PODCAST · society
As I Am
by As I Am Podcast
Take a deep dive into unpacking the Asian identity in the West with Jeff and Isabella, two Asian-Australians who are still figuring it out too. Amidst trying to find other words synonymous to unpack, they delve into topics ranging from internalised racism and representation, all the way to the weight of expectations and why food can be so political. As I Am is a journey to understand the experience of being othered, whilst rejoicing in the uniqueness of a multi-faceted identity. Music by Sugiwa.
Episodes
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Laura Foo
Our latest ep features baking extraordinaire and one of the stars of the latest season of The Great Australian Bake Off, Laura Foo. We chat to Laura about what motivated her to apply for the show, baking as a hobby vs as a career, why she’s passionate about cooking with flavours that she connects...
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Adult Friendships
What’s been your experience of making friends as an adult? In this episode, Jeff and Isabella discuss the state of their adult social lives, the importance of being selective with your free time, and the ease of befriending friends with similar cultural backgrounds. As always, you can find us on...
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Speaking Out
This episode comes with a trigger warning. There will be discussions of sexual assault, abuse and violence. If you need support, please consider contacting the 1800RESPECT hotline. This episode features Katherine Maria sharing her own survivor story. We discuss some of the reasons behind why many...
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Motherland
For our first episode of 2023, we sit down to chat about our relationship to our motherlands. After Isabella’s recent trip to Vietnam, we felt it would be a great time to debate our allegiance to our motherland, our travel experiences and the sensation of being a foreigner in a place where…
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New Beginnings
Our last episode of the year features a two part conversation about the topic of new beginnings. In the first half, we sit down with our extremely talented friend and collaborator for our recent Small Fires short story, Sam Kenneally. We chat through the creative process that Sam utilised to…
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Maggie Zhou
In one of our last eps of the year, we had the privilege to sit down with lifestyle and fashion writer, podcaster, journalist, and all around multi-hyphenate Maggie Zhou! We discuss the magic and difficulties of podcasting, fast fashion, and the trends surrounding ethical consumption. Episode out...
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Race, Class and Nail Polish
This time, it’s Isabella’s solo episode! Join her on her stream of consciousness as she discusses the nail salon and its connections to the Vietnamese community, its history and the space it occupies at the intersection of racial, classist and power dynamics. Let us know what you think of this...
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Parenting and Childhood
We often talk about our childhood experiences on this podcast but we felt it was time to explore the world of tomorrow where we ourselves were parents. In this episode, we discuss our hypothetical parenting styles, fears of becoming parents, and the lives we would want our children to live.…
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Muay Thai
We’re finally trialling solo episodes! Our inaugural episode features Jeff speaking about his experience training Muay Thai aka Thai kickboxing. Jeff shares the story of how he fell into the sport, the things he loves about it, the drawbacks, and also shares the relationship he has had with his...
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Umami Mama
We had the amazing opportunity to speak with biochemist and researcher Dr Kumiko Ninomiya, otherwise affectionately known as Umami Mama. Specifically her work revolves around umami, especially in advocating for the rich understanding of umami in food. We discuss the origins and science of umami,...
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Kishwar Chowdhury
Missed out on our Asian Futures event? Don't worry, as we have Kishwar Chowdhury join us again to discuss one of our favourite topics - Asian food! Join us as we reminesce about Asian lunchboxes, vent about that ridiculous price disparity between Asian and Western dishes and reflect on her…
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Diana Nguyen
As a writer, producer, director, performer and the 2021 winner of the 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians, Diana Nguyen (@realdiananguyen) is a force to be reckoned with. Between laughs and tears, we take a deep dive into her most recent theatre adaption of Alice Pung’s novel…
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Van Anh
In this latest episode, Van Anh (@_kindofheart) is a life coach for second-generation women focused on assisting them with life's pressures, and to combat overworking. Van Anh shares her perspectives of what life can be by ridding ourselves of narratives that reinforce negative behaviours. In a...
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Andy Trieu
In this latest episode, we sit down with Andy Trieu (@andytrieu), an Asian-Australian host, actor, x3 Australian champion martial artist. Andy is a familiar face on national television with a repertoire of roles throughout his career. He has been a ninja on Kitchen Whiz and the host of SBS…
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Colournary
Tune into this episode with Rushani Epa (@epa___), Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Colournary Magazine (@colournarymag) and Commissioning Editor in food and lifestyle for Hardie Grant Books (@hardiegrantbooks). We hear about the journey of Colournary blooming during the pandemic lockdown, and how...
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Names & Accents
Tune in our new episode where we unpack the importance and power that comes with our names and accents. Our names and accents are core to our identity and comprise an important part of how others perceive and interact with us. In this episode, we discuss our relationship to our ethnic names and…
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Money with Mariam
In this episode with Mariam Mohammed, she shares her career journey and how it culminated in her co-founding MoneyGirl @moneygirlau, an organisation on a mission to give women and non-binary folks the financial literacy and confidence they need to live a life of freedom and independence. We speak...
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GRID Series
This episode features Ayesha, Managing Director and Co-founder of GRID Series (@grid_series_presents), a platform supporting creatives in Australia, and Shantanu, one of five members from Manorism (@manorismband), a band that GRID Series supports. Ayesha began GRID Series in a pub, and has…
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David Chau
In this episode we sit down with David Chau (@chaudave1), an Asian Australian lawyer turned business reporter for the ABC. We chat about his career journey into journalism, representation in Australian media, and whether or not his news voice is put on or not. Listen to our episode on Spotify,...
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Shapes and Sounds
In this episode we sit down with Vi-An Nguyen from Shapes and Sounds (@justshapesandsounds) an Asian Australian mental health and wellbeing service to Australians with multicultural backgrounds. We discuss all things therapy, the importance of factoring in cultural nuances to the therapy...
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Food and Authenticity
This episode features a chat about the obsession with authenticity that many Asian people hold as it pertains to food, particularly Asian food. We discuss the relevance of authenticity, the reasons why we've tried to gatekeep "traditional" food in the past, as well as the importance of not…
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Soy + Spice
Mary Liu is the Asian-Australian founder behind Soy + Spice, a brand built on the core belief that their lingerie symbolises the empowerment of women and enables women to feel confident, to self love and to be courageous. We chat with Mary about what it takes to launch a successful apparel...
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Lunar New Year
Our first episode of 2022 is all about the new year, and more specifically, new years according to the west vs. new years according to the east. We give our thoughts on the obsession with new years resolutions, the new year traditions within our families, in addition to the broader sinofication…
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Scoopy
Asian-Australians know a thing or two about entrepreneurship, especially when it comes to food. We sit down with Angelo and Tesia, the co-founders of Scoopy. Scoopy is a dessert bar that specialises in bingsu, a Korean shaved ice dessert with a modern twist. We discuss their Scoopy journey, the...
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Colourism
Devni Wimalasena is a law student that is heavily active in the feminist and body positivity space. She is currently based in Sri Lanka and recently worked with CNN on issues of colourism as part of their AsEquals series. In this episode, we discuss colourism in the context of beauty standards…
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Avatar: A Love Letter
Avatar: The Last Airbender is probably one of the greatest television shows to date. We sit down and unpack a show that hosts complex characters in a truly epic narrative that imagines a ‘world free of whiteness’. This one’s a lighthearted episode, exploring how the show successfully portrayed...
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Mr Yum
Our first post-hiatus episode features a sit down with Co-Founder and CEO of Mr Yum, Kim Teo. Mr Yum is a start up focussed on showing beautiful mobile menus married with the ability to order and pay through a QR code. QR codes have become integral with everyday life during the era of COVID-19…
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Michelle Law
An Asian-Australian writer, actor and screenwriter extraordinaire, we had the privilege to sit down with Michelle Law (writer of the smash-hit play Single Asian Female, and co-creator of the SBS series Homecoming Queens, just to name a few). Join us as we discuss the importance of Asian...
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Naked Asian Grocer
Global warming, environmental degradation and sustainability are amongst the key challenges of the 21st century. Yet, the magnitude of these problems can make tackling them seem daunting and unapproachable. We sit down with Brian and Jian, the co-founders of Naked Asian Grocer - Australia’s first...
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Advocacy & Activism
What’s the difference between advocacy & activism? Do the merits of slactivism outweigh the costs? How can we make activism less daunting? We discuss these questions and much more in this episode with Asian Youth Act, a non-partisan organisation that seeks to promote political and civic…
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Tough Conversations
Conversations about difficult topics are never easy and easily avoidable. When you add in the hierarchical nature of many Asian cultures, this difficulty doubles. In this episode, we discuss our personal experience of talking to family members about topics ranging from racism and anti-blackness…
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The Politics of Drinking
Do you Asian flush? We do, along with approximately 1 in 3 East Asians in the world. We discuss the politics of drinking in this episode with our friend Moi, a wine industry professional and author of Veraison Magazine. Join us as we explore the joys and stigmas that comes with drinking, the...
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Alice Pung
For our first episode of 2021, we had the pleasure of speaking with Alice Pung, an award-winning writer, editor, teacher and lawyer based in Melbourne. She is the bestselling author of Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter and the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My...
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Year in Review
Our final episode for 2020 serves as a laugh about our shortcomings and mistakes, a reflection of the year that was, as well as a discussion on key sociocultural events. This episode is also a thank you to all our listeners, old and new, for your words of support, your continued encouragement…
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Workplace Diversity
Less than 5 per cent of Asian-Australians make it to senior executive levels. Only 1.6 per cent become CEOs. It’s no secret that Asians are severely underrepresented in corporate leadership, despite being overrepresented among high-achieving university graduates. How can we overcome the ‘bamboo...
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Appropriation in Fashion
What is cultural appropriation? What is considered as appropriate and inappropriate in fashion? Who gets to decide? In this episode, we sit down and tackle arguably some of our hardest questions yet. We consider the inevitability of the borrowing and mixing of cultures in fashion, and attempt to...
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Being Mixed Race
What does it mean to be mixed race? And how does the experience of being from multiple cultures impact someone’s world view? This is a special episode where we collaborated with two friends and our dear listeners in order to understand these two questions. Being mixed race is undoubtedly a unique...
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Bias of Attraction
We think it's pretty safe to say that dating as an Asian can be a roller coaster of an experience. Navigating a sea of stereotypes, "preferences" and trying to work out if they really like you for you, are just a few of the topics we discuss in our first episode on love and relationships. Beyond...
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Behind the Line
Race and privilege in the kitchen, the values we give to Western and Eastern food, and Jeff challenging a fine dining chef to a crab-off are a few of the many things we chatted about with Attica Junior Sous Chef and our friend, Cameron Tay-Yap. Cam shares with us his experience and rise through…
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Understanding Disability
In this episode, we sit down with Matt Pierri - an Australian lawyer, Rhodes Scholar and an extraordinary disability advocate. We discuss the complexities of disability, how this intersects with Asian perspectives, the need for more representation and ultimately, how we can create a more…
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Food for Thought
Why do we obsess over the notion of authenticity? Why is Asian fusion so popular nowadays? Why do these restaurants put mayonnaise on everything? These are some of the questions we try to explore in our very first food episode. Our original plan to rant about "authentically Asian" restaurants...
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Bach to Beats
In this episode, we interview Yu Su, a Vancouver based DJ and producer extraordinaire from Kaifeng China. She is at the forefront of the electronic music talent and scene that is growing out of China and has released music on labels like Technicolour and Second Circle. We talk about her music...
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Do I Sound Asian?
In our very first interview, we explore the topic of languages with our guest and friend Baopu He. Baopu wrote an excellent article detailing the Asian Australian ethnolect, and we explore this in more detail along with our thoughts on the future of language diversity in Australia, the difficulty...
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I Wish I Was
I wish I was white. I wish I had the blonde hair, light skin and the blue eyes that I saw grace my screens. But I realise that this is a false narrative, one that has conditioned so many like me to believe that someone who looks like us is not worthy to ever be the hero, the heroine, the...
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Dear Mum and Dad
Dear mum and dad - thank you for everything you have done for us. It has taken us a long time to understand and come to terms with how you raised us. We have felt angry, sad, confused and frustrated. But now, we reflect on our upbringing and we are so thankful. We are thankful for all the...
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Who, What, Why?
Our first episode draws out a rough sketch of the podcast - who we are, what this podcast will be about and ultimately why we're doing this. This episode is the first step on an expedition into all topics relating to the experience of being Asian in a Western environment. We hope that you're as...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Take a deep dive into unpacking the Asian identity in the West with Jeff and Isabella, two Asian-Australians who are still figuring it out too. Amidst trying to find other words synonymous to unpack, they delve into topics ranging from internalised racism and representation, all the way to the weight of expectations and why food can be so political. As I Am is a journey to understand the experience of being othered, whilst rejoicing in the uniqueness of a multi-faceted identity. Music by Sugiwa.
HOSTED BY
As I Am Podcast
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does As I Am have?
As I Am currently has 47 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is As I Am about?
Take a deep dive into unpacking the Asian identity in the West with Jeff and Isabella, two Asian-Australians who are still figuring it out too. Amidst trying to find other words synonymous to unpack, they delve into topics ranging from internalised racism and representation, all the way to the...
How often does As I Am release new episodes?
As I Am has 47 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to As I Am?
You can listen to As I Am on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts As I Am?
As I Am is created and hosted by As I Am Podcast.
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