1 00:00:14,036 --> 00:00:21,956 Speaker 1: Push it. Hey, Ben, Hey, we are bringing our listeners 2 00:00:21,956 --> 00:00:25,236 Speaker 1: something really special today. Do you remember earlier this year 3 00:00:25,276 --> 00:00:29,036 Speaker 1: when we talked to Christopher vas about the real James 4 00:00:29,036 --> 00:00:33,916 Speaker 1: Bond named Portfideo Rubiosa. Of course I remember that was amazing, 5 00:00:33,956 --> 00:00:37,516 Speaker 1: What a great conversation episode. As well. Chris has his 6 00:00:37,596 --> 00:00:40,996 Speaker 1: own podcast called brown Enough, where he breaks down what 7 00:00:41,076 --> 00:00:44,796 Speaker 1: it means to be brown enough in America today. I've 8 00:00:44,836 --> 00:00:49,276 Speaker 1: been listening to that podcast and he discusses identity, careers 9 00:00:49,636 --> 00:00:52,716 Speaker 1: and being proud of who you are with other brown activists, 10 00:00:52,756 --> 00:00:55,956 Speaker 1: creators and change makers. We think our listeners will really 11 00:00:55,996 --> 00:00:58,316 Speaker 1: like it. So we're sharing right here one of our 12 00:00:58,356 --> 00:01:02,556 Speaker 1: favorite episodes, and it's about that question what are you? Yeah? 13 00:01:02,636 --> 00:01:05,396 Speaker 1: What are you? If you like? What are you? If 14 00:01:05,436 --> 00:01:07,596 Speaker 1: you like what you're hearing? You can listen to brown 15 00:01:07,716 --> 00:01:11,556 Speaker 1: Enough right now, Stitch or Apple Podcasts or wherever you 16 00:01:11,596 --> 00:01:17,396 Speaker 1: listen to your podcasts. I am an artist and a 17 00:01:17,516 --> 00:01:21,396 Speaker 1: writer and a cartoonist. This is Molica Garb. If her 18 00:01:21,476 --> 00:01:24,996 Speaker 1: voice sounds familiar, that's probably because you've heard her on MPR, 19 00:01:25,196 --> 00:01:29,196 Speaker 1: where she reports on things like the refugee crisis, gender equality, 20 00:01:29,236 --> 00:01:31,916 Speaker 1: and women's health. And when she's not doing that she 21 00:01:32,036 --> 00:01:34,156 Speaker 1: is drawing up a storm. It took me a long 22 00:01:34,196 --> 00:01:37,076 Speaker 1: time to admit to myself that I was an artist. 23 00:01:37,236 --> 00:01:39,436 Speaker 1: But I just felt like as a kind of person 24 00:01:39,476 --> 00:01:43,276 Speaker 1: who needed to sort things out by writing or drawing, 25 00:01:43,916 --> 00:01:47,036 Speaker 1: sort my emotions out. And I think that that is 26 00:01:47,116 --> 00:01:50,676 Speaker 1: my true calling. And after spending years carrying a diary 27 00:01:50,676 --> 00:01:53,756 Speaker 1: in her backpack where she wrote and doodled her feelings out, 28 00:01:54,396 --> 00:01:57,076 Speaker 1: she finally answered her calling to become an artist. She 29 00:01:57,196 --> 00:02:00,356 Speaker 1: just published a graphic memoir called It Won't Always Be 30 00:02:00,436 --> 00:02:02,996 Speaker 1: Like This. It's sort of a follow up story to 31 00:02:03,036 --> 00:02:06,836 Speaker 1: her first book, I Was There, American Dream And with 32 00:02:06,916 --> 00:02:08,996 Speaker 1: a title like that, you know I needed to hear more. 33 00:02:12,276 --> 00:02:15,116 Speaker 1: In this book, filled with red, white and blue colors, 34 00:02:15,676 --> 00:02:18,236 Speaker 1: Molica shares her story about growing up as a first 35 00:02:18,236 --> 00:02:22,716 Speaker 1: generation Filipino Egyptian American and trying to sort out her 36 00:02:22,756 --> 00:02:27,436 Speaker 1: identity in the pre Internet world before tweets, selfies, TikTok videos, 37 00:02:27,436 --> 00:02:30,276 Speaker 1: and Instagram posts were a thing. We're talking about a 38 00:02:30,316 --> 00:02:33,676 Speaker 1: time when teens were heavenly influenced by pop culture. I'm 39 00:02:33,676 --> 00:02:36,556 Speaker 1: talking about like when Sean Combs became p Diddy, or 40 00:02:36,556 --> 00:02:39,716 Speaker 1: when Dawson from Dawson's Creek was every girl's illusion of 41 00:02:39,796 --> 00:02:42,876 Speaker 1: love or when mean girls was a sort of actual 42 00:02:42,996 --> 00:02:45,916 Speaker 1: reflection of what clicks and high schools were like. You know, 43 00:02:46,076 --> 00:02:49,596 Speaker 1: the pop rockers, skaters, jocks, geeks. I wonder what new 44 00:02:49,596 --> 00:02:54,236 Speaker 1: clicks they have these days. Anyway, Molica and I share 45 00:02:54,276 --> 00:02:58,036 Speaker 1: the experience of having immigrant parents, and this graphic memoir 46 00:02:58,156 --> 00:03:00,716 Speaker 1: is a tribute to families like ours who came to 47 00:03:00,756 --> 00:03:06,116 Speaker 1: the US and tried to achieve this so called American dream. 48 00:03:06,236 --> 00:03:08,516 Speaker 1: Today we are talking to Molica about her journey of 49 00:03:08,796 --> 00:03:13,116 Speaker 1: own her artistry, navigating between three cultures and two religions, 50 00:03:13,396 --> 00:03:16,156 Speaker 1: and that sticky, sticky question we have all heard before, 51 00:03:16,796 --> 00:03:22,316 Speaker 1: what arguing I'm Christopher Reevas and this is brown enough 52 00:03:22,636 --> 00:03:45,476 Speaker 1: stories between black and white? Here we go. I have 53 00:03:45,556 --> 00:03:48,716 Speaker 1: this true admiration and love for artists, y'all. I think 54 00:03:48,756 --> 00:03:51,876 Speaker 1: what we contribute to society gives us a better understanding 55 00:03:51,876 --> 00:03:54,316 Speaker 1: of the world. And so I was surprised when I 56 00:03:54,316 --> 00:03:57,076 Speaker 1: heard Molika say it took her some time to own 57 00:03:57,156 --> 00:04:00,716 Speaker 1: that title of artists. Why did it take you so long? 58 00:04:00,876 --> 00:04:03,716 Speaker 1: Because in my opinion, artists are like the most valuable 59 00:04:03,956 --> 00:04:06,676 Speaker 1: parts of a society. You know, when a coup happens, 60 00:04:06,756 --> 00:04:08,756 Speaker 1: they try and killed like the doctors of the lawyers 61 00:04:08,756 --> 00:04:11,276 Speaker 1: in the art. So what took you so long to 62 00:04:11,356 --> 00:04:14,476 Speaker 1: love that? I think I tried to fit the mold 63 00:04:14,516 --> 00:04:18,436 Speaker 1: that my parents wanted me to sort of fit in, 64 00:04:18,556 --> 00:04:21,436 Speaker 1: and that was, you need to do well in school, 65 00:04:21,596 --> 00:04:25,196 Speaker 1: you need to graduate and do this big important thing 66 00:04:25,676 --> 00:04:29,516 Speaker 1: working for a big important brand. And my aunt once 67 00:04:29,556 --> 00:04:33,596 Speaker 1: told me about how in life everybody has a calling 68 00:04:33,636 --> 00:04:36,716 Speaker 1: and it's not necessarily the work that you do on 69 00:04:36,756 --> 00:04:40,036 Speaker 1: an everyday basis. It's about it's a thing that drives you. 70 00:04:40,076 --> 00:04:43,316 Speaker 1: It's your emo, it's your modus operandi. I'd always been 71 00:04:43,316 --> 00:04:45,596 Speaker 1: thinking about what that calling was for me, and it 72 00:04:45,676 --> 00:04:48,996 Speaker 1: sort of clicked one day when I realized that I 73 00:04:49,196 --> 00:04:51,476 Speaker 1: just kept a diary all the time, a notebook all 74 00:04:51,476 --> 00:04:55,076 Speaker 1: the time in my bag in my twenties, and if 75 00:04:55,116 --> 00:04:57,916 Speaker 1: anything that I saw that was happening to me, if 76 00:04:57,916 --> 00:05:00,316 Speaker 1: I was angry, if I was sad, and I remember 77 00:05:00,316 --> 00:05:03,396 Speaker 1: one day I drew a notebook doodle while I was 78 00:05:03,476 --> 00:05:05,836 Speaker 1: riding the bus that said, gosh, I can't wait to 79 00:05:06,196 --> 00:05:08,276 Speaker 1: write about this in my diary when I get home, 80 00:05:08,396 --> 00:05:11,396 Speaker 1: because I had had bad day. And I realized that 81 00:05:10,996 --> 00:05:14,396 Speaker 1: that's what artists do they mean they need to make 82 00:05:14,476 --> 00:05:18,276 Speaker 1: things in order to understand the way the world works. 83 00:05:18,356 --> 00:05:20,916 Speaker 1: And it was a really late realization for me. I 84 00:05:21,156 --> 00:05:23,676 Speaker 1: only started cartooning in the past, you know, since I 85 00:05:23,716 --> 00:05:26,116 Speaker 1: was thirty and I'm now thirty six, but had always 86 00:05:26,116 --> 00:05:29,276 Speaker 1: been sort of a casual doodler. And once I realized 87 00:05:29,316 --> 00:05:31,556 Speaker 1: that I was, like, it just clicked and things started 88 00:05:31,556 --> 00:05:37,436 Speaker 1: moving for me professionally in my creative life. Molica turned 89 00:05:37,436 --> 00:05:40,556 Speaker 1: her casual doodles in scribbles into cartoons with story arcs. 90 00:05:40,996 --> 00:05:43,516 Speaker 1: Her comics have now been featured in places like The 91 00:05:43,556 --> 00:05:46,116 Speaker 1: New York Times, the New Yorker, and you can also 92 00:05:46,156 --> 00:05:48,956 Speaker 1: find them on MPR's website, like a recent one she 93 00:05:49,036 --> 00:05:51,476 Speaker 1: did that I love called how to Stay Cool Without 94 00:05:51,516 --> 00:05:55,956 Speaker 1: an Air Conditioner. They're really quite delightful and fun no 95 00:05:56,036 --> 00:05:59,316 Speaker 1: matter who she's making comics for, though, Molicica is always 96 00:05:59,356 --> 00:06:02,676 Speaker 1: taking inspiration from her own life. When she was growing up, 97 00:06:02,956 --> 00:06:05,796 Speaker 1: that life was pretty unique thanks to her parents very 98 00:06:05,836 --> 00:06:15,636 Speaker 1: diverse backgrounds. Your dad is from Egypt, your mom's from 99 00:06:15,636 --> 00:06:19,116 Speaker 1: the Philippines. They both seemed very incredible in their own right. 100 00:06:19,436 --> 00:06:21,716 Speaker 1: My mom this is before the me too area, obviously, 101 00:06:21,756 --> 00:06:24,796 Speaker 1: but my mom was my dad's secretary. My dad was 102 00:06:24,836 --> 00:06:27,796 Speaker 1: a general manager of a hotel in downtown La Or 103 00:06:27,796 --> 00:06:31,036 Speaker 1: I think it was in Hollywood. My dad asked her 104 00:06:31,036 --> 00:06:33,676 Speaker 1: out for a date and they went to go see 105 00:06:33,716 --> 00:06:36,876 Speaker 1: like some Indiana Jones movie. That was it. They got 106 00:06:36,876 --> 00:06:40,756 Speaker 1: married after six months, and they spoke English at home, obviously, 107 00:06:40,756 --> 00:06:43,396 Speaker 1: because my dad is a native Arabic speaker and my 108 00:06:43,436 --> 00:06:46,156 Speaker 1: mom's a native Tagalog speaker. And you know, the marriage 109 00:06:46,156 --> 00:06:49,436 Speaker 1: didn't last. They obviously had a lot of cultural differences. 110 00:06:49,876 --> 00:06:53,116 Speaker 1: And you know, I'm really glad that it didn't work out, 111 00:06:53,156 --> 00:06:57,636 Speaker 1: because I got some really awesome siblings in their following marriages. 112 00:06:57,956 --> 00:07:00,676 Speaker 1: But they're still really good friends. So they come from 113 00:07:00,756 --> 00:07:02,756 Speaker 1: very different cultures, as you just said, and it didn't 114 00:07:02,796 --> 00:07:05,356 Speaker 1: work out. But what did they have in common? That's 115 00:07:05,356 --> 00:07:10,876 Speaker 1: a really, really good question that I've never considered before. Gosh, 116 00:07:10,956 --> 00:07:13,476 Speaker 1: what do they have in common? I think they both 117 00:07:13,516 --> 00:07:15,756 Speaker 1: really loved traveling. They had sort of set it up 118 00:07:15,796 --> 00:07:18,836 Speaker 1: where my mom would be working for an airline and 119 00:07:18,916 --> 00:07:21,716 Speaker 1: my dad worked for hotels, so for a while when 120 00:07:21,716 --> 00:07:24,316 Speaker 1: they were married, they would travel around everywhere for free. 121 00:07:24,876 --> 00:07:27,876 Speaker 1: So they both loved that. They're both very funny people. 122 00:07:28,236 --> 00:07:30,476 Speaker 1: My dad has a great sense of humor, and my 123 00:07:30,516 --> 00:07:34,396 Speaker 1: mom is hilarious. She's very sharp. They're both very smart. 124 00:07:35,236 --> 00:07:38,036 Speaker 1: I think that they're both news junkies in a way. 125 00:07:38,196 --> 00:07:41,156 Speaker 1: I think my mom corrects me on my own news knowledge, 126 00:07:41,476 --> 00:07:44,036 Speaker 1: especially when it comes to celebrity news, and so does 127 00:07:44,076 --> 00:07:46,876 Speaker 1: my dad, So they both liked to keep up on things. 128 00:07:47,596 --> 00:07:50,636 Speaker 1: In twenty nineteen, you came out with your first graphic novel. 129 00:07:51,156 --> 00:07:55,596 Speaker 1: I was their American dream. Who is they? They is 130 00:07:55,676 --> 00:07:59,956 Speaker 1: my parents and my family who supported me and raised 131 00:07:59,956 --> 00:08:03,036 Speaker 1: me as a young person and still do today. What 132 00:08:03,116 --> 00:08:06,196 Speaker 1: do you think their dream was. I think their dream 133 00:08:06,276 --> 00:08:12,516 Speaker 1: for me, like many immigrant parents of their generation who 134 00:08:12,556 --> 00:08:15,876 Speaker 1: came to the United States, was that they wanted a 135 00:08:16,036 --> 00:08:20,196 Speaker 1: child who could assimilate well into the United States, who 136 00:08:20,596 --> 00:08:23,716 Speaker 1: would get the best education, go to the best colleges, 137 00:08:24,236 --> 00:08:28,316 Speaker 1: have the best career opportunities, and sort of skip what 138 00:08:28,436 --> 00:08:31,196 Speaker 1: they had to struggle with trying to adapt in America. 139 00:08:31,276 --> 00:08:35,556 Speaker 1: Because I was naturally and perfectly American, I would just 140 00:08:35,716 --> 00:08:39,516 Speaker 1: slide right into perfection of the American dream of owning 141 00:08:39,516 --> 00:08:41,876 Speaker 1: a home and everything. And I think one of the 142 00:08:41,916 --> 00:08:44,796 Speaker 1: biggest things that my parents said, well, my dad said this, 143 00:08:44,916 --> 00:08:48,396 Speaker 1: He said, I just didn't know that you had your 144 00:08:48,396 --> 00:08:52,676 Speaker 1: own set of struggles being of, you know, second generation American. 145 00:08:52,956 --> 00:08:55,236 Speaker 1: I thought that once we came here, like things would 146 00:08:55,276 --> 00:08:59,516 Speaker 1: be perfect for you and great, And I was like, 147 00:09:00,716 --> 00:09:04,516 Speaker 1: you didn't anticipate that I would have identity issues. He 148 00:09:04,556 --> 00:09:07,556 Speaker 1: had always said to me, like, you have an American passport, 149 00:09:07,596 --> 00:09:10,356 Speaker 1: you're American, and it's like you can say that all 150 00:09:10,356 --> 00:09:12,876 Speaker 1: you want, but I don't really believe those words, like 151 00:09:13,036 --> 00:09:15,716 Speaker 1: unless you I don't know. I felt like I had 152 00:09:15,756 --> 00:09:18,916 Speaker 1: to do the work to actually believe those words, emotional work. 153 00:09:19,636 --> 00:09:24,116 Speaker 1: If you could define assimilation in like a sentence, what 154 00:09:24,156 --> 00:09:27,676 Speaker 1: would it be, well, I think in the olden days, 155 00:09:27,796 --> 00:09:33,756 Speaker 1: when I was a kid in high school, assimilating meant 156 00:09:33,876 --> 00:09:39,796 Speaker 1: shedding all aspects of my cultural identity, my Filipino noess 157 00:09:39,796 --> 00:09:42,836 Speaker 1: and Egyptian noss and sort of and sort of taking 158 00:09:42,916 --> 00:09:47,076 Speaker 1: on and being quote unquote white, which was what I 159 00:09:47,116 --> 00:09:52,596 Speaker 1: equated with American. And once I could achieve passing as white, 160 00:09:53,156 --> 00:10:00,276 Speaker 1: then I would be fully assimilated. And now I don't 161 00:10:00,396 --> 00:10:03,756 Speaker 1: think that's true at all. Obviously. I think that's a 162 00:10:03,876 --> 00:10:07,276 Speaker 1: very warped and horrible way of viewing what assimilation means. 163 00:10:07,476 --> 00:10:12,236 Speaker 1: I think it's being really comfortable in your own cultural skin, 164 00:10:12,516 --> 00:10:15,996 Speaker 1: like your own being really comfortable in who I am 165 00:10:16,036 --> 00:10:20,716 Speaker 1: as a Filipino and Egyptian, and understanding the important role 166 00:10:20,876 --> 00:10:25,476 Speaker 1: that my presence in America plays to this society, and 167 00:10:25,636 --> 00:10:30,196 Speaker 1: feeling an immense sense of belonging in my own skin. 168 00:10:31,316 --> 00:10:33,316 Speaker 1: And I think, in my today's definition, when I think 169 00:10:33,356 --> 00:10:36,516 Speaker 1: about my own parents, I think about these are twenty 170 00:10:36,596 --> 00:10:41,396 Speaker 1: year old kids, children with children who came from not 171 00:10:41,476 --> 00:10:45,356 Speaker 1: much and decided to give their children something. And I 172 00:10:45,396 --> 00:10:49,116 Speaker 1: believe that sometimes what we call assimilation is often just survival. 173 00:10:49,756 --> 00:10:53,876 Speaker 1: Trying to give my child opportunity and trying to invest 174 00:10:53,956 --> 00:10:56,156 Speaker 1: in the American dream, which is really just the story 175 00:10:56,156 --> 00:11:00,276 Speaker 1: of mobility. And whatever I have to do to receive 176 00:11:00,316 --> 00:11:03,076 Speaker 1: a check in order to make that happen, often from 177 00:11:03,076 --> 00:11:07,156 Speaker 1: white employers, is what I am going to do or 178 00:11:07,276 --> 00:11:14,436 Speaker 1: teach or facilitate. Yeah, that's really interesting. I mean I remember, 179 00:11:14,716 --> 00:11:16,676 Speaker 1: I mean, I remember I was taught that, you know, 180 00:11:16,756 --> 00:11:19,836 Speaker 1: from my parents and family. I mean, um, one of 181 00:11:19,876 --> 00:11:22,356 Speaker 1: the biggest I mean, I wrote this about this in 182 00:11:22,396 --> 00:11:24,356 Speaker 1: my book. I was their American Dream. But you know, 183 00:11:25,076 --> 00:11:30,316 Speaker 1: my uncle Titomorrow Tito means uncle Intagalog. You know, he 184 00:11:30,396 --> 00:11:33,636 Speaker 1: told me that I was so lucky for going to 185 00:11:33,716 --> 00:11:37,916 Speaker 1: a white school, like predominantly white school like Syracuse, where 186 00:11:38,036 --> 00:11:40,236 Speaker 1: I could really learn from the white people and I 187 00:11:40,236 --> 00:11:44,636 Speaker 1: would get this first this first class, you know, look 188 00:11:44,796 --> 00:11:50,916 Speaker 1: at an examination. I could at this first class front 189 00:11:51,036 --> 00:11:55,796 Speaker 1: row seat into into white people and to really observe 190 00:11:56,036 --> 00:11:58,996 Speaker 1: their manner of dress and how they ate with a 191 00:11:59,076 --> 00:12:02,956 Speaker 1: fork and a knife, and how they introduced themselves. And 192 00:12:04,756 --> 00:12:07,636 Speaker 1: you know, it just makes me sad thinking about it. 193 00:12:08,156 --> 00:12:11,196 Speaker 1: That was telling me to carry myself with the confidence 194 00:12:11,236 --> 00:12:13,996 Speaker 1: of a mediocre white man. Did you really say that 195 00:12:13,996 --> 00:12:15,996 Speaker 1: to you? Yeah? Or me knowing as a child to 196 00:12:16,076 --> 00:12:19,516 Speaker 1: be on the subway, like looking at the Wall Street boys, 197 00:12:19,556 --> 00:12:22,036 Speaker 1: because I would take the sixth down to Wall Street. 198 00:12:22,036 --> 00:12:24,956 Speaker 1: I had like a little job down there, and I 199 00:12:24,996 --> 00:12:27,116 Speaker 1: would go from the Upper East Side to Wall Street 200 00:12:27,516 --> 00:12:33,396 Speaker 1: and I would watch these these these men, often white men, 201 00:12:33,436 --> 00:12:36,556 Speaker 1: who seem to not have a worry in the world, 202 00:12:37,076 --> 00:12:40,636 Speaker 1: and I would study them, study that would study absolutely. 203 00:12:40,716 --> 00:12:44,316 Speaker 1: I would absolutely study them too. And you know what 204 00:12:44,356 --> 00:12:47,476 Speaker 1: I hate is that when I did graduate, you know, 205 00:12:47,996 --> 00:12:50,716 Speaker 1: my family was right to some extent, right, there is 206 00:12:50,756 --> 00:12:54,756 Speaker 1: a code, there's like some code that I didn't learn 207 00:12:54,836 --> 00:12:58,516 Speaker 1: from them, But I learned from observing of how to 208 00:12:58,636 --> 00:13:01,956 Speaker 1: be and how to act in a predominantly white space, 209 00:13:03,196 --> 00:13:06,716 Speaker 1: A lot of confidence when you introduced yourself. You know, 210 00:13:06,756 --> 00:13:11,436 Speaker 1: in Filipino culture you're very deferential and very very gentle 211 00:13:11,996 --> 00:13:15,396 Speaker 1: when you enter a space. You don't want to make 212 00:13:15,396 --> 00:13:18,756 Speaker 1: too much draw too much attention to yourself you have 213 00:13:18,876 --> 00:13:22,196 Speaker 1: you don't in American culture. The early bird catches the worm. 214 00:13:22,276 --> 00:13:25,876 Speaker 1: The loudest duck, you know, you know, makes moves, and 215 00:13:25,956 --> 00:13:31,076 Speaker 1: that's not how how Filipinos exert or sort of show 216 00:13:32,036 --> 00:13:35,916 Speaker 1: their power. So in reading your book, I was fascinated 217 00:13:35,956 --> 00:13:40,196 Speaker 1: by what felt like heavy diversity in your high school. 218 00:13:40,196 --> 00:13:42,836 Speaker 1: Can you tell me about city those, California. Yeah, it 219 00:13:42,916 --> 00:13:45,476 Speaker 1: was such a great place to grow up. So Cerritos 220 00:13:45,596 --> 00:13:49,396 Speaker 1: is south of la It was a predominantly Asian and 221 00:13:49,476 --> 00:13:55,116 Speaker 1: Hispanic community. A lot of Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese people, a 222 00:13:55,116 --> 00:13:59,516 Speaker 1: lot of Mexican people, a lot of Portuguese people, and 223 00:13:59,636 --> 00:14:02,916 Speaker 1: there were a few black and white people, maybe almost equal, 224 00:14:03,156 --> 00:14:05,716 Speaker 1: I would say. And a lot of the leadership in 225 00:14:05,836 --> 00:14:09,396 Speaker 1: Cerritos were Asian, which was pretty cool. Our mayor have 226 00:14:09,476 --> 00:14:12,236 Speaker 1: been Asian when I was growing up. People who worked 227 00:14:12,236 --> 00:14:14,476 Speaker 1: at the library, you could see that they were Asian 228 00:14:14,876 --> 00:14:23,076 Speaker 1: and Hispanic, like, it was very diverse all around. Yeah, all, 229 00:14:23,076 --> 00:14:26,356 Speaker 1: I gotta say, said, ETOs reminds me of my own hometown, Queens, 230 00:14:26,436 --> 00:14:29,236 Speaker 1: New York. I was very fortunate to grow up around 231 00:14:29,236 --> 00:14:33,316 Speaker 1: so much diversity. Queens is the melting pot, y'all. If 232 00:14:33,316 --> 00:14:35,796 Speaker 1: you take the seven train down Roosevelt Avenue, you will 233 00:14:35,836 --> 00:14:39,076 Speaker 1: get a taste of just about everything. Warm Colombian pastry, 234 00:14:39,116 --> 00:14:44,516 Speaker 1: spicy Indian curry, Mexican tacos, Italian pasta, Italian ICs. I 235 00:14:44,556 --> 00:14:46,716 Speaker 1: could go on and make a menu, but we don't 236 00:14:46,716 --> 00:14:49,756 Speaker 1: have time for that. Did you know that that was 237 00:14:49,796 --> 00:14:53,516 Speaker 1: an amazing thing then? No? I mean now, looking back, like, 238 00:14:53,516 --> 00:14:55,996 Speaker 1: I feel like it's freaking amazing. I wrote about this 239 00:14:56,116 --> 00:14:58,356 Speaker 1: in the La Times and like a comic op ed 240 00:14:58,636 --> 00:15:02,716 Speaker 1: about how I reminisced with my high school friends. Dude, 241 00:15:02,756 --> 00:15:05,036 Speaker 1: why didn't we ever talk about how amazing it was 242 00:15:05,076 --> 00:15:06,836 Speaker 1: to grow up in a place like Cerritos when we 243 00:15:06,836 --> 00:15:09,556 Speaker 1: were in high school? And we talked about how conversation 244 00:15:09,596 --> 00:15:13,156 Speaker 1: around race has changed so much in the past few decades, 245 00:15:13,956 --> 00:15:15,556 Speaker 1: and we were able to sort of reflect on that 246 00:15:15,596 --> 00:15:17,636 Speaker 1: a little bit in that piece. But one of the 247 00:15:17,676 --> 00:15:19,676 Speaker 1: things that was really cool about it was that there 248 00:15:19,756 --> 00:15:24,916 Speaker 1: was this like cultural exchange and this profound sensitivity around 249 00:15:24,956 --> 00:15:31,036 Speaker 1: other people's cultures. Now, going back to Queens again, if 250 00:15:31,036 --> 00:15:35,236 Speaker 1: you find yourself in Jackson Heights where you have Colombian, Dominican, Ecuadorian, 251 00:15:35,436 --> 00:15:39,756 Speaker 1: or Mexican communities, there's an understanding between them and respect. 252 00:15:40,356 --> 00:15:45,076 Speaker 1: The district embraces and celebrates each country with gratitude. So 253 00:15:45,156 --> 00:15:47,076 Speaker 1: I was struck when I got to her chapter about 254 00:15:47,116 --> 00:15:50,396 Speaker 1: the most important question in her high school what are you? 255 00:15:53,076 --> 00:15:54,916 Speaker 1: What did it mean to you back then in high school? 256 00:15:55,076 --> 00:15:58,796 Speaker 1: And how is it evolved? Okay, to be real, what 257 00:15:58,916 --> 00:16:04,156 Speaker 1: are you? Question really almost was like social currency, right, 258 00:16:04,276 --> 00:16:07,636 Speaker 1: Like there was a hierarchy of Asians, which I'm sure 259 00:16:07,676 --> 00:16:11,076 Speaker 1: you've heard about the hierarchy of Asians. I've heard about it, 260 00:16:11,116 --> 00:16:14,716 Speaker 1: but tell others have not, Okay, So, like the hierarchy 261 00:16:14,716 --> 00:16:17,796 Speaker 1: of Asians was this horrible thing that I'd learned in 262 00:16:17,876 --> 00:16:19,636 Speaker 1: high school. And I hope that others like, I mean, 263 00:16:19,676 --> 00:16:22,356 Speaker 1: this is awful, And I just knew that Filipinos like 264 00:16:22,396 --> 00:16:24,356 Speaker 1: myself or at the bottom of the hierarchy of Asians. 265 00:16:24,516 --> 00:16:27,676 Speaker 1: But um, so it was like all the East Asians 266 00:16:27,676 --> 00:16:31,436 Speaker 1: at the top, like the Japanese, then like Chinese and Korean, 267 00:16:31,636 --> 00:16:34,956 Speaker 1: and then like all the brown Asians, like if you 268 00:16:34,956 --> 00:16:39,076 Speaker 1: were Vietnamese or from Laos or Cambodia, you know, you 269 00:16:39,076 --> 00:16:40,956 Speaker 1: were sort of at the bottom. And I think that 270 00:16:40,956 --> 00:16:45,756 Speaker 1: that was also like some weird people could be like, oh, okay, 271 00:16:45,956 --> 00:16:49,236 Speaker 1: so you're Filipino. Okay. And it's also like a way 272 00:16:49,236 --> 00:16:52,196 Speaker 1: of like a lot of people in school was still 273 00:16:52,196 --> 00:16:56,116 Speaker 1: pretty segregated. So if you were Korean, you would be 274 00:16:56,156 --> 00:16:58,396 Speaker 1: hanging out likely with a bunch of other Korean girls. 275 00:16:58,596 --> 00:17:01,876 Speaker 1: If you were Mexican American into hot topic, like you 276 00:17:01,956 --> 00:17:04,716 Speaker 1: had your own group. If you were Chinese and love 277 00:17:04,796 --> 00:17:08,196 Speaker 1: like magic the gathering, like you were in your own subgroup. 278 00:17:08,636 --> 00:17:12,396 Speaker 1: I I think that it was a understanding what your 279 00:17:12,596 --> 00:17:15,196 Speaker 1: culture was because I think that there was a high 280 00:17:15,356 --> 00:17:20,436 Speaker 1: level of sensitivity for that, but also be understanding where okay, 281 00:17:20,476 --> 00:17:23,596 Speaker 1: so what's your social standing in the list of like 282 00:17:24,316 --> 00:17:27,796 Speaker 1: cool races, which is also horrible. So for example, like 283 00:17:27,876 --> 00:17:31,876 Speaker 1: Portuguese guys at Cerrito's high school were considered the quote 284 00:17:31,956 --> 00:17:35,956 Speaker 1: unquote whitest guys, and being like a white Portuguese guy 285 00:17:36,156 --> 00:17:38,756 Speaker 1: was like better than being like a white Hispanic guy. 286 00:17:38,996 --> 00:17:42,356 Speaker 1: This is look I'm only repeating things that are that 287 00:17:42,916 --> 00:17:45,196 Speaker 1: was from high school. Please don't crucify me for this 288 00:17:45,276 --> 00:17:53,196 Speaker 1: on Twitter. I'm just saying what we believe back then. Horrible. Seriously, y'all, 289 00:17:53,476 --> 00:17:57,476 Speaker 1: don't crucify Milico on Twitter. She's sharing her high school experience, 290 00:17:57,956 --> 00:18:00,796 Speaker 1: one that I can also relate to. I'm back home 291 00:18:00,796 --> 00:18:03,396 Speaker 1: in New York. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans were at the 292 00:18:03,436 --> 00:18:06,316 Speaker 1: top of the hierarchy, and maybe because we got the 293 00:18:06,316 --> 00:18:10,476 Speaker 1: biggest parades, we earned some extra points. All right, y'all, 294 00:18:10,516 --> 00:18:12,676 Speaker 1: We're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, 295 00:18:13,036 --> 00:18:15,516 Speaker 1: Molica is going to tell us how that what are 296 00:18:15,636 --> 00:18:36,436 Speaker 1: you question changed when she went to college. Yo, we 297 00:18:36,476 --> 00:18:40,636 Speaker 1: are back with journalist and cartoonist Malica Gharib. When you 298 00:18:40,676 --> 00:18:43,196 Speaker 1: get to college, you realize no one's asking this question, 299 00:18:43,796 --> 00:18:46,596 Speaker 1: and you sort of miss being asked it. Correct. Yeah, 300 00:18:46,636 --> 00:18:49,836 Speaker 1: I did. I was around a lot of white people, 301 00:18:49,916 --> 00:18:52,956 Speaker 1: a lot of white students and friends, and it just 302 00:18:52,956 --> 00:18:56,676 Speaker 1: seemed like a very very awkward thing to broach. People 303 00:18:56,676 --> 00:19:00,676 Speaker 1: didn't know how to talk about it. I found it 304 00:19:00,956 --> 00:19:03,636 Speaker 1: a very crucial point for me to mention that I 305 00:19:03,716 --> 00:19:07,676 Speaker 1: was Filipino and Egyptian. It seemed very important to share 306 00:19:07,996 --> 00:19:10,956 Speaker 1: or disclose as part of If they really wanted to 307 00:19:10,996 --> 00:19:15,156 Speaker 1: know who I was, then they should also understand these 308 00:19:15,196 --> 00:19:17,756 Speaker 1: aspects of myself. But it felt like that time and 309 00:19:17,836 --> 00:19:22,036 Speaker 1: the moment never really came up, and it was always 310 00:19:22,076 --> 00:19:24,836 Speaker 1: like a little awkward because I think they just didn't 311 00:19:24,876 --> 00:19:26,676 Speaker 1: want to address it at all, because they didn't know, 312 00:19:27,196 --> 00:19:29,916 Speaker 1: they didn't want to say anything quote unquote racist. So 313 00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:34,476 Speaker 1: only after my book came out, I was their American dream. 314 00:19:34,516 --> 00:19:36,356 Speaker 1: I had a lot of college friends coming back to 315 00:19:36,396 --> 00:19:39,036 Speaker 1: me and saying like, I'm so sorry. I never like 316 00:19:39,156 --> 00:19:42,436 Speaker 1: asked you about like your culture or like things that 317 00:19:42,516 --> 00:19:45,196 Speaker 1: you like doing at home with your family, or you know. 318 00:19:45,396 --> 00:19:47,396 Speaker 1: I had a lot of like subtle racist things being 319 00:19:47,436 --> 00:19:50,836 Speaker 1: told to me by friends. Had a roommate once who 320 00:19:51,236 --> 00:19:54,636 Speaker 1: my mom shipped this plastic container of I think it 321 00:19:54,716 --> 00:19:58,556 Speaker 1: was like caldaretta, which is like some beef stew, and 322 00:19:58,676 --> 00:20:01,036 Speaker 1: she would always comment every day about how the fridge 323 00:20:01,036 --> 00:20:05,636 Speaker 1: smelled so intense and anyway, I was like, I just 324 00:20:05,676 --> 00:20:08,476 Speaker 1: wish that we could have had more open conversations about race, 325 00:20:08,516 --> 00:20:10,396 Speaker 1: but nobody know how talk about it. Then. You know, 326 00:20:10,436 --> 00:20:13,876 Speaker 1: that was like two thousand four. I mean people are 327 00:20:13,876 --> 00:20:16,916 Speaker 1: still struggling to talk about it now. Yeah, please do 328 00:20:16,996 --> 00:20:20,076 Speaker 1: some enlightening for us, because I think the world still 329 00:20:20,116 --> 00:20:23,036 Speaker 1: struggles with this. What is another less rude way to say? 330 00:20:23,476 --> 00:20:26,436 Speaker 1: What are you? Um? How do you identify? And I 331 00:20:26,436 --> 00:20:28,716 Speaker 1: think that for a lot of people that that opens 332 00:20:28,796 --> 00:20:32,596 Speaker 1: up a lot. Everyone could be asked that question. We 333 00:20:32,676 --> 00:20:35,636 Speaker 1: have to ask that now at work for a diversity 334 00:20:35,716 --> 00:20:39,516 Speaker 1: questionnaire with every source that we interview, and it's an 335 00:20:39,516 --> 00:20:42,356 Speaker 1: open ended question and people could answer it in any 336 00:20:42,356 --> 00:20:45,836 Speaker 1: way they like. It's a question for everybody. You mentioned 337 00:20:45,836 --> 00:20:47,916 Speaker 1: your uncle Tito earlier, and in the book you talk 338 00:20:47,956 --> 00:20:50,916 Speaker 1: about him a lot. He told you about the real world. 339 00:20:51,276 --> 00:20:53,596 Speaker 1: He said there will be expectations on you as a 340 00:20:53,636 --> 00:20:56,796 Speaker 1: brown woman and that you needed to learn them. Was 341 00:20:56,916 --> 00:21:00,836 Speaker 1: your uncle Tito right? Yeah he was, And that's um 342 00:21:00,876 --> 00:21:05,116 Speaker 1: tit tomorrow to you. That's right, my bad. He was 343 00:21:05,156 --> 00:21:09,236 Speaker 1: absolutely right, it was. It was shockingly accurate. I think 344 00:21:09,236 --> 00:21:11,756 Speaker 1: that one of the first places I worked was a 345 00:21:11,996 --> 00:21:19,116 Speaker 1: corporate ad agency and I highly observed, you know, how 346 00:21:19,156 --> 00:21:22,836 Speaker 1: other people dressed collared shirts. I came from like a 347 00:21:22,876 --> 00:21:26,916 Speaker 1: punk style in la where people were very casual and 348 00:21:26,956 --> 00:21:29,396 Speaker 1: laid back and had surfer style and that kind of thing, 349 00:21:29,876 --> 00:21:31,436 Speaker 1: and I just had sort of had to adapt to 350 00:21:31,476 --> 00:21:35,996 Speaker 1: that environment. I once was invited to a dinner with 351 00:21:36,076 --> 00:21:39,836 Speaker 1: like a professor and another colleague of his and some students, 352 00:21:39,836 --> 00:21:41,596 Speaker 1: and like we were eating at a fancy dinner table 353 00:21:41,596 --> 00:21:43,356 Speaker 1: with like lots of forks and knives, and I had 354 00:21:43,396 --> 00:21:46,716 Speaker 1: to like I literally had like a movie moment where 355 00:21:46,756 --> 00:21:50,156 Speaker 1: I was like, um, I'll ordered the chicken extra rare, 356 00:21:50,396 --> 00:21:51,756 Speaker 1: like you know what I mean. Like, I just like 357 00:21:51,796 --> 00:21:53,636 Speaker 1: didn't know what to do, so I just like copied 358 00:21:53,676 --> 00:21:58,716 Speaker 1: whatever my other white classmates were doing. But lots of 359 00:21:58,716 --> 00:22:01,356 Speaker 1: little moments like that, learning how to pronounce things. I 360 00:22:01,476 --> 00:22:05,756 Speaker 1: once said prove it proven instead of proven in a 361 00:22:05,836 --> 00:22:08,076 Speaker 1: meeting and got laughed at and I was like, all right, 362 00:22:08,076 --> 00:22:10,476 Speaker 1: there's like a way that I have to be, which sucks. 363 00:22:10,676 --> 00:22:13,596 Speaker 1: But I had to put on my white voice. That 364 00:22:13,636 --> 00:22:15,316 Speaker 1: was way back in the day. I just wanted to 365 00:22:15,316 --> 00:22:17,876 Speaker 1: preface it with that that was a long time ago. 366 00:22:18,076 --> 00:22:19,956 Speaker 1: I do not do that anymore. Do you have your 367 00:22:19,956 --> 00:22:23,556 Speaker 1: book on you by chance? Yeah? Can you read us 368 00:22:23,556 --> 00:22:30,836 Speaker 1: page forty seven? Yeah? Of course. I wish that I 369 00:22:30,836 --> 00:22:33,796 Speaker 1: could have smushed them all together into one faith. So 370 00:22:34,076 --> 00:22:37,316 Speaker 1: for most of my childhood I did dear God and 371 00:22:37,436 --> 00:22:40,516 Speaker 1: the Virgin Mary, but sorry, not you Jesus. Please let 372 00:22:40,516 --> 00:22:42,596 Speaker 1: me get the good grade on my quiz tomorrow, and 373 00:22:42,716 --> 00:22:45,276 Speaker 1: don't let me get in trouble at math class. Please 374 00:22:45,316 --> 00:22:50,036 Speaker 1: watch over Mom and Dad and mimminentti tomorrow and nanayantatai Amen, 375 00:22:50,196 --> 00:22:54,916 Speaker 1: I mean a mean how Muslims say? Amen? Can you 376 00:22:54,956 --> 00:22:59,556 Speaker 1: imagine being in these two worlds? Catholics have Jesus and 377 00:22:59,756 --> 00:23:03,836 Speaker 1: Adam and Eve, Muslims have Mohammed. Catholics celebrate Christmas and 378 00:23:03,996 --> 00:23:07,236 Speaker 1: Muslims do not. Catholics can eat just about everything, but 379 00:23:07,396 --> 00:23:11,396 Speaker 1: Muslims can't eat pork. As complicated as it seemed, Monica 380 00:23:11,476 --> 00:23:14,196 Speaker 1: always honored and respected what her parents taught her to 381 00:23:14,196 --> 00:23:20,756 Speaker 1: believe in. Both my mom and dad were very religious. 382 00:23:20,796 --> 00:23:23,876 Speaker 1: I mean not like fanatically religious, but they were certainly 383 00:23:23,956 --> 00:23:26,236 Speaker 1: like you know, my mom had a statue of the 384 00:23:26,316 --> 00:23:29,716 Speaker 1: Virgin Mary in her bedroom and believed in that one day, 385 00:23:30,116 --> 00:23:32,676 Speaker 1: you know, the Virgin Mary had appeared to her. And 386 00:23:32,756 --> 00:23:35,636 Speaker 1: my father did go to the mosque every Friday. So 387 00:23:35,716 --> 00:23:40,516 Speaker 1: I understood from the jump that my parents religion was 388 00:23:40,676 --> 00:23:43,756 Speaker 1: deeply important to them, and therefore I should respect that. 389 00:23:44,356 --> 00:23:46,716 Speaker 1: And by respecting that, as a young person. You sort 390 00:23:46,756 --> 00:23:49,676 Speaker 1: of are instilled with this code of conduct. And for 391 00:23:49,716 --> 00:23:52,796 Speaker 1: me that was you know, if my mom asked me 392 00:23:52,836 --> 00:23:54,956 Speaker 1: to go to church with her, I would go. If 393 00:23:54,956 --> 00:23:56,996 Speaker 1: she wanted me to go to Catholic school, I was 394 00:23:57,036 --> 00:24:00,396 Speaker 1: obedient and I said yes. I went through Confirmation and 395 00:24:00,476 --> 00:24:04,356 Speaker 1: Communion and all of it, and with my dad. My 396 00:24:04,436 --> 00:24:07,236 Speaker 1: dad really wanted me to memorize suras, which is like 397 00:24:07,276 --> 00:24:11,436 Speaker 1: the prayers from the Koran, and one how to pray, 398 00:24:11,556 --> 00:24:14,596 Speaker 1: you know, dress conservatively when I was around him, and 399 00:24:14,756 --> 00:24:18,156 Speaker 1: just in Egypt in general, and you know, not eat 400 00:24:18,156 --> 00:24:20,516 Speaker 1: pork and things like that. What are your favorite things 401 00:24:20,556 --> 00:24:22,956 Speaker 1: you learn from both religions? You know, I really like 402 00:24:23,116 --> 00:24:26,796 Speaker 1: the pomp and circumstance of Catholicism, Like I love the 403 00:24:26,836 --> 00:24:31,516 Speaker 1: big churches and cathedrals. I love the music, the choral music. 404 00:24:31,756 --> 00:24:34,916 Speaker 1: I love that everything is very somber and serious, and 405 00:24:35,156 --> 00:24:39,236 Speaker 1: you really feel a great and overpowering sense of reverence 406 00:24:39,396 --> 00:24:44,036 Speaker 1: and awe to a God above you. And I find 407 00:24:44,596 --> 00:24:49,356 Speaker 1: real comfort in knowing that there's you know, the Virgin Mary, 408 00:24:49,436 --> 00:24:52,676 Speaker 1: a woman figure is there is very maternal figure that 409 00:24:52,716 --> 00:24:56,476 Speaker 1: you don't see in many other religions but play such 410 00:24:56,476 --> 00:25:00,956 Speaker 1: an important role in Catholicism and Islam. I also love 411 00:25:01,036 --> 00:25:04,516 Speaker 1: that the text never changed, the Quran never changed. And 412 00:25:04,556 --> 00:25:07,596 Speaker 1: so when you're learning suras, when you're saying the Fatah, 413 00:25:07,716 --> 00:25:12,596 Speaker 1: you know you're really learning something that you're learning, you're 414 00:25:12,716 --> 00:25:16,036 Speaker 1: reciting something that people for hundreds and hundreds of years 415 00:25:16,036 --> 00:25:20,596 Speaker 1: have recited. And that's also very powerful for me. Do 416 00:25:20,636 --> 00:25:24,156 Speaker 1: you practice or continue to practice either of these religious 417 00:25:24,196 --> 00:25:28,516 Speaker 1: aspects or components? No, I think that I one of 418 00:25:28,516 --> 00:25:33,076 Speaker 1: the things that's been hard to understand or like put 419 00:25:33,156 --> 00:25:35,716 Speaker 1: together in my head is that like in Islam, like 420 00:25:36,116 --> 00:25:39,996 Speaker 1: Jesus is not God, but in Catholicism, Jesus as God. 421 00:25:40,356 --> 00:25:44,476 Speaker 1: So I've had to sort of in my mind be like, Okay, 422 00:25:44,556 --> 00:25:47,036 Speaker 1: I believe in God, but I don't believe in Jesus. 423 00:25:47,116 --> 00:25:49,956 Speaker 1: But I definitely love the Virgin Mary because she's cool. 424 00:25:50,356 --> 00:25:52,756 Speaker 1: So like I have some kind of like hybrid religion 425 00:25:52,756 --> 00:25:54,476 Speaker 1: in my head. I don't practice any of the elements 426 00:25:54,476 --> 00:25:58,516 Speaker 1: of both Catholicism and Islam. Like I haven't gone to 427 00:25:58,516 --> 00:26:01,756 Speaker 1: a mosque, I haven't like prayed in the Muslim sense 428 00:26:01,796 --> 00:26:07,796 Speaker 1: and ages. And I do, however, sometimes go into pop 429 00:26:07,836 --> 00:26:10,916 Speaker 1: into a Catholic church and like light a candle and 430 00:26:10,956 --> 00:26:12,836 Speaker 1: say a prayer every now and then, But I would 431 00:26:12,876 --> 00:26:15,996 Speaker 1: hardly call that being Catholic. If someone asked me how 432 00:26:16,036 --> 00:26:19,596 Speaker 1: I identify lately, you know, part of my journey is 433 00:26:19,676 --> 00:26:22,636 Speaker 1: I just say brown. You know, I'm just a brown man. 434 00:26:23,076 --> 00:26:26,396 Speaker 1: We can get into the into the nuances of being 435 00:26:26,436 --> 00:26:32,476 Speaker 1: half Dominican, half Colombian, Afro Latino, but mainly I choose brown. 436 00:26:32,836 --> 00:26:35,236 Speaker 1: Do you use brown in the book? Do you relate? 437 00:26:35,596 --> 00:26:39,636 Speaker 1: What is brownness to you? I have changed, my thought 438 00:26:39,676 --> 00:26:42,236 Speaker 1: has changed a lot over the past couple of years. 439 00:26:42,276 --> 00:26:45,116 Speaker 1: Even it's also fluids similar to you, and I think 440 00:26:45,116 --> 00:26:47,996 Speaker 1: that's really interesting and important to talk about. When I 441 00:26:47,996 --> 00:26:50,436 Speaker 1: was writing the book, I use the word brown to 442 00:26:50,556 --> 00:26:54,716 Speaker 1: express solidarity with fellow people of color who were going 443 00:26:54,716 --> 00:26:57,996 Speaker 1: through the same identity crisis that I was going through, 444 00:26:58,316 --> 00:27:01,916 Speaker 1: and who we're also on a path of understanding who 445 00:27:01,956 --> 00:27:07,996 Speaker 1: they are, understanding their cultural identities and going on there all. 446 00:27:08,236 --> 00:27:11,596 Speaker 1: I call it their like wokeness journey right like into yourself. 447 00:27:11,996 --> 00:27:14,236 Speaker 1: I don't know why I call it that, because I 448 00:27:14,276 --> 00:27:16,916 Speaker 1: felt like I had suddenly been decolonized at like age 449 00:27:16,956 --> 00:27:20,356 Speaker 1: twenty eight, and then like I radicalized quickly after that. 450 00:27:20,436 --> 00:27:24,916 Speaker 1: But one thing that I recently have thought about. Was 451 00:27:24,956 --> 00:27:27,476 Speaker 1: that saying who you are as a person, what your 452 00:27:27,516 --> 00:27:32,116 Speaker 1: cultural identity, is so freaking radical in and of itself. 453 00:27:32,516 --> 00:27:36,996 Speaker 1: Why should I have spent decades trying to hide that 454 00:27:37,116 --> 00:27:41,556 Speaker 1: I am Filipino, an Egyptian, and in favor of whiteness. 455 00:27:42,076 --> 00:27:45,916 Speaker 1: So why now should I have to hide and say 456 00:27:45,956 --> 00:27:49,676 Speaker 1: that I am not those things? This time, now, more 457 00:27:49,716 --> 00:27:52,636 Speaker 1: than ever, I want to freaking scream it from the rooftops. 458 00:27:53,076 --> 00:27:57,276 Speaker 1: This is what an Egyptian Filipino looks like with a 459 00:27:57,356 --> 00:28:02,476 Speaker 1: Muslim dad and a Catholic mom. And if that's new 460 00:28:02,516 --> 00:28:07,796 Speaker 1: for you, then that sucks. But you should wake up 461 00:28:07,796 --> 00:28:09,836 Speaker 1: and realize that a lot of people around you are 462 00:28:09,876 --> 00:28:17,796 Speaker 1: different things. Embrace who you are, folks. What is rooted 463 00:28:17,836 --> 00:28:20,516 Speaker 1: in our veins is what makes us special. And if 464 00:28:20,516 --> 00:28:22,876 Speaker 1: you are lucky enough, like Molica to be living in 465 00:28:22,916 --> 00:28:25,636 Speaker 1: these two different worlds filled with so much color and 466 00:28:25,796 --> 00:28:29,436 Speaker 1: life and more power to you. Molica just released her 467 00:28:29,436 --> 00:28:32,436 Speaker 1: second graphic novel called It Won't Always Be Like This, 468 00:28:32,876 --> 00:28:38,436 Speaker 1: So go and get your copy today. You won't be disappointed. Y'all. 469 00:28:38,516 --> 00:28:42,396 Speaker 1: We want to hear from you, so please get in touch. Specifically, 470 00:28:42,836 --> 00:28:45,996 Speaker 1: we are looking for your stories about your names. Do 471 00:28:46,036 --> 00:28:48,876 Speaker 1: you have a name that's unique, one that's hard for 472 00:28:48,916 --> 00:28:51,276 Speaker 1: others to say? Do you have a funny story in 473 00:28:51,396 --> 00:28:54,356 Speaker 1: origin story? What do you think is special or beautiful 474 00:28:54,396 --> 00:28:57,356 Speaker 1: about your name? Let us know. Send us an email 475 00:28:57,436 --> 00:29:01,476 Speaker 1: or a voice memo to brown Enough at stitcher dot com. Again, 476 00:29:01,516 --> 00:29:04,436 Speaker 1: that's brown Enough at Stitcher dot com. You could wind 477 00:29:04,476 --> 00:29:09,876 Speaker 1: up on a future episode brown And as a production 478 00:29:09,916 --> 00:29:13,236 Speaker 1: of Stitcher. It's created and hosted by me Christopher Reevas, 479 00:29:13,476 --> 00:29:17,356 Speaker 1: and I'm also an executive producer. Our team includes producer 480 00:29:17,676 --> 00:29:22,476 Speaker 1: Manolo Morales, Senior producer Abigail Keel, Technical director Casey Holford, 481 00:29:22,596 --> 00:29:27,396 Speaker 1: Production assistant Gabrielle Gladney, and executive producer Camille Stanley. Original 482 00:29:27,476 --> 00:29:31,596 Speaker 1: music by Casey Holford. Special thanks to Brendan Burns. Workhouse 483 00:29:31,636 --> 00:29:34,876 Speaker 1: Media is a contributing producer to this podcast. Carlos I 484 00:29:35,076 --> 00:29:38,556 Speaker 1: Hernandez of Ekey Guy Management is also an executive producer 485 00:29:38,596 --> 00:29:41,196 Speaker 1: of Brown Enough and don't forget to subscribe y'all or 486 00:29:41,236 --> 00:29:44,076 Speaker 1: follow brown Enough so you never miss an episode. And 487 00:29:44,316 --> 00:29:46,596 Speaker 1: if you got a minute, leave us a review a 488 00:29:46,716 --> 00:30:01,276 Speaker 1: nice one. It goes a long way. Thanks witness Stocks 489 00:30:01,716 --> 00:30:08,276 Speaker 1: from Stitcher. We hope you enjoyed that preview of Brown 490 00:30:08,436 --> 00:30:13,116 Speaker 1: Enough with Chris stepher reav Us. Listen on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, 491 00:30:13,436 --> 00:30:16,596 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts, and don't forget to 492 00:30:16,636 --> 00:30:19,276 Speaker 1: follow brown Enough so you don't miss an episode