As an Indian-American growing up in the States and married to a non-Indian, I've realized that unless you're a 1st generation, it's pretty impossible to maintain "the culture" in a way that is inoffensive. Culture morphs with it's people and all we can do is honor the traditions we've learned and use it to gain community and perspective. My children won't look like me, but it's already devastating to think that people will gatekeep their culture just because of it. Sidenote, even before I learned about your heritage, I thought you looked like the bollywood actress Karishma Kapoor, so I wasn't surprised!

Don’t be afraid to celebrate your culture

It was so amazing having Shannon Boodram (and little Ryu) visit us at the studio! We appreciate the connections, knowledge and experiences you offered us, as well as allowing us to reflect on some fun memories! Thanks so much @shanboodram!!

Funny thing is if you go to the Caribbean everyone there will be able to look at you and tell you are mixed with Indian. It’s only in America where you will feel people don’t see you as you are. When people in America think of mixed they only think of black and white. People from the Caribbean know what our demographic looks like. I’m half indo-Caribbean one of my parents is from Trinidad and this definitely resonates. Of course growing up in America I wasn’t Indian enough , and I wasn’t black enough either, sigh.

This is so great and so extremely beautiful in so many ways words cannot describe! The talk about culture, the dancing, your parents, loss of a parent. This is simply a beautiful moment and I'm so glad you did this 😍

“It’s hard to lose your soulmate.” 🥺 incredible interview. Deeply painful, yet your parents had the foresight to train you to be ancestors and now you’re doing the same. ❤️‍🩹

I’m not indo Carribean (I’m Pakistani-indian) but I just wanted to say thank you for this video! It was interesting learning about a different subsection of the diaspora. I also am sorry Shan about the conflicts you’ve felt about cultural participation due to being of mixed heritage. You are part of the community regardless, so screw the shitty people who try to make you feel otherwise

Can you make content on the indo Caribbean on the Indian diaspora to Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries?

As someone who is neither Indian or Caribbean, I still appreciate this conversation.

Not Ryu reminding you she needs potty breaks 😭😭…..but seriously I’m so so proud of you Shan and your growth over the years. I feel like I have watched you blossom in front of my own eyes and it makes me feel so happy to see things come full circle with you carving out your own authentic space to reconnect with pieces of your family history. Im half Trini and I didn’t have the opportunity to grow up with Indo Caribbean culture despite my dad being half Indian. It’s hard to feel we have a right to celebrate the cultures that have shaped us or that maybe we have lost to history. So I’m so glad to see you come out into the light and share precious pieces of that culture with your daughter. Much love as always❤

I love that you brought up this discussion because it seems like many people outside of the Caribbean aren’t even aware of the multiple ethnicities and cultures and races within the Caribbean. My sister is half Indo Caribbean and half black so those experiences are real for people.

Being half Guyanese growing up in the Uk the moving to California I can Relate to this completely. I spent the first half of my life hiding my Guyanese - Indian culture and only recently I’m starting to embrace it. We should not be afraid to celebrate our unique backgrounds.

as a fully ethnically indian person, i take 0 offense to this. it is an honour to be able to embrace your culture, and im so excited personally that you are also of our culture! win for us XD keep learning and remember you deserve to feel a sense of home with indian culture too! ignore the rude things people have to say, they are too narrow minded.

Thank you so much Shan and Premika for this! It’s so powerful to have you claim your Indo-Caribbean culture and continue passing it down. Indo-Caribbean culture is so distinct but it IS Caribbean culture too❤

With respect, you look Indo-Caribbean

OUR PREMIKA LEO! So proud!!!

I’m Indo Fijian, I’m grateful my forefathers chose to live in Fiji 🇫🇯. We have preserved our Indian heritage at the same very Fijian.

This was beautiful. I'm excited for you as you go through the journey into your culture

Thank you for addressing this! My kids grandfather was Chinese via Suriname. They look just white because they look like me but they have the Asian last name. It confuses people. We try to include my husband's families culture in our life but definitely look different than others at the cultural celebrations.

The “cultural appropriation” accusations that y’all get is just a disrespectful form of antiblackness. You are just as Indian as you are Black. Own that however you want.

as a black and indian person, i try my best to keep my culture alive.

Thanks for having me on!❤next time I’m giving you a chart reading

Greetings from yaad (Jamaica). Shan, thank you so much for this video. I deeply connect with so much of these stories and sentiments. Much love and appreciation to everyone.

I'm Nigerian/Indo-Guyanese and have battled with this too! Thank you for this discussion, I'm about to rep my heritage proudly regardless of what ppl say 💜

My dad's family is Indo-Trinidadian so thank you for this!!!

Been waiting for this! Thanks for sharing your heritage with the web

This resonates so deeply as a Haitian/Canadian following your footsteps to be a sexologist. Thank you so much for this conversation ❤🙌🏽

Thank you for making this! I subscribed to your channel after seeing you address the "controversy" around your wedding dress. Really appreciate the visibility and all your content as an indo-guyanese myself!

What a beautiful video, Shan! Maybe my favourite. And your friend is so beautiful, and I thank her for sharing her story and vulnerability. I deeply feel for her loss. As someone also part of the Caribbean culture with Trinidadian heritage, which because of circumstances I only got to know as an adult, knowing your culture is everything. It enriches your life, makes you have a better understanding of what you come from looking back and forward. It's something to be proud of. As a teacher I always encourage my students to embrace that side of themselves and celebrate it. Because of my life experiences being mixed, I'm initially drawn to the idea of the in-betweeness. It is so fascinating the way culture travels, expands and changes.

I just watch you and smile. I’ve been watching your channel since I was 18…I’m 28 now. I remember when you moved to LA(?) and were struggling, didn’t land your dream job, and felt under appreciated for your work. I especially remember a video of you recalling a toxic relationship and the line “it is not my fault that you’re f’d up” stayed with me as I experienced similar pain. Your advice and your story were so helpful for me as a young person navigating dating, sex, and pursuing my dreams. Now I look at you and you’ve authored books, your podcast is thriving, married with children, several television appearances. It’s just so beautiful to watch you continue to flourish.

Beautiful story. This is your culture too and you are honoring it. Thank you for sharing more about this side of yourself. 1st generation Caribbean-Americans are tasked with a unique charge to preserve the culture of their parents. It is wonderful that you are being so intentional about this job. Very relatable. It was so heartwarming to hear from Premika Leo and to learn about the legacy her mother left behind. Premika is carrying on this tradition with grace. Also side note: your wedding dress was lovely and you all look amazing in the Indian dresses. Also, I saw that curry and roti in the beginning which makes me want to stop at my local Guyanese spot right now 😭!

This was so beautiful - thank you for sharing and being vulnerable with your story 🤍

That toddler is Ryu????! Children really grow as quick as a blink.

This was a beautiful.... As well as, I imagine, a very difficult conversation. Thank you for letting us be a part of it 🥰

I really loved this episode. I wish I had the opportunity to take part in my other culture that's not around me as a child like you did Shan. And it's super nice that you are thinking of passing it on to Ryu & Xya, I think it's important. Much love xx

omg i’m so happy you collabed with premika!!!!! ahh this is lovely, i had no idea you grew up with her, i feel like i’ve been following her for ages. the city is happy to have you back shan🫶🏽

Such a beautiful conversation. Wish it was longer. ❤

Thank you for sharing this part of your culture Shannon. Please continue to embrace it and share it with your family even if it’s just privately, I love the idea of more content on this topic, but I also understand that not everything is for the Internet.

Thank you for sharing your culture with us Shan

Love the curiosity + openness through which you approach topics

my prem

Beautiful interview, very well done and appreciated 🙏🏾

Thank you for sharing something so intimately personal. I’m so sorry Ms. Leo passed 😢

Loved thees last two videos. I love all of your videos. It's just the last two hit different.

This was beautiful!!

as a fellow indian girl, I love seeing you embrace this side of your culture!!!

I love this conversation 💕 our experience is very similar to yours ❤️ I’m a Afro Guyanese mama with a mixed son(Tatar Russian husband) We have been on a journey of learning and sharing our cultures with our son.

loved this to bits!

I am indo Caribbean Guyanese and New Orleans creole so I know all about not fitting in lols! Thanks for this❤, 🙏🏾.

I think this was the best interview ever!

This was such a beautiful and important conversation, I love that you want to get your girls exposed to the culture while still staying true to your values. As a first generation American, I truly appreciate being exposed to my culture from a young age. Your girls will truly appreciate the exposure and conversations ❤

Wow! As an Indian who knew nothing about this subject, I am fascinated by your conversation. Somehow, extremely proud of you all.

This was so beautiful. I feel for her. There is something core shaking about losing your mom. It is also amazing how much they of an impact we all have on one another. 💕

Ooh thank you for posting this

Thank you so much for this! I am mixed (white, Japanese, Inuit*Greenlandic* and native American) I was raised outside my culture by white "parents" (my mixed parents passed away when I was very young) IV been really struggling with this lately. Thank you for posting your journey! Qujanarussuaq!( Thank you very much!)

I didn’t know what your cultural background was but now that you’ve said it, I can see them all in your features. Loved this vid. We should be able to respectfully embrace ALL OF OURSELVES not only in the ways all these systems and -isms have us believe we must based on phenotype.

As a Canadian born desi, who's family is from East Africa, thing one thing i noticed is quite simple. When your any kind if desi living outside of your native land, every other desi there is one of us. Caribbean, East African, North American, etc. We all see each other as one and the same. ps. you both look Indian AF fyi lol.

Beautiful work, Shan. ❤

This is beautiful Shan!😍

This is such an important conversation and I commend both of you for sitting down and talking about it! We have such a beautiful and rich culture so much to celebrate and carry on with future generations! 👏🏽💞

I so agree. I have little girl and little boy and my parents are Jamaican and where I live I don't really participate in a lot of the Caribbean things. And then my husband is Bahamian and Cuban and even though we cook food sometimes and his mom speaks Spanish in the house. But we still don't get to live in the culture like I used to when I lived in Florida

Thank you so much m for sharing Shan ❤

Very sweet and heartwarming video

Shan your videos have made me tear up today... Thank you both for sharing. Blessings and love to you guys 🩷

Loved this ❤

Really loved this episode.

I'm half white & Thai and struggle to represent my Thai heritage because I haven't been connected to Thai culture since I was a kid and I look more white than Thai so I can understand some of your struggle. But I have been wanting to get back in touch with it more lately and this may be the push I need ✨

Bring some indie Caribbean vibes to Maryland!!! Love this episode ❤

This was Wonderful, Shan! Sharing yourself fully with your daughters so they know who you and they are ,on your Dad's side, is a gift that is a Blessing for Life!! You and they are Beautiful!!! ❤️❤️❤️And your friend, Premika, is so Awesome for her openness ❣️👋🏾 Hey Jared

Beautiful❤ absolutely beautiful. Thank you for this shan ❤

Ryu has gotten so big 🤩

Thank you for this video Shan, and sharing your journey with holding on to the important aspects of culture and how you want to pass that to your daughters. 💛

THANK YOU for this Shan!!! Omg I got so emotional because I have had these same sentiments of not fitting the mould since i was a kid, I'm now 25. Feeling like if I do engage people will think I'm appropriating especially outside of Jamaica because as you guys said in the video their is a sharing of culture and everyone is aware of who's mixed with what even if you don't "look it". I also live in Alberta so I don't have an Indo-Caribbean community I can lean on or access. I hope I can grow the courage to just wear my saree if I wish and go about my business. Much Love

This was beautiful. Appreciation of ones culture (whether your own or others) goes a long way. I believe that is the gift of living interculturally✨️

I’m indo Fijian and I’m just so happy someone is talking about this

So glad you’re talking about this! I feel like a lot of Indians from India that move to the UK have no idea about Caribbean Indians and they almost bully those people for saying they are Indo-Caribbean they can’t understand whereas everyone understands that black Caribbeans have African heritage with their Caribbean culture which is similar but still different to African culture.

Not Indian, am distantly Caribbean but I identify and was mostly raised as a Black/African American. Appreciate the video ❤ I love learning about other peoples cultures and grew up around so many cultures(east coast of the us). As the world becomes more blended I hope people can still be able to hold onto distinct aspects of their cultures; that can only happen if we get rid of this idea of what people from certain cultures are supposed to look like. Otherwise people will continue to mix, and the gate keeping people do will eventually kill off cultures.

I relate to this so much. It is hard to lose your soulmate 🙏🏾

How come I am not seeing this. Love you guys!

As an indo-caribean woman...thank you for this

I felt that in my heart when she mentioned how hard it was to lose her soulmate (her mom). Her reverence and love for her mother is so beautiful. May her mommy rest in peace and her memory continue to inspire people for generations to come. Thanks for sharing this episode, Shan. I just love listening to your perspective on topics even if they don’t directly apply to me. You’re doing great work!

I loved this, coulda watched hours

Beautiful, my grandfather was West Indian Bajan to be exact, but never knew I was part East Indian until a 23 and me. Now I want to know more. I feel like it explains so much.

we love Toronto Shan and her content. RIP Greta

I didn’t watch the video yet but you definitely look Indo-Caribbean to me!

Had no idea you were Dominican 🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲 love it.

be unapologetically mixed. I tell mixed people biracial people to not feel pulled by outsiders who use your mixe heritage to advance their personal cause. I am not mixed, but being mixed of particular cultures are these unique people and it's okay

I'm a Jamaican girl, Black and Indian ancestry (technically Indo-Caribbean, I guess) and I've been having this same conversation with myself when it comes to me and my daughter. Internally I feel so proud of that (and every) part of my heritage. But listening to people (both Indian and white) talk about Indian culture and people makes me feel so weird and sad about wanting to participate in it.

I like this not your usual content but more relatable to me as a Haitian American my Kids are officially first generation

I love this. As a long time viewer I love how apologetic you have been in embracing your identity

I love this conversation as a multicultural woman myself, not through biological heritage, but through cultural upbringing. I was born in Germany, raised during my most formative years in Hawaii - but I have a Dad from Jamaica Queens, NY & a southern SC/GA Mom lol. & I’m Black, racially & ethnically. I never really fit in to any of these cultures, but all of them are a big part of who I am. It’s known as being at “TCK” Third Culture Kid. It can be a lot…. & now I’ve married a first generation Mexican American man. & I too think about how will this impact our future children. 😅 I feel you, Shan! 🤍

I am also Indo Caribbean. I don’t know much about my culture because a lot of it was not passed on. I’m on a journey /quest to learn about this side of me. My family is from Belize and we are the entire 3% East Indian population of Belize. You Shan, are the first person I’ve fake met lol that I can identify with. I do not fit in visually with my Indian roots but my Mother and maternal Aunts and Uncles are all 100% Indian descent. I feel a bit uncomfortable embracing this side of me because I don’t look Indian and my hair is curly like yours but you give me hope and courage to walk in my truth. Thank you for sharing yours ❤

OFF TOPIC: You look IDENTICAL to Lauren with straight hair.

🥺 This is so sad that the way people feel they aren’t excepted & they don’t wanna be alive anymore.

We need lovers and friends hoodies Shan. Drop the link please.😊

Love it

Just wanted to say thank you for this. I’m going to be honest, I’m Indian-Canadian and I’ve grown up with Indo-Caribbean friends but for some reason never connected with them on the deeper side when I was younger because I just grouped them with South Asians. I grew older saw the differences and then just grouped them as different. I’ve recently started looking at them deeper when I tried doubles for the first time lol and then I started researching their food, my dad loves Guyana despite being Indian from South Asia and he used to always get me my favourite chicken roti and I just can’t believe how much culture I missed out on learning from friends! Also If you read this I have to mention, my dad’s Muslim and in Islam there’s some type of saying where God blesses the parents who deserve heaven with daughters. Your first born being a daughter guarantees you heaven, your second a higher level and if there’s a third in a row God really really loves you :) I’ve only seen strong women have multiple daughters in a row you’re definitely one of them and thank you for always helping guide me to self love 🩵🙏🏼 Appreciate you and thankful for you 🤍

Culture is skin deep. Own whatever makes you free

I am Surinamese Dutch, but from my dad side supposedly there is some Indian via British Guyana. My mom is mixed with Chinese and Indonesian. But as a child I looked fully Indian and had many Indian Carribean and Pakistani friends. And at Indian weddings nobody blinked an eye. I treat people culturally the way they tell me that they culturally identify themselves. I tell people I am Blasian because I was culturally raised that way, the end.

I love this episode! Might be my favorite, this coming from a New Yorker whose family comes from Guyana. Living in America I’ve learned early that it’s not about fitting in. Screw fitting it. I am who i am. I come from the family that I come from. Whoever doesn’t like it, oh well.