Sen Zhan - Host of the 'Beyond Asian' Podcast

In my discussion with radio and podcast host Sen Zhan, we talk about the immigrant experience, consider a path for coming to terms with trauma, look at methods of acclimatizing to new surroundings, and so much more. I hope you'll listen to this episode and learn as much from Sen as I did talking about her fascinating story. Here are the highlights of our talk:

00:29 - Sen Zhan’s origin story

05:26 - Culture shock as a little kid arriving in Canada, straight from China

06:05 - Western kids are like wild animals compared to Chinese kids

07:46 - Acclimatizing to life in Calgary

09:16 - Overcoming a language barrier within your own community

10:47 - Rejected everything Chinese for a safer path

11:52 - Immersion in western youth fiction reading gives Sen a sense of self-discovery and independence

12:47 - Balancing the priorities of two different cultures

14:00 - A lesson at western school: What is your favourite colour?

16:38 - A struggle for survival as an immigrant family

18:09 - It’s not so much about forgiveness as it is about understanding

20:49 - Processing trauma

22:07 - Talk about Sen’s Beyond Asian podcast

25:20 - Neutral Asian Avoidance

29:49 - Discussing the Asian experience without delving into identity politics

33:29 - Thinking that your Chinese heritage is something to overcome, rather than embrace

35:32 - Standing out more as an Asian in Europe, than in North America

36:44 - Being from somewhere else is itself a super-power

38:02 - Just surviving is a great immigrant success story

40:29 - The story of Sen’s grandmother’s survival

42:59 - Sen’s advice to parents, as a sandwich kid

To visit Sen's podcast, Beyond Asian, please follow this link: https://beyondasian.com/

#immigration #immigrants #heritage

#chinese #survivor #healing

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