Banterly

Saadia sits down with recurring guest, Saira Rao and her publisher, Jessica Regel, for a very real conversation on the state of social justice issues. To put it simply: No, things have not gotten better. They break down the culture of (white) liberal complicity that comes from having a Democratic president. They discuss whether the term "diversity" has become a meaningless word and explore the dyn...

Shahjehan Khan is a voice-over artist, actor, musician & podcaster. He is currently the host of the podcast, a seven-part podcast series about American-Muslim life post-9/11.  Special thanks to Noorjehan Khan for the episode title. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com Producer & Host: Saadia Khan Associate Producer & Content Editor: Kylee Roberts Content writer: Aleeza Kazmi Editor:...

Our today's guest  is an actor, writer, and singer.  He recently landed a significant role in the upcoming Netflix series as the anti-hero, Hunter Rose. This opportunity is historic because he is the first Arab Muslim actor to lead in a comic book adaptation. We talked about what this casting means for him, how he has navigated the world of acting, the contradictions in media and theater, & wh...

Jamie Broadnax is the founder of an online community, , which she created in 2012 for self-identifying women nerds of color. Since then, Black Girl Nerds has transformed into a multimedia platform and podcast dedicated to changing the narrative around geek culture for people of color.  We talked about exciting matters such as the perception and reality of nerd culture and how the Bechdel test can...

Hari Kondobalu is our guest today. He is a comedian, writer, podcaster, & filmmaker who is best known for his outspoken 2017 documentary which calls out "The Simpsons" for its controversial portrayal of Indians in its character Apu.  This episode is brought to you by Stamps.com Producer & Host: Saadia Khan Content Editor: Kylee Roberts Content write: Yudi Liu  Editor: Tom Whelan Follow us...

Today, on Immigrantly, we speak with Dharon E. Jones. He is a highly talented musical theatre performer from Brooklyn who played Riff in West Side Story. Jones is also a multifaceted artist, performer, and content creator. His resume includes walking NY Fashion Week, performing beautiful choreography in music videos, and appearing in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” While his resume is quite impressiv...

Our guest today is Anna Qu. She writes to make sense of cultural diasporas and the immigrant experience, including her own. Anna grew up in New York, earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College, & currently resides in Brooklyn. Her work, which has appeared in publications like Poets & Writers and Jezebel, recasts the narratives ascribed to immigrants with honesty and...

In Season 12 of Immigrantly, we explore the narratives that haven’t been widely covered across media. Why are we still coming up short in telling fully inclusive stories? Is it time to pivot away from mighty media giants and start making our own stories? What does representation look like in an increasingly digital age?  These are some of the questions we hope to tackle in Season 12. We have an ex...

Today's guest is Professor Josef Sorett. He is an expert in Religious and African American studies at Columbia University. We talked about the boundaries between secular and sacred, how religion has influenced Black culture from hip hop music to social movements, and why returning to the junctions of religion and culture can be a source of reconciliation and investment in what is common. This epis...

Marla Louissaint, whose performance credentials include “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr, Rosewater” sits down with host and producer Saadia, along with Marla's longtime friend & Immigrantly associate producer, Kylee, to reflect on the road to becoming an ex-Jehovah’s Witness and the Founder/President of an abolitionist nonprofit called "Claim Our Spa...

This week on Immigrantly, we explore the relationship between the environment and religion through a physical vessel that is the Church of Holy Communion on West 20th & 6th Ave New York. The episode reviews the Churches many past lives, including a fitness center and an elite nightclub. Through this historical-social lens, Immigrantly is asking the questions we all have considered: what is a r...

Today's guest Nouri Sardar is a Muslim poet, filmmaker, & co-host of the 786 Boulevard podcast. However, he stands as a change agent at the intersection of religion and social justice at a more fundamental level.  This episode is sponsored by Citizenpath. Go to citizenpath.com and use coupon code "Immigrantly" to get 15% off. This episode is sponsored by Db. Click on the link below to get 10%o...

Our today's guest is Faisal Devji. Faisal is a historian who specializes in studies of Islam, globalization, violence, and ethics. He is a professor at St. Antony’s College at the University of Oxford. His multidisciplinary work grounds empirical historical issues in philosophical questions. Some of his published work includes "Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity," which explor...

Mira Sethi is an actor and a writer. Sethi has worked as a books editor at The Wall Street Journal. She has written op-eds for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. She regularly appears in mainstream Pakistani drama series on television. Her debut book, ," is a collection of short stories in Pakistan. This episode is sponsored by Citizenpath. Go to citizenpath.com and use...

In partnership with Indiana University's "Muslim Voices Project," the Immigrantly team explores the relationship between spirituality and mental health. One of the writers, Sarah, sat down with two practicing Muslims from very different backgrounds to tackle the question of "What role does God play in your mental health?" The professional opinion of Jabir Tarin complements these conversations. Jab...

Arij Mikati is the Managing Director of Leadership & Culture at the Pillars Fund. She works on creating & supporting opportunities that advance storytelling & cultural change work. For example, the Pillars Fund teamed up with  and the Ford Foundation to create fellowships for Muslim storytellers. Arij’s work and its impact are felt in antiracism, coalition building, and solidarity acti...

Today, we are speaking with the founder of South Bronx Mutual Aid, Ariadna Phillips. Ariadna is a bilingual educator and a seasoned community organizer based in the Bronx, NY. South Bronx Mutual Aid serves the Bronx autonomous free fridge community. The episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Special offer for Immigrantly listeners, get 10% off your first month at The episode is also sponsored by Citi...

Season 11 premiers as we begin our exploration of spirituality & religion in the modern world. Today we unpack Christianity. As the long-standing dominant religion, it’s impossible to deny the Christian influences on American culture. Kathy Khang gives a progressive take on Christianity. Kathy is a writer, speaker, yoga teacher, & lover of Jesus. She is also an activist who utilizes her fa...

The last episode of season 10 is with Khadjiah Johnson. She is a writer, animation enthusiast, & successful home cook. She writes for Black Nerd Problems & Funimation, with previous experience on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert & Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Stay tuned for season 11, which will start on June 29th. Producer & Host: Saadia Khan Associate Producer: Kylee Rob...

Lyana Blount is the founder of . It is a meal prep and delivery service which started in a homely kitchen in the Bronx during the pandemic. When Covid hit, Lyana decided to make such meals available to the masses. With over 33k followers and sold-out boxes and prep kits, Black Rican Vegan may be an infant in the food world, but it sure is making a splash. Producer & Host: Saadia Khan Associate...

Saira Rao is the co-founder of and is vocal about activism, especially when it comes to politics & speaking up against anti-Black racism. We spoke to Saira and Regina Jackson, the founder of Race2Dinner, in early March 2020 about their organization. Today, we build on the conversation further. Saira has a book coming out called “White Women: Everything You Already Know about Your Own Racism &a...

Leila Milki is an award-winning Lebanese-American singer, songwriter, and classical-pop pianist. She is the talented mastermind behind “Enjoy Your Meal, " a song from Disney Junior’s Emmy-nominated series, “The Rocketeer.” Her music explores rich dualities in a contemporary pop-alternative setting. Leila’s artistry is centered around providing a healing platform for emotional and cultural empowerm...

Today we’re continuing the conversation on AAPI representation in the National Hockey League (NHL). Our guests Harnarayan Singh & Amrit Gill, are the hosts of Hockey Night Canada Punjabi. After its launch in 2008, it became the most popular non-English iteration. Harnarayan & Amrit talk about their experiences navigating this space. Harnarayan Singh is also the author of the book "One Game...

In honor of May being the Asian and Pacific Islander Month (API), the NHL and Immigrantly joined forces to bring you two exceptional episodes celebrating the role of the API community in hockey. Today's guests are Lali Toor and Dampy Brar (NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award recipient). They are the founders of APNA hockey. Apna Hockey, which translates to ‘our’ in Punjabi, is the first South-...

Today's guest, Irisa Xiong, founder of Innermade and a yoga practitioner, sees mindfulness and self-created potential as powerful paths to healing and growth. Much of her philosophy comes from her family and Eastern traditions and remedies. She is every bit creative and driven. She is someone who offers incredible attention and renewed views to how we take care of our bodies and what agency we hav...