Brown Colored Glasses

The episode is the first segment of a 3-Part Series on the topic of Unconventional Career Paths in South Asians and features Anisa Butt, a successful British Indian television and film actress, podcast host and more! This inspiring and motivating dialogue allows you as a listener to learn about the world of acting, from the lens of a South Asian woman - the struggles, the wins, the joys, and most of all, the desire and passion to pursue a career in this field. Anisa also shares her journey towards a career in acting in terms of how she grew up, what she was drawn towards, her schooling, her influences and has some pointed advice for both South Asian parents and youth that are considering a career in the liberal arts.

This bonus episode serves as a precursor to a three part series on the topic of pursuing unconventional career paths within South Asians. It shares the perspectives and possible reasons of both the South Asian parents and the youth that may be at odds in terms of what is considered to be an honorable career and trajectory of life (the trilogy of medicine, law or engineering) versus what one may desire out of life as an actor, writer, poet or anything else within the liberal arts or otherwise. What are the reasons for the South Asian notions of successful careers to be so narrow and how can the youth even begin to navigate these tough conversations with their families and not feel the guilt for pursuing their passions? BCG doesn't have all the answers, but hopes to start and continue this difficult discussion.

This episode is all about that D-word - divorce - and how we as South Asians struggle with the idea of casting a final end to marriage, something sought after as the end all, be all of a person's life and worth. In addition to analyzing the reasons for the stigmas, taboos and the fear of divorce, we also have the opportunity to hear from Naila Aladdin, a South Asian Muslim woman, who shares the story of her experience with divorce, her life with her two children, how she makes family time jointly for all four of them work, how she has come out stronger and now leads her life with purpose and significance. She also shares wisdom for those going through a divorce as well as pointers for family and others that can serve as a strong support system for the individual going through the divorce.

This episode discusses interfaith and interracial marriages within our South Asian community and how and why we tend to shy away from and shun these types of relationships due to the stigmas attached of marrying outside of the community. We also have the opportunity to chat with a happily mixed married couple, Fareena Lalani and Carlos Torruella, who share their story of how they met, the challenges they encountered both internally and externally, as well as the advice they have for parents and others that may be facing the idea of interfaith and interracial marriages in their own close knit cultural circles.

This episode takes a deep dive into the notions of culture and identity and the important role that language plays in the formation of one's identity and heritage. "Hinglish", a blend of Hindi and English, and it's role as a new mother tongue for South Asia is discussed in terms of the preservation of our culture, heritage and identity for generations to come. We also get to hear from Shireen Lakhani, a teacher and podcaster for Urdu Seekhiye, who shares her love for Urdu as well as her personal thoughts on language loss and what we can all jointly do to prevent our rich heritage from going into extinction.

This episode discusses the idea of normalizing LGBTQ+ within South Asians and features two powerful and successful women, Shama Dharani and Sanya Matani who identify themselves within the queer community. From learning about their individual stories, to discussing authenticity and spirituality and how desi (South Asian) parents can be more accepting, this is one eye-opening dialogue that will make you challenge your original beliefs and notions surrounding LGBTQ+.

This episode delves into the reasons for the stigma, taboo and societal discomfort surrounding mental illness in our culture as well as an opportunity to hear from two experts within the field, Farahana Kassam and Naureen Dharani, who share what actionable things we can do to address our own mental health and well being and how we can provide support to those within our families that may be struggling with mental illness.

This inaugural episode takes a deep dive into unconscious bias, what it means, and how South Asians are both at the giving and receiving end of these biases. How does this play a role in how we stand up against racism? What are the actions that we can take now in order to begin the process of dismantling these biases?