895: Label Maker!
About this episode
This episode explores the impact of labels on identity and life experiences through personal stories.
Labels are powerful. They can distill you down to a single word. They can get stuck on you without your permission. And sometimes, when they get taken away, they can upend your entire life. On this episode: labels and the havoc they wreak. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. (00:00:00) Prologue: Sara and Ethan have been dating for 10 months. They see each other at least once a week, text pretty much every day, and have been there for each other through hard times. But they refuse to have the “what are we?” conversation. So what gives? Guest host Tobin Low looks into it. (5 minutes) (00:05:14) Act One: Last week, when Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, was cut off for Haitian immigrants, some 300,000 people had their lives upended. Marie, a Certified Nursing Assistant in Boston, was one of them. Producer Chana Joffe-Walt spent time last week with Marie as she tried to figure out exactly when her very last day on the job would be. (21 minutes) (00:27:57) Act Two: Comedian Janet McNamara was walking off stage 15 years ago when the club owner asked, “Hey, have you ever been tested for autism?” No one had ever asked her this…
People in this episode
Host: Tobin Low
Guests: Marie, Janet McNamara
Topics covered
- labels
- identity
- immigration
- autism
- relationships
- society
Keywords
- labels
- identity
- immigration
- autism
- relationships
- society
- Temporary Protected Status
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Temporary Protected Status
Places: Boston, Haiti
More episodes of This American Life
- 449: Middle School
- 896: I Know What You Need
- 206: Somewhere in the Arabian Sea
- 894: I Couldn't Help but Notice
- 893: Testosterone
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