Episode 29 - When You're the Oddity, Traveling

Blooming Voices Podcast

Responding to an article calling Pixar's Turning Red limiting because of its Asian main character, the twins talk about times when they've felt the oddity/exotic while traveling.
Takeaways

• Non-white people make up the majority in the world, despite what some white Americans think.
• Whatever you see in others is just a mirror for yourself. You can’t see in others what isn’t already familiar to you (even at the smallest level). You spot it, you also got it. Remember that.
• We can appreciate others’ points of views and ways of life for what it is without judging it. Be and let be.
• When you travel and people traditionally/culturally do stuff that bothers you, you could let them know your boundaries or just let it go. But it’s not up to you to change them/their customs (for example, when cultures eat things you think is inhumane).
• Everyone has their own unique perspective. Sometimes it’s worth it to take a pause and think about that before reacting to another person’s words or actions. Most people aren’t intentionally malicious or bad.
• Diversity of opinions, ideas, cultures, helps us grow into more compassionate human beings.
• If you get the chance, definitely travel to a country where you can experience the feeling of being a visible minority. Or maybe go to a community in your own country to experience a different culture in that way.
• Don’t get bent out of shape if something like a film or game is going for a historical look, which means less diversity. Unless it’s like Bridgerton.
• Not every country is as culturally diverse as America, so you’ll find racism or old ways of being in their daily life and media that may make you uncomfortable.
• When watching a movie, pay attention to the story and theme; what their ethnicity is really doesn’t matter (unless that’s the actual theme of the movie).

Links

• Article that set off this episode: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086040083/turning-red-controversy

Socials

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bloomingvoicespodcast/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/VoicesBlooming
• Email - [e-mail]
• Website - https://www.bloomingvoices.com/