A Tongan father and son talk about bisexuality and being a good dad

“I don’t really fit in in the queer community and I don’t really fit in in the straight world. I think that peoples’ position on bisexuality is that you have a choice and it still feels that way. But you can’t help who you fall in love with. You can’t help that fact and that’s what you don’t choose.” 

Both Mahe and his dad Tui were raised by their Tongan grandmothers. In the last episode of the series, father and son discuss namesakes, queerness, and parenting through fear and uncertainty.

Conversations With My Immigrant Parents is a podcast and docu-series where immigrant whānau have conversations they normally wouldn't, crossing barriers of language, generation, and expectation.

Co-hosts Saraid de Silva and Julie Zhu travelled Aotearoa meeting families from different immigrant backgrounds, sitting in as they spoke to each other about love, loss, what home means to them, and where home really is.

Full podcast episodes available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms.

Made with the support of NZ On Air.

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