Being Biracial Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Today we are chatting to each other, about:


Do biracial apples taste better?


Our fav mixed-race comedians at Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Aurelia St Clair, Lizzy Hoo, Rose Matafeo and Nina Oyama


Raewyn, Maria’s mum, visited Naarm


Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter


Jen Cloher and Te Hononga o nga iwi at Creative West



Links: 

Deadlock

Cowboy Carter

I Am The River, The River Is Me

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at beingbiracialpodcast@gmail.com

Darcy Vescio is a Chinese/Italian AFLW player. 

We chat about: 


Growing up in country Victoria


Language barriers with grandparents 


Moving in with their Goong at eighteen


Relationships born of bitter melon and lasagne


The Carlton doco Bloodlines which took Darcy to Italy and Hong Kong to explore their family history


Being a multicultural ambassador for the AFL


Using sport as currency at school


Racial vilification in the AFLW last season


Bringing your whole self to sport



Then Aurelia St Clair, a German-Cameroonian comedian, does a stand-up set and joins us all to chat about: 


Moving to Melbourne 


Kilmore the new queer capital 


Kate’s new Persian rug


Tiger balm in Darcy’s locker


Seasoning your food


Looking for Alibrandi


Finding Zadie Smith’s White Teeth in German


JW life


Finding meaning in small rituals



This event was recorded on Thursday 21 March 2024 at The Round on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations.



Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guests: Aurelia St Clair and Darcy Vescio

Special thanks to: The Round and The Wheeler Centre

Music by: the Green Twins

Lizzy Hoo is a Chinese/Malay and Australian stand up-comedian.

We chat about: 


Lizzy’s parents’ movie meet cute
The accidental ethnic friend group
Looking back on the safeguards you put in place as a child
The White Mums Club 
Subtle Asian Traits FB group 
Being a chameleon 
Feeling more Asian than her brothers
Ethnic aunty energy 
Lizzy’s parents want her to pay superannuation
How Lizzy got into comedy
Lizzy’s dad Chan is an absolute icon
Visible diversity
Moving beyond cracking identity jokes
Reclaiming her name



Links: 

https://www.lizzyhoo.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/lizzyhoo/ 

Hoo Cares on Amazon Prime



Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Lizzy Hoo

Special thanks to: Footscray Community Arts

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

We are back with the first episode of season 2 of Being Biracial! Today we are chatting to each other about:


Maria’s experience in Rotorua being surrounded by more Maori people than she’s ever seen. 
Maria and her friend connecting on a deeper level now that they’ve both explored their culture.
Kate’s Aunt is visiting and she’s immersed in Farsi.
The structure of season two. You’ll be hearing more from us as we reflect on our interviews, media we consume and the world around us. 
We are in our Taylor Swift era and can’t stop talking about the Eras Tour.
Kate is starting to grow her wheatgrass for Nowruz. She is stressed.
The artistic process of creating our video work Threads, in collaboration with Melbourne Museum. 
The full circle moment our artistic practice being influenced by artists we interviewed in season 1.
Kate went to see Maxine Beneba Clarke talk about adapting her memoir The Hate Race for the stage. 
Will Maria ever read a book again?
We are getting hype for Melbourne International Comedy Fest. Our next guest, Lizzy Hoo, is hosting the MICF gala this year! 
Our upcoming events in March at The Round and Melbourne Museum.

Links: 

Threads at Melbourne Museum: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/threads/ 

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s The Hate Race at the Malthouse until 17 March: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/what-s-on/malthouse-theatre/the-hate-race/ 

MICF shows: 

Rose Matafeo: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/on-and-on-and-on 

Brown Women Comedy: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/brown-women-comedy 

Lizzy Hoo: 

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/hoos-that-girl 

Aurelia St Clair: 

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/can-i-be-mean-for-a-minute 

Melbourne Museum Nocturnal: Worlds Apart on 14 March: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/nocturnal-worlds-apart/ 

Being Biracial Live at the Round with Aurelia St Clair and Darcy Vescio on 21 March: 

https://www.wheelercentre.com/events/being-biracial-live-at-the-round-with-aurelia-st-clair-and-darcy-vescio/ 



Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: the Green Twins

Edited by: Maria Birch-Morunga

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

You can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at beingbiracialpodcast@gmail.com

It’s a bonus live episode of Being Biracial. We interviewed each other and chatted about:

- Maria’s complicated return to Aotearoa

- Biracial baby names

- The Woman Life Freedom movement 

- Kate’s exhibition Zendegi at Arts Gen 

- Whether the conversation about race has moved on? 

- Cultural diversity training

Mixed Media: Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou and the musical A Strange Loop.

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

Special thanks: Maribyrnong City Council and Bluestone Church Arts Space Footscray. 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

If you have any questions or feedback you can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at beingbiracialpodcast@gmail.com

It’s the last episode of season 1 of Being Biracial. Today we’re interviewing each other.

We chat about:


Having difficult conversations with our parents about the podcast
A PSA for all the white people listening
What being Persian means to Kate
Family gossip
The racist American visa process
Kate maybe isn’t a POC and Maria maybe isn’t biracial?
What being Maori means to Maria
A place to put your feet
Building a marae on Aboriginal land
Finding joy

Mixed Media: Coming of Age in the War on Terror by Randa Abdel-Fattah. The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race by Neda Maghbouleh.

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Music by: Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

Special thanks: Footscray Community Arts, Maribyrnong City Council Community Grants Program, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

If you have any questions or feedback you can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at beingbiracialpodcast@gmail.com