DeepSummary
This episode features journalist Lisa Fu discussing her new podcast 'Before Me' where she interviews her mother Lon about her life before coming to America as a refugee from Cambodia. Lon shares heartbreaking details about losing her first daughter Ali during the Khmer Rouge genocide and having to flee without being able to retrieve her. Lisa reflects on how becoming a mother herself helped her understand her mom's perspective and motivated her to finally document Lon's story.
One poignant moment is when Lon tearfully recounts the last time she saw 7-year-old Ali before the Khmer Rouge soldiers took her away to be killed. Lisa admits she didn't fully grasp key parts of her family's history and culture, like not realizing she was ethnically Chinese until age 20. She expresses gratitude for getting to record her mom's voice and laughter to pass down those stories.
The episode explores the challenge of having intimate conversations with parents and how Lisa and Lon were able to connect more deeply through the interview process. Lisa encourages listeners to record oral histories with loved ones, even if it's difficult, as a way to build understanding across generations.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Understanding one's family history and cultural traditions is important for personal identity and perspective.
- Having open and gracious conversations with parents can be difficult but rewarding for building connection across generations.
- Documenting oral histories from loved ones preserves important stories that might otherwise be lost.
- Becoming a parent can provide new insights into understanding your own parents' motivations and struggles.
- Traumatic experiences like war and genocide have lasting impacts that echo through families for generations.
- Accepting help from parents as an adult child can strengthen familial bonds, even amid tensions.
- Language and cultural barriers can prevent understanding between immigrant parents and their children.
- Finding the right context, like an interview setting, can facilitate more honest communication.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Oh my God. It's a long story.“ by Lon
- “You never forget your baby? Never.“ by Lon
- “And that was just. That was amazing for me to hear you say that.“ by Lisa Fu
- “It's just, like, totally worth it and almost. It's like those things, like, just fall away when you're in this, like, dynamic of the recorders on, and I care about you and want to hear these questions, and she's caring about me and trusting me with her answers and her stories.“ by Lisa Fu
- “If you want to record an oral history interview with someone you love, even if you've never tried it before, check out self evidence show.com history, where you'll find a free toolkit to help you take the next step.“ by Lisa Fu
Entities
Company
Product
Service
Person
Organization
Podcast
Movie
Episode Information
Code Switch
NPR
12/21/22
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy