Immigrantly Podcast

By Saadia Khan | Immigrantly MediaSociety & Culture Education Personal Journals

Immigrantly Podcast episodes

April 25, 2023 From Figure Skating to Podcasting: A Fun Chat with Media Entrepreneur Asad Butt
I'm thrilled to have Asad Butt, my friend, and co-host of our other podcast Invisible Hate, on the show today. Asad has been in the business, entrepreneurial, and media world for a while now, and like me, his personal and career goals have been primarily shaped by a post-9/11 America.
Asad started Rifelion in 2020 to promote diverse voices in podcasting, and we talked about his award-winning documentary podcast, King of the World. We also discussed the challenges and opportunities of broadcast journalism today and the impact of post-9/11 America on the Muslim community. And, to lighten things up, we shared some laughs over Asad’s experience with figure skating. So tune in for a fun and fascinating conversation!
If you want to listen to our other podcast, Invisible Hate, click here
Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people find us!
Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson

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46 min
April 18, 2023 Movement and Music with Meklit Hadero: A Genre-Bending Journey
My guest today is Meklit Hadero, the Ethiopian-born, San Francisco-based artist. She is best known for her innovative Ethio-Jazz vocals and electric performance style. Even if you were to listen for a few minutes, you’d notice a genre-bending nature to her songs. Her songs weave together jazz, folk, Eastern African influences, and what Meklit calls everyday sounds.
She has performed worldwide, from San Francisco to Cairo to London to Montreal. Her latest, released in 2017, “When the People Move, the Music Moves Too,” was named among the best records of the year by Bandcamp and the Sunday Times UK.
She is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow, and a 2019 Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University. Meklit is the co-founder, co-producer, and host of Movement, a new radio series telling stories of global migration through music.
In our conversation, she shares how she looks to music to express longing, pain, hope, and other facets of the diaspora. Her words reminded me of the importance of heritage and how traditional music from our homelands can be integrated into present movement and music.

Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people find us!
Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson

Order of Meklit's Tracks during the episode
Meklit - Yesterday Is A Tizita
Meklit - Sweet and Salty
Meklit - This Was Made Here
Oddisee - Try Again
Dengue Fever - Ethanopium
Xenia Rubinos - Hair Receding
Meklit - Float and Fall

Additional Links
Meklit Hadero: The unexpected beauty of everyday sounds | Ted
Dr. Jon Jenkins - Chasing Shadow Words: Exoplanets from Kepler & Beyond

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44 min
April 11, 2023 Riding Along with Kareem Rahma: Creating 'Keep the Meter Running' and More
In this episode, I sit down with Kareem Rahma, the creator of the popular series "Keep the Meter Running" on TikTok and YouTube. In each episode, Kareem catches a taxi in New York City and tells the driver to take him to their favorite place while keeping the meter running. From visiting new restaurants to flying in a helicopter, Kareem's conversations with his cab drivers are entertaining and insightful.
Kareem is a comedian, content creator, entrepreneur, and fellow podcaster. You may have seen him in a commercial for TheRealReal, on an episode of the Drew Barrymore Show, or even once going viral for dipping his hot dog in his beer at a baseball game. I'm excited to chat with Kareem about his experiences creating "Keep the Meter Running" and his other ventures, as well as his creative process, motivations, and personal life. So join me for an entertaining and informative conversation with Kareem Rahma.

Interested in "Keep the Meter Running"? Click on the link here.
You can buy tickets to Kareem's show here.
Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod |
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people find us!
Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson

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41 min
April 04, 2023 Whispers to God: Islam and Mental Health (2021)
As Ramadan, the month of fasting, is underway, I find myself drawn to the deeper meaning of fasting and how it can fuel my spiritual connection. This led me to revisit one of my favorite podcast episodes from the Immigrantly vault, which explores the intersection of Islam and mental health. The episode, released in June 2021, features my thoughtful conversation with one of our previous writers, Sarah Doh, who sat down with two practicing Muslims from very different backgrounds to tackle the question of "What role does God play in your mental health?" basically engaging in deep and meaningful conversations about the role of faith in mental health. Listening to these powerful conversations reminded me of the profound connection between spirituality and mental health. Even during the most challenging moments, we can draw upon our faith as a source of strength and comfort. So, whether you're a new listener or have already enjoyed this episode before, I invite you to join me in exploring this powerful intersection between faith and mental health. A special shout-out to Omar Hisham Al Arabi for his beautiful recitation of Surah Maryam Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Sarah Doh & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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43 min
March 28, 2023 Mixing It Up: A Deep Dive into Cross-Cultural Relationships
Welcome to Immigrantly, the podcast that shares immigrant stories and experiences through a nuanced lens. In this episode, I am joined by Lionel Nicolau and Ilana Weitz, co-producers of the hilarious and insightful podcast Culture Jumpers. Together, we'll explore their personal experiences with cross-cultural relationships and how they navigate the challenges and joys of blending their diverse backgrounds. So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready to laugh, learn, and be inspired by the dynamic duo behind Culture Jumpers. You can listen to Culture Jumpers . Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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44 min
March 21, 2023 Uncovering the Dark Side of Labor: A Climate Activist's Fight for Justice
Get ready to be inspired and informed in this podcast episode as I sit down with Saket Soni, a labor organizer and human rights activist making a significant impact in the fight for workers' rights. Originally from Delhi, India, Saket is the author of a new book called “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America,” a gripping true story that shines a light on the hidden world of forced labor and immigrant dreams in America. With his firsthand experience and unflinching dedication to justice, Saket gives us an eye-opening glimpse into the lives of those who have been forgotten by society. Join me for an enlightening and entertaining conversation as we delve into the urgent need for workers' rights and the captivating story of The Great Escape. Don't miss out on this episode because you’re in for a wild ride with Saket Soni. You can buy the book here. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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48 min
March 15, 2023 Ice-Breaking: Immigrantly Goes Live with Sway Bhatia at NHL Event
I am thrilled to present an exciting bonus episode to you. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a live podcast event on February 19th, celebrating South Asian culture at the NHL New Jersey Devils game in New Jersey. It was a fantastic experience, and I had the opportunity to interview the incredibly talented Sway Bhatia. For those who may not be familiar with Sway, she is a young actress who has captured our hearts with her roles in popular shows like The Mighty Ducks Game Changers and Succession. In addition, she is a multi-talented artist who sings, dances, plays the drums, skates, and does sketch comedy – all while being a teenager. I am genuinely amazed by her talent and her work ethic. Please note that the acoustics are not perfect, but the content is so great that I couldn't resist sharing it with all of you. Before I spoke with Sway, we also had a chance to hear briefly from Donny Khan - Donny is the Senior Director of Hockey Development & Strategic Collaboration at the NHL, and he spoke about the vital work the NHL is doing to reach out to more diverse audiences…in North America and overseas. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode with Sway Bhatia – a true inspiration. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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23 min
March 14, 2023 Feed Drop: Coming Home
Here at Immigrantly, I believe in creating a safe space for authentic storytelling. Most stories are built on our platform but sometimes from other sources. And today, we are doing just that. We will share an episode called Coming Home from a podcast we love from the UCLA Labor Center called Re: Work. A group of undocumented youth cross the border from the US into Mexico to cross back and turn themselves into border patrol. Why would you do something that would so blatantly risk you ever being able to come into this country again? We follow the story of one courageous young person, Luis Leon, and the journey that took him from a small town in North Carolina to the border crossing in Laredo, TX. Find Re: Work wherever you get your podcasts. the link to the Re-Work podcast! Be sure to give them a review and follow the podcast. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us!

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32 min
March 07, 2023 The Journey of Becoming
My today's guests are a fantastic duo. Lilliana Vazquez is a Puerto Rican and Mexican TV personality, style expert, and interviewer. You may recognize her as a former contributor on the Today show, the former host of E! news, or as a correspondent for Access Daily and Access Hollywood. She is outspoken about the stakes of being a Latina in a field where she is often in the minority. Her co-host is more of a behind-the-camera type of guy; Joseph Carrillo is a celebrity makeup artist and facial masseur. You've seen his talent with a blending brush and an elegant eye shadow palette before, even if you didn't know it then—because his client history includes Lizzo, Priyanka Chopra, Teyana Taylor, and Paris Hilton. His makeup looks and beauty tips have been featured in Harper's Bazaar, Allure, Vogue, and the New York Times. So, what brought these two together to create a great podcast for you to tune into? We find out during this conversation! You can listen to the podcast . Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review on to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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51 min
February 28, 2023 Tracing the Roots of American Food (With Stephen Satterfield) 2022
Today, In honor of Black History month and to pay homage to the African contribution to American food, I am re-releasing another gem from the immigrantly vault. It’s my interview with Stephen Satterfield. This conversation profoundly impacted how I view African cuisine in America. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when it happened and even now as I revisit it with all of you. Stephen Satterfield has dedicated his career to organizing, activating, and educating people about the origins and cultures of food. He founded Whetstone Radio Collective, a food magazine and media company that explores the history of American cuisine through the lens of cultural, socioeconomic, and human connections. Stephen's work disrupts the food canon in more ways than a few: writer, publisher, producer, former sommelier, and social entrepreneur. For example, his docuseries on Netflix, "High on the Hog," traces the foundation of American cooking from Texas to Africa and peels the layers of generations across time and geography. In today's episode, beyond flavors & taste, Stephen and I dive into the journey of African American cuisine in the U.S. and how food can be a catalyst for change. Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod | Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan & Yudi Liu I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmed Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds

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46 min