The Alien Chronicles: Immigrant Stories show

The Alien Chronicles: Immigrant Stories

Summary: The Alien Chronicles is a weekly podcast that features immigrants from all different walks of life to share their immigrant experiences. It offers a platform for open dialogue around immigration. The idea is to create a better understanding of the so-called "the other" through relatable narratives. Each interview unravels the complexities of being an immigrant in the US. In today's polarized political climate, this podcast strives to build bridges and bring communities together by helping the listeners to understand the perspectives of those who are different from them. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support

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Podcasts:

 #25 Is the American Dream a myth? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2444

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 story of fierce pride, fierce anger, and even fiercer love." She is also the contributing writer to The Good Immigrant USA. Her essay titled "How to Center Your Story" is the perfect ending to the book. They talk about her writing, the notion of the American Dream and how Jade felt "othered" after the 2016 elections. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support

 # 24 Our journey is never complete | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 1737

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 producing and directing original music content at Vevo. Saadia talks to Priya about her writing, her dual identity and things that matter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #23 First comes Marriage, then comes Love | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2703

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, the LA Times, al Jazeera, Refinery 29, the Offing and elsewhere.  Huda currently resides in California with her husband and three children. We talk about her book and her take on marriage, and relationships.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #22 Am I a good Immigrant? | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2206

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 about the intersectionality between gender and race. Chimene explains how she felt embarrassed about her parents' culture, when she was growing up in London and how she has come to embrace her identity as a Muslim woman of color. They laugh about Saadia's obsession with Chimene's twitter feed, which in Saadia's opinion is very informative and bold! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #21 "A brave friendship" | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 3168

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 all forms of violence between the two sides and building a peaceful future for both peoples. Nizar Farsakh is a Palestinian immigrant, he is a trainer, private consultant, and public speaker who focuses his work around leadership, negotiation and advocacy. Beth Schuman is the Executive Director of American Friends of Combatants for Peace. She has worked with the movement for two and a half years, forming the American organization a year and a half ago Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #20-Three Immigrant stories | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 1774

 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 leading questions or any set direction.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #19-America is a Salad | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2040

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 are a broad range of things that SFR engages in, but their primary goal is to get students involved in helping refugees. SFR works in three areas: resettlement, advocacy/education, and fundraising   In addition to SFR, they advocate for refugees by supporting other initiatives.  Sanjana is associated with the Syria fund and Stephanie is planning a Walk A Mile in My Shoes refugee experience. We talk about all these topics in our interview.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #18- My Immigrant Mother | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2046

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: Stories from Home won several awards and accolades. Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was published in 2007 is a compilation of stories about daughters born in the US and their immigrant mothers.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #17- Let's get to know each other | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2095

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 Reuters, NPR, Al Jazeera, Quartz, The Lily,  and the Dhaka Tribune among other publications. Her story was nominated for a 2018 South Asian Journalists Association award. She is the Editor-in-chief of the Bangladeshi Identity Project, a media platform for the Bangladeshi diaspora Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #16-Because I sucked at it... | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2661

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 another career. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and kid. Suzie talks about her journey to America, why she chose to do stand up comedy and her life as a Palestinian American. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #15-Immigrants make America great | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 3228

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 and other media platforms, she is the host of “Tahmina Talks Immigration” a radio show turned podcast available on itunes.  Recently, Tahmina helped cofound a non-profit, the Washington Immigrant Defense Network- WIDEN as a result of the current administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy. WIDEN, funds and facilitates legal representation in the immigration courtroom. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #14- Where the East and the West meet | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2491

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 specializes in media relations and crisis communications  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #13-My Grandmother's legacy | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2518

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 time in Manhattan but now lives in Westchester county in NY  with her husband and two young children. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #12-I am a Bridge | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2494

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 Memoir of an African Man's Asylum in United States. He also serves as a Board Member of First Friends of New Jersey and New York Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

 #11-I am a Survivor | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 2560

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 also an Ambassador of the Westchester Refugee Initiative, helping to spread the word about refugees.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thealienchronicles/support This podcast is sponsored by Anchor

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