We've often grappled with reconciling our identities as Asian-Americans, straddling two or more cultures between our family's motherland and the western environment in which we actually grew up. For many of us who did not grow up in Asia, when the time comes to think about trying to pass on that culture - and especially the language - to our children or future children, that task can seem incredibly daunting.

In this episode, we chat with guest Sunny Horstmann about how she set up the structure and environment to raise her two kids in a bilingual (Mandarin Chinese/English) environment and the village she's created to help other parents struggling to wade through these murky waters. We talk about the importance of having a support system, fighting the idea that your Mandarin needs to be perfect to get started, how we may unknowingly bring biases from our own language learning experiences into how we teach our children, and much more.

Do you have aspirations to create (or continue!) a bilingual environment for your family? What has your experience been like? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

Follow Sunny on Instagram at @spotofsunshinechinese, on her website at spotofsunshine.com, and join the waitlist for the next time her membership opens up for her bilingual parenting community.

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

*Podcasters' Note: for those watching the video, sorry for the freezing up. Sunny's wifi had some issues - ah, the joys of remote recording and crossing international lines! :D

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at www.realyoumandarin.com--

We've often talked about how food is one of the most easily accessible ways into a culture, and this episode's guest is a perfect living example of that.

Lisa Cheng Smith, founder of Yun Hai Shop in NYC, started Yun Hai as a way to explore her Taiwanese identity. Growing up as a half-Taiwanese/half-American individual, the question of "but where am I really from?" has always been something she was trying to figure out, and Yun Hai allowed her to explore that answer for herself.

Today, Yun Hai is not only a brick and mortar shop in NYC that features artisanal food ingredients from Taiwan, it's also an online retailer, a wholesaler to restaurants, and an important English-based online resource about Taiwanese food and culture through its highly popular Substack. It even made waves last year when it was chosen as one of the few stops former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen made on her trip to the US!

Listen in to hear about how and why Lisa got started with Yun Hai, how it allowed her to tap into both her Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American parts of her identity, why she cares about giving more spotlight to the art of Taiwanese home cooking, and the upcoming launch of Yun Hai's new Taiwanese cooking show coming out in early December that'll help share more of that spirit to the masses.

If you have questions for Lisa or thoughts about the episode, let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

For all things Yun Hai, find them at:

Instagram: @yunhaishop

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yunhaishop

Online shop: https://yunhai.shop/

Substack: https://yunhai.substack.com/

Cooking show waitlist: https://yunhai.shop/cooking-show

------- Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at www.realyoumandarin.com -------

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

"More money, more problems" as they say. But is financial inequality in a relationship a unique problem or does it just exacerbate existing ones?

This week, we examine how financial inequality impacts the quality of our relationships. Having both had the New York experience, your hosts understand what it feels like to struggle on a budget. But these days, we're looking at the question of differing finances from different perspectives.

What fears and insecurities does a financially dependent partner experience? What are the frustrations and uncertainties that the financially independent partner feels in a provider role?

Tune in to find out, and join the conversation in the comments on our social media! Who financially contributes more in your relationship and how does that make each of you feel?

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at www.realyoumandarin.com