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Cultureful

Jess Lin

23 episodes

18 hours ago

Send us a text Join Jess for The Wind Down, a new bonus series from Cultureful — a cross-cultural podcast about how stories shape who we are. In this first ever “after-show,” Jess and Hakim unwind after recording their main episodes to reflect on vulnerability, healing, and the power of storytelling. Hakim shares memories of his grandmother, what “home” means to him, and some of his favorite things — from books and music to nostalgic foods. Support the show Thanks so much for listening! Follo...

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All content for Cultureful is the property of Jess Lin and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text Join Jess for The Wind Down, a new bonus series from Cultureful — a cross-cultural podcast about how stories shape who we are. In this first ever “after-show,” Jess and Hakim unwind after recording their main episodes to reflect on vulnerability, healing, and the power of storytelling. Hakim shares memories of his grandmother, what “home” means to him, and some of his favorite things — from books and music to nostalgic foods. Support the show Thanks so much for listening! Follo...

Show more...

Personal Journals

Places & Travel,

Society & Culture,

Episodes (20/23)

Cultureful

BONUS: The Wind Down 1 with Hakim - Healing Out Loud

Send us a text Join Jess for The Wind Down, a new bonus series from Cultureful — a cross-cultural podcast about how stories shape who we are. In this first ever “after-show,” Jess and Hakim unwind after recording their main episodes to reflect on vulnerability, healing, and the power of storytelling. Hakim shares memories of his grandmother, what “home” means to him, and some of his favorite things — from books and music to nostalgic foods. Support the show Thanks so much for listening! Follo...

18 hours ago

9 minutes

Cultureful

Hakim, Part 2 - Black American: Sweetheart & Highest Consciousness

Send us a text Join us on Cultureful as Hakim Asadi, a Black queer therapist from Upstate New York, shares his journey of growing up queer in a religious community. He opens up about the challenges of navigating faith, family expectations, and shame, and how therapy, self-reflection, and community helped him embrace his authentic self. This episode explores: Growing up queer in church and Black communitiesOvercoming internalized shame and stigmaFinding authenticity, resilience, and self-loveH...

1 week ago

43 minutes

Cultureful

Hakim, Part 1 - Black American: Churches, Cookouts & Kickbacks

Send us a text Hakim Asadi, a 35-year-old Black American therapist, reflects on his childhood, family, and community, exploring what it was like growing up between the inner city and suburbs. Host Jess Lin dives into his experiences in the church his grandparents founded, formative family moments, and the influences that shaped his curiosity, values, and identity. This first half of a two-part conversation lays the foundation for Hakim’s journey: love, upbringing, and the people who helped hi...

3 weeks ago

46 minutes

Cultureful

Taryn, Part 2. Mexican American: Silo Parties, Weddings & Día de los Muertos

Send us a text Host Jess Lin continues her conversation with Taryn, a third-generation Mexican American from Northern California. This episode explores cultural identity, heritage language, and how learning traditions like Día de los Muertos can help families reconnect to their roots. Taryn reflects on her parents’ love story, family visits to Mexico, and how her family’s connection to Mexican culture has evolved across generations. Listeners will hear personal stories, insights on volunteeri...

1 month ago

44 minutes

Cultureful

Taryn, Part 1. Mexican American: Farmers' Markets & Fur Coats

Send us a text In this episode, Jess Lin interviews Taryn, a third-generation Mexican American from Woodland, California and a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. Taryn shares powerful stories about her grandparents’ migration from Mexico, their resilience as farmworkers, and the traditions that shaped her family’s life in California’s Central Valley. She reflects on her grandpa Eloy’s journey crossing the border, his time in the Marines, and his role in the Woodland community. On her father...

1 month ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Cultureful

Aisha, Part 4. Pakistani American: Eid, Mehndi & Motherhood

Send us a text In Part 4 of Aisha’s story, we follow her into adulthood as she marries her husband and begins a new chapter back in Pakistan. She shares the culture shock of adjusting to a different city, trying to break glass ceilings, and the challenges of navigating career and motherhood. Aisha also reflects on her identity as a Muslim feminist, how she celebrates Eid, and what it means to find home across cultures and geographies. This episode explores themes of marriage, motherhood, gend...

2 months ago

48 minutes

Cultureful

Aisha, Part 3. Pakistani American: Be Tamed

Send us a text Episode photo credit: Asher Imtiaz https://www.asherimtiaz.com/ In Part 3 of Aisha’s story, we follow her journey through adolescence and young adulthood as she navigates loss, family, and identity. After losing her father during childhood—a central figure in her life and a source of deep love—Aisha grapples with childhood grief, searches for a sense of home, and learns to code-switch between different cultural contexts and varying expressions of Islam across Muslim communities...

2 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Cultureful

Aisha, Part 2. Pakistani American: Dahlias, Dupattas & the Last Born

Send us a text In this second part of our 4-part conversation, Aisha Sarwari shares vivid stories of her childhood in Uganda as the youngest in her family. She recalls her mother sewing dupattas for her and her sister, the blooming dahlias in their garden, and the deep love she felt for her father. Aisha reflects on her lifelong connection to nature, her gratitude for growing up surrounded by it, and what it meant to be a minority in Uganda in the shadow of historical events like the expulsio...

3 months ago

45 minutes

Cultureful

Aisha, Part 1. Pakistani American: Street Fighter, Parkour & the Original Audiobook

Send us a text In the Season 2 premiere of Cultureful, host Jess Lin talks with Aisha Sarwari, a 43-year-old Pakistani American women's rights activist, author and public speaker, and corporate communications expert, and public speaker based in Atlanta. Aisha shares about her family’s multi-generational migration story—from India to Uganda and Kenya and eventually to Pakistan and the U.S.—intertwining personal history with major events like India’s Partition and the expulsion of Asians from U...

3 months ago

49 minutes

Cultureful

Season 2 Trailer

Send us a text Trailer for Season 2, which drops THIS TUESDAY, July 29th, 2025! Interviews of epic family migration stories, exploring identity and love, and much more. Spanning cultures, geographies, and intersecting with historical moments like India's partition. Subscribe now and catch new episodes every other Tuesday. Thanks so much for listening! Follow, review, and share to help us grow. Episode trailers on Instagram: @thecultureful https://instagram.com/thecultureful

3 months ago

1 minute

Cultureful

Stefanee, Filipino and Spanish American: I had a Michael Jackson Childhood

Send us a text In the Season 1 finale of Cultureful, host Jess Lin talks with Stefanee Clontz, a 44-year-old Filipino and Spanish American working mom and Director of Operations at Hydra+, a medical spa in Atlanta. Stefanee shares what she calls her “Michael Jackson childhood,” her evolving connection to her Asian American identity, and how that connection has grown over time. She also opens up about the balance of not only work and family, but also finding time for herself. Thanks for ...

4 months ago

1 hour

Cultureful

Denetra, Part 2. Black American: I have to know my purpose

Send us a text Join Jess Lin in Part 2 of her conversation with Denetra, as they discuss her son DeAndre's life journey from high school graduation to battling cancer. Denetra opens up about DeAndre's work and love life, his fight with osteosarcoma, and the impacts of his illness. She also shares her own experience with grief, healing, and how she channels her energy into projects like Smiley Connections LLC to support other parents who have lost children. Listen to Denetra's story and learn ...

7 months ago

54 minutes

Cultureful

Denetra, Part 1. Black American: DeAndre always had the biggest smile

Send us a text In honor of Women's History Month, host Jess Lin sits down with Denetra Smiley, a 54-year-old African American medical coder from the Gullah Geechee community, now living in Acworth, Georgia. Denetra shares her personal story, her son DeAndre's story, and her path through grief and healing after DeAndre’s passed from cancer. Denetra speaks candidly about her childhood, the importance of her cultural roots, the example of her parents’ marriage, her experiences raising two ...

7 months ago

49 minutes

Cultureful

Tina, Part 2. Taiwanese Chinese American: You water it and it grows

Send us a text In this episode of Cultureful, host Jess Lin continues her conversation with Tina, exploring her experience with intercultural marriage and raising multicultural children. Tina, a Taiwanese Chinese American woman, discusses the cultural differences between her upbringing and her Russian Ukrainian American husband's family. The episode covers how Tina navigated these differences, the challenges of blending their cultural backgrounds, and their parenting styles, which focus on po...

9 months ago

49 minutes

Cultureful

Tina, Part 1. Taiwanese Chinese American: A cut above the rest

Send us a text In this special bonus episode of Cultureful, host Jess Lin speaks with Tina, a 37-year-old Taiwanese Chinese American tech project manager from Fremont, California. The episode delves into the first half of Tina's life, covering her parents' immigration story from Taiwan, her upbringing, and the background of her family. Tina shares insights about her family's moves from China to Vietnam to Taiwan and eventually to the U.S., and discusses how her parents' cultural backgrounds i...

9 months ago

48 minutes

Cultureful

Angie, Colombiana: Rehacerme

Send us a text Esta entrevista fue grabada en octubre de 2023. En este capítulo, entrevisto a mi amiga Angie G. de Colombia. Ella es abogada y lingüista, actualmente está en un programa de doctorado cerca de San Francisco que combina sus dos carreras para hacer el lenguaje legal más accesible á la gente del común. Mientras se acerca su cumpleaños 40, reflexiona en su vida. Hablamos de su ciudad natal, niñez, viaje personal y profesional, también proyectos nuevos que empieza en su nuevo capí...

9 months ago

1 hour 1 minute

Cultureful

Angie, Colombian: Remake myself

Send us a text This episode was originally recorded in Spanish in October 2023. Para la versión original de este episodio, que fue grabada en español, regresa al feed y haz clic en el título en español. To share this content with more people, this English version was created with AI tools like Eleven Labs. Though there may be differences in tone and delivery, we hope the message still resonates. In this episode, I interview my friend Angie G. from Colombia. She is a l...

9 months ago

42 minutes

Cultureful

Tonisha, Part 2. Black American: Serving in the U.S. Air Force

Send us a text Keywords military service, Iraq, personal growth, travel, advice for youth, military experiences, career transitions, life lessons, personal development, military culture Summary In this conversation, Tonisha shares her journey into the military, detailing her enlistment, experiences in Iraq, and the challenges she faced during her service. She reflects on her decision to leave the military, the lessons learned, and offers advice to young people considering military service. A...

10 months ago

38 minutes

Cultureful

Tonisha, Part 1. Black American: Serving in the U.S. Air Force

Send us a text Keywords identity, heritage, family stories, military aspirations, Black woman in the military, genealogy, cultural identity, personal history, military experiences, representation Summary Tonisha, 42, explores her identity as a Black American and the rich cultural heritage of her family. She recounts fascinating stories about her grandfather, who influenced her aspirations to join the military. Tonisha reflects on her early career choices, the challenges she faced as a Black...

10 months ago

48 minutes

Cultureful

Steve, American and Italian of Chinese descent: Dating and relationships

Send us a text This interview was recorded on June 1, 2022. Steve is a 36 year-old photographer who lives in New York City. He was born in China, raised in Italy, and now lives in the United States. He takes us through his early dating history, reflects on challenges he faced as an Asian male, and shares observations and what he learned along the way. Check out Steve’s photography at Stevegongphoto.com and follow him on instagram @stevegong. If you are interested in a follow-u...

1 year ago

1 hour 14 minutes