Multiracial Whiteboy

When Tiffany Phillips moved to Apple Valley, CA. when she was younger, she got teased all the time about her multiracial appearance. Now she makes her living as an actor playing different kinds of ethnicities. But now that the industry has changed, she has had to rethink how she wants to be fully seen. Tiffany talks to Kim about getting into fights as kid over her unique look, connecting with her black roots in NYC theater and why she decided to produce her web series, Ethnically Ambiguous. 

Actress Jennifer Field was born in San Jose, CA. and became Miss Asia America in her early twenties. Jennifer educates Kim about how the Miss Asian America pageant, how it's vastly different from the Miss USA pageant, her affinity for Korean food and culture, and the difficulties of communicating with her Korean mother.  Great talk!

Bevin Luna's music is deeply rooted in Memphis, TN and the Dominican Republic. Her unique multicultural upbringing  has allowed her to create what she calls a "Rock and Roots"  sound. Bevin talks to Kim about navigating life between her southern and Dominican cultures, how it shaped her musical taste and individuality, her desire to leave Memphis as a teen, military service in the family, and the musicians who have influenced her the most. Check out Bevin's band: https://www.bevinluna.com/

Writer and motivational speaker Torrie Sorge grew up in a predominantly white community with her single mother in Ohio where she mastered the art of passing as a white female. She spent a great deal of her life wanting to pass as a white girl because she was ashamed to  acknowledge that her biological father was of Afro-Puerto Rican descent. However, it wasn't until the death of George Floyd, where she finally realized that she could no longer hide her ethnic heritage from herself and others. Torrie and Kim center the podcast discussion around the topic of growing up  with their white families, how it impacted their sense of belonging, and making peace with their past and present lives. 

Actor Shawn Passwaters Decierdo had three different fathers come into his life before he graduated high school. His unusual upbringing was filled with surprises and personal challenges as a result of each father influencing his racial identity. Shawn talks to Kim about accepting his unusual mixed identity and how he has chosen to walk with it in love, rather than hate.  

Actress Britney Young talks about growing up in Japan with her biracial family, moving to Alaska and learning about the shocking history of slavery in America, and the value of becoming an advocate for herself after she was bullied in high school. Oh, we also talk about her Netflix hit show, GLOW. Great talk!

Multiracial Whiteboy podcast host Kim Noonan talks about the new biracial head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel, with Dr. Jenn Noble (Mixed Race Psychologist). Mike is white in presenting, but identified himself as a "human" during his first team press conference. Kim related all too well to McDaniel's discomfort about having to identify your racial identity and discusses with this complicated topic with Dr. Jenn. 

Travel & Lifestyle Expert Natalie Preddie grew up in Ontario, Canada, where she spent her weekends at church with the Jamaican side of her family, then the rest of her week with her predominantly white community.  Natalie talks about the challenges of navigating between both worlds, feeling lost when she arrived at university, moving to the UK at age 19 to dance, and the guilt associated with her light skin color. Visit Natalie's travel and lifestyle blog @ http://www.nattyponline.com/

Film Producer Isabelo Pascual has fought his entire to life to remove the projection that others have imposed on his Blasian identity. Isabelo talks to Kim about both his parent's legacies (both were immigrants), wanting do more Haitian activism, his starting from scratch worker's mentality,  and carving out a successful individual legacy of his own in the U.S. More about Isabelo @ AlphaPhantana.com (Alpha Phantana LLC)  and his Candid Thoughts Podcast. 

 Fanshen Cox has been featured in the New York Times and on NPR, with OpEds published for Blavity, Shondaland and The Lily. Reared in Cambridge, Massachusetts by a Pan Africanist, Jamaican-born father and white Northwestern mother, Fanshen uses her family's heritage to spark conversation and challenge notions around race, class and gender. Fanshen talks to Kim about her dedicated work regarding the Hollywood Inclusion Rider, why she's critical of the mixed community, doing theater with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and working with them years later at Pearl Street Films. 

Actor & Editor-in-Chief, Alex Chester has been in performing and in show business since she was five.  She talks to Kim about her early start in the entertainment industry and how it impacted her mixed Asian identity, her short stint with pop girl group Dream, trying to find middle ground, therapy, and Asian community building and solidarity. 

Maija Di Giorgio is recognized by New York's Time Out Magazine as one of "the freshest, funniest, unique voices to grace the microphone". Maija has been featured on HBO Def Comedy Jam, Hot 97, and many more. Maija talks about the challenges of being a mixed comedian, her Italian family's unique journey to America, the impact of her talented mother, the influence of early 80s & 90s hip hop on her comedy, the importance of talking about her family on stage and spreading racial harmony. 

Jackie Stewart is a meditation and mindfulness advisor. Jackie talks about the challenges of growing up in Orange County with her single Taiwanese mother, struggling with her mixed identity and  mother's cultural heritage, the decision to model in Asia, and leaving  on the fly to a Nepal Montessori.  A great story about personal redemption!

Mickey Finnegan is a Writer/Director best known for his music video and commercial work with artists and brands such as Usher, The Offspring and Pepsi.  Mickey, who's Irish & Filipino, talks about his Irish roots in his family,  growing up with no Asian role models in his life and the ongoing challenges of dealing with the typical Asian male stereotypes. 

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director for the Illinois Newsroom. He was a news producer and manager at the NBC station in Dallas, where he won 7 Emmy awards. Born during the Vietnam War and later given up for adoption in the States, Reginald talks to Kim about the challenges that came with growing up as one of the only black kids in the small town in Colorado, the pressure to be excellent, and reuniting with his biological American father and biological Vietnamese mother. 

Theater Artist/Educator and Facilitator, Ryan Marchand was never raised with the idea of race consciousness and as a result never thought of himself as Black. Ryan talks to Kim about his personal journey of having to find his own way to critical race consciousness, why he won't date others on dating apps, healing through art and education, and why a sense of community engagement must be included in the current model of diversity training. 

Anya Steinberg was the 2021 Grand-Prize Winner of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge. Her podcast "He's Just 23 Chromosomes," takes listeners through her journey of self-discovery when she learns that her biological father was an anonymous Korean sperm donor she had always been told was a doctor. Kim talks to Anya about the half-Korean father she grew up with, dealing with imposter syndrome during her time at Colorado College, and why she wants to meet her biological Korean sperm donor. 

Haui is the creator of Mixed↑. His documentary follows his life as he combats the isolations of a BIPOC and LGTQT+ as he helps to normalize the existence of being an “other.” Part testimonial, part confessional, Kim talks to Haui about the challenging personal topics explored in his film, moving back and forth between Canada and the UK, finding approval in the Black community and the reason the film centers around his relationship with his father. 

 Doni Aldine is a globally mobile Afro-Latina and first-generation North American who, by age 19, lived in & identified with seven cultures on five continents.  Doni talks to Kim about what it means to be a TCK (Third Culture Kid), the 13 dimensions of a TCK,  the multi-cultural lifestyle, unresolved grief when she settled down in Colorado, and how 21st diversity will lead to a future of empathy.  Doni Aldine, MBA, is recognized by FOLIO as a 2020 TOP Women in Media Honoree. She also does consulting for iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, NBC/Universal, Turner, and Warner Bros. https://www.cultursmag.com/about-culturs/

Actor and content creator, Ryan Alexander Holmes, has a loyal following on his Instagram page for creating challenging, witty and clever stories about his Blasian identity. But he wants you to know, even though he looks black, he's  also 100% Chinese. Kim talks to Ryan about growing up in the San Gabriel Valley with his Chinese family, learning about real African-American history from his father, his powerful letter to the Asian community regarding the death of George Floyd, and the moment when he started to  prioritize his own happiness and well being. 

Actress Cynda Williams likes to say she was conceived in Muncie, Indiana and born in Chicago. Cynda talks to Kim about her parents illegal interracial marriage in 1964, her trailblazing black civil rights grandfather, booking Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues, and of course, One False Move, where was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. But beyond life in Hollywood, a fascinating chat about growing up Chicago and Indiana during what she called the black power civil rights time! 

After talented and self-proclaimed multi-hyphenate, Elyse Cisek, got called out on a woman of color of L.A. Facebook Group regarding police brutality, she asked herself... What If I'm Wrong? That question has been the first of many steps on her road to finding her own sense of truthfulness. Elyse talks to Kim about her riveting article Dear White Friends that was published on Medium,  a crucial moment of having to choose her ethnicity at the DMV as a teenager, the moment she found a sense of acceptance after watching Beyonce's Lemonade, and forgiving herself and others on her own terms. A remarkable and brutally honest discussion about the consequences of not accepting one's racial identity, and how it led to destructive personal behavior. https://elysecizek.medium.com/

The first week  when comedian Adrian Cronk moved to Kingston, Ontario from North Carolina, he knew his biracial identity might be an issue when a kid on the bus said to him... Why don't you go home, get in the bathtub and paint your face white.  Adrian talks to Kim about growing up in Canada and the Carolinas, being inspired by the deacons at his black church in North Carolina, finding his voice at local radio station, and boldly exploring his biracial identity on the stage. Adrian has opened for Comedy Greats like Russell Peters, Jon Dore and Tom Green. He's also been featured at the world-famous Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Halifax Comedy Festival on CBC, and Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud network.  Adrian was chosen to be Yuk Yuks Ottawa's first House Emcee in thirty years. Link to Adrian's album Hybrid: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/hybrid/1329945009

Jen Macias De La Parra (she/her) is the Designer & Creative Director and Founder of Duende (a design and strategy studio in Portland, Oregon).  Jen talks to Kim about growing up in Arizona, becoming an orphan by age 14, being the ward of the state, living with multiple families while having no place to call home, dealing with sheriff Joe Arpaio, putting herself through college, and reclaiming her complicated multiracial identity as an adult.  Jen's brave story will inspire and make you believe in the kindness of strangers! 

Aaron Keller is the writer of Marginal Eyes, a memoir of a biracial American’s struggle for identity in a nation of black and white. Kim talks to Aaron about how his life took a turn for the worst at age ten when he moved to a rural suburban in Indiana, the anger and destructive behavior that manifested itself into other areas of his life as a result, and why he decided to write a memoir about his personal struggles with his biracial identity. Great talk!Link to Aaron Keller's book: https://marginaleyesbook.com/

Multiracial Whiteboy goes international with Danielle, April & Layla, the sharp and insightful podcast hosts of Growing up Brit-ish, where they celebrate their differences and share their own experiences through the lens of more than one cultural identity. Kim talks to the mixed podcasters about assimilating into British culture, sustaining their unique cultural heritage in the UK, and how they share and discuss challenging topics with others when it's not on social media. A lovely and enlightening discussion!

"I can tell people almost anything and they believe it. But the thing I actually am, they’re always shocked by.” Actress Erin Ruth Walker, who's Black & Jewish, talks to Kim about struggling to take up space as a black woman, trying to figure out what "being black" means to her since the George Floyd tragedy, and the poem she chose to write, to give her complicated upbringing and mixed identity an opportunity to be fully seen. Erin's story is poignant, perceptive and touching. She also shares the loveliest story about how her mother and father met for the first time. Fantastic chat!

Lisa Helmi Johanson had a mic drop moment that set her voice and herself free... But it took a little work to get there. Lisa "Hurricane" Helmi Johanson (Korean and Fiddish) talks to Kim about her mother leaving it all behind and coming to America from Korea with her Fiddish father, dealing with inappropriate comments about being Asian in college, and talking to her conservative mother and father about the recent hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

Actress & dancer, Candice Coke, has lived several different lives as a result of her immense talent as an athlete, dancer and performer. Candice, whose her mother is Polish, and father is Jamaican, talks to Kim talks about going to door to door as a Jehovah Witness with her mother, graduating HS early to attend NYU on a diving scholarship, booking her first major dance gig with Michael Jackson, and how her upbringing and mixed identity connected her to a greater diversity of people from all different backgrounds.

Lauren Shields always struggled to share her journey as a mixed woman. Her mother is Irish and English, her father is African-American, and Native American (Cherokee and Choctow lineage). As she says, "I wasn't black and white enough, and had zero connection to my indigenous side." What Kim didn't see coming during their conversation however was when Lauren revealed that this lifelong struggle created a lot self-hatred toward herself. But with a little help from her black friends, and a retreat doing Ayahuasca , Lauren has since found power and redemption in accepting all the ethnicities she represents. Fantastic and honest discussion! Lauren Shields: https://www.merakimamacollective.com/

Once Sharmane "MixedGirlMane" , reveals her entire family background, you realize that she is exactly what she says she is...militantly mixed (Black, Japanese and White). The host of the popular podcast, Militantly Mixed, opens up to Kim about her grandparents interracial marriages in the fifties, Japanese domesticity classes, trying to connect in Asian spaces, her grandmother's collection of Jim Crowe artifacts, and her lifelong mission of accepting her mixed-ass self.

For Jonah Aimz, it's his love of filmmaking and acting, that has led him on a creative journey to find his individual voice and identity as a person of Middle Eastern, Turkish and Indian descent. Jonah talks to Kim about the growing pains that came during his formative years in a small town in Illinois, where he says 90 percent of the week was spent with his caucasian friends, and the rest of his time at a mosque with those that looked like him. He also opens up about the overwhelming sense of dread he felt on September 11, 2001, and how he knew that tragic day would change his life forever.

Dr. Jenn discovered early on in undergrad that her research about racial identity led her to 'me' search. After all, she is Sir Lankin, Tamlin and African-American. Now, Dr. Jenn helps coach parents to help raise confident and secure mixed race kids. Kim digs deep with Dr. Jenn to discuss the overwhelming difficulty that parents struggle with when it comes to navigating their children's racial identity. But first, he turns the tables on Dr. Jenn, as she shares how her own unique mixed background inspired the kind of work she's doing within the mixed community. If you're a parent of mixed kids, don't miss this personal and informative discussion! Read more about Dr. Jenn: https://drjennpsych.com/

Christina Raia is a New York City based Writer/Director and the Founder of CongestedCat Productions. Christina has said that her mixed race background and particularly her mother's Indo-Trinidadian culture play a major role in Christina's interest in portraying underrepresented perspectives across diverse spectrums of identity in her writing and directing. Christina talks to Kim about her and her mother's upbringing in New York, why she feels removed from the Italian side of her background, and grass roots activism. Great chat! See Christina's films: http://www.christinaraia.com/

Rahanna Bisseret Martinez was a finalist on Top Chef Junior in 2018. Since then, she’s interned with such acclaimed chefs as Nina Compton, James Beard and Emerill. Oh, and she's only 16 years old! Rahanna, who is Haitian, Mexican and African-American, talks to Kim about how her family has influenced her unique culinary style, being a finalist on Top Chef Junior, and her interview with the LA TIMES regarding the need to celebrate the black lives that have created L.A. food community. Great chat with such a vibrant, thoughtful and intelligent young lady. Rahanna will make you feel optimistic about America's youth!

The Multiracial Whiteboy podcast ends 2020 on a positive note with actor, Joel Steingold (The Chi, How To Get Away With Murder, Maron ). Joel, who is Black & Jewish, talks to Kim about growing up in the city of Detroit with his single white Jewish mother, going to Hebrew school in the suburbs, booking more voice-over jobs once he changed his full name to something more urban, and his ability to relate with people from other backgrounds as a result of his unique upbringing and hardworking mother. Great guy, great talk! More about Joel @ https://www.joelsteingold.com/

Lisa Marie Rollins is a Black/Filipina freelance director, writer and new play developer. She's a Sundance Institute Theatre Lab Fellow (Directing) and Directors Lab West member. She's also the first person Kim reached out to when he was developing the podcast. Lisa talks to Kim about how she didn't want to become the poster child for transracial adoptee education, finding her kind of people while attending public school in Tacoma, Washington, developing her powerful one woman solo show Ungrateful Daughter with Kamau Bell, and not giving a shit anymore about meeting her extended family during the holidays and explaining all over again that she is black and adopted. A personal and intimate discussion you don't want to miss! More info. about Lisa Marie Rollins: https://lisamarierollins.wordpress.com/

Dana Powell is a successful comedic actress in Hollywood. She's widely known for her role as Pameron Tucker on Modern Family, but has also starred in Bridesmaids, Veep, Suburgatory, and many others. However, while shooting a short film that Kim wrote and directed, she revealed that she was 1/2 Mexican, and the entire cast & crew was shocked and unconvinced. It's been that way her entire life. Dana opens up to Kim about her mother's self contempt regarding the family's Mexican heritage, hearing Spanglish in the house during birthdays, trying to apply for a financial assistance as a minority, and the decision to no longer stay silent when it comes to matters of racism. A raw and candid discussion you don't want to miss!

Writer Susan Ito continues to write about the mixed experience that has impacted her life. Maybe that's because Susan's biological mother was Japanese, and her father was white, but then later, was given up for adoption to a Japanese family in New Jersey. I know, it's complicated. Susan talks to Kim about finding her biological Japanese mother, the Japanese interment camps her mother stayed in during WWII, and later connecting with her biological father's family. A fascinating story, that is rich in history, and personal exploration.

When Jaime Schwarz's acting teacher in college was typecasting everyone in class, some actresses got Kate Winslet or Jessica Chastain. However, when it came to typecasting Jaime, who is Korean & Jewish, the teacher had no clue how to typecast her. Jaime talks to Kim about growing up in New Jersey, the ways her family assimilated into American culture, navigating her acting career around her Korean/Jewish identity, and the small steps she's taking to reclaim her family roots. Great talk! https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6328128/

Stimey Rewind Me (Ian Porter) is a hip hop artist in Los Angeles. Stimey talks to Kim about growing up in Aurora, Colorado, as a biracial individual, sharing stories about skateboarding, listening to death metal, classical music, and his father's unusual influence of installing calmness by way of hypnosis, meditation, and NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming). Fascinating chat! Link to Stimey's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PS5E4j1RdNcHr2W1FVlAs?si=p4Zcgvw4TMaCUjoFJRnhZA

A photo of Darcy Bourne and her homemade protest sign...Why Is Ending Racism A Debate, was taken by renowned photographer, Misan Hirramen, during the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests near the US Embassy in England. The photo was shared by Martin Luther King III, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham and many other prominent individuals. Kim talks to Darcy about the impact the iconic photo has had on her life, growing up as a biracial individual in England, the uncomfortable conversations she had with her field hockey teammates at Duke regarding Black Lives Matter, and a hopeful message she received on Instagram from a total stranger from Minnesota regarding her protest sign. A fantastic discussion with a remarkable individual!

Actress Tania Verafield (Harsh Times/I Am Not a Hipster) has always felt pressure representing herself as a person of Mexican and Jewish descent. She talks to Kim about how both her parents made her value both parts of her heritage, growing up in Echo Park, celebrating her Quinceañera with the Mexican side of her family in Mexico, and receiving praise from Christian Bale while shooting the movie Harsh Times. A wonderful and inspiring talk!

Multiracial Whiteboy Host Kim Noonan can't do it. No guest today. Not on November 3rd 2020. He does however share a few thoughts about the presidential election and also shares a cool quote from James Baldwin.

Kim talks with fellow transracial Vietnamese adoptee, poet & writer, Kevin Minh Allen. He talks about having three different names until finally being adopted by a family in Rochester, New York, getting into fights as a kid, and the time he traveled to Vietnam and was asked by a station guard if he was "Vietnamese." Kevin's poetry has been featured widely in publications such as the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education Advancement, Aileron, Monkey King, HazMat Literary Review, and Chrysanthemum.

Paloma Jackson runs a successful talent and model agencies in Southern California. She talks about feeling white in passing in high school despite her Hispanic roots, trying to break into show business under the stage name "Paloma," dancing with Mario Lopez at Kids Incorporated, and most importantly, the positive changes she sees in the commercial/print and entertainment industry when it comes to mixed representation. Fantastic chat!

Kaitlin Becker, the former host of NBC’s The Sunny Side Up Show for kids, opens up about growing up in Kentucky, making jokes about her biracial identity (Black & white) to feel more comfortable around her white family and community, and the day she decided to make an unannounced visit (on her 18th birthday) to meet her biological father.

Alissa Paris is the co-founder of the MidWest Mixed Conference in Minneapolis. She discusses what it means to be mixed and how she's not settled on the current language that defines mixed individuals. Her determination to find deeper and spiritual meaning in regards to defining her "mixedness," is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Master boxing instructor, Justin Blackwell, has a remarkable story about growing up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz with his Black father and Filipino mother. He talks to Kim about his days of freestyle rapping, connecting with his Filipino culture, and a heavy phone call he had with his father before heading over to the first day of the George Floyd protests near the Grove in West LA. Fantastic discussion!

Actress and activist Anahi Bustillos talks to Kim about Mexican border culture, the travels that connected her to a strong Hispanic and indigenous bloodline, and her ongoing journey to finding acceptance and self-worthiness.

Comedian and entertainer Tehran Von Ghasri talks to Kim about growing in Washington D.C. as a person of African-American and Persian descent, the importance of representation, and why he refers to himself as the most dangerous man in America.