The Newcomers Podcast 🎙️ E81: Sindhu Mahadevan thinks the immigrant journey carries a weighty emotional burden
To celebrate #IWD2025, The Newcomers Podcast will be publishing daily episodes between March 2nd - 8th celebrating a female immigrant. Come celebrate with us as we tell the stories of some of the many amazing immigrant heroines.
Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.
For our sixth #IWD2025 episode, I'm speaking with Sindhu Mahadevan, Quality Assurance Team Lead, Vital Bio, and creator of This Immigrant Life newsletter.
Sindhu moved from India to to the United States as an international student. After nine years in Uncle Sam's country, she moved to Canada as a permanent resident.
The immigration journey comes with an interesting emotional burden that shapes how an immigrant engages with their everyday life. And for individuals on a temporary status, the uncertainty often has them in a state of existential anxiety:
* Will I get kicked out if I lose my job?
* How do I go on PTO even though I am feeling burnt out?
In her words, “Canada was where I truly felt at home. People will say immigration is just paperwork, you shouldn't let it define you...I think it sounds good for the movies, but it makes a huge difference what that scrap of paper says.”
In this conversation, Sindhu and I chat about the differences between the immigration systems of Canada and the United States. We also explore:
* The renegotiation of identity that comes with being an immigrant
* Her relationship with borders
* Finding belonging in Canada
* How to approach Canadian immigration in 2025,
* Plus a vetted list of immigration experts you can follow on LinkedIn.
Official Links
👋🏽 Follow Sindhu on LinkedIn
👉🏽 Sign up for Sindhu’s This Immigrant Life newsletter
📰 Read about Sindhu’s story on CBC Canada
🗣️ Follow Sindhu’s vetted list of immigrant experts:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com