S5 Ep64: It's Up to Us to Tell Our Stories
Annie Tan is a Chinese American Special Education teacher, writer, activist, and storyteller from Chinatown, in New York. Annie has been featured in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and The Moth Radio Hour on NPR. She will be featured in the upcoming PBS documentary series "Asian Americans." Her work centers around public education, teachers unions, tenants' rights, and Asian American i...
51m Feb 11, 2020
51m
S5 Ep63: "You See the Other Side"
Saadia Khan talks to Nusrat Alam & Jorell. They are the co-founders of I am Perspective (IAP). Nusrat Alam, a second-generation Bengali American. Currently, Nusrat is working on her first book, "Tin Huts to Palaces," exploring her life and perspective as an American Born Confused Desi (ABCD). Jo'rell is an international award-winning spoken word artist who has transformed over 15 years of exp...
39m Feb 04, 2020
39m
S5 Ep62: "That's the Cause of Your Problem"
Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is a writer, a religious scholar, activist, and author. He regularly speaks on issues of diversity, equity, hate, violence, race, and religion, inspiring others around him. He also frequently offers his perspectives to television, radio, and print media, and today he is on Immigrantly to share his story with Saadia Khan.
40m Jan 28, 2020
40m
S5 Ep61: "We Want a Better Life for the Kids”
We all have an idea of what an American dream is, but how would you define an American nightmare? Aarti and her family encountered every obstacle that an immigrant family can run into in America. She is the author of a memoir; Here We Are American Dreams, American Nightmares. Aarti’s work has always been personal; she went from being a community organizer with a bullhorn defending the rights of...
50m Jan 21, 2020
50m
S5 Ep60: Can We All Just Get Along?
Mairav Zonszein is a second-generation Israeli American journalist and editor who writes about Israel-Palestine conflict and its role in U.S. politics. She was born and raised in NY., but she has spent most of her adult life in Israel. Saadia talks to Mairav about her experiences as an American Immigrant in Israel. Her publications include The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ...
36m Jan 14, 2020
36m
S5 Ep59: An Insider-Outsider Perspective
Saks Afridi is a New York-based Pakistani American artist who explores the dichotomy of being an insider/outsider. Through his work, he recreates the historical and cultural narratives to highlight social issues. Saadia talks to Saks about his work and his future aspirations.
50m Jan 07, 2020
50m
S4 Ep58: A Leap of Faith
Qinza Najm is a Pakistani-American visual artist whose interdisciplinary artistic practice explores gendered violence and female subjectivity. Her work has been featured in Artnet News, the Huffington Post, N.Y. Daily News, International Business Week, Buzzfeed, and Herald. Saadia spoke to Qinza about her evolution from a psychologist and a professor at a prestigious University to a freelance a...
35m Dec 24, 2019
35m
S4 Ep56: Immigration-A Love Story
This week's episode is centered around an incredible immigration love story. An Italian-born Designer/Media Advertiser, Francesco Bertucci, meets his future wife, Lucy Harris, an American who went to Rome to teach English after college. They fall in love, get married, and the rest, as they say, is history. 
48m Dec 17, 2019
48m
S4 Ep56: Thanksgiving Special
A little late, but we’re still excited to share a Thanksgiving Special. Come and reflect with us on this year’s Thanksgiving and make plans with us to celebrate next year’s Thanksgiving in a more honest and inclusive way. In this episode, Lisa Genn and Saadia talk about their Thanksgiving day and looking forward, how they can celebrate this day while acknowledging its history and honoring Nati...
53m Dec 10, 2019
53m
S4 Ep55: Wanna Eat Some Ice cream?
Ahmed Ali Akbar is a writer, journalist, and the host of "See Something, Say Something", and incredible podcast where Ahmed talks to Muslims from across different industries and talks about culture, current events, and being Muslim in America. Ahmed talks about the things that "American Muslims are talking about right now," which can range from mass incarceration to memes. I am very excited to ...
45m Dec 03, 2019
45m
S4 Ep54: Let me be Honest
Asad Dandia is a young Brooklynite who is reinventing the way people approach religion esp, Islam. Asad was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from New York University (NYU) with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 2016; his focus was on community organizing. He is currently a graduate student at Columbia University's Middle East Institute, pursuing an MA in Islamic Studies. We spoke...
40m Nov 19, 2019
40m
S4 Ep53: Let's talk about Patriarchy
Kim Yi Dionne is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science department at the University of California–Riverside. She is also an editor of the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, a blog devoted to making political science findings more accessible to the public, allowing us to have thorough conversations with integrity to the facts. At work, Kim teaches courses on African politics and ethnic pol...
57m Nov 12, 2019
57m
S4 Ep52: Defying Gravity
Fahamu Pecou is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar whose work combines observations on hip hop, fine art, and popular culture. He takes on such complicated topics as black masculinity, stereotypes, and potential in his work with a deft touch that leaves a profound impact. 
43m Nov 05, 2019
43m
S4 Ep51: Breaking Gender Stereotypes
Kulsoom Abdullah is a Data Scientist. She has a Masters and a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and if this wasn't enough, she is also a Pakistani American Weightlifter who competed in the 2011 World Championship. Kulsoom represents Pakistan for the world and the U.S. for national-level tournaments. She made history by being the first fully covered Muslim woman contestant. We talk a...
37m Oct 29, 2019
37m
S4 Ep50: A Kid in a Candy Store
Donny Khan is the Senior Marketing Director at National Hockey League (NHL). Donny immigrated to America from Pakistan as a young teen and has been the National Hockey League Senior Director of Marketing for eleven years. I sat down with Donny to talk about his American Dream.
38m Oct 22, 2019
38m
S4 Ep49: "Posturing Gratitude"
Our today's guest is Dina Nayeri. She is the author of The "Ungrateful Refugee," Dina's first nonfiction book. Her essay of the same name was one of the most widely shared 2017 Long Reads in The Guardian. Dina is a former refugee who fled Iran with her family in the 80s. The book is a part memoir and also chronicles the lives of other refugees. Dina holds a BA from Princeton, an MBA from Harvar...
39m Oct 15, 2019
39m
S4 Ep48: "Did you grow up cooking with your Mother and Grandmother?"
Preeti Mistry is the co-author of the Juhu Beach Club Cookbook based on her restaurant Juhu Beach Club in Oakland, CA. Her cooking was featured on CNN's Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, and she was a contestant on Top Chef Season 6. Preeti Mistry is outspoken, bold, and proudly accepts all the different layers of her identity. She identifies as a brown queer immigrant woman chef who challen...
39m Oct 08, 2019
39m
S4 Ep47: Dosa Man-A Quintessential American Story
An immigrant comes to New York City and makes it big with a simple idea. Known as Dosa man, Thiru Kumar has fans all over the world, from California to Japan. His name is listed on 42 countries guidebooks. His was the first vegan dosa cart in the World. Thiru Kumar's cart is situated at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park in New York. I sat down with Thiru Kumar to talk about his lif...
22m Oct 01, 2019
22m
S4 Ep46: "If you believe you’re American, then you’re American"
This week we speak with Farah Kathwari. Farah is a Kashmiri American who is strongly connected with her Kashmiri heritage while she maintains a strong sense of her American identity. Farah talks about her activism, the Kashmir crisis, and her father's legacy. We recorded this episode a couple of weeks ago, and therefore there are references to the Democratic Presidential Debate held on Sept 12th.
31m Sep 24, 2019
31m
S4 Ep45: Inspired by 90s Bollywood
Today we’re going to be talking to Nisha Sharma. In 2018, Nisha released her first book; a novel called My So-Called Bollywood Life to great acclaim. She’s an active blogger, has a full-time job, and recently won the RITA award for Best Young Adult Romance this year. You can support us by donating to our gofundme http://gofundme.com/f/immigrantly-podcast Our music is composed by Basim Usmani, ...
36m Sep 17, 2019
36m
S4 Ep44: Matters of the Heart
Dr. Haider Warriach is a physician, writer, & clinical researcher. He is the author of Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the end of Life, and State of the Heart - Exploring the History, Science and Future of Cardiac Disease. His articles have featured in NYtimes, The Guardian, Vox and many more. Dr. Warraich recently sat down with Terry Gross to discuss breakthroughs in heart health. We are ve...
35m Sep 10, 2019
35m
S4 Ep44: We have been Vilified for so long
Season 4 starts with our interview with Rowaida Abdelaziz. She is a New York-based reporter at the HuffPost where she focuses on Islamophobia and social justice issues within the Muslim community. We talk about Islamophobia, the role of diversity in journalism and much more.
45m Sep 09, 2019
45m
S4 Ep43: "We have been Vilified for so long"
Season four launches with our interview with Rowaida Abdelaziz. She is a New York-based reporter at the HuffPost where she focuses on Islamophobia and social justice issues within the Muslim community. We talk about Islamophobia, the role of diversity in journalism and much more. You can support the podcast by donating to our gofundme https://www.gofundme.com/f/immigrantly-podcast Music for I...
45m Sep 03, 2019
45m
S4: The Alien Chronicles is changing its name to Immigrantly
This fall, the Alien Chronicles is changing its name to Immigrnatly. The name Immigrantly is more representative of our broader aspirations, to explore the intersectionality of racial identity, culture, and class through the lens of immigrant experiences. Our new name marks the beginning of a new journey, and I’m excited to embark on it together
2m Aug 30, 2019
2m
S3 Ep42: "I call myself a Cook"
Haya Emaan is one of the few professionally-trained chefs from Pakistan. She  graduated from The Culinary Institute of America and trailed at some of the most prominent restaurants such as Morimoto, LeBernardin, Cosme, Per se and others. She is now part of the world-renowned team at Eleven Madison Park. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronic...
26m Aug 27, 2019
26m
S3 Ep41: "We are here now"
Sana Saeed is a host and producer at Al Jazeera. Prior to working at AJ+, Sana had pieces featured in publications such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Salon, Huffington Post, and others. Her work has tackled a wide range of topics, from foreign policy to life as a Muslim in the West. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our mu...
47m Aug 20, 2019
47m
S3 Ep40: "We live in an age of shameful hate & shameless weakness"
Elad Nehorai has spent most of his adult life creating and nurturing communities. He is the founder of Hevria, an online platform for creative Jews. Elad cares about nothing more than connecting people who are desperately looking for a community that doesn't exist in the physical world.  You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chroni...
23m Aug 13, 2019
23m
S3 Ep39: "I am an American-whatever that means"
Grace is a Professor at Tufts University in Boston, and the Body Papers is her first book. Grace’s story is one about overcoming abuse and trauma and coming to terms with her immigrant and Filipino-American identity. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our music is composed by Basim Usmani, one of the lead vocali...
43m Aug 06, 2019
43m
S3 Ep38: Keeping up with the times: Iran Edition
My today's guest is Shiva Farrokhi. She is a designer, strategist, and social entrepreneur currently living in Portland, Oregon. She started in-it (it's an online video platform to promote social issues). You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our music is composed by Basim Usmani, one of the lead vocalists of the p...
46m Jul 30, 2019
46m
S3 Ep37: Love Thy Neighbor
Jon is also a preacher, which is a rather unconventional combination, in my opinion. As a second-generation Colombian-American and as a part of the Afro-Latinx community, Jon’s background allows him to offer a unique perspective when approaching design and problem-solving. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our m...
46m Jul 23, 2019
46m
S3 Ep36: It's just part of the Muslim Experience
Aymann Ismail is an award-winning podcast host, video editor, photographer, and writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. He currently hosts "Man Up," a weekly interview podcast about men, relationships, family, race, and sex. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our music is composed by Basim Usm...
54m Jul 16, 2019
54m
S3 Ep35: "I forgive you, my Cousin"
Yousef Bashir is the author of the memoir “The Words of My Father.” Yousef’s story is one that showcases the inherent complexities of what it means to be a Palestinian American, particularly one that grew up in the Gaza Strip. You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our music is composed by Basim Usmani, one of the lead vocalists o...
40m Jul 09, 2019
40m
S3 Ep34: A Story of Love and Hope
Jennifer Asif's story was first reported by the Huffington Post. Her husband was recently deported by ICE due to an apparent error in their system. Jennifer is trying to reunite with her husband! You can support our podcast by donating to the gofundme. Here's the link www.gofundme.com/the-alien-chronicles-pod Our music is composed by Basim Usmani, one of the lead vocalists of the punk band "The...
26m Jul 02, 2019
26m
S3 Ep33: I didn't know I had my own American Dream
Malaka Gharib is a journalist at National Public Radio. She reports on topics such as the humanitarian aid sector, gender equality, and innovation in the developing world. She is also the founder of Runcible spoon food zine, and She has written a graphic memoir "I was Their American Dream" about family, identity, and fitting in as a Filipino Egyptian American kid of Immigrants. You can support...
25m Jun 25, 2019
25m
S3 Ep32: Are you Exactly like Me?
On this episode of the pod, Saadia Khan is speaking with Basim Usmani, one of the founders of the punk band The Kominas, that was born out of Massachusetts in the early 2000s. Since their inception, the Kominas were lauded for breaking cultural boundaries and turning that which is unexpected into a new reality. Saadia talks to Basim about his music, identity politics within and outside immigran...
43m Jun 18, 2019
43m
S3 Ep31: One Story at a time
Saadia Khan talks to Saadia Faruqi. Saadia is a Pakistani American author, essay writer, and interfaith activist. She writes children's early reader series "Yasmin" published by Capstone.  She has also written "Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan" a short story collection for adults and teens. She was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her commu...
32m Jun 11, 2019
32m
S3 Ep30: "Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation"
Today's guest Nevsah Fidan is a spiritual healer committed to personal enlightenment. Her focus is optimal breathing for improving health and performance. She is an internationally renowned breath expert, a meditation teacher, a well-known author of 9 best seller books, a mother and a wife. She is a global citizen who travels between London, Istanbul, and NewYork. Nevsah grew up with a Sufi ...
32m Jun 04, 2019
32m
S3 Ep29: A White DACA Recipient
Gosia Łabno is a DACA recipient, but she is rarely taken for one because she does not match the American narrative of what a DACA recipient should look like, she is a blonde blue eyed immigrant from Poland. She is also a communications specialist at a firm in Chicago and the co-founder of KULTURA, an online magazine profiling changemakers to inspire those "who will undoubtedly follow." We tal...
38m May 28, 2019
38m
S3 Ep28: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses"
Saadia talks to Jorge Valencia about the situation at the Southern Border. Jorge is the Mexico correspondent from KJZZ Phoenix. He joined KJZZ in August 2016 as the station's first senior field correspondent based in Mexico City. Jorge has seen first-hand the hardships that asylum seekers on our Southern border have to face to migrate into the United States. He has been the recipient of multipl...
26m May 21, 2019
26m
S3 Ep27: What's in a Name
"What's in Name" is a Special Edition of The Alien Chronicles Podcast. It centers on the discussion around how some people who migrate to America change their names to more mainstream American names. Saadia talks about why she decided to keep her name and what this means to her in the context of her identity. Her co-host for this episode is one of her previous guests, Lisa Genn. Lisa's story wa...
40m May 15, 2019
40m
S2 Ep26: The one who rebels
Saadia Khan talks to a Syrian refugee living in Berlin. Thair Orfahli grew up in Syria, in a middle-class family. His childhood was relatively normal, and he was studying law in Lebanon when the Syrian war broke out, what ensued was a series of fateful events which led him to leave everything behind, risk his life by riding a flimsy boat across the Mediterranean to get to Germany and seek asylu...
35m May 08, 2019
35m
S2 Ep25: Is the American Dream a myth?
Saadia interviews Jade Chang. Jade is the author of The Wangs vs. the World. The book has been named a New York Times Editors Choice as well as best Book of the Year by Amazon, Buzzfeed, NPR, and others. Jade has appeared on national programs and she has spoken to audiences at universities and book festivals. According to NPR "Her book is unrelentingly fun, but it is also raw and profane—a stor...
41m May 01, 2019
41m
S2 Ep24: Our journey is never complete
Priya Minhas is a writer and producer from London. Her writing explores South Asian immigrant identity. Priya is a contributing writer to The Good Immigrant USA, an American edition of an award-winning best-selling anthology exploring race.  Her writing is featured in BuzzFeed, Burnt Roti, Kajal Magazine and Brown Girl Magazine. She is currently based in New York where she works with artists pr...
28m Apr 24, 2019
28m
S2 Ep23: First comes Marriage, then comes Love
Huda Al-Marashi is the Iraqi-American author of First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story, a book the Washington Post called "a charming, funny, heartbreaking memoir of faith, family, and the journey to love. If Jane Austen had grown up as a first-gen daughter of Iraqi parents in the 1990s, she might have written this.” Her other writing has appeared in the Washington Post, th...
44m Apr 17, 2019
44m
S2 Ep22: Am I a good Immigrant?
In this episode, Saadia talks to Chimene Suleyman. Chimene is the editor of The Good Immigrant USA, and a contributing writer to the original best-selling award-winning British anthology The Good Immigrant (Unbound, 2016). Chimene’s work has also appeared in the Guardian, Independent, IBTimes, The Quietus,  News night, BBC Radio 4’s Today Program, NPR, and Sky news. Chimene and Saadia talk abou...
36m Apr 10, 2019
36m
S2 Ep21: "A brave friendship"
Beth Schuman and Nizar Farsakh are part of an organization called Combatants for Peace.The egalitarian, bi-national, grassroots organization was founded on the belief that the cycle of violence can only be broken when Israelis and Palestinians join forces. Committed to joint nonviolence since its foundation, CFP works to both transform and resolve the conflict by ending Israeli occupation and a...
52m Apr 03, 2019
52m
S2 Ep20: Three Immigrant stories
 Saadia Khan changes the format for this episode. She introduces three immigrant stories. Each immigrant shares their experiences in the US in their own words from a different vantage point. You will hear from them what it's like to be an immigrant in the US. Each perspective is unique in that it unravels the complexities of being an immigrant through the lens of the narrator without any leadin...
29m Mar 27, 2019
29m
S2 Ep19: America is a Salad
Sanjana Bhatnagar and Stephanie Munn are high school students and Students for Refugees (SFR) representatives. S.F.R. is working to raise funds to support educational facilities and individual student programs in affected countries as well as supporting local refugees. There is a broad range of things that SFR engages in, but their primary goal is to get students involved in helping refugees.  ...
33m Mar 20, 2019
33m
S2 Ep18: My Immigrant Mother
Saadia Khan talks Susan Muaddi Darraj, a Palestinian American. Susan talks about her experiences as a child of immigrants and how her dual identity has shaped her life. Susan is an Associate Professor of English at Hartford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland. Susan is also a Lecturer in the Johns Hopkins University’s MA in Writing program. In 2014, her short story collection, A Curious Land...
33m Mar 13, 2019
33m
S2 Ep17: Let's get to know each other
Samira Sadeque is a New York-based Bangladeshi journalist and poet focusing on migration, the refugee crisis, gender and mental health. She completed her M.S. in Journalism from Columbia Journalism School in 2017. Samira began her journalism career in Dhaka, Bangladesh, covering the 2013 factory collapse, the country's ethnic and religious minorities, and its LGBT community. Her work appears in...
34m Mar 06, 2019
34m