Misfortune Cookies Misfortune Cookies

Tom & Steph talk about what it was like to work as Asian American nurses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They describe the fear, trauma, and exhaustion they experienced at the frontlines. Nevertheless, Tom and Steph also share how they found resilience and hope by learning to lean on each other - and their dog, Remy.

Note: This episode was recorded in August 2021.


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Joyce talks to Erin about her journey growing up as a Chinese American girl in a middle eastern country before moving to the US for college. Our discussion includes:

- The role of women in the Middle East vs in the West/United States
- Being a "Third Culture Kid"
- Dancing as a way to reclaim your space, feel at home in your body, and find your confidence/voice
- American individualism vs Eastern collectivism


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Karl talks to Vi about her journey as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. Vi shares about:

- The difference between healing and the mental health "industry"

- Intergenerational trauma and relating to her parents using the youth development model

- The Asian American identity model

- Experiencing the 2016 election: tension at home and why protests or political action are triggering to family members

- How COVID-19 and being home became a turning point in her relationship with family

Additional Resources:

- On intergenerational trauma: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-me-in-we/201205/how-trauma-is-carried-across-generations

- On Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk

Follow Vi on Instagram (@criticalhealingmoment) or on her YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/criticalhealingmoment)!


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[CW: Mention of self harm] Linde talks to Alex about his complex racial identity journey as the son of Vietnamese refugees. Alex shares about:

- Being pushed away from Vietnamese community, finding a home in the Chicano community instead and wanting to be a gang member

- Coping with his mom’s cancer diagnosis and a breakup in college

- Finding healing through ethnic studies and becoming curious about the Vietnam war, which his dad fought in

- Reconnecting with the Vietnamese community, and some of the difficult political dynamics involved

- Feeling disconnected from the umbrella Asian American story, which typically draws from upper-middle class and East Asian narratives



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Rachel chats with our guest, Albert, as he shares his educational upbringing as a first generation Taiwanese American raised in the Silicon Valley. As the “black sheep” of the family, he offers his story as a counter-narrative to the typical East Asian American experience in the Bay Area. His story includes:

- Growing up overweight, getting terrible grades, and struggling with both ADD (attention deficit disorder) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)

- How his family came to terms with his academic struggle and learning differences

- Pursuing a career in the humanities rather than STEM

- Navigating an academically toxic schooling environment

- The relationship between meritocracy and privilege

- How his upbringing informs his pedagogy as a teacher today


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We talk to guests Ernest and Joyce about the ups and downs of their dating experiences. We cover a lot of ground, but some highlights include:

- The dating narratives they grew up with (e.g. “kissing dating goodbye”)

- Racial dynamics in dating - Is it okay to have racial preferences? Stereotypes that Asians have to deal with?

- Swiping, ghosting, dating fatigue, and mental health

- How to be a good friend to single friends


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