Episode 137

#137 - Becoming A Better Person (Hopefully) with Sarah Coy

In our current world of heightened awareness around issues like mental health, race, gender identity, xenophobia, homophobia, and sooo much more, there are tons of ways we can say or do the wrong thing. Go back a few years, and you might remember some horrific stuff you used to say as a joke, or find a problematic tweet you posted or a very poorly worded letter or journal entry. Like, who really wrote that? We know, guys. We cringe too. And while it's highly uncomfortable to face these less than ideal versions of ourselves, it is a normal and important part of evolving as a person. Society as a whole has gotten more vigilant about accountability, even ruthlessly calling out problematic behavior and freely calling upon the power of cancel culture. Still there remains the fact that everyone is still figuring themselves out, with differing levels of success. In this episode, Minji talks with her high school classmate and brilliant makeup artist, Sarah Coy. Together they unpack some of their misconceptions, biases and pitfalls as teenagers who didn't know each other's real baggage at all. They discuss how the sleepy, conservative California suburbs and cultural influences they grew up in shaped their outlook and expectations in life. They also talk about navigating privilege and stumbling through extremely tough but necessary conversations as adults and allies of marginalized communities. Let's do better together. 

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"Inheriting" is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. In doing so, the show seeks to break apart the AAPI monolith and tell a fuller story of these communities. In each episode, NPR’s Emily Kwong sits down with one family and facilitates deeply emotional conversations between their loved ones, exploring how their most personal, private moments are an integral part of history. Through these stories, we show how the past is personal and how to live with the legacies we’re constantly inheriting. New episodes premiere every Thursday. Subscribe to “Inheriting” on your app of choice

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