Apr 5 2021
AMPLIFY MINJI: WHERE DO I FIT IN? S4:E14
Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance of the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long. These conversations amplify the ways in which our society + culture has oppressed certain folx from being their authentic selves, as told through the voices of those experiencing the oppression first-hand. We thank every single guest who joins this space to courageously share their story and provide invaluable insight into a perspective that should never have been hidden. Listen, learn, unlearn, donate, support, change, grow, and make right.
This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.
Today, we hear from MInji Lew, a people developer, coach, enneagram 3, child of Korean immigrants, a southern California transplant, partner to a British Australian Expat, and a mother to a sassy silky terrier. We chat about being in service of your people, self-care, balancing being a pusher with allowing others to set their own pacing, breaking stereotypes, making mistakes as a way to learn, not knowing where you fit in, assimilation, how to acknowledge your ancestry, being loved + hated at the same time, blending in, finding the community that looks like you, calling in other cultural ideas around living with your parents as an adult, generational gifts, boundaries with parents, lack of respect for elders, and embracing perspectives + cultures different from your + integrating what feels authentic to you. This is a very honest, work-in-progress conversation about the unfolding realities of what it means to be Asian in America in the 21st Century + Minji says it beautifully, “We are all being woken up right now + we all have a stake in it.” Thank you for your heart, Minji. It’s an honor to hold space with you.