ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart
From Slate Race and Identity by Slate Podcasts
December 20, 2025 · 47 min
About this episode
Kate Lindsay and Youngmi Mayer discuss the TikTok controversy surrounding white people in Asian grocery stores and the nuances of 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
Guest: Youngmi Mayer
Topics covered
- Asian grocery stores
- TikTok controversy
- cultural identity
- mixed race experience
Keywords
- TikTok
- viral video
- cultural discourse
- Asian identity
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Substack
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