Shows
MisfitsEp. 29 | AANHPI Month: Acknowledging Colorism in Asian and Caribbean Communities, Navigating Intergenerational Family History and Religion with Christopher and Ronald Yee MonAs National Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 comes to a close, we are releasing a series of episodes recorded in 2022 that feature conversations with Asian Americans. We talk about race and identity, but we also address other topics in our community including religion, family, careers and our creative pursuits.
In this episode, we hear from Ronald Yee-Mon (he/him), a Chinese-Trinidadian Catholic priest living in Fargo, North Dakota, and his nephew Christopher (Chris) Yee Mon (he/him), a software engineer in Seattle, Washington. We discuss issues of colorism and the n...
2023-06-061h 01MisfitsEp. 28 | BONUS EPISODE Celebrating Black History Month with Destini Hall, Dillon Cathro, JT Kim, and Obinna IwujiHappy Black History Month! For this episode, we tackle some questions about Black identity, Black activism and how Black History Month is celebrated.
Look out for a video version of this episode on YouTube coming soon!
Check out Obinna’s podcasts here:
Afripple: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nipeOQzUKF2xNfewESVyp
Media in Colour: https://anchor.fm/wavemaker-roots/episodes/Media-in-Colour---Episode-00-Trailer-e1e8ke3
*Not a paid partnership
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2023-02-2248 minMisfitsEp. 27 | Happy New Year & Season 1 Wrap UpHappy New Year! Thank you for listening and being a part of the Misfits community. It is time to close out Season 1, but don’t worry, we’ll be back soon with Season 2. In the meantime, stay up to date by following our Instagram and our Twitter @acxpmisfits and keep an eye out for some bonus episodes releasing in the near future. Also feel free to message us if you have any feedback or ideas for the show. Happy 2023!
This episode was edited and produced by Annie Prafcke. Our music was composed by Gabe Ford-Dunker.
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2023-01-0303 minMisfitsEp. 26 | Being an International Student; Discovering Their Black, Queer Identity; and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Limi SimbakaliaLimi Simbakalia (they/them) is a manager at a media company and the producer and host of the podcast “Take This Rose or Take an L.” Originally from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Limi talks about navigating an American college campus as an international student, discovering their queer identity and working through imposter syndrome.
Limi's Socials:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/itmeanssunshine/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itmeanssunshine
"Take This Rose or Take an L" podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QVh5cte4sAJM9F...
2022-12-2048 minMisfitsEp. 24 | Burnout and Career Change, Self-Care Through Illustration, and Parenting a Multiracial Child with Jasmine Nguyen GutierrezJasmine Nguyen Gutierrez (she/her) was feeling burnout from her career as a social worker when she decided to become a graphic designer/illustrator and start her own small business. In today’s episode, Jasmine talks about career changes, the importance of mental health and self-care, and raising her son as proud to be Asian and Mexican.
Jasmine’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jazgtzdesign/?hl=en
Jasmine’s store: https://www.jazgtzdesign.com/shop?fbclid=IwAR3IAIDBi2Pb_qHPGcJc71a_6cgCVv9n5AtyycoRJcUgOpttUR_nrt1HhGg
Jasmine is based in the Austin, TX area a...
2022-12-0631 minMisfitsEp. 23 | Making Sense of Her Middle Eastern and South Asian Identity, Moving From England to Australia, and Asian Girl Movement with Melissa ShresthaMelissa Shrestha (she/her/hers) is a Sydney, Australia-based social media executive and the founder of the not-yet-released podcast Asian Girl Movement. In today’s episode, Melissa talks about trying to find acceptance as a Middle Eastern and South Asian woman, moving from England to Australia as a teen, and her vision for Asian Girl Movement.
Asian Creative Network is a private group for Asian creators that can be found on Facebook.
Info on Baháʼí faith:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bahai-Faith
https://tfhc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/252218/nt-ba...
2022-11-2235 minMisfitsEp. 22 | Supporting Someone with Chronic Pain, Teaching Yoga for Every Body, and Learning to Let Go Through Reiki with Kristin FrankKristin Frank (she/her) is an emotional health facilitator, trauma-informed adaptive yoga teacher, mindfulness educator, and reiki practitioner based in the Fargo-Moorhead area. She is listed as an Advanced Integrative Processing Technique Facilitator with the Institute of Healing Arts. Along with her many roles, Kristin is also a person living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders characterized by elastic skin, hypermobile joints, and weakened muscle and tissue. Today we talk about Kristin’s views on how to best support someone with chronic pain, teaching adaptive yoga for every body, and learning to let go...
2022-11-0829 minMisfitsEp. 21 | Becoming “The Asian Kid,” Finding Inspiration From Your Parents, and Creating Greater Representation in Film with Justin NguyenJustin Nguyen (he/him) is a Boston-based filmmaker. In today’s episode, Justin talks about the pains of moving to a new place where he became the minority, how his dad’s love of rock music inspired him to become a filmmaker, and the impact that having representation in film can make.
*Please note that this episode was recorded in January 2022. Justin did not immediately respond to requests for a follow up.
Justin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_ngu/?hl=en
Thank you to Gabe Ford-Dunker for the music in today’s episod...
2022-10-2539 minMisfitsEp. 20 | Pursuing a Different Dream Than Your Immigrant Parents, Overcoming Self-Doubt, and Finding Inspiration in Music with Sal AlvarezSalvador (Sal) Alvarez (he/they) is a musician and music producer who was raised by Mexican immigrant parents in San Francisco, California. On today’s episode of Misfits, Sal talks about family, overcoming self-doubt and finding inspiration for his music.
Note about Sal’s parents: They are now U.S. citizens.
St. Olaf article on Urban Sound 2019: https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/bringing-an-urban-soundscape-to-st-olaf
Some of the artists and performances referenced in the episode:
Daft Punk Alive Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B38CY-4Rd6s
Madeon “Pop Cultur...
2022-10-1156 min
Next Door VillainLady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke)When was a time you "killed a god," or took on something much bigger than yourself? Is adopting Lady Eboshi's philosophy to have a lack of fear good for our lives? These questions and more are answered as we dive DEEP into relating to, empathizing with, and discussing Lady Eboshi from Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke! AND we do it with a special guest - Annie Prafcke from the podcast, Misfits! We also have some general discussion about the film Princess Mononoke, get real about the wilderness and coyotes (?), and have an all around great discussion that could cleanse your i...
2022-10-021h 03MisfitsEp. 19 | Chinese-Indonesian Identity, Asians in New Zealand, and the Barriers to Getting Diagnosed with ADHD and Autism with Jos TjandraJosephine (Jos) Tjandra (she/her) is a Chinese-Indonesian woman who lives in New Zealand. She works in food science and recently wrote a book on her experiences with ADHD and autism. In today’s episode, Jos talks about moving from Indonesia to New Zealand as a kid, Chinese immigration across the globe, and the challenges of getting diagnosed with developmental disorders as an adult and as an Asian woman.
Asian population census data in New Zealand: https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/asian
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/2018-census-population-and-dwelling-counts#:~:text=The...
2022-09-2758 minMisfitsEp. 18 | Carving out Space for Multiracial People in Media, How Hollywood is Changing, and Mixed Asian Media with Alex Chester-IwataAlex Chester-Iwata (she/her) is an actor and the the editor in chief of Mixed Asian Media, an online media platform that strives to spark conversations around mixed-race Asian and Pacific Islander identities. In today’s episode, Alex and I talk about navigating a media industry that she says left little room for mixed race people and the exciting ways she believes it's beginning to change. We also dive into why Alex started Mixed Asian Media.
Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexfchester/?hl=en
MAM:
https://www.instagram.com/mixedasianmedia/?hl=en
2022-09-1324 minMisfitsEp. 17 | Focusing on Your Goals, Reframing Success, and Using the Media to Subvert Stereotypes with Obinna IwujiObinna Iwuji (he/him) is a British-Nigerian writer and host of the podcast Afripple, which follows the career journeys of Africans. He also hosts a Youtube channel called Africa Explainer, which dispels myths about the diverse continent of Africa. In this episode, Obinna talks about focusing on your goals across different continents, reframing success, and using the media to subvert racial stereotypes.
Afripple on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nipeOQzUKF2xNfewESVyp
Africa Explainer Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv9oSIKjvzJYpICLBuAaVOw/featured
Where I got my info on UWC: https://www...
2022-08-3052 minMisfitsEp. 16 | Intentional Stories: Becoming an Artist, Weaving Identity into Your Work, and Getting the Perfect Shot with Falcon GottFalcon Gott (he/him) is a Native American filmmaker and photographer of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. Currently based in Minneapolis, MN, you can frequently find him rollerblading and skateboarding throughout the city, which often inspires his art. Today, we talk about Falcon’s journey to becoming an artist, the importance of creating with intention, and the wild stunts he pulls to get the perfect shot.
Falcon’s website and socials:
https://www.falcongott.com/
https://www.instagram.com/___fal_con___/?hl=en
The lighting shot: https://www.falcongott.com/night?itemId=cwk0...
2022-08-1632 min
MisfitsEp. 15 | Teaser for Ep. 3 of Not Abandoned or AloneThis is the third and final episode of my podcast Chinese Adoptees: Not Abandoned or Alone, which was produced in partnership with Prairie Public Radio in 2021.
You can listen to the full series on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone/id1576259428
or at prairiepublic.org: https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone
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2022-08-0203 minMisfitsEp. 14 | Teaser for Ep. 2 of Not Abandoned or AloneThis is the second episode in a 3-part series called Chinese Adoptees: Not Abandoned or Alone, which was produced in partnership with Prairie Public Radio in 2021.
You can listen to the full series on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone/id1576259428
or at prairiepublic.org: https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone
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2022-07-1903 min
MisfitsEp. 13 | A Journey Home - A Rerun from a 3-Part Series Produced in Partnership with Prairie PublicThis episode is the first in a 3-part series called Chinese Adoptees: Not Abandoned or Alone, which was produced in partnership with Prairie Public Radio in 2021.
Listen to the full 3-part series on prairiepublic.org: https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone
or you can listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinese-adoptees-not-abandoned-or-alone/id1576259428
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/
https://tradingeconomics.com/china/rural-population-percent-of-total-population-wb-data.html
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/the-one-child-policy-legacy-on-women-and-relationships-in-china/
https://www.b...
2022-07-0528 min
MisfitsEp. 12 | Coming out as Queer & Trans to Her Asian Family, Sharing Her HMoob (Hmong) Identity Through Music, and Looking Past Labels with Chuefeng YangChuefeng Yang (she/her) is a queer, transgender HMoob (Hmong) singer-songwriter living in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. In today’s episode, Chuefeng talks with Annie about her experiences coming out as trans in a family with traditional Asian gender norms, sharing her Hmong identity through her music, and how she strives to see people beyond their labels.
*Please note that “HMoob” is a newer spelling of “Hmong” that is used to be inclusive of people who speak both HMoob dialects spoken in the US.
Sources/Information on HMoob history:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hmong
...
2022-06-2151 minMisfitsEp. 11 | Cycles of Violence: Learning to Love an Alcoholic Family Member, Managing Anxiety and Bulimia, and Unpacking Trauma with Claire EricksonClaire Erickson (she/her) is a public health student at the University of North Dakota. For most of her life, Claire has had a strained relationship with her father, who she remembers drank excessively. Her unstable home life led to severe anxiety and an eating disorder known as bulimia. Over the course of many years and lots of therapy, Claire and her dad have started to unpack their own trauma and rebuild their relationship.
Please note that at the time of this interview, Claire was a medical student at UND. She has since switched over to the...
2022-06-0725 minMisfitsEp. 10 | Being Filipino and Proud, Contemplating the Complexities of Asian Identities, and Writing Science Fiction with Lauren LolaLauren Lola (she/her) is the author of the novels A Moment’s Worth and An Absolute Mind. Her play Not in Kansas was recently featured in Rainy Day Artistic Collective’s Halfway Historical Festival. Lauren, who is of Filipino, German, Irish, and Portuguese descent, says that growing up, her family emphasized her European roots more than her Asian heritage, which she has spent much of her adult life exploring. In today’s episode, Annie and Lauren talk about taking pride in your ethnic heritage, the complexities of Asian identities, and writing science fiction.
Lauren’s website: https...
2022-05-2439 minMisfitsEp. 9 | Losing Their Religion And Learning to Love Themself with JT Kim/Unicorn DaddyJT Kim (they/them) is an IT director and DJ from Philadelphia, PA. JT’s parents are both Vietnamese immigrants with mixed ancestry. JT wasn’t raised to identify strongly with their Cambodian, Black, and Indigenous roots and was sometimes shamed for their body, which JT claims, “doesn’t look 100% Vietnamese.” After the tragedy of an ex-girlfriend passing away, JT turned away from their Christian upbringing. Soon after, they had a spiritual epiphany, leading to the discovery of their alter ego and stage name Unicorn Daddy and finding healing through music.
Unicorn Daddy website: https://unicorndaddymusic.com/
List...
2022-05-1021 minMisfitsEp. 8 | An Egyptian Muslim Comes to the Midwest: Exploring Faith in "Potato Land" & on The Hill with Aml HamedAml Hamed is a campus life event coordinator at Bates College in Maine. She is also a practicing Muslim from Egypt and former international student at St. Olaf College, where she graduated last year. In this episode, Annie and Aml talk about identifying as Muslim in Christian-dominated spaces, being an international student on an American college campus, and navigating the blurriness of racial and geographic categories for North Africans.
St. Olaf and Lutheranism:
https://wp.stolaf.edu/curriculum-committee/ge/
https://wp.stolaf.edu/calendar/venue/boe-memorial-chapel/
https://wp.stolaf.edu/lutherancenter...
2022-04-2648 minMisfitsEp. 7 | Jewish in West Fargo and Parties & Protests at Stanford University with Rick LeamanRick Leaman is an accountancy professor at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. In this episode, Annie and Rick discuss growing up Jewish in Christian-dominated West Fargo during the 1950s & 60s, attending Stanford University in the midst of the anti-Vietnam war protests, and understanding generational differences regarding political activism and how discrimination should be defined.
Rick Leaman: https://daniels.du.edu/directory/richard-leaman/
References for the Jewish community in North Dakota:
https://www.valleynewslive.com/2021/12/06/jewish-families-celebrating-hanukkah-fargo/
https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/fargo-hebrew-congregation
The article I...
2022-04-1228 minMisfitsEp. 6 | Surviving Gang Violence and Killing with Kindness with Mike KimIn this episode, Annie talks with Mike Kim, Founder and Creative Director of the L.A. and Austin-based kindness company Some Neat Place. Annie and Mike discuss the harsh awakening from the “American Dream” many immigrants experience, as well as a gang attack that transformed Mike’s life. They also address coping with depression combined with family tragedy and deciding to turn kindness into a career.
Find out more about Some Neat Place (SNP) here: https://someneatplace.com/our-story
You can follow SNP on Instagram and Twitter @someneatplace
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2022-03-2936 min
Next Door VillainO-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill)Special guest episode with Annie Prafcke, host of Misfits! Annie and I relate to, empathize with, and learn from O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill Vol. 1. Cottonmouth has sliced and diced our minds in more ways than we thought. Wooooeeee. We talk: O-Ren Ishii and identity, violence as a way to maintain power, Tarantino, what our villainous traits are, and much more. At the end, we share haiku and tanka poetry written about and from the perspective of O-Ren!
Annie Prafcke is a writer and podcaster based in Austin, TX. Her most recent podcast is called Misfits, a s...
2022-03-2035 minMisfitsEp. 5 | Social Work’s Role in Education, Refugees in Europe, and Black Identity Abroad with Dillon CathroIn this episode, Annie speaks with Dillon Alexander Methven Cathro (he/him), a university program manager who supports BIPOC and other socioeconomically marginalized student populations. The only child of a single mother, and the product of a community-based approach to child-raising, Dillon has a passion for helping students access academic, professional, and social resources, in order to foster a wraparound approach to wellness and success. Dillon and Annie also discuss reframing identity when living abroad as well as drawing parallels between the refugee crisis in Europe and the situation of migrants in the U.S.
Education programs...
2022-03-1549 minMisfitsEp. 4 | A Double Edged Sword: Adoption, Asperger's, and OCD with Zhuhua NiZhuhua Ni is a Chinese adoptee who has Asperger Syndrome (now considered part of autism spectrum disorders or ASD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Zhuhua describes herself as a “square peg trying to fit into a round hole” because of both her adoptee identity and her neurodivergent one. In this episode, Annie and Zhuhua discuss finding meaningful connections, understanding the loss of adoption, and managing mental health.
Aspberger Syndrome (now ASD): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32491480/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/types-autism-what-asperger-syndrome
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=abstract...
2022-03-0127 minMisfitsEp. 3 | Redefining Yourself After High School and Reconciling Religion and Sexuality with Kara TupaKara Tupa doesn't like labels. In high school, she was known as an aggressive hockey player, leaving little room for her to be anything else. It wasn't until she moved away from home that she began to explore her sexuality and come to terms with other aspects of her identity. In this episode, Annie and Kara discuss redefining yourself after high school as well as reconciling religion and sexuality.
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2022-02-1534 minMisfitsEp. 2 | Family Relationships, 2nd-Generation Mexican Identity, and Moving Back to Your Hometown with Alex ElizárragaAlex Elizárraga is a second-generation Mexican American from the small city of Albany, Oregon. He also identifies as white-passing. In today’s episode, Annie and Alex discuss managing family relationships, navigating cultural and racial identity in college, and moving back to one’s hometown.
Data on annual average hours worked per worker per country:
https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm (data set for that chart: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=ANHRS#) https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/employing-workers/data/working-hours
Info on Concordia College and MSUM:
https://www.concordi...
2022-02-0147 minMisfitsEp. 1 | Mixed-Race Identity, Relationships, and Motherhood with Destini HallDestini Hall identifies as a queer, mixed-race, Black woman, working as an educator in Berkeley California. In this episode, Annie and Destini discuss growing up in multiracial homes, thinking about motherhood, and navigating relationships.
Demographic stats on Loveland, CO, and Oakland, CA: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/lovelandcitycolorado https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/oaklandcitycalifornia
Gentrification in Oakland: https://www.frbsf.org/community-development/files/neighborhood-change-residential-instability-oakland.pdf
Wind sound effects by Tim Kahn on freesound.org; sound was altered https://freesound.org/people/tim.kahn/sounds/253899/
Follow Misfits on Instagram at @acxp.misfits
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2022-01-1851 min
MisfitsTrailerJoin host Annie Prafcke on Misfits, a podcast where folks who felt like black sheep in their communities have conversations about identity. Every other week, we'll hear stories involving loneliness, resilience, and self-discovery and we'll discuss how these experiences shape us as humans. Misfits will be released in January 2022.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/annie-prafcke/support
2021-12-1002 min