Rose sits down with her longtime co-host and “little sister” Kumi Idei for a candid, funny conversation about how they met on the LA comedy scene, and Kumi’s journey from Japan to America; chasing a childhood dream sparked by seeing Michael Jackson live, testing into an exchange program without telling her parents, and landing (thanks to a request to live near Beverly Hills’ 90210) in a Black host family in Inglewood. They swap stories about culture shock and connection: learning Southern cooking and soul food from “Mama,” an oversweetened first batch of Kool-Aid, chitlins and hog head cheese, getting picked on in school for being mixed/Asian, a hallway fight that lands her in the principal’s office, and picking up her first English cuss words from Prince lyrics. It’s a warm, funny episode about family, identity, and finding home in an unexpected place.

Soy Sauce and Grits bring you the Backyard Lounge Talks, in which the two co-hosts Rose and Kumi talk about their day and recount any other interesting recent stories.

Welcome to Soy Sauce and Grits, where we strive to deliver the pride and harmony of growing up being mixed race of Asian and Black. Here we introduce Rose and Kumi, the two co-hosts of the video podcast series.