These two long-time friends come together to discuss their childhoods growing up in predominantly white neighborhoods. Despite coming from different cultures and relationships with their respective cultures, they can commiserate over the pressures they felt to assimilate or hide aspects of their cultural identity from peers in school. During the podcast, Ted recognizes the impact of Affinity Groups for bringing people from different backgrounds together to normalize difference. Ultimately, making an effort to have these conversations about racial identity at a young age could go a long way toward breaking down assimilationist barriers these friends experienced.
I really do think that a lot of it just comes down to like, human-to-human contact. Interacting with people who are different, interacting with people who are the same and developing those relationships that expand your view of reality
