Immigrantly

Today I’m joined by Amy S Choi and Rebecca Lehrer, co-founders and co-hosts of The Mash-Up American podcast, which features stories and interviews on the things that make us who we are: culture, relationships, and identity. I feel a kindred spirit for these two since Immigrantly bears many similarities. Starting in 2013, The Mash-Up American has been telling stories, from zany ones on ginger being the old-school viagra to thorny topics like sickness & death. Underlying these tales is the commitment to navigating the complexities of what they call “mash-up identity.” The interview is focused on their most recent series on grief. We talk about grief, how we can understand it without over-pathologizing the sentiment, and why it’s both universal and personal. What I loved most about the conversation was that we explored, kept it light, and kept it honest. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn’t qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu &Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome listeners. As some of you may know, our team is taking a much-needed break to rest and recuperate so that we can come back on January 10th, reinvigorated to share some awesome Immigrantly content with all of you. In the meantime, I am sharing a special episode from “Before me”. It is a five-part documentary produced by Self-Evident about journalist Lisa Phu chronicling her mother’s journey from Cambodia to America over the course of decades. Don’t forget to subscribe to them wherever you listen to podcasts. Enjoy! For most of her life, Lisa told a story about how her mom and family first came to the United States. Some of it was right, some of it was wrong; none of it was actually ever told to her by the people who had lived it. After Lisa gave birth to her first child, her mom flew across the country to care for them both. And during that visit, she finally shared the real story with Lisa. About growing up in Cambodia, fleeing genocide by the Khmer Rouge, surviving as a gold dealer in Vietnam, building a home in America while navigating the fallout and traumas of war… and carrying the future of her children throughout the journey. You can listen to Before Me wherever you listen to podcasts. Created, written, and produced by Lisa Phu Edited by Julia Shu Fact checking by Harsha Nahata and Tiffany Bui Sound design by James Boo Additional support from Cathy Erway Original theme music by Avery Stewart Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Audio engineering by Dave Waldron and Timothy Lou Ly Cover art and show name created by Christine Carpenter Audience engagement by Rekha Radhakrishnan Thanks to Ben Kiernan for participating in the research and reporting process Huge thanks and gratitude to Lan Phu “Before Me” is a Self Evident Media production. The show’s Executive Producers are James Boo, Lisa Phu, and Ken Ikeda. This project is also supported in part by the and the City and Borough of Juneau. Thanks to the  for the residency they provided for this project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is nothing Immigrantly loves more than switching up the narrative--and that's why today, we're sharing some controversial opinions, or "hot-takes," about the holiday season. Before we begin 2023, I wanted to get together with Yudi and Michaela from the Immigrantly team to talk about everything from pumpkin spice flavors to Love Actually. And the best part is, we have some hot takes from you all, too--our listeners! How do your opinions compare to ours? Listen to this episode to find out! No matter what holiday you may (or may not) celebrate, we hope this episode inspires some exciting conversations for you, too. Enjoy the holidays, and have a happy New Year! Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does following your passion look like? How many aspiring actresses, dancers, writers, podcasters and artists have been told that their powers won’t make them any money? How many of them stop chasing their creative dreams altogether? Well, my next guest did the very thing that many people would be terrified of doing. Today, I'm interviewing Maya Fuji, a Japanese American artist who dropped out of graduate school to follow her passion for art. Leaving school to do what you love takes guts, which is why I'm so excited to talk to Maya. She's had a pretty amazing journey so far. Maya has held solo exhibitions in two San Francisco art galleries this year alone. The first one was in May at Voss Gallery, and the second opened just recently at Swim Gallery in November. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther and Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My today's guest is Gerson Lanza. Born and raised in Honduras, Gerson is a tap dancer and an educator. He is pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Maryland. And earlier this year, he finished the coveted Strathmore Artist in Residence Program as part of the Class of 2022. Gerson and I spoke about his passion for tap dancing, the less-known history of tap dancing, and how we can make the space more inclusive.   Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther and Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music has been an integral part of my life; from classical and popular music to rock, you will find an entire gamut on my Spotify playlist. Whenever I feel sad or happy, worried or excited, I put on my favorite track to either calm myself down or lift myself. I don’t know about you, but music has this innate quality that allows people to get in touch with their inner and complicated emotions. It's as if various musical scores are synthesizing the hard-to-articulate thoughts into bite-sized, easily digestible nuggets.   Given my music appreciation, one might think that I listen to or at least know more about hip-hop, mainly due to the global influence of hip-hop culture on music styles, fashion, technology, art, entertainment, language, dance, education, politics, media, and more, but unfortunately, I don’t know much. To satiate my thirst for learning, talk about hip-hop, and discuss food and music in general, we have Zainab Hasnain, a DJ, music producer, and writer based in Brooklyn, New York, who previously worked at Spotify. Born in Pakistan and raised in the states, she plays weekly gigs and headlines shows, including recently DJing for actor Riz Ahmed in Brooklyn. She also writes for many music journals and magazines, interviewing up-and-coming artists in NYC’s hip-hop scene and new artists from around the country. She’s been DJing under the moniker ZEEMUFFIN for over ten years. Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan & Ziya Jaffrey I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we harness the power of authentic storytelling to recreate narratives about immigrants? I sat down with Liz Robbins, the director of journalism partnerships at "Define American," to discuss this and other pertinent questions. We also talked about a recent report she co-authored with Sarah E Lowe and Victoria Bouloubasis —“Reimagining Immigrant News: North Carolina’s Case for the Nation.” The information was the outcome of a year-long project in collaboration with the Media Ecosystems Analysis Group and the University of Florida’s Center for Public Interest Communications. The research focused on evaluating the role of news outlets in producing accurate, nuanced portrayals of immigrants and how the stories about immigrants impact public attitudes. In the interview, Liz and I discuss in depth the results of the report, the surprises and learnings, and where we go from here.    Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before turning off your phone for a Thanksgiving digital detox or because the turkey requires your undivided intention, spend a moment with the Immigrantly team and me. Today's episode is on the history of yams and their genetically unrelated, culturally conflated counterpart — sweet potatoes. I'm joined by our content writers, Michaela Strauther and Yudi Liu, as we reflect on the joys and quirks of this holiday while paying heed to the complex history that underlines its traditions, from the facts we tell about this day to the food we eat at the table. Everything is never as simple as it appears, which is very much the case with our society's confusion around yams and sweet potatoes. If it isn't clear already, they are not the same. How so? Listen to find out. After, I hope everyone leans into the things that bring them joy and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu, Michaela Strauther I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that we stumble when we discuss sexuality? It should be a joyous topic rather than one fraught with shame, confusion, and invisibility. Even as we get more shows and movies attempting to tackle stigmas around sexuality and identity, non-white and immigrant communities are often left out of this representation. My today's guest, Dr. Varuna Srinivasan, a sexual health professional, and queer advocate, is switching up the narrative.   She is the founder of Tara Health Media, an online resource for sexual education that emphasizes intersectional and inclusive knowledge. She has also written articles for Parents, Well and Good, Inverse, The Lily, Allure, and Health, where she covers everything from her coming-out journey to anti-racism in sex education.   Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu I Sound Designer & Editor: Manni Simon I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode addresses why voting is not just a right that individuals should exercise; it is also a democratic measure of collective accountability. I sit down with…myself and confront my fears and hopes this election season. While progress is never consistent nor linear, this episode examines how Trump's presidency and the subsequent shifts in the political climate have brought into view existential questions like what it means to be a citizen of this country and what is required to feel like one belongs. Left with more questions than answers, Immigrantly nevertheless wants to encourage everyone who can vote because civil liberties are on the line.  Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan, Yudi Liu, Michaela Strauther I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu I Associate Producer: Kylee Roberts I Sound Designer & Editor: Manni Simon I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices