Threads of Belonging: Joanna Dukkipati on Food, Language & Leadership | S2E7P2

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In this heartfelt Part 2 episode, media founder, writer, and PhD researcher Joanna Dukkipati joins Sabiya Pathan Withoeck for a rich, reflective conversation that flows from food and migration to parenting and decolonising language, to claiming space and redefining inclusion.

 What you’ll hear in this episode:

- Food as a thread of identity:
Joanna shares her new documentary project exploring ethnic food stores as cultural lifelines for migrant communities in Ireland. What does craving a vegetable like tindli or okra reveal about homesickness, identity, and access?

- The gaps in representation in Irish media:
From token diversity to accent biases, Joanna speaks candidly about the blind spots that persist—and how meaningful representation starts with equity in decision-making.

- Third-culture parenting:
Raising her son as a third-culture child has prompted Joanna to rethink language, cultural conditioning, and the responsibility of curating belonging.

- Accents, bias & reclaiming narrative power:
They dive deep into how colonial mindsets shape accent biases, language fluency, and assumptions in media and social spaces—and why we must consciously decolonise our ears.

- Why stepping away is also leadership:
Joanna reflects on her decision to transition from day-to-day operations of Good Day Cork, a platform she founded, and how it’s blossomed through collective leadership.

- Hopes for future storytellers:
From wearing saris in every space to breaking norms through softness, Joanna shares her hopes for a generation of storytellers who lead with courage, nuance, and care.

This episode is for anyone navigating questions of identity, language, parenthood, inclusion, or simply trying to stay rooted in their values while evolving with grace.

Listen now or watch the full episode. Like, share, and comment if this conversation resonates with you.

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