Modern Minorities

“Being an immigrant kid - your experience and your parents’ and your grandparents’ experiences are in three completely different worlds.” Gene Luen Yang is one of the most celebrated Asian American comics creators - an award-winning cartoonist, storyteller, and teacher - who's been creating comics since the fifth grade. And his 2006 graphic novel AMERICAN BORN CHINESE comes out as a live-action Di...

Have you ever wondered what a conversation would be with your bi-racial kid, reflecting on everything that's going on in the world - the good, the bad, and the ugly? Have you ever had a conversation about race with your spouse of another race? For AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing this Quarantined Comics companion episode on amazing graphic novels - following the earlier Modern Minorities author...

“If I write this book, it's really gonna hurt — because if I write the truth, it's not a comfortable truth.” Mira Jacob is many things - acclaimed author / illustrator, cultural critic, awesome mother, and a pretty funny brown woman in Brooklyn who happens to be from New Mexico. For AAPI Heritage month, we’re sharing past conversations with amazing Asian comics creators AND a few days later - a Qu...

“This is the same story we all have some piece of in our heritage. It’s such an American story.” Thi Bui’s “The Best We Could Do” is an illustrated graphic memoir about her family's history and exodus from Vietnam to America. Bui’s comics debut covers love, war, and the refugee's journey — with an intimate focus on one family: her own. This is a book that will break your heart and put it back toge...

“For little kids like us growing up in the South to see someone that looked like you on the screen is super important, but I now need the white person to see the Asian story. I need the Asian person to see the Black story — representation matters on a lot of fronts.”   Keith Chow is the founder of the Nerds of Color, where Raman was recently a guest on one of Keith’s podcasts — “Southern Fried Asi...

“I didn't realize how much I missed live events — and then I did that first in-person again. And the laughter is amazing - this is what that energy feels like. So for me having the vaccines helps me be able to do that.”   Andrew Tarvin is a Humor Engineer. He’s also a longtime FrieMMd of the Pod, and Raman’s other, other podcast host. Drew  joins us for another conversation about the importance of...

“People have their assumptions about my faith...and I love getting to change every perception” Sarah Z Salem is an Egyptian American Muslim in Atlanta by way of Philly. Sarah’s not our first Muslim American guest, but for the month of Ramadan we wanted to feature diverse voices from the culture. As a community advocate, Sarah strives to bring forward voices and stories of those most impacted by cl...

“Who controls the rhythm of the algorithm?”  Azhar Usman is a Muslim American writer, actor, comedian, producer - and many other things - of Indian descent (by way of Chicago). Dave Chappelle once declared, “Azhar’s like a comedian from the future.” One of the most outspoken voices of his generation, Azhar’s a writer & Co-Executive Producer for Hulu’s award-winning RAMY (stop what you’re doing...

“Privilege is occupying more space than is reasonably allotted for one person.” Misha Euceph is podcast. A Pakistani-American writer, podcast host, and producer - Misha also happens to be Founder & CEO of Dustlight Productions, the critically acclaimed podcast studio that has worked on podcast projects with Spotify, Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Rolling Stone, and many more....

“A lot of people have stopped wearing masks, but In terms of service industries and entertainment, if you take a look around, we're all still wearing them. The bodies we are putting out onto a stage are human bodies and if we can find a way to make sure they're protected, of course, we'll do that. We love our actors, we love our performers, and it's an easy thing for us to do.” Jhanay Williams is...

“Our original WHY for all of this was so folks could get a better sense of what someone else's experience is like.” “...but we're NOT an Asian podcast - this is an American podcast.” After TWO HUNDRED episodes, Sharon & Raman reflect on where we’ve been (with you), and where we’re going. We grapple with the heavier questions of why do we even DO this podcast, and why should we keep it going (a...

“You have to meet patients where they are — having a fact-sharing conversation, respecting their choices and opinions, and taking care of people. That gets me further than judgment.” Dr. Bhavik Kumar is a family physician and serves as the medical director for primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast based in Houston — where he has been an abortion provider in his home state of Texa...

“Everyone has something that’s extraordinary, but it's not based on just limiting yourself to being the only person.” Paris Hatcher is an amazing force — a black queer visionary feminist who is the executive director at Black Feminist Future. She also runs another organization called Black Freedom Outfitters, which aims to get folks outside and into nature. Paris is very passionate about women's r...

“There isn't a way to be or behave that's connected to a color in my view. But I think there are some cultural norms that exist.” What does it even mean to “talk white” or “act black”? Kenyatte Nelson might live in Liverpool, but his life and career have spanned Charleston (SC), Tallahassee (FL), Cincinnati (OH), Geneva (CH), and Manchester (UK). Once declared Esquire’s best dressed man (2008), th...

“At least three generations were born in slavery it was very difficult to see that documented. So, there's a connection - it's a strange feeling”  Maartje Duin & Peggy Bouva found a unique connection, and turned it into something beautiful and important. The two created “The Plantation of Our Ancestors” (“De plantage van onze voorouders,” by VPRO - Dutch Public Radio) — an 8-part podcast serie...

“We got ourselves into this - on the left and the right. People want to be safe - so we're proposing something different and better.” Svante Myrick is the mayor of Ithaca, NY - a role he’s held since 2012 - when he became the town’s youngest Mayor, and the first Mayor of color. Svante has become one of the nation’s earliest elected leaders to put forward one of the most ambitious, concrete plans t...

“It's consumption media, not social media. A lot of people are struggling with this, and a lot more are going to. And I would like to be part of the solution.” James is also CEO & Co-founder of Loop.co — a company focused on Improving the world’s social and mental health. James Veraldi is ALSO a longtime FrieMMd of the Pod. Beyond being the a past guest (+host of the podcast Animalia) - he's t...

“It's like headlights. A vaccine is saying ‘I'm doing it for you — I'm putting my headlights on so you can see me — so you don't get it from me.’ We have to think of others.” Longtime FrieMMd of the Pod and internationally (in)famous comedian Rajiv Satyal joins us for another conversation about the importance of getting your latest COVID latest vaccine - sponsored by the US department of Health &a...

“So here we are foreign enough to be foreign at home, home enough to be home in the foreign. I have come to see when I am at home in my heart, I am always enough for everywhere.” Naaz Khan is an educator, writer, and life long learner with a background in refugee education, curriculum development, and interfaith dialogue. Naaz’s debut children’s book moved us when we first discovered it, so were e...

As 2022 comes to a close, we reflect, not-so-quickly on moments from all our conversations this past year. So grab a final drink for the year, share with a friend (or three), and please — listen responsibly! We do this show about all of us, for all of us, so leave us a review or send us a note — himom@modmypod.com XOXO, SHARON & RAMAN PS - Heard someone you liked? Be sure to go back and check...

“Making improvements is challenging. But we can't give up and we've got to learn how to do it better.” “Speak, engage, help, be helped. Be part of society. Be an optimist towards the fact that people can change, that people can learn.” John Pepper, P&G’s former CEO, and Ursula Burns, Xerox’s former CEO, sit down for a candid conversation on race, understanding and our discourse with each other...

“We as women and women of color, are not allowed the same ability and/or grace to mess up, to get angry, to set standards, and that is really where we need to develop. None of us are infallible.” For more than a decade Tanzina Vega’s award-winning journalism has centered on inequality in the United States through the lens of race and gender. From working at the New York Times, WNYC (NPR), and CNN...

“It's this new normal — because of these vaccines, we can see our family, we can see our friends, and go to company holiday parties.” “It's peace of mind. you just gotta do it.” It’s that time of year again, so we decided to sit down and talk about not just our holiday plans, but everything else going on in life. You know “the new normal” - which is only possible because we’ve gotten our latest CO...

“I would encourage people to think about how we think about risk in our daily lives. We have more risk when we cross the street or drive a car than we do with the COVID vaccine.” Dr. Urvashi Bhatnagar is a healthcare executive whose career spans clinical care, research, and advocacy. She’s also the co-author of the new book “The Sustainability Scorecard: How To Implement And Profit From Unexpected...

Ever since we started this show, we've had the privilege of being invited to share our story on other folks’ podcasts. One of those shows is "Rock the Boat " by FrieMMd of the Pod Lucia Liu - who you may have heard once before on our Modern Minorities podcast. way back when in 2020, Lucia flipped the mic on us, allowing us the to share some of our story with her audience. It's funny, listening bac...