Youngmi Mayer on Korean-American Identity, Generational Trauma, and the Truth About Family

What does it really mean to grow up between cultures, identities, and histories?

Check out our Podcast:
➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast?u...

In this episode of Identified, I sit down with Youngmi Mayer, a writer, comedian, and host of the acclaimed Feeling Asian podcast, to talk about her memoir, her Korean-American identity, and how generational trauma shapes the way families love—and hurt—one another. From the hidden history of mixed-race children in Korea to her shocking 23andMe discoveries, Youngmi shares stories that redefine what family means across cultures and generations.

This episode is a powerful meditation on biracial identity, cultural belonging, and what it means to both honor and critique the families that raised us.

When family stories are filled with both love and trauma, how do we decide which parts define us?

Host: Nabil Ayers
Guest: Youngmi Mayer
Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji

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00:00 – What was it like being biracial in Korea?
00:41 – How did family rejection shape survival?
01:28 – What shocking discoveries came from 23andMe?
02:19 – How did writing her memoir shape heridentity?
07:38 – What was the culture shock of moving to America?
12:00 – How do microaggressions affect daily life?
15:58 – How does race shape dating and marriage?
19:05 – How does she navigate “Where are you from?”
25:01 – How do Black vs Korean communities see her?
26:22 – What happened when she went back to Korea with her son?
29:03 – How does generational trauma affect identity?
31:10 – What does family really mean to Youngmi?

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Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging.

Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search.

Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going.

Read more about Nabil:
➡️https://www.nabilayers.com/?utm_sourc...

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