Special Topics
Heritage Language: Complexity Is Not a Flaw. But We’re Making This Harder Than It Needs to Be | Ep. 40
We often treat human complexity like a problem to solve instead of a normal part of being alive. In this final mini-episode of our Heritage Language Spotlight Month, Michelle explores the hidden assumptions people project onto heritage language speakers — and why these misunderstandings are not harm...
Heritage Language: Labels Cannot Tell Individual Stories | Ep. 38
In Mini Episode 3 of our Heritage Language Spotlight Month, Michelle explores the limitations of labels and the growing problem of cultural gatekeeping within heritage language conversations. From “not Asian enough” rhetoric to assumptions about fluency, culture, and belonging, this episode examines...
Heritage Language: There Is No Universal Experience | Ep. 37
In this second mini episode of our Heritage Language Spotlight Month series, Michelle explores a reality that often goes unspoken in multilingual and immigrant communities: There is no universal heritage language experience. Even people raised in the same household can develop completely different r...
Heritage Language: Why Does This Matter? | Ep. 36
It’s officially heritage language month on WeCultivate. In this first mini episode, Michelle introduces the new Inherited, Interrupted series and explores why heritage language deserves a deeper and more nuanced conversation. From passive bilingualism and multilingual identity to classroom experienc...
Back in Mainland China: Reflections on “Worth” + New Heritage Language Substack Series | Ep. 34
I recently went back to mainland China for the first time in 15 years. Not as a student. Not through the lens of my family. Just… as myself. This episode isn’t a travel blog recap. It’s a set of reflections on what's changed in the last decade and a half. The journey of embracing who I am , show...
Intercultural Love Is Beautiful. It’s Also Work. (Inside Our Multilingual Marriage) | Ep. 32
In this bilingual Valentine’s episode, Michelle and Yann reflect on intercultural love inside their multilingual marriage. Through parallel responses in French and English, they explore how language, culture, and identity shape listening, conflict, boundaries, and emotional expression. They unpack t...
Holiday Episode 2025 – Community Stories on Family, Language, and Culture | Ep. 29
Holiday Episode 2025 brings together community stories on family, language, and culture from across the WeCultivate community. Nine voices share reflections on navigating complex family dynamics shaped by culture, migration, language, and lived experience — offering honesty, nuance, and perspective ...
Multilingual Growth: Not Always Equal, But Always Evolving (Feat. storycast clips from Andrea @familytongues) | Ep. 24
Is “balanced multilingualism” even real — or just another impossible standard? In this episode, we open the complex topic of multilingual parenting, and begin to explore the myths and realities. This episode, the first of a new format, weaves together clips from previous podcast guest Andrea R.@fami...