#OUR_racism

Last month, your host, Fumi, was invited by the United Nations (UN) in Geneva to speak before the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), one of the UN's most powerful moral compasses for addressing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.In this 60th episode, listen to Fumi's presentation at the UN - she relied on the stories and reflections from #OUR_racism to create her presentation.You can find the full presentation at bit.ly/4jqFpRY (Fumi is the third speaker, and she also gives a final statement at the very end). The presentation is available in the official languages of the UN - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish – via simultaneous interpretation.

What does it mean to be a Colombian woman growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, and studying in Denmark and Ireland? Listen to Natalia share her journey of navigating stereotypes, understanding the differences and commonalities of places and their history, and pursuing her passion for anthropology, health, and the natural sciences.

What does it mean to be an Australian born to two Chinese parents in Sydney, Australia? Listen to Kevin share his stories of what it meant growing up as someone being perceived as “a dark-skinned Asian”, and his experiences as an elementary school teacher in Sydney.

What does it mean to be a woman born to two Taiwanese parents, growing up in Auckland and working as a musical director in London? Listen to Amy share her stories of her different identities intertwining with her passion for musical theatre and interest in societal phenomena.

What does it mean to be a Māori man pursuing a career in sports aerobics and diplomacy? Listen to Kane share his stories of growing up as a farmer's child in New Zealand and pursuing careers in professional sports and diplomacy, as well as his experiences living in Denmark.

What does it mean to be a woman who identifies as Brazilian and Black? Listen to Letícia share her stories of navigating predominantly White spaces in both Brazil and Switzerland, and how her experiences made her into the person she is today.

What does it mean to be a man from Bihar, a state known as the “Africa of India”? Listen to Anantveer share his stories of living in New Delhi and London with a Bihari identity, and his reflections on what “being woke” means today.

What does it mean to a Greek woman who speaks fluent German? Listen to Nina share her stories of growing up in Athens before the 2009 financial crisis, teaching music in a village in east Switzerland, and her reflections about how our environments shape our perceptions of people who have backgrounds different to ours.

What does it mean to be a Lebanese and Protestant man with an Armenian father? Listen to Tony (alias) share his stories of growing up as a minority during the Lebanese Civil War, and how it shaped his perspective on the experiences he would make living in Denmark as an adult, as well as his understanding of "belonging".

What does it mean to be a Spanish woman working in the medical field? Listen to Bea share her experiences being exposed to the pervasive racism and its effects on the medical system as a medical student in Spain, and the various stereotypes amongst Europeans and Spaniards.

What does it mean to be a U.S.-American martial artist of African descent? Listen to Alec share his stories and reflections on growing up in the U.S. and traveling to Sweden and Japan to train, coach, and compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

As #OUR_racism approaches its 50th episode next month, your host, Fumi, reshares her own episode that kickstarted the whole series in 2021 to go back to where we started and reflect upon our personal journeys in addressing race-related issues.A warm thank you to all speakers and listeners, both new and old, for keeping this podcast running and alive!

What does it mean to be the child of a Japanese father and a Salvadoran mother? Listen to Takeshi share his stories of growing up in El Salvador during the Civil War, and his journey to becoming an Olympic athlete who competes under the flags of both his parents' home countries.

What does it mean to be Danish of Palestinian background, and spiritual? Listen to Amalie share her stories of growing up in Aalborg, Denmark, and her journey of self-acceptance and introspection in better understanding her world.

What does it mean to be the child of a father working in the Indian Army? Listen to Vikram share his family's and his own story of migrating within India, and how these collective experiences prepared him for the “real” immigrant life in North America.

What does it mean to be a Disabled British Bangladeshi Muslim woman based in the UK? Listen to Tasnim share her stories of growing up in a predominantly White neighbourhood with her various identities, and her journey in pursuing a career in the disability space.

What does it mean to be a British male of Chinese and Vietnamese descent? Listen to Daniel share his journey of becoming a dancer, actor, and creator of arts, and finding joy in expressing his identity in different spaces.

What does it mean to be a woman of Moldovan and Romanian nationality? Listen to Ana share her stories of growing up with a specific understanding of racism in Moldova, and how she began to question this understanding after leaving Moldova.

What does it mean to be a Singaporean man of Tamil descent in Singapore and eastern Switzerland? Listen to Pradeep share his stories of growing up as a minority in Singapore, and his experiences of learning, understanding, and navigating different manifestations of racism in a new context: Switzerland.

What does it mean to be Singaporean? Listen to Mishti share her stories of growing up and living in Singapore and abroad as a Singaporean woman with a multifaceted identity, and her ongoing journey in asserting her identity.

What does it mean to be Isaac? Listen to Isaac share his stories of growing up and living without arms and with short legs, and his reflections on addressing issues regarding disability, mental health, and racism.

What does it mean to be an Indian woman living in New Zealand? Listen to Maddy share her stories and reflections on racism and othering in India and New Zealand, and the power of history in shaping her experiences today.

What does it mean to be Chinese-Indonesian and Catholic? Listen to Felix share his stories of growing up as a double minority in Indonesia in the 90s, and his experiences of racism in the Netherlands and the Middle East. His episode is about the entangled history of identities, leading one to find themselves “stuck somewhere in between”.

What does it mean to be an Amazonian woman from Belém, Brazil, living in Europe? Listen to Julianne share her stories of living in different Brazilian cities and pursuing her studies in Padova, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland. Her story is about the continuous growing and shaping of her identity as she immerses herself in various contexts.

What does it mean to be a Chinese-born German in Germany? Listen to Willi's stories of growing up as one of the only children read as Chinese in a city in southern Germany, and his ongoing journey to embrace his Chinese and German identities in a world that still reads people in certain ways.

What does it mean to be Swedish and Bengali? Listen to Sumaiya's stories about growing up in a Stockholm suburb, working as a cultural producer, and raising her daughter in a society that continues to exclude and discriminate against people.

What does it mean to be a Nepali man growing up in Saitama, a prefecture in Japan, and living in Nepal? Listen to Acha share his stories of being the only non-Japanese child in Saitama, and his reflections on the concept of “outsider” in different countries.

What does it mean to be an Indonesian woman living in Norway? Listen to Kirana (alias) share her experiences of being othered in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and her stories of gaining child custody as a young single mother in a system stacked against her as a foreigner.

What does it mean to be a Saudi Arabian man growing up in Saudi Arabia as a minority, and living in the US and Denmark? Listen to Tawfiq share his stories of being othered on the basis of his nationality and appearance in different contexts, both at the interpersonal and institutional levels.

What does it mean to be a Swiss woman of Bamileke heritage? Listen to Danielle share her stories of experiencing different manifestations of racism in Eastern Switzerland, Cameroon, Brazil, and South Africa, and how these experiences motivated her to make better sense of the world we live in.

What does it mean to be a French national of Afro-Caribbean descent and gay? Listen to Paul (alias) share his experiences of growing up in Paris, his journey in moving up the social ladder through hard work, and ongoing challenges in navigating his identities through different contexts.

What does it mean to be a German citizen who is the daughter of two Iranian parents? Listen to Diba share her stories of growing up in Dresden and Hamburg after the German reunification, and how these experiences led her to co-found an organization that seeks to diversify the German federal service.

What does it mean to be a US-American national who identifies as African American and gay? Listen to Genovio (alias) share his stories of growing up gay in the 90s in Atlanta Georgia and working in Japan, and his reflections on the intersection between sexuality and race.

What does it mean to be an Indian woman and Muslim living in Delhi, India, and in Europe? Listen to Tara share her experiences of being othered as a Muslim woman in Delhi, and as an Indian woman in the Hague, the Netherlands.

What does it mean to be a US-American national and of mixed race? Listen to Christian share his stories of growing up in different states in the US, his experiences at West Point, the oldest military academy in the US, and his reflections on the intersection of race and nationality.

What does it mean to be an Afro-Latina woman and a journalist? Listen to Veronica share her stories of growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and her reflections on both the importance of informing oneself through literature and the value of the Black Lives Matter movement beyond issues pertaining to racism.

What does it mean to be a Nigerian man working as a journalist? Listen to Kaka share his stories of living in Istanbul and Berlin, and his reflections on the manifestations of racism in the media and their consequences.

What does it mean to identify as mixed-race Asian-American whom many people read as White? Listen to Wendi share what it's like when her self-identification is not shared by people around her, and her reflections on the structural nature of racist beliefs.

What does it mean to be a Nigerian man living and studying in Seoul, South Korea, and Berlin, Germany? Listen to Tom share his stories of growing up in different places, the importance of language for fitting in, and his understanding and relationship to racism.

What does it mean to be a Vietnamese-American woman living in Europe? Listen to Anh-Thu share her stories of growing up and studying in the United States in Virginia, and her experiences of pursuing human rights and law in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain.

What does it mean to be a British national, the son of a Filipino Mother and Nepalese Father? Listen to Krish share his struggles of growing up in the Philippines and in England, and his reflections on recent developments in the UK around race and racism.

What does it mean to be a female Turkish visual anthropologist? Listen to Elif share her stories of growing up in Portugal and Turkey, and how her experiences of being left out in different settings shaped her perspectives on issues around racism and decision-making.

What does it mean to be Patrick Yoo? Listen to Patrick Yoo share his stories of growing up in Montreal, Quebec, and his take on the current discourse around diversity and inclusion policies which different organisations are pursuing.

What does it mean to be a mixed-race Brazilian woman studying psychology in Brazil? Listen to Maria Felipa de Oliveira (alias) share her stories of growing up in a city with a predominantly Black population, and pursuing her tertiary education in a city with a predominantly White population.

What does it mean to be the son of a White German Father from Bavaria and a Mother from Martinique? Listen to Cedric share his stories of growing up in Bavaria and Martinique, as well as his ongoing journey to better make sense of his identity.

What does it mean to be a Portugese woman living in Switzerland and in the UK? Listen to Ana (alias) share her experiences of being othered and essentialized as a Southern European studying and working in Europe, and her reflections on how the Portuguese context shaped her understanding of racism.

What does it mean to be a Ugandan national living, studying, and working in various places? Listen to Mandela share his journey of making sense of the manifestations of racism, both around and aimed at him, as well as his ability to identify them and speak up.

What does it mean to be the child of a White German Father and a Filipino Mother? Listen to Mariko share her struggles of finding her identity and happiness as a semi-professional football player in Japan, Germany, and England.

What does it mean to be an Indian national living in the US and Europe? Listen to Puru share his stories of growing up in Mumbai,  studying in a predominantly White town in the US, and his struggles to find jobs abroad.

What does it mean to be a Black woman of Swiss nationality? Listen to Kossiwa share her stories of growing up and becoming the first female Black officer in Zürich, and her journey in better navigating and positioning herself in different social and professional  contexts.

What does it mean to be an Australian national who neither identifies as White nor as a Person of Color? Listen to Rob share his stories of growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne, the various forms of othering he experiences to this day, his take on what “being Australian” means, and how one may resort to racism to protect oneself.