By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
Season
1
:
Episode
8

Who Do You Think You're Talking To?

Who Do You Think You're Talking To?
Race and Power
December 17, 2021

Our voices are powerful tools. We can speak loudly or softly, with urgency or calm. We can make requests or issue commands. Whenever and however we speak, we reveal the way we see the world. But, it’s not just the words we use that people interpret, it’s the way we sound. Our accents, our cadence tells people something about where we’re from in terms of location and group memberships. But how we speak and the way we are heard says a lot about race and power. This time on Know What You See, Brian’s two guests have thought a lot about how language and accents affect society as well as their own personal lives: Kelly E. Wright, a sociolinguist specializing in linguistic discrimination and its institutional outcomes, plus comedian Bernice Ye, a comedian, writer, and dancer originally from China who tells of her experiences as an immigrant in her standup.

Brian Lowery

A Photo of Brian Lowery

Brian Lowery is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and a social psychologist by training. He received his doctorate from UCLA in 2001 with a minor in statistical methods.

Bernice Ye

Bernice Ye

Comedian, Writer and Dancer
Bernice Ye

Once a clueless immigrant, now an entitled American. Seattle-based comedian Bernice Ye came to Indiana from China by herself at the age of 21.

Kelly Wright

Kelly Wright

Sociolinguist

Kelly Elizabeth Wright (She/Her) is an experimental sociolinguist specializing in linguistic discrimination and its institutional outcomes.

No items found.
No items found.
Featured

Guests

Recent

Episodes

Loud and Proud in Business and BDSM with Kim Pham
Podcast
October 6, 2026

Loud and Proud in Business and BDSM with Kim Pham

Omsom co-founder Kim Pham on shame, self-discovery, and the risks and rewards of living openly on your own terms.

Changing the Game with Benjamin Patch
Podcast
September 22, 2026

Changing the Game with Benjamin Patch

Former pro volleyball player Benjamin Patch reflects on leaving the sport and entering the creative world.

The Things the Scale Can’t Measure
Podcast
September 8, 2026

The Things the Scale Can’t Measure

Writer Brianne Cail joins Brian to discuss how GLP-1 medications changed the way the world treated her.

The Art of Kintsugi Ceramics: Naoko Fukumaru on Making What’s Broken Beautiful
Podcast
April 1, 2025

The Art of Kintsugi Ceramics: Naoko Fukumaru on Making What’s Broken Beautiful

In this episode, artist Naoko Fukumaru shares her deeply personal story of transformation through kintsugi.

From Medieval Love Songs to Modern Hip-Hop: Marisa Galvez on the Power of Poetry
Podcast
March 18, 2025

From Medieval Love Songs to Modern Hip-Hop: Marisa Galvez on the Power of Poetry

Stanford professor of French and Italian, Marisa Galvez joins Brian Lowery to explore poetry.