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Code Switch

What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.

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Episodes

Naomi Jackson talks 'losing and finding my mind'

"Three springs ago, I lost the better part of my mind," Naomi Jackson wrote in an essay for Harper's Magazine. On this episode, Jackson reads from that essay about her experience with mental illness, including how she has had to decipher which of her fears stem from her illness and which are backed by the history of racism. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

May 10, 202330 minEp. 402

K-Pop's Surprising B(l)ackstory

K-pop disrupted pop culture in South Korea in the early 1990s, and later found fans around the world. Vivian Yoon was one of those fans, growing up thousands of miles away in Koreatown, Los Angeles. This week, we're sharing an episode of In K-Pop Dreaming, the second season of LAist's California Love podcast. In it, Yoon takes listeners on a journey to learn about the history behind the music that had defined her childhood. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices N...

May 03, 202345 minEp. 401

The Fallout of a Callout

In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu called out Hollywood's portrayals of South Asians with his documentary The Problem With Apu. The film was also a criticism of comedian Hank Azaria, who is white, for voicing the Indian character on The Simpsons. On this episode, Hari and Hank sit down to talk publicly for the first time about that callout and everything that has gone down since. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Apr 26, 202329 minEp. 400

Self-Care Laid Bare

"You can't meditate yourself out of a 40-hour work week with no childcare and no paid sick days," says Dr. Pooja Lakshmin. But when you're overworked and overwhelmed, what actually can you do? On this episode, host B.A. Parker asks: What are your options when a bubble bath won't cut it? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Apr 19, 202335 minEp. 399

W2s and WTFs

You finally get through the confusing, stressful work of doing your taxes only to hear back from the IRS: you're being audited . And it turns out that your race plays a big role in whether you get that letter, how much you might owe the IRS, which tax breaks you can get, and even which benefits you can claim. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Apr 12, 202330 minEp. 398

Women in hip-hop push back against the male gaze

The male gaze objectifies, consumes and shames people for not fitting into a mold. This week, we're looking at how that affects women in hip-hop. Our play cousins at Louder Than A Riot bring us the voices of artists who won't let the male gaze dominate their careers, stories and personal lives. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Apr 05, 202334 minEp. 397

The Tricky Obligations of Utang Na Loob

Utang na loob is the Filipino concept of an eternal debt to others, be it family or friends, who do a favor for you. In this episode from 2022, we break down this "debt of the inner soul" — and discover a surprising side to this pre-colonial value. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Mar 29, 202339 minEp. 396

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott

We've all heard about Rosa Parks and her crucial role in the Montgomery bus boycott. But Parks was just one of the many women who organized for years to make that boycott a reality. In this episode, the women behind the boycott tell their own story. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Mar 22, 202335 minEp. 395

Whose Nightmares Are We Telling? How Horror Has Evolved for People of Color

Host B.A. Parker talks to Jasmin Savoy Brown, of the recently-released Scream 6, about playing a queer Black girl who lives. And film critics Richard Newby and Mallory Yu discuss how horror movies can actually help us empathize with each other Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Mar 15, 202334 minEp. 394

The Women Who Influence How America Eats

For decades, the ingredients, dishes and chefs that are popularized have been filtered through the narrow lens of a food and publishing world dominated by mostly white, mostly male decision-makers. But with more food authors of color taking center stage, is that changing? In this episode, we dive deep into food publishing, past and present. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Mar 08, 202332 minEp. 393

This Racism Is Killing Me Inside

This week, we revisit an episode from 2018 that looks into how discrimination not only degrades your health, but can cost you your life. We hear the story of Shalon Irving, who died after giving birth to her daughter. Black women like her are 243 percent more likely than white women to die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes in the United States. And the latest evidence further supports that this gap is caused by the "weathering" effects of racism. Learn more about sponsor message choices...

Mar 01, 202329 minEp. 392

Black History's Family Tree

Brett Woodson Bailey grew up knowing he was the descendant of "the father of Black history," Carter G. Woodson. He also grew up with the support and guidance of his "cousin" Craig Woodson, who is white. In this week's Code Switch, what it means when a Black family and a white family share a last name, and how the Black and white Woodsons became family. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Feb 22, 202335 minEp. 391

The Merengue War

From the dance floors of weddings and bar mitzvahs to the Billboard Hot 100, chances are, you've enjoyed some merengue music – think about the 1998 Puerto Rican hit 'Suavemente,' which topped charts across the globe. But did you know that merengue's path to global fame started in the Dominican Republic, before it made its way to Puerto Rico? In this episode, we hand the mic to our friends at La Brega to unpack the story behind that famous merengue single and how it sums up a complicated and tens...

Feb 15, 202343 minEp. 390

Reckoning With The NFL's Rooney Rule

The large majority of NFL players are people of color. The coaches on the sidelines? Not so much. In this episode, we're looking at the NFL's famous diversity plan and what it might tells us about why so many corporate initiatives like it don't work. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Feb 08, 202335 minEp. 389

Celebrating Lunar New Year In A Time Of Grief

In this week's episode, we dive into the traditions and stories that shape Lunar New Year, and why violence and tragedy in the U.S. on the eve of the holiday cuts deep for celebrants. We also visit Monterey Park, California, and talk to its Asian American residents and neighbors about what the "ethnoburb" means to them beyond the shooting on January 21. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Feb 01, 202335 minEp. 388

The Original Rainbow Coalition

In this episode we turn to late 1960s Chicago, when three unlikely groups came together to form a coalition based on interracial solidarity. It's hard to imagine this kind of collaboration today, but we dove into how a group of Black radicals, Confederate flag-waving white Southerners, and street-gang-turned-activist Puerto Ricans found common ground. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Jan 25, 202324 minEp. 387

Bad Bunny, Reggaeton, and Resistance

Bad Bunny, the genre- and gender norm-defying Puerto Rican rapper, is one of the biggest music stars on the planet. He has also provided a global megaphone for Puerto Rican discontent. In this episode, we take a look at how Bad Bunny became the unlikely voice of resistance in Puerto Rico. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Jan 18, 202339 minEp. 386

Meet Lori Lizarraga—Our Newest Co-host

From the world of local TV news, meet Code Switch's newest co-host, Lori Lizarraga! Before she was born, her mother had the nickname "Lori" ready for her, even though her legal name is Laura. The story behind why starts more than a decade before she was born, when Lori's mom came to the U.S. as a kid and had to make a difficult decision. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Jan 11, 202327 minEp. 385

Revisiting 'How The Other Half Eats'

How do race and class affect the way we eat? What does it mean to "eat like a white person?" And if food inequality isn't about "food deserts," what is it really about? We're getting into all those questions and more with Priya Fielding-Singh, author of the book, How the Other Half Eats. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Jan 04, 202332 minEp. 384

How cumbia has shaped music across Latin America

Whether you're from Ushuaia or East Los Angeles, you've likely heard cumbia blaring from a stereo. From our play friends at NPR's Alt.Latino, Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras talk about their common love of the musical backbone of Latin America. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Dec 28, 202230 minEp. 383

Unlocking family history in 'Before Me'

It wasn't until Lisa Phu had her own child that she started unlocking her mother's history. In her new 5-part series called Before Me , Lisa asks her mother, Lan, the questions she should have asked years ago. Lisa tells us what she learned in getting to know Lan in this way. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Dec 21, 202246 minEp. 382

What We Watched in 2022

There are a lot of TV shows to watch out there - so the Code Switch team isn't trying to bring you a list of the "best." Instead, we're chatting about the shows we watched this year that we loved, and gave us something bigger to think about, from Abbott Elementary to Bel-Air. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Dec 14, 202230 minEp. 381

Why some Republicans want to narrow who counts as Black

Republican officials in Louisiana want to change how Black people are counted in voting maps. If their plan is successful, it could shrink the power of Black voters across the country — and further gut the Voting Rights Act. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Dec 07, 202235 minEp. 380

Notes from America: 'Blackness (Un)interrupted'

So many of our perceptions of race have to do with color. How does that change if you've lived in both Black and white skin? Our Executive Producer Veralyn Williams, explores this question in conversation with her sister, Lovis. Lovis has vitiligo, a skin disease that causes loss of skin color in patches. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 30, 202230 minEp. 379

A lost bird, a found treasure

Bear Carrillo grew up knowing only a few details about his birth parents: when he was born they were university students, the first from their tribes to go to college, and they just couldn't afford to keep him. Decades later, a DNA test kit uncovers a new story. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Nov 23, 202234 minEp. 378

Live from Chicago: What makes a city home?

This episode is excerpted from the Code Switch Live show at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, featuring special guests José Olivarez, Sultan Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Adriana Cardona-Maguidad to talk all about Chicago. Musical guest KAINA provides music! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Nov 16, 202250 minEp. 377

Throughline: How Korean culture went global

From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. How does a country go from a war-decimated state just 70 years ago, to a major driver of global soft power? Through war, occupation, economic crisis, and national strategy, comes a global phenomenon - the Korean wave. This is an episode from our play cousins Throughline and originally aired September 8th, 2022. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com...

Nov 09, 202248 minEp. 376

Code Switch fam! Say hello to It's Been a Minute's new host, Brittany Luse!

Code Switch's host B.A. Parker, introduces us to our play cousin It's Been a Minute's new voice, Brittany Luse ! In Brittany's first two episodes she talks about the representation and contextual history of Black women in politics and Hollywood. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram @NPRCodeSwitch , Parker @aparkusfarce , and the new host of It's Been A Minute Brittany Luse @BMLuse ! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 02, 202234 minEp. 375

Fear In An Age Of Real Life Horror, Revisited

It's that time of year again: celebrations of the macabre hit a little too close to home and brush up against our country's very dark past. We talk about navigating fake horror amid what's actually terrifying and how scaring ourselves, on purpose, can help us. This episode first ran in October 2019. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 26, 202225 minEp. 374

Skeletons in the closet, revisited

More than 10,000 Native human remains are currently sitting in a storage facility in a Maryland suburb. This week, how one small tribe is fighting to get them back to Florida. This episode originally aired October 13, 2021. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Oct 19, 202234 minEp. 373