

Immigrantly
Saadia Khan | Immigrantly Media
Join Saadia Khan on Immigrantly, the award-winning podcast that dives deep into immigrant narratives and the messy beauty of identity, race, and belonging in America today. Each week, Saadia, a human rights activist, social entrepreneur, and proud cat mom, hosts unfiltered conversations with diverse voices: artists, academics, cultural disruptors, and everyday people with extraordinary cultural stories.At Immigrantly, we go beyond surface-level diversity to explore how culture, immigration, and inclusion shape real lives. We believe identity is powerful, but when unchecked, it can become an ego trap. That’s why every episode unpacks the nuance, humor, and contradictions of what it means to belong.Inclusive storytelling. Immigrant perspectives. Real talk—never flattened.To join this fun, thoughtful, and inclusive community, subscribe!
Producer & Host: Saadia Khan
Editorial Review: Shei Yu
Content Writers: Michaela Strauther, Bobak Afshari, Rainier Harris, Adiba Hussain & Saadia Khan
Sound Design & Content Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid, Paroma Chakravarty, Steve Martin, Lou Raskin
Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson
Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Follow us on IG @immigrantlypodsTwitter @Immigrantly_podTikTok @ImmigrantlyYouTube: @immigrantlypodsSubscribe to our PatreonImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media production.For advertising inquiries, please email at info@immigrantlypod.com
Producer & Host: Saadia Khan
Editorial Review: Shei Yu
Content Writers: Michaela Strauther, Bobak Afshari, Rainier Harris, Adiba Hussain & Saadia Khan
Sound Design & Content Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid, Paroma Chakravarty, Steve Martin, Lou Raskin
Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson
Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Follow us on IG @immigrantlypodsTwitter @Immigrantly_podTikTok @ImmigrantlyYouTube: @immigrantlypodsSubscribe to our PatreonImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media production.For advertising inquiries, please email at info@immigrantlypod.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 20, 2025 • 49min
So Many Stars, So Many Ways to Be Free
Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter Hyphenly; it's our no-fluff love letter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes! Link below
https://immigrantlys-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe
What does it mean to belong when your identity defies borders, binaries, and expectations? In this powerful episode, Uruguayan American author and cultural force Caro De Robertis joins host Saadia Khan to explore the deeply personal and political stories behind ‘So Many Stars’’, an oral history honoring queer and trans elders of color. Caro reflects on estrangement, resilience, chosen family, and the defiant joy that shapes queer immigrant narratives. From growing up across continents to reclaiming identity through storytelling, this conversation is a radiant celebration of memory, voice, and liberation.
Whether you're a parent, activist, or storyteller, Caro’s insights will move you to think differently about history, identity, and the power of being seen.
Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can find more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!
You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan
Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com
Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Immigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.
For advertising inquiries, contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com
Don't forget to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 13, 2025 • 53min
Two Passports and A Punchline
Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter Hyphenly; it's our no-fluff love letter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes! Link below
https://immigrantlys-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe
This week on Immigrantly, Saadia KhanI sits down with the brilliant and hilarious Derek Mitchell. He is a comedian, actor, and creator of @letsdoubledutch. Derek’s lived all over Chicago, Amsterdam, and London, and he’s bringing his globally inspired comedy back to the U.S. for the first time.
They talk about everything from learning to belong in a new country, navigating Dutch bluntness, the fine line between cultural cringe and comedy gold, and, most importantly, feeling “at home” in multiple places.
Oh, and yes, they get into why Dutch people have flawless American accents.
Derek’s hitting New York, LA, and Chicago on his first-ever U.S. comedy tour—get your tickets here: https://linktr.ee/letsdoubledutch.
It’s sharp, funny, deeply human. Don’t miss this one!
Want in on our upcoming podcast club? DM us @immigrantlypods on IG!
Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!
You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan
Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com
Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Immigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.
For advertising inquiries, contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com
Don't forget to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 2025 • 50min
Autopsies, Fame, and Scandal: Inside the Life of Thomas Noguchi
What happens when a Japanese immigrant becomes Hollywood’s most powerful and controversial coroner? In this gripping conversation, Saadia sits down with historian and author Anne Soon Choi to unpack the life of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, LA’s former Chief Medical Examiner and the man behind some of the most infamous autopsies in American history—Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, and Natalie Wood, to name a few.
But this story isn’t just about celebrity deaths. It’s about race, politics, media spectacle, and how one immigrant used science and savvy to claim space in a system never built for him. We also explore society’s obsession with true crime, the moral questions it raises, and what happens when immigrants are erased from even the stories they shaped.
If you’re into true crime, history, or immigrant narratives or want to know why Frank Sinatra once wrote a scathing letter to defend a celebrity’s corpse—this one’s for you.
Want in on our upcoming podcast club? DM us @immigrantlypods on IG!
Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!
You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan
Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com
Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Immigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.
For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com
Don't forget to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 29, 2025 • 42min
Redefining Home: The Journey Back to Mexico (August 2024)
Subscribe to Hyphenly, our latest newsletter, for a chance to win a gift card : https://immigrantlys-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe
While host Saadia Khan recovers from laryngitis, Immigrantly brings back a standout episode from August 2024 featuring journalists Antonia Cerejido and Lorena Ríos.
Originally recorded in the lead-up to the 2024 elections, this conversation explores politics, identity, and the storytelling power that shapes public discourse. Though some references to candidates and timelines reflect the moment, the themes remain strikingly relevant today.
With a fresh perspective, this rerun reveals how clearly these two saw the road ahead.
It is a must-listen for anyone reflecting on how far we’ve come and where we might be headed.
Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!
You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com
Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid & Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Immigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.
For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com
Don't forget to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 22, 2025 • 52min
The Stories We Whisper, The Sounds We Miss
What does it mean to lean into your culture while living in a place that flattens it? In this richly textured episode, Saadia Khan sits down with Sudanese-American journalist and host of The Stoop, Hana Baba, for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, diaspora, and the soundscapes of belonging. From the cacophony of Sudanese weddings to the quiet codes of immigrant survival in the U.S., Hana explores the power of folk tales, scent, and sound as tools of cultural preservation and personal healing. The conversation unpacks the dangers of single narratives, the burden of "positive" stereotypes, and why leaning into your roots, even privately, is an act of resistance.Whether you're a second-generation parent navigating inherited memory or a first-generation parent trying to keep your kids connected to something more profound, this episode offers a poignant, funny, and fiercely honest meditation on who gets to tell the story and how. We invite you to join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. For more information, visit http://immigrantlypod.com. Please share thelove and leave us a review on ApplePodcasts & Spotifyto help more people find us! You can connectwith Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei YuI Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: SimonHutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound Special Shoutout to Hana Baba for sharing the original Sudanese tracks created by the following artists:1. Jamal Intro Music Full - credit Mohamed Jamal2. Ramy Intro Theme - credit Ramy Elbaghir3. Sudan Oud - credit Khalid Elmahi Immigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertisinginquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. You can also follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 15, 2025 • 46min
Speaking Imperfectly, Belonging Fully
Do you speak more than one language—but feel truly fluent in none? You’re not alone. In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Saadia Khan is joined by Angela Lin, founder of Real You Mandarin, to explore how language shapes our identities, relationships, and sense of belonging. Angela, a Taiwanese American polyglot, believes language learning should center on cultural connection—not grammatical perfection.We unpack what it means to “feel” fluent, how multilinguals navigate identity through code-switching, and why speaking imperfectly can still be powerful. Angela shares how her platform is changing the game for Mandarin learners who want to express themselves authentically—not just pass a language test.If you've ever lived between languages or felt like your voice changes depending on the one you speak, this conversation will hit home. Bonus: Angela is offering Immigrantly listeners an exclusive 10% discount on all Real You Mandarin courses with code immigrantly10.Learn more: www.realyoumandarin.comWe invite you to join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. For more information, visit http://immigrantlypod.com.Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.comHost & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic SoundImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.comRemember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. You can also follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 8, 2025 • 43min
From Spinning Beats to Saving Earth (May 2024)
April is Earth Month — a time to reflect on the state of our planet, address urgent environmental issues, strategize action, and hold ourselves and others accountable. In that spirit, we’re bringing back an essential conversation from the Immigrantly vault.This episode with futurist and climate optimist Amer Jandali originally aired on May 28, 2024. Some references may sound a bit dated, but the message is as fresh and relevant as ever.Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.comHost & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan & Bobak Afshari I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic SoundImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 1, 2025 • 53min
Designed to Exclude: How Policy Shaped the Fate of Mexican Immigrants in Texas
What if the barriers to success weren’t personal but structural, intentional, and decades in the making?In this episode of Immigrantly, host Saadia Khan sits down with demographers Jennifer Hook and James Bachmeier, authors of a groundbreaking new book, Texas-Style Exclusion: Mexican Americans and the Legacy of Limited Opportunity, that traces how Mexican immigrant families in Texas were systematically excluded from public education and opportunity throughout the 20th century—and how those policies still resonate today.We unpack why Texas created systems to exploit labor while blocking social mobility, how educational inequality was baked into policy, not culture, what comparing Mexican and European immigrant outcomes means, and the quiet generational cost of being born in the wrong place with the wrong identity. This conversation reframes the myth of meritocracy and compels us to confront the uncomfortable truth: success in America has always depended on who you are, where you’re from, and what you are allowed to access.We invite you to join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. For more information, visit http://immigrantlypod.com.Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.comHost & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic SoundImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.comRemember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. You can also follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 25, 2025 • 43min
Too Foreign for Home, Too Foreign for Here
Identity isn’t always a box you check; it’s a journey. In this episode of Immigrantly, host Saadia Khan sits down with Beatriz Nour, the creator of Inbetweenish, a podcast that unpacks the complexities of belonging across cultures, languages, and traditions. Beatriz shares her personal story of navigating three cultures, four languages, and two religions, reflecting on the struggles and privileges of being in between.From growing up as a minority in Egypt to questioning her Arab identity and redefining what home truly means, Beatriz challenges the idea of fixed identities and explores what we gain when we embrace fluidity. Plus, they discuss code-switching, immigrant nostalgia, and the biases we inherit and how to unlearn them.What does it mean to belong? Are we all living in cultural contradictions? And can we ever feel at home anywhere?Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about identity, migration, and the universal search for belonging.Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!We invite you to join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. For more information, visit http://immigrantlypod.com.Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.comHost & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic SoundImmigrantly podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at info@immigrantlypod.comRemember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. You can also follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 snips
Mar 18, 2025 • 46min
Writing Like Nobody’s Watching
Nayantara Roy, a writer and television executive known for her novels, including The Magnificent Ruins, joins for a rich discussion on identity and storytelling. She dives into the power of cultural memory, the intricacies of code-switching, and how her diverse background informs her writing. Nayantara highlights the fluid nature of happiness, the joy in language, and the emotional weight of representation. The conversation also touches on the complexities of feeling like an outsider and the importance of authentic cultural narratives.