Immigrantly

Today, we are shaking things up! Rather than releasing our usual episode, we have a special treat for you. Get ready to dive into an enlightening episode of "The Trail Ahead" podcast, where athletes and environmental advocates Faith E. Briggs and Addie Thompson embark on thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of race, environment, history, and culture. Faith and Addie sit down with Ah...

My today's guest is Smriti Mundhra, the founder of Meralta Films, a production company based in both Los Angeles and Mumbai. Her talent and dedication have earned her numerous accolades, including an Oscar nomination for her 2019 film, "St. Louis Superman." This powerful documentary follows the inspiring journey of Bruce Franks Jr, a Missouri politician, in the aftermath of the Ferguson riots. How...

On today's episode, I have the incredible Ivy Le, the creator of the podcast FOGO that explores nature through the eyes of the “most reluctant host” you've ever encountered. Join us as we unravel the secrets behind Ivy's unique approach to hosting and discover the true meaning of FOGO. But that's not all – Ivy's talents extend far beyond podcasting. She is a stand-up comedian, reporter, actress, a...

As most of you know, I pose a thought-provoking question to my guests at the end of every episode: How would they define America in a single word or sentence? Today, in celebration of the 4th of July, I decided to turn the tables and pose the same question to our incredible team because we wanted to share our unique thoughts and hopes for America with you.  So this particular episode enhances your...

Today's guest is the extraordinary Anna Hossnieh, a comedy producer at iHeartRadio and co-host of the thought-provoking podcast Ethnically Ambiguous. Join me as we dive deep into Anna's world, exploring her obsession with reality TV, her comedic journey, and her unique experiences growing up as a child of Iranian immigrants. We also discover the inspirations that have shaped her creative path and...

Join me as I chat with the wonderfully funny Lucie Pohl, the voice actor behind Overwatch 2 hero Mercy. We explore her comedic background, including her show "Hi, Hitler" and her connection to playwright Bertolt Brecht. After my interview on her podcast, Immigrant Jam, I am psyched to uncover the person behind the characters and delve into Lucie's fascinating story. Don't miss this engaging conver...

Join me on today's episode as we dive into the world of Helena Wadia, an accomplished journalist whose work has graced the pages of Evening Standard, NME, BBC, Channel 5 News, and London Live. If you need to get more familiar with these outlets, don't worry! Helena's podcast, Media Storm, is where her journalistic spirit truly shines. Together with co-host Mathilda Mallinson, they uncover underrep...

In this episode, join me as I sit down with Raha Francis, a business and legal strategist turned consultant. But we're not diving into the typical professional journey today. Instead, we explore the depths of what it means to be human beyond our careers and how our "emotional identities" are influenced by the cultures we grow up in. Raha's story begins in Dubai, where she was born to South Asian p...

In today’s lively episode, prepare to challenge the conventional wisdom about work! I enjoyed chatting with the incredible Simone Stolzoff, author of the captivating book "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work." Simone's expertise has appeared in publications like The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal.  Join me on this exhilarating journey as we di...

In this captivating episode, I invite you to join us as we delve into the extraordinary life and work of Eshe Lewis. As a researcher focusing on the experiences of Afro-descendant women in Peru, Eshe has dedicated herself to illuminating their stories and challenges. Alongside her role as the host of the fifth season of the podcast Sapiens, she leads the innovative Sapiens Public School Training P...

Those who know me know that as someone who has always been open about my mental health journey, starting conversations about mental health is crucial. That's why, when Mental Health Awareness Month arrived, I jumped at the opportunity to reshare a great conversation with you from the Immigrantly vault. In 2021, I interviewed the founder of Brown Girl Therapy, Sahaj Kohli.  Brown Girl Therapy began...

I'm so excited to introduce today's guest, V.V. Ganeshananthan, who also goes by Sugi. She's a novelist whose work has appeared in many leading newspapers and journals, including Granta, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Washington Post. We had a great conversation about her recent novel Brotherless Night and her debut novel Love Marriage. Both of these books are about families impacted by Sri Lankan...

I'm particularly excited to have Shin Yu Pai with me today. I've been a fan of her poetry for a while now, and it's truly an honor to have her on the show. Shin Yu recently started producing and hosting her own podcast, and we chatted about how she got started and what inspired her to take on this new endeavor.  What I loved most about our conversation was getting to know the person behind the poe...

I'm thrilled to have Asad Butt, my friend, and co-host of our other podcast Invisible Hate, on the show today. Asad has been in the business, entrepreneurial, and media world for a while now, and like me, his personal and career goals have been primarily shaped by a post-9/11 America.  Asad started Rifelion in 2020 to promote diverse voices in podcasting, and we talked about his award-winning docu...

My guest today is Meklit Hadero, the Ethiopian-born, San Francisco-based artist. She is best known for her innovative Ethio-Jazz vocals and electric performance style. Even if you were to listen for a few minutes, you’d notice a genre-bending nature to her songs. Her songs weave together jazz, folk, Eastern African influences, and what Meklit calls everyday sounds.  She has performed worldwide, fr...

In this episode, I sit down with Kareem Rahma, the creator of the popular series "Keep the Meter Running" on TikTok and YouTube. In each episode, Kareem catches a taxi in New York City and tells the driver to take him to their favorite place while keeping the meter running. From visiting new restaurants to flying in a helicopter, Kareem's conversations with his cab drivers are entertaining and ins...

As Ramadan, the month of fasting, is underway, I find myself drawn to the deeper meaning of fasting and how it can fuel my spiritual connection. This led me to revisit one of my favorite podcast episodes from the Immigrantly vault, which explores the intersection of Islam and mental health. The episode, released in June 2021, features my thoughtful conversation with one of our previous writers, Sa...

Welcome to Immigrantly, the podcast that shares immigrant stories and experiences through a nuanced lens. In this episode, I am joined by Lionel Nicolau and Ilana Weitz, co-producers of the hilarious and insightful podcast Culture Jumpers. Together, we'll explore their personal experiences with cross-cultural relationships and how they navigate the challenges and joys of blending their diverse bac...

Get ready to be inspired and informed in this podcast episode as I sit down with Saket Soni, a labor organizer and human rights activist making a significant impact in the fight for workers' rights. Originally from Delhi, India, Saket is the author of a new book called “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America,” a gripping true story that shines a light on the...

I am thrilled to present an exciting bonus episode to you. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a live podcast event on February 19th, celebrating South Asian culture at the NHL New Jersey Devils game in New Jersey. It was a fantastic experience, and I had the opportunity to interview the incredibly talented Sway Bhatia. For those who may not be familiar with Sway, she is a young actress who ha...

 Here at Immigrantly, I believe in creating a safe space for authentic storytelling. Most stories are built on our platform but sometimes from other sources. And today, we are doing just that. We will share an episode called Coming Home from a podcast we love from the UCLA Labor Center called Re: Work. A group of undocumented youth cross the border from the US into Mexico to cross back and turn th...

My today's guests are a fantastic duo. Lilliana Vazquez is a Puerto Rican and Mexican TV personality, style expert, and interviewer. You may recognize her as a former contributor on the Today show, the former host of E! news, or as a correspondent for Access Daily and Access Hollywood. She is outspoken about the stakes of being a Latina in a field where she is often in the minority.  Her co-host i...

Today, In honor of Black History month and to pay homage to the African contribution to American food, I am re-releasing another gem from the immigrantly vault. It’s my interview with Stephen Satterfield. This conversation profoundly impacted how I view African cuisine in America. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when it happened and even now as I revisit it with all of you.    Stephen Satterf...

My guest is Micha Cooper Edwards. She is the founder and CEO of Soleil Space and Soleil Entertainment. At her core, Micha is a visionary media entrepreneur—her expertise span over 15 years in media and across many markets. Micha has led international campaigns for iconic brands like NIKE, Jordan, and PepsiCo, as well as social impact efforts and corporate partnerships for Netflix and HBO documenta...

Between “ghosting,” “Icks,” and the question of whether or not to swipe right, the dating world isn’t the same as it used to be. Forty-eight percent of adults aged 18 to 29 have used a dating app before, hoping to find that special thing called love — or maybe just something casual. But how do we feel about swiping left on someone so quickly? And have dating apps actually made it harder to find me...