AMERIKINIZED

Rudy Salo is a man of many identities, with one being a first-generation Arab American who grew up in Orange County, CA in the era of the First Gulf War. He shares his experience of living in this anti-Arab climate and his evolution of taking pride in his Arab American heritage. Rudy also speaks on the significance of Arab American representation in the media as he grew up with "no Arab Americ...

Thu Nguyen is a proud Vietnamese refugee who immigrated to the United States with their family at one year old. Thu is also a youth worker and the first non-binary candidate for Worcester City Council At-Large. Thu sees the need and fulfills it with passion and dedication to their community. In this episode, we discuss community and the power we all hold to make an impact. Thu shares experiences f...

Amanda Rodriguez is a mental health advocate and enthusiast amongst many other roles including being a mother and an occupational therapist. From an occupational therapy lens, Amanda and Roslyn discuss mental health, sensory processing, trauma-informed care, the ACEs study, and their experiences working with youth in mental health settings.    Music produced by Stbrn Sal  

In Volume II of Black Voices Heard, we explore the theme of Black Excellence as a way to redefine Black History Month. You will hear voicemails from black voices sharing on their black excellence, black-owned businesses, as well as non-black voices acknowledging and celebrating the black people in their lives.    Black-owned businesses featured in this episode to check out: The Ologist Tafah Oil  ...

Phil Holland is a father, first gen American, and survivor of police brutality. In part 2, he shares his journey of healing through therapy, future messages to his daughter, and discussions on race in America. Phil hopes to bring social awareness and change on the issue of police violence after witnessing years of the accumulated police brutality acts and having survived one.  Content warning: pol...

Phil Holland is a father and a first gen American from Ivory Coast. He shares his miracle of a story as a survivor of a violent police brutality act from 2014 in hopes of bringing social awareness and change after witnessing years of the accumulated police brutality acts and having survived one.  Content warning: police violence and brutality     Music produced by Stbrn Sal

Mike Hanson, a first-generation Trinidadian-American, is a songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer based in Western Massachusetts under the intentional name “Father Hotep”. He recently released his new album, Emancipation on SoundCloud. This album explores Mike’s evolution in defining and redefining the black in America identity for himself. Emancipation is the final album in the...

Warning: this episode contains sensitive content surrounding racial violence that may be triggering and not suitable for some listeners.  This episode was recorded with Peace, a passionate writer from Nigeria who now resides in Canada. Full of passion and truth, Peace shares her poem on police brutality entitled, "Wake Keeping (A Chant for Black Life)". She also speaks on her inspirations...

Happy Holidays! The holiday season can be a unique time for the first and second-generation American kin. Christmas traditions often become lost, learned, and rediscovered with the occurrence of cultural exchanges in "melting pot" societies and countries such as America.   In this short episode excerpt from "More Minorities in Medicine", Heather speaks on her unique holiday experie...

Jennefer is the first in her Haitian family to be born in America. She shares her perspective surrounding the duality of the pride and resentment she experiences as a first-generation American. Pride, coming from the lessons of hard work, independence, and resilience, but resentment from being the first and having to navigate cultural norms and experiences on her own and for her family.      Music...

All Black voices always need to be heard regardless of where they come from. In this special voicemail episode, you will hear a compilation of Black voices speaking on the complexities of being Black in America. These voicemails include topics on "the struggle", racism, and Black joy.   To be featured in the next volume of Black Voices Heard, call 508-505-4155 to leave your voicemail - sha...

African parents are many things. They are dramatic, comedic, and confusing to the point that they have even become a meme! Young adults who have African parents share their stories and lived experiences growing up in an African household in the US. In this episode, ChiChi, Nicky, Hilary, Cathy, Junior, Kinsey, and Roslyn discuss a range of topics on the influence of their African parents from disc...

Have you ever felt embarrassed by your family's ethnic background and culture? If you answered yes, you are not alone! This is a common theme among American-born children of African immigrants. In this episode, Roslyn reflects on her childhood experiences of distancing herself from her African roots and identity in an attempt to fulfill her desires of belonging to the American culture surround...