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

The 2024 General Election is coming up in a matter of days... thank god because we are over it, lol.

No matter which side of the political spectrum you fall on, I think many of us can agree that we are tired of the reality TV show style media coverage around the two candidates, the BS of the general political "machine" behind the two parties, and a frequently missing focus on the needs of the actual people of this nation.

Despite feeling a simultaneous fervor and fatigue around the election, if you still have not voted yet, please go out and vote! It's important to stand up for what matters to you, especially if you want things to be different for the future of this country.

How are you feeling about the upcoming election and/or the news cycle surrounding all of this? Predictions? Hopes for the future? Let us know in the comments on our social media!

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. Check out the full syllabus and sample content at www.realyoumandarin.com

It's that spooktacular time of year - Halloween! In keeping with the pod tradition, we've gone diving in the deepest, darkest recesses of the internet (Reddit) for more scary stories. And also as usual, we're bringing you horror with an Asian flavor - only stories based in Asia accepted. Jesse brings to the table a terrific story involving public transit. And let's face it, what's scarier than riding the bus? Angela follows it up with a cautionary tale around stranger danger. Does the story's protagonist make the right choice or do they fall prey to usual horror decision making? Join us and listen in to these hair raising stories! And as always, let us know what your favorite scary story this year has been (traditional, Asian, or otherwise) in the comments below! TW: Ghosts, violence, self-harm

---- Follow the podcast 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. Check out the full syllabus and sample content at www.realyoumandarin.com

Jocelyn Chung is a Taiwanese-American graphic designer and writer whose new children's book "When Love Is More Than Words" was just released this week!

In this episode we of course discuss the book, including its inspiration being a beautiful real life realization she had with her grandfather, all the fun Taiwanese easter eggs, and more, and also discuss her recent journey of claiming her Taiwanese citizenship and starting a life and community in Taiwan, and how all of this helped her feel at home within herself in reflecting on her own identity.

If you've had a chance to check out "When Love Is More Than Words," what did you think about it? If not, what stood out most to you from this episode? Let us know in our comments on social media!

"When Love Is More Than Words" is available everywhere books are sold, and if you happen to live in Southern California, Jocelyn wanted to especially plug a local bookstore called Bel Canto Books in Long Beach. You can follow Jocelyn on Instagram at @jocelynschung and on her website at www.jocelynchung.com

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

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If you're interested in the Mandarin course for ABCs/ABTs that Jocelyn references in the episode that Angela co-founded ("Real You Mandarin"), check what the course is all about at www.realyoumandarin.com and use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off as a thank you for being a listener of the pod.

Your besties are back with some new topics for fall! Before we get into a slew of new conversations these next few months, we'd like to update you on where we are. Life keeps moving, especially when we are on break from the pod. For Angela, that means a few months closer to starting her family and moving to Japan. For Jesse, that means a few months of continued exploration around life hobbies and going out. And for the both of us, a few new shared changes you'll have to hear about in the episode! Tune in and let us know what you've been up to while we've been on break!

---- Follow the podcast 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. Check out the full syllabus and sample content at www.realyoumandarin.com