When hearing about historical events, it can be difficult to connect the incidents to real people, even if your family were the ones who lived through them.
This is where “Inheriting,” LAist Studio’s latest narrative podcast, which releases today, May 23, comes into play. Hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong, the 10-episode series focuses on different Asian American and Pacific Islander families and how they were affected by a particular part of history. The first season centers on families residing in California but features stories from Cambodia, Guam, Japan, India, Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The series covers various topics from the 1992 L.A. Uprising to the Japanese American Incarceration, the Third World Liberation Front and more. Each episode seeks to facilitate deeper conversations between family members who may have found it challenging to unpack this trauma with younger generations.
“All the work I’ve done in the last 10 years has led up to ‘Inheriting.’ It’s the history class I wish I had taken in college coupled with all my curiosity about family relationships,” Kwong said in a press release. “Our show lives in the space between the generations, and each episode is built entirely around a single family’s questions about their past.”
Kwong also hopes “Inheriting” helps families understand each other better past generational divides. She said: “The gulf between generations is both historical and psychological. The way to close this gap is by first admitting it exists. And then, allowing listeners to experience what it’s like to bridge it through intentional conversation, deep listening and moments of real learning and sharing.”
Make sure to catch “Inheriting” on NPR, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other platform where your favorite podcasts are available. For those who would like to learn more about these families, on Thursday, June 27, LAist will be hosting a special live event where Kwong will provide an in-depth look at several of the stories featured in the podcast and “Inheriting”’s consulting psychologist, Sherry C.Wang, will offer advice on how audience members can interview their own families. For tickets and more information, visit https://laist.com/events.
