Cultureful
Jess Lin
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About This Podcast
Season 3 is here!
What was it like for a Colombian lawyer growing up in a small town and then immigrating to the U.S.? How did a Jewish New Yorker put her kids in Jewish school and why? What was it like to have three weddings as a Bengali American?
These are the kinds of personal interviews on Cultureful. Living, breathing, everyday you and me culture. It's a kind of traveling and getting past the surface. People from around the world sharing personal experiences in their own words.
Host Jess Lin (she, her), is a multilingual Taiwanese American who has spent many years abroad, off the beaten-path. On Cultureful, she interviews friends and other guests about major life events and stages like childhood, dating, weddings, parenting, and immigration journeys. She is also curious about the everyday- what people cook, what they do for fun, what friendship is like for them. Hope you enjoy meeting the people she connects with.
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Recent Episodes
S3E3 Jin, Part 3: Family Restaurants, Ping Pong, & Life Lessons
In the final chapter of our journey with Jin, we step behind the counter of the family restaurant and into the world of competitive ping pong. This episode explores childhood as a restaurant kid and…
S3E2 Jin, Part 2: A Blind Date in Chinatown and 150 Pounds of Rice
In Part Two of our journey with Jin, we move from the harrowing escape routes of the 1970s to the vibrant, complex grid of 1980s San Francisco Chinatown. This episode explores the different timelines…
S3E1 Jin, Part 1: The Serial Entrepreneurship of Survival | 1960s China & Vietnam
“In a world that often feels divided, Cultureful is about the intersections—where we put ourselves in each other’s shoes.”In the Season 3 premiere, we sit down with Jin - a 37 year old, Teochew…
S3 Season 3 Trailer: Bridging Cultures & Building Empathy
UPDATE: We are impacted by the winter storm! Season 3 will now launch Thursday Jan 29th. Stay warm, ya’ll!————————————Cultureful is a project for bridging cultures and building empathy. We’re back…
S2 BONUS: 2025 Reflections & Gratitude — Building the Global Neighborhood
In this 2025 reflection, Cultureful host, Jess Lin, shares a personal update on hosting while healing, navigating a career pivot, and building a global neighborhood. From leaving a decade in Global…
S2E11 Martina, African American - Kwanzaa, Southern Roots, & Growing Up in San Francisco
👉 Join the circle of Founding Supporters: https://ko-fi.com/culturefulKwanzaa is more than a holiday — it’s a living tradition shaped by family, history, and intention.In this Season 2 finale of…
S2 BONUS: The Wind Down 2 with Joanne - The Galápagos Moment
After our full interview, Joanne and I sat down for a more relaxed conversation — a space to debrief, unwind, and share a few favorite things. In this bonus “Wind Down” episode, Joanne talks about…
S2E10 Joanne, Part 2 - Chinese American: STEM, Identity & Choosing to Belong
In Part 2 of our conversation, Joanne shares how her STEM journey unfolded in ways she never expected—through academic pressure, nonlinear pivots, surprising mentors, and the slow, intentional work…
S2E9 Joanne, Part 1 - Chinese American: Catching Snakes & Camping Trips
Joanne shares what it was like growing up as one of the only Chinese American kids in a small upstate New York town—and the year her family moved to Taiwan, placing her in a public school during the…
S2 BONUS: The Wind Down 1 with Hakim - Healing Out Loud
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…
S2E8 Hakim, Part 2 - Black American: Sweetheart & Highest Consciousness
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…
S2E7 Hakim, Part 1 - Black American: Churches, Cookouts & Kickbacks
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…
S2E6 Taryn, Part 2. Mexican American: Silo Parties, Weddings & Día de los Muertos
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…
S2E5 Taryn, Part 1. Mexican American: Farmers' Markets & Fur Coats
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…
S2E4 Aisha, Part 4. Pakistani American: Eid, Mehndi & Motherhood
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…
S2E3 Aisha, Part 3. Pakistani American: Be Tamed
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.…
S2E2 Aisha, Part 2. Pakistani American: Dahlias, Dupattas & the Last Born
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…
S2E1 Aisha, Part 1. Pakistani American: Street Fighter, Parkour & the Original Audiobook
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…
S2 Season 2 Trailer
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…
S1E11 Stefanee, Filipino and Spanish American: I had a Michael Jackson Childhood
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…
Frequently Asked Questions
Cultureful has published 32 episodes since November 2023, covering topics in Personal Journals, Places & Travel.
Cultureful is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 51m.
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