a struggle for me growing up my whole life.

I picked up Cantonese from my dad’s side, but I wasn’t able to pick up Korean so even at family reunions, I kind of was the Half Blood mix. You know, the mixed kid, even though they’re you know, both Asian backgrounds.

And it, it almost really turned me off from my Korean identity. Even when I had family members say, Oh, look at Carol, she can’t even speak Korean. She can’t even speak to her grandma, do you even want to be like Carol, you know, to their own kids, and it was very hurtful.

So for a long time, I almost like put that part of me away. And I just said I would never be Korean. I wouldn’t ever be able to speak Korean. But it was just really interesting how, when I was just learning more about not even just learning, I don’t even know how to articulate, just being immersed in China and getting to know wonderful students and co-workers and visiting my grandparents hometown, for the first time and hearing the stories that, you know, they never even told me, but I had to learn from family members there.

I just I just became curious. I think I became curious. I wonder what kind of stories my mom might have, or my grand ma might have that I don’t know about. And I am still of course learning and growing.

But I finally felt comfortable like, oh, okay, I think, I think I can go to Korea. I think I want to go to Korea. And I finally did and honestly it was just so much fun. And I grew really close with my coworkers and my students and and a lot of the fear and anxiety I had it it went away because I felt acceptance that I never thought I could feel and being able to see where my mom came from to understand her more.

So yeah, it’s it’s been a journey. It still is. I’m really happy to to be on it.

A healing journey – From anxiety to pride

Regina Larko 14:55
In our introduction to the podcast, I also shared that this quest was something that’s almost like, healing for you as well, when you’re looking into your own belonging, but also how you feel about being Asian.

And I quote you again, because you said something I think empowering for a lot of people that might be listening right now that are on this. And I think it’s a constant process, right? We are all trying to come to terms with where we are from and where we belong in today’s world, and you said something that really touched me because you said:

“My Asian heritage used to give me anxiety. Now, it gives me pride.”

Carol Li

And I, you know, I get goosebumps just hearing me say, you know, I hear it in your voice when, when I’m reading this, I hear you say it to me when we were talking the other day.

Returning home to Hawaii

Now, when you’re back in Hawaii, you know, you made this journey. And actually, you know, there’s 20 minutes that we have here today doesn’t give it credit, you know, we should have like two hours to talk about it or even longer.

And I encourage everyone you know, to just reach out to Carol and connect and get to know this amazing human. Yeah, but now we did it kind of like in a super fast rundown that you know, your last four years in 20 minutes.

But I guess that’s an important part as well, like you were then returning as almost like a different person, right? Returning to your home that maybe you now see with different eyes as well.

How, how is your feeling of belonging different now, when you compare it to when you were growing up there?

Carol Li 16:42

Yeah, I think, belonging, that’s such a loaded word. I think knowing that I simultaneously will never belong, but I deserve to be long, at the same time, is something that gives me comfort, because, you know, we are our own unique human beings, we have our own stories. And depending on where we go different places have different cultures and norms.

And and I think, particularly here in Hawaii, it’s very diverse. And it there, the Asian community is very, it’s predominantly Asian. But at the same time, I still when I was growing up, I didn’t belong, I felt like I was either too much to Asian or not Asian to Chinese to Korea.

And like, there’s, there’s like different ideas and perceptions people have. And when I went through this journey, and figured out my own identity, I realized that what I feel like is a sense of home. I think that’s something that a lot of us struggle with, especially with our parents or grandparents have moved and migrated. And we feel a lot of difficulties belonging somewhere.

Do we belong, where they settle? Do we belong, when we they, we go back to their homelands. And I think I realized that our homes are carried in our hearts. And it’s carried on our backs because of everything, not only we’ve been through, but what our ancestors have been through and have gifted to us.

So I think the attitude I’m taking now is sometimes I still come home and I don’t belong in a way that you know, it just, uh, yeah, Carol’s home, she just fits in perfectly to everything and it’s smooth. But at the same time, me being more confident in myself and being able to pursue something that I wanted to do, which was to learn more about my family actually kind of helps in a way since I’m able to have more conversations with my own family.

And now I find places in Hawaii where I do belong, and I can have these types of important conversations that I want to continue having. And so I think even though it’s a difficult word, I think we have the power to create spaces and to create communities that we can feel a sense of belonging.

Asian American – Ongoing quest of belonging

Regina Larko 19:23
Absolutely. And so you know, comforting hearing you say that. I mean, I’m also on my quest of belonging, you know, I’ve lived in China now for 10 years. I’m the first person who moved abroad in my family. It’s different of course, I have a different journey because I have parents that are both from the same country, right? They’re both Austrian. We are white, very privileged upbringing.

And here in Hong Kong, I think it’s very interesting what you shared on a podcast you you did together with Allie, shout out to Allie Across Seas. Yeah. Let’s give a shout out to this awesome podcast as well, where the two of you we’re talking about your upbringing as well and belonging and it’s interesting for me to listen to it because of course, I never had to go through these struggles but we all have our own challenges how we are, you know, coping and trying to fit in. Me as a foreigner in Asia. I think my podcast also is a quest for me. #impact as a quest for me to connect also with with the local community so that I get to understand them better.

And I’ve often feel that the podcast helps so much with them opening up and sharing stories with me as well, even before we press record, most importantly, before we press record, and that’s really it’s such a gift, I guess we all as podcasters that are listening, or people considering starting a podcast, a gift we can really give to us – having these conversations.

Carol, I know I think all of the podcasters listening right now, you know, if you need an amazing guest to talk about so many things not just Asian heritage, you know, reach out to Carol. But I know we have to wrap up for the Q&A.

Sustainable Development Goals – what’s to come from Hawaii

But I want to give our listeners also like a little bit of a teaser of what’s coming up when #impact Season 5 coming from Honolulu and how your study you’re doing right now can inspire you for our theme, the Sustainable Development Goals that we’re addressing in this season. What can they expect?

Carol Li – recording for #impact Podcast in Hawaii

Carol Li 21:26
You know, it’s really interesting for me to be home. And I think when a lot of people think about Hawaii, they think about palm trees and think about beaches, and it is beautiful. Don’t get me wrong.

But there are a lot of people here really trying to make a difference. And even though we are an island, one of the most isolated islands in the world, I think our role in global politics, I think our role in creating new futures, and the people doing the work here is really something to tap into and learn from. So I hope I can give a different picture of Hawaii that a lot of people don’t get to hear but also with the purpose of creating a better future for the next generation.

Making an impact means…

Regina Larko 22:20
All of our guests have to go to the quick fire round, you know it, Carol and we’re doing it now to wrap up this episode.

Making an impact means…

Carol Li 22:31
Making an impact means… Wow, I you know, I we make our guests do this, but this is really hard. I think it just simply means to continue learning and growing. Like for learning and growing yourself and learning and growing about other people and connecting.

Regina Larko 22:50
Who inspires you in the way they are tackling the Sustainable Development Goals?

Carol Li 22:56
You know what, Regina, I’m gonna say you. I think you making a whole season about the SDGs and really bringing in all these people from around the world. I think it’s great.

Regina Larko 23:09
Yeah, okay. Don’t get me all emotional, Carol, please. But rather tell our listeners, what could everyone do right now to make the world a better place?

Carol Li 23:20
I think something I’ve been thinking a lot about. And, and with everything I’ve said, Give yourself a big hug. I think, you know, we are all doing amazing, incredible work, especially if we are here in the space right now. And shout out to Lee and Andy for creating the space for us, especially with everything Asians have gone through, not only historically, but this past year with COVID.

So give yourself a big hug. Give yourself some rest, and then keep doing the amazing work that you’re doing.

Regina Larko 23:49
Thank you so much. And with this, it’s a wrap over to Lee. Thank you, Carol for doing this with Regina. Thank you everybody. Round of applause.

Shared stories and making connections

Lee Uehara 24:03

Thank you, Carol for doing this with Regina. Thank you everybody. Round of applause.

Carol, when you share of yourself like that, it just inspires other people and what I mean by that it’s so cheesy to say, Oh yes, we’re inspiring people. But what that really means is, when people hear what you have to say and well as they’re listening, I know it was while I was listening I was like oh yeah, I completely identify with the whole visit to when you were talking about your Korean relatives and the hardships there. I’m in that boat with you.

What it is, it’s nice to know that we’re not really alone. Right? And so now I know that I can probably reach out to be like yeah, I want to talk more about that or just connect and so those little those little gems that you drop I think are inspiring because when we know that we’re not alone.

That’s my dog. When we know that we’re not alone, hello, work from home when we’re not alone. That gives us I think, confidence to do more. Right? So often when we are alone, we second guess ourselves. But then when we know that somewhere, someone has been through the same thing, it’s not so rough. Right. And so thank you so much.

And I do want to encourage folks to put their comments in the chat. And I hope everyone is clicking Save chat occasionally to hang on to it. And then so, you know, Ty said, when you were talking about those things, Carol, he’d said in the chat, that it’s beautiful what you were saying.

Carrying our homes on our backs and in our hearts

So I think that Jen says that, it was beautifully said, Carol, when you said that we carry our homes, on our backs and in our hearts. And absolutely, so if anyone would like to unmute themselves and and ask Regina, or give comments to Carol, please do.

So I’m, I’m going to ask a couple more questions. But I would love to open up the floor for conversation.

And so Ty, maybe you can share what led you to say that’s beautiful, like what moved you what part of what Carol was sharing, resonated with you, for example, and try take it away?

Ty Fujimura 26:31
(TY runs We the peeps Podcast with his brother, check it out at https://wtppod.com) Yeah, totally. So I’m bicultural. And so I definitely resonated with what you said about the feeling of like placelessness and culturelessness.

And it can go both ways. You know, you can feel at times, like you have no culture and at times, like you have an abundance and a wealth of culture. And I think a lot of that comes down to, you know, going through those experiences, like you described, reflecting on your heritage and what it means to you and the lessons that you’ve learned and the connections with your family and so on.

Lessons of Carol’s journey

So one thing I was just wondering is like, what did you find there? Did you find like lessons in your journey, about the way that you think or the way that you were taught to think or raised to think relative to the way that you’re that, you know, people in Korea think or people in China think. Was there something an epiphany that you had, because I’ve had a lot of like, things I noticed about the way that I think differently than people who live in Japan, even though we come from the same lineage?

Carol Li 27:35
Yeah, absolutely. I think it was, it was a lot of little epiphanies. But some of that really impacted me was, I think parenting. So when I was growing up, my dad was like, really, really strict. And when I went to China, it was like a mix. I thought, okay, oh like Chinese parents are like this. But when you go to China, you have a mix, where it’s almost normalized in some instances, but then you also have like, super chill and relaxed Chinese parents too.

So I think myself growing up, instead of generalizing, like something that I would always do I generalize, I learn how to ask why, like, where does this come from? And I think, particularly when going to these countries and learning about their geopolitical histories, which is why I’m back in graduate school, studying Asian International Affairs, sometimes asked, like, Oh, I wonder why my mom, you know, just like walks ahead of us and leaves us behind. And then we have to catch up to her.

But then going back to her hometown and knowing like, oh, okay, like her mom came from North Korea, had to start a business at a fishing village and all of her family’s path fast paced, and I’m like, oh, okay, I guess this is why my mom has this particular habit. So just like little instances, where I started noticing things and trying to piece them together with where does my family fit in? What particular point in history did they leave? And how did I grow up? That’s, that’s kind of a big part of my time abroad. So that makes sense.

Lee Uehara 29:27
Cool, thank you. Wait, so wait, why was your mom walking fast?

Carol Li 29:32
She kind of picked that up from her mom. So when my Grandma came from North Korea, they had to escape during the Korean War, and then she had to create her own fishmarket kind of business.

And so I think the whole family because it wasn’t just my grandmother did pass away, but I noticed all my mom’s sisters did the same thing my mom did. They all walk fast, like that. And even though they’re in this like little fishing village town, so I think me kind of putting together the pieces like, Okay, I guess this is what my grandmother had to do to survive and make a business and, you know, after they left everything behind in North Korea.

Reflective of Asian Communities

And I think it’s also reflective of a lot of like Asian communities to what do our families and ancestors have to do given the circumstances? I remember, Jen was talking on her podcast about, like, what the Philippines went through with all the different colonialisms that they had to go through, like, what what what is that result? Because our families are always going to be affected by that. So yeah, I think it was just really interesting, kind of figuring out these little quirks about both my parents, and how, where that stems from.

Lee Uehara 30:56
Did you find that once you piece that together, as Angela says, in the chat, did you find that maybe you was one less thing that you had to take personally?

Reflecting on the context and situation

Carol Li 31:09
Yeah, absolutely. Because I think a lot of the times, and I’m not sure if anyone else feels this way. It’s like, Oh, I did something wrong. This is my fault. But then I think throughout my journey, I realized, Oh, wait, you know, my parents are human too. You know, they have personalities, they have baggage, they have quirks. And they were just trying to figure out how do you raise a kid in a country they never grew up in?

And I think something I had to even think about, like a couple weeks ago, I thought, Oh, wait, my mom’s native tongue is Korean. And my dad’s is Chinese. So they had to talk to each other in their second language. And so maybe that’s why they had a lot of miscommunication and some arguments.

You know, growing up, okay, I never thought of it that way. So kind of seeing that context and situations really affect a person but also they’re human beings, they have quirks and everything else. Yeah, I think it helps me really think okay, it’s not something wrong with me, it’s not something wrong with them. It’s just like the situation at hand. So how do I instead of wanting to change them or change myself like Okay, try to understand the situation more. So that makes sense.

Languages and making sense of the world

Lee Uehara 32:23
Absolutely. And so does anyone else want to chime in unmute themselves and add to the conversation? make a comment? Have a question? And so Regina, so you’re fluent in which languages?

Regina Larko 32:45
Well, fluent, you know, English and German. German is my native tongue. At some point I was quite good at Mandarin because it was in I was living there and it was my major at university but unfortunately, I’m like really not using it much here anymore. So sad. And I also speak Swedish because my husband is Swedish.

What do you just said Carol. Like it really hit me like when you said we also communicating in English right? Me and my husband and my and it recently hit me that my children are third culture kids, because they grow up here in Hong Kong. That’s their home. When you ask them you know, my roots are in Austria. My husband’s are in Sweden. And then when you ask them, where are you from? They say Hong Kong.

What is so interesting, it just hit me. I hadn’t realized that, that I’m actually raising third culture kids. Yeah, so it’s a funny mix in our house. Yeah, it’s oftentimes chaos and frustrations. Yeah, with even when you think like Sweden and Austria, we’re both from Europe, but there are still cultural differences. We’re trying to see it all with a bit of humor as well when it comes to these misunderstandings.

Lee Uehara 34:08
Absolutely, and Carol so which language, oh wait, Carol, oh there you are. Oh, soin my Zoom, did your boxes shift for some reason? Yeah, I was like, Wait, where’s Carol?

Carol Li 34:19
Oh, yeah, I think because folks raising their hands. Yeah.

Lee Uehara 34:23
Oh is that what it is, you know, this is live people. Lee get it together. Okay, so Carol, what languages do you speak now?

Carol Li 34:31
Um, again, fluency is something I’m still working on but you know, so English and then Cantonese, Mandarin and I’m currently trying to learn Korean.

Lee Uehara 34:42
Wow. You know, that’s so that’s Wow. And you know, who here speaks another language? Yeah, who here speaks another language. Mila what languages do you speak and given what do you speak?

Mila Atoms 34:56
(Mila Atmos hosts Future Hinsight Podcast. Start listening here: https://www.futurehindsight.com) So I speak Indonesian and English obviously. I actually I grew up in Germany, so I speak German. And then I speak French.

Lee Uehara 35:09
That’s amazing. Gilen, what do you speak?

Gilen Preudhomme 35:13
(Gilen and Gene Preudhomme host Retire there with Gil&Gene Check it out here: https://www.retirethere.com/) Like compared to Mila? Well, I was born in Brazil. A little, I guess Portuguese, I lost when I was five and a half. My mom is from Shanghai, I know a couple of words of Shanghaimese, and my father is from Tai Shan. So I speak Cantonese, and a little Tai Shan-nese. But more, more of the people on that end have passed away.

Asking questions and collecting stories of our ancestors

And I want to mention, Carol, that I highly recommend if you can record your parents whenever you get a chance, do so. I wish that my parents were around because I have so many questions for them about our history, you know, just so many questions that when I was younger, I was a little embarrassed, right?

I went to school, I was the only Asian kid. In fact, it was basically an all white neighborhood. And I kind of dismissed that side of the family. So because I wanted to fit in with all my friends. In fact, I didn’t speak English, in first grade, I spoke to other kids in Chinese. I didn’t know, you know, I’m like, I don’t know what you’re saying.

But so I think it’s so good to know all that like building the family tree and know where people are from and, and that kind of thing. Because when we buy that package of ancestry 23 or whatever, there isn’t much there, right? There isn’t much data for Asians. So it’s hard to get that information. If I were to go back to Shanghai, I think there’s some relatives, they are relatives of relatives, and you know, you don’t know who adopts who, and so I don’t even know if we are blood related. But that would be a way to find out more of the family history. So anyway, that’s my answer.

Lee Uehara 37:15
That’s a great answer. And you know, here’s the thing. So Angela says she speaks Mandarin. Maryland says that she speaks she’s fluent in sarcasm. Okay.

So I remember being asked in sixth grade on that survey that you’re supposed to fill out for the school, what languages you speak at home, and I was like big Latin. And I had to I had to go by my language, I had to learn the hard way. My father never spoke to me in Japanese. So I had to do it the hard way.

And so I implore anybody who’s going to have kids, and you have these languages under your belt, just, you know, speak to your kids in those languages. So they don’t have to struggle like I did. But so this is been great. We are almost at our our next show.

So I want to find out if anyone has any other comments, and Carol and Regina, after having recorded your episode and sharing all that you did. Do you have thoughts and comments that maybe you wanted to add or share with us? Or, or any kind of nuggets or takeaways. Do you think that we should know going forward? Anything?

Speak up – Your voice matters

Regina Larko 38:41
Yeah, maybe I kick off and then I hand over to Carol. I think it’s so powerful just to share these stories. So thank you for giving this platform. That’s all I want to say if anyone is listening right now. Feeling touched, and it resonated, then just – where’s my little box – you know, speak up, you know, your voice matters. Your story matters. You don’t have to make yourself smaller. And I think it’s only human to question that. And it’s important that we that we push through that uncomfortable thing of is it important what I have to say because it really is important. Yeah. That’s my nugget. Also listening to all of you and what you put out there in the world. I think we just have to keep showing up for ourselves, but also for our audience. Yeah. Carol, what do you think?

Carol Li 39:35
Yeah, I cannot agree more. And the only other couple thing I would say is definitely – Subscribe to #impact. I think it’s just a really big network and community. And Regina also has a podcasting mentorship course. If you’re interested in learning or starting a podcast or know anyone who wants to.

But other than that, I also say that I am still trying to figure out, you know, I think you all are so incredible. Like you said, You wanted to start your own podcast and you like, did it, you did the branding and everything. And I’m still trying to figure out, Okay, how do I want to carve my space, in a very, you know, in this way, so I hope that we can connect, I know, there were a few people that were raising their hands, and we weren’t able to get to.

Thank you, Asian American Podcasters Association!

So I’ll put my contact information in the chat. And I hope we can continue this conversation beyond the festival. And I think, again, Lee and Andy for all the work that you’re doing. Because life is tough. Creating a Podcast is tough. Everything’s tough. So it’s really great, that we can at least, you know, be there for one another and support one another in this way, even though, you know, we’re not physically next to each other.

Regina Larko 40:50
Yes, please do connect with us. I will put all the socials of Carol as well as Lee and Andy from the Asian American Podcasters Association in the show notes.

I will also put a link to the other podcasters as well that were part of the first Asian Podcast Festival there as well, so you can go check them out.

Please hit follow or subscribe on your podcast player as you’re listening to #impact. And if you want some behind the scenes and some more insights into what we are doing at our community, you can sign up for our free newsletter over www.hashtagimpact.com/subscribe.

Again, thank you so much to Lee and Andy for creating a safe space for sharing and connecting. Make sure to check out what they’re doing as well. You can find all their links over at www.aapodcasters.org. We are super thrilled to be part of their community. And I’m sure you will enjoy finding out more about them too. Talk to you soon. Bye.

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