Yumi Stynes: Shapes and Sounds Interview #3

Now more than ever, we, the Asian Australian community need to remember that there always have been and will always continue to be, Asian Australians doing amazing things and being recognised for their work. Yumi Stynes is one of those people.

I’d say that Yumi was probably the first “cool” Asian person that I’d ever seen on TV (remember those Channel V days?!) This is important to recognise as representation doesn’t just concern the number of coloured faces on TV, but true representation in the media needs to portray the broad range of personalities and narratives that exist in people who are not white.

In more recent times, I’ve loved how Yumi stands up for her beliefs and calls out people’s ignorance without apology. When people do this, it’s not just for their own benefit (in fact, I’d say she’s copped a lot of backlash), but instead they’re creating stronger platforms and more opportunities for all Asian Australians to speak their truth. and for that, I am extremely grateful.

So, please enjoy reading Yumi’s interview and make sure you follow this up by checking out her cookbooks and podcast which are all linked at the bottom of the page.

1. Could you please tell us your name, age and what it is that you do?

Yumi Stynes
Age: Inscrutable Asian woman age
Job: Author and Broadcaster

2. What do you do to take care of your mental health and wellbeing?

After the births of my second and fourth children, I needed to take anti-depressants to help me get out of a trough of miserable feelings.  The first time I did this was 15 years ago and I felt really nervous and fraudulent to ask my doctor for medication!  A lot has changed since then and public conversations around mental health have opened up.  What's interesting for Asian Australians is that the attitudes of our parents and elders may not necessarily have kept up!  So they can be clinging to the old taboos that the rest of us have shrugged off - possibly making them less supportive than we would like!

For my wellbeing I have a lot of lifestyle measures that I practise every day.  For instance, every day I exercise with great enthusiasm, getting my heart rate up into the red zone and sweating and completely allowing my mind to be empty of all other concerns.  For a long time this sort of "self-care" seemed a lot more like "self-indulgence" but I've parked that feeling and am quite militant about getting this daily ME time.  It makes a HUGE difference to my moods and to just how I feel inhabiting my body.  I also quit alcohol completely and am really in love with eating vegetables, green salads, healthy oils.  And cake.  I have a rule about food - which is - FILL UP on healthy, delicious food, and then if I feel like junk or trash, I totally eat whatever the f*ck I want.  

3. Can you think of one example that demonstrates how growing up Asian in Australia has impacted you?

I can think of a THOUSAND examples of how growing up Asian in Australia has impacted me - some positive, some negative.  For the most part, I have a real pride in my mother's culture and I feel extremely privileged that her culture hasn't been erased and can still be accessed by me and others like me.  I hope that growing up Asian has humbled me to the vastness of other cultures that I can continue to learn from, celebrate and honour.  Growing up Asian has frustratingly meant that I have never been seen as "mainstream" and maybe never will.

Yumi’s books: 
The Zero Fucks Cookbook
Zero Fucks Endless Summer
Welcome to Your Period

Podcast:
Ladies, we need to talk

Radio:
The 3pm pickup on KiiS FM

And you can follow Yumi online at:
Twitter: @yumichild
Instagram: @yumichild
Facebook: /Zerofuckscookbook