ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart

ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart

From Slate Debates by Slate Podcasts

December 20, 2025 · 47 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversy surrounding white people in Asian grocery stores and the nuanced perspectives on cultural identity.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer to talk about a controversy that’s divided TikTok: How should Asian people feel about white people in Asian grocery stores? That’s the question creator Madeline Qi didn’t even mean to ask when she posted her now-viral video, which resulted in call-outs, doxxing, and, ultimately, a conversation too nuanced for TikTok. Youngmi’s attempts to make sense of the discourse on her Substack ended up going viral on Instagram, so she came on the show to share what people misunderstand about the controversy, and how her own experience being mixed white and Asian contributes to her perspective. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from AC Valdez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Kate Lindsay

Guest: Youngmi Mayer

Topics covered

  • Asian grocery stores
  • TikTok controversy
  • cultural identity
  • race relations
  • social media discourse

Keywords

  • Asian grocery stores
  • TikTok
  • cultural identity
  • Youngmi Mayer
  • Madeline Qi

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