Joon is a hospital chaplain, author, but perhaps most importantly — a father. A fellow Korean American, we share and understand a lot of each other’s experiences growing up with immigrant parents, in the ever liminal third space between cultures and identities. We talk about the contradictions of our culture, with a history of aligning with the oppressed amidst the continued toxic elements of collectivism such as overbearing authority.

I want to offer a trigger warning for this episode as we talk openly about mental illness including PTSD as well as abuse. We share some painful memories and Joon expresses that it is hard for someone with PTSD to give into joy, and in these moments of the conversation, there is gratitude in having survived and in breaking the cycle alongside all the heartache we continue to hold and live with.
I believe in the healing power of connection and in saying out loud what happened to you. We talk about these serious issues with compassion and understanding, and I deeply hope that this episode will help others.
Joon’s book — As Long As You Need — is about grief, something we all experience, perhaps never more so consistently and collectively than over these last 10 months. He talks about the dehumanizing impact of oppressors hijacking the grief of the oppressed and the important role of grief in our liberation.

Joon’s IG

Leah’s IG