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.
30m Sep 24, 2019
30m
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
S2 Ep16: Because I sucked at it...
Saadia Khan talks to Suzie Afridi. She is a Palestinian American stand up comedian. She was born and raised in Jericho, in the West Bank.  Her dad was a Welder and her mom was a farmer. When she was fourteen her family immigrated to San Jose, California. She attended San Jose State University.Suzie is an accountant by profession but she realized she was terrible at her job and decided to pursue...
43m Feb 27, 2019
43m
S2 Ep15: Immigrants make America great
Saadia Khan talks to Tahmina Watson about pressing immigration issues. Tahmina is a nationally acclaimed immigration attorney and the founder of Watson Immigration Law, in Seattle, Washington. She was a barrister in London before immigrating to America. Tahmina is also the author of “The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economic Prosperity in America”.  In addition to appearing on CNN, Forbes ...
53m Feb 20, 2019
53m
S2 Ep14: Where the East and the West meet
Saadia Khan reminisces about her trip to Turkey as she interviews Melike Ayan. Melike is originally from Turkey. She is the New York Correspondent for Bloomberg HT Television where she provides in-depth coverage and analysis of major economic and business trends, including in-depth reporting on global corporations. Additionally, Ayan established her own company, Mel Strategies, which specialize...
41m Feb 13, 2019
41m
S2 Ep13: My Grandmother's legacy
Saadia Khan talks to Lisa Genn. Lisa was born in Russia, her parents and she left Moscow in December 1989 on the verge of the collapse of the Soviet Union in hopes of resettling in America under a program for bringing Soviet Jews to the United States as refugees. Lisa is a lawyer by profession, but has worked on human rights issues throughout her career. she is a city girl who spend most of her...
41m Feb 06, 2019
41m
S2 Ep12: I am a Bridge
Saadia Khan talks to Edafe Okporo, an LGBTQ refugee from Nigeria.  He is a fierce advocate for Human rights specifically those of LGBTQ community in NY and around the globe including West Africa. His passion to help others like him stems from his own struggle which propels him to stand up for the defenseless. Currently Edafe is the Director of RDJ Refugee Shelter.  He is the author of BED 26: A...
41m Jan 30, 2019
41m
S2 Ep11: I am a Survivor
Saadia Khan talks to Reshad Ahmedi, an immigrant from Afghanistan. Reshad worked for ten years on U.S.-funded re-construction projects in Afghanistan, until insurgents targeted him for his affiliation with the United States. Reshad is in the US on a Special Immigration Visa (SIV) to the United States. He is now an Assistant Project Manager at a local Tectonic Engineering & Surveying. Reshad is ...
42m Jan 23, 2019
42m
S2 Ep10: My Ancestors' Land
In this first episode of Season 2, Saadia Khan talks to Alyssa Mosley. Alyssa was born and raised in the homeland of Lenape people, also known as Bridgeton NJ. She is the enrolled member of Nanticoke Lenni- Lenape tribe, it’s the largest Indian tribe in NJ. The history of Lenape tribe goes back over 10,000 years. Most of Lenape people faced forced migration to Canada or mid western US but some ...
30m Jan 16, 2019
30m
S1 Ep9: We are more similar than different
Saadia  talks to Alessia Valfredini, an Italian American. Alessia is also a Professor at Fordham University in NY. She teaches modern languages and literature and she is almost never taken for an immigrant, . In this episode, we take a glimpse into her personal life and her perspective as a Western European immigrant living in America Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://anch...
38m Dec 26, 2018
38m
S1 Ep8: Home is Elusive
In this Special Edition of The Alien Chronicles, Saadia Khan talks to Eric Maddox, a fellow podcaster and founder of the Virtual Dinner Guest Project and a US citizen living as an immigrant in Valencia Spain. They talk about the nuances of being an immigrant in the EU, racism in America and much more Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support" r...
50m Dec 19, 2018
50m
S1 Ep7: From Kashmir to America: A Muslim Feminist's Journey
In this episode, Saadia Khan talks to Daisy Khan about her personal journey to America and her perspective as a modern religious scholar in America. Daisy Khan is one of the most prominent female Muslim leaders in the United States. She is also the Executive Director of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) and Author of Born with Wings <a href="https://anchor.f...
45m Dec 12, 2018
45m
S1 Ep6: Guess what? I am not an Engineer
Saadia interviews Ali Yarkhan, a branding executive, who has worked for internationally renowned brands like Prada and Giorgio Armani. He is also a director who wants to create documentaries that highlight social issues. On a personal level, he continues to explore and practice Sufism’s diverse cultural legacies in an attempt to achieve inner peace. In this episode, Ali talks about different fa...
44m Dec 05, 2018
44m
S1 Ep5: Oh sweet diversity..how I love thee!
Saadia talks to Nadine Ali, a Pakistani American, about her journey to the US, her life as a baker and her rather unconventional path to sweetness. Currently Nadine owns a successful business as a baker in NYC, she is also a mom and loves to dance! Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/su...
25m Nov 28, 2018
25m
S1 Ep4: I have Faith
Saadia talks to Nicole Duran, Dominican Republic native. Nicole is currently working as a hairstylist and is also a student focusing on psychology and public speaking. With faith, she is trying to bring her community together. She believes that where you come from does not define where you will go. Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support" re...
28m Nov 21, 2018
28m
S1 Ep3: A tale of a taxpaying DREAMER
In this episode, Saadia talks to Juan Escalante, a renowned digital strategist and nationally recognized immigration advocate about his experiences as an immigrant in US and his role in spearheading the immigrant rights movement for the last 10 years. Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/...
1hr Nov 14, 2018
1hr
S1 Ep2: I am home
In this episode of "The Alien Chronicles", host Saadia Khan talks to Kelly Yzique, a former DACA recipient and now US permanent resident, about immigration and other issues that affect the migrant community. They talk about the immigrant caravan, misconception surrounding undocumented immigrants and how United States needs to reconcile with its past. <a href="https://anchor.fm/thealienchro...
32m Nov 06, 2018
32m