Family and Culture with Susan Jin Davis

Susan Jin Davis and her daughter Sophia Jin Malatesta share the joys and challenges facing Asian and biracial families in the United States. They discuss cultural identity and leadership development for Asian-Americans, and navigating challenges in raising children in biracial families.

The mother and daughter reflect on their upbringings in different generations and settings, empowered with multicultural identities, and facing up to the Asian-American model minority myth.

Typical of any family, the mother may ultimately serve as the role model for her daughter, imparting wisdom and guidance to help her come to terms with her own identity. As a single parent, Susan shares her experiences in raising Sophia who is of Korean and Italian heritage to be confident and proud of her biracial identity. Having the best of both cultures, she has also created a whole new culture of her own that really brings the best out in everybody.

While self-identifying as Asian growing up, Sophia went through her actualization and empowerment process after some struggles with what she wants to be versus what others and the society want her to be.

Beyond the mother and daughter relationship, Sophia is Susan’s best friend and they are best partners in serving the Asian-American community and beyond.

This episode is dedicated to Susan’s parents and Sophia’s beloved grandparents who have brought so much love and inspiration to so many lives around them from Korea to the United States.