Rice Privilege

WE'RE GOING UP UP UP IT'S OUR MOMENT!! GONNA BE GONNA BE GOLDEN!As Kpop Demon Hunters becomes a global phenomenon, we examine the pros and cons of having your culture widely accepted by the mainstream and what other Korean trends are taking the world by storm. But what about Kevin, who's not even Korean? Is there some form of proxy Asian pride to be felt there as well? What does it mean to be Asian Australian and see these forms of musical and artistic expression celebrated by the mainstream? All this and more, in our latest episode of Rice Privilege, a place to explore the trials and tribulations of being part of the global Asian diaspora. Audio clips are taken from: - Golden LofiLabs Remix- SNL featuring Bad Bunny - Free Remix by Miles Away - Children sing Golden with live orchestra La Sinfonica

Last episode was a self-help guide. This time around, put on your history hats! Kevin encounters an almost unnoticeable piece of graffiti on the sign of a local Japanese bistro in Prague. The perpetrator is calling out a dark piece of world history, but is a humble okonomiyaki bar the right place and right time for it? Jason also reflects on the historic tensions between neighbouring Asian countries, including his own family's experience with Japanese colonisation of Korea.

Jason and Kevin reflect on the upcoming Lunar New Year, establishing a new community seeking to reclaim the celebrations, and how this third complete cycle of the Chinese Zodiac in their lives spurs thoughts on...death. Memento mori!

It's been a hot minute, but we are back! Catch up with Jason and Kevin as they reflect on how their life paths have diverged so rapidly in 2024 - parenting, career changes, and navigating their early to mid-30s (sad face emoji). Also, they coincidentally both spent time in their respective mother countries and look a little into some of the differences and similarities in Korean and Malaysian, and European cultures.

This story is a rare perfect storm of pop culture, race, politics, religion and sexual identity, so you know Rice Privilege had to jump on it! We speak with Malaysian drag artist Carmen Rose about what it's like to be a queer public figure in a conservative, religious society, her reaction to Matty Healy's onstage antics which led to the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival, as well as what exactly she means by the infinitely quotable diss: "It's giving white saviour complex".

Back on the dating scene, Jason's been challenged firsthand about the topic of Asian fetishisation. So what exactly are the differences between romantic preferences and the dehumanising behaviour of racial fetishes? Meanwhile, Kevin is happily married.  

A lot has changed in a year! Check out this recap of our lives this past year and how a change of scenery to Berlin has helped many artists and creatives, including Jason, discover a sense of belonging. Meanwhile, Kevin grapples with the idea of belonging and what that could mean for raising a mixed race child in the 21st Century! 

Dr Seuss has been trending recently for his caricatures of other races in lesser known publications. Translated into the 21st Century, Kevin and Jason discuss the man behind the famous children's books, a little bit about cancel culture, and why wearing stereotypical 'Chinese' clothing these days just doesn't go over too well. 

A German radio DJ made a joke about BTS' cover of a classic Coldplay tune. It comes fairly ill-timed during a time of intensifying hate against Asian migrants across the world, and the ARMY responded in kind. Here's our take on the story. 

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung and starring Steven Yeun, Minari is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed film, garnering praise for its portrayal of the American dream through a Korean lens of storytelling. But is it authentic? Or is it like finding carrots in your kimchi? We dissect some of the aspects of the film that worked, and some that just didn't. 

Jason and Kevin discuss Netflix's new Blackpink documentary and what it's been like as longtime fans of Kpop to see the new Hallyu wave take over Gen Z, including the dark industry secrets they don't want you to know about.

When East meets East, we can only get stronger!! We speak with our good friend Maya Shin and find out about her childhood growing up in Siberia as a fourth-generation born Russian Korean, what she has learned about racism during adulthood in Prague, and what secret Asian recipes her Russian-Korean parents cook at home.  Отлично!

Jason and Kevin catch up over Jason's recent move to Dessau, Germany to study, reflections on the student life, and most importantly, whether or not he could find any Chinese food nearby. 

Kevin and Jason discuss Jason's brush with Tik Tok fame and how growing up might have been different if they had an app such as this at their disposal. Also...conspiracy theories! 

We speak with prominent Vietnamese Czech writer and blogger Do Thu Trang about growing up on the outskirts of the Czech Republic, navigating knedliky and pho bo, and what the future holds for multiculturalism in Central Eastern Europe.  Read her blog on asijatka.cz.

Jason turns the mic on Kevin for an insight into what it was like growing up on the east coast of Australia before moving to Central Eastern Europe. 

We speak with Austrian-Chinese digital artist and photographer Hongwei Tang about his experience growing up in the Austrian countryside and wondering why the locals would stop at his dad's restaurant for wiener schnitzel und bier. 

Kevin and Jason discuss their quarantine experience and whether they dare to wear their face masks in public or not. 

Welcome to rice privilege with Kevin Loo and Jason Nam.