Hello friends,Listen to this episode to learn what updates are in store for the Navigating Culture podcast.Sneak peak: Anya, the Navigating Culture podcast, host has decide to pause the podcast till next year. Tune in to find out why.Don't forget to share your thoughts, stories, ideas with Anya via instagram at: @navigatingculture or email the team at [email protected] you lots!

What does it mean to make it in The United States of America? So many of us were sold the dream that making it means we need the huge house, the million dollars or the flashiest car. But could ‘making’ it mean something else entirely?Meet Johanna Vizmanos, an immigrant from the Philippines who thought coming to America would be the answer to all the frustrations she felt in her mother country. As a doctor’s kid, her father wanted her to study for a safe and stable profession. But no...

At 4 years old, Parisa immigrated to the USA from Iran and became the weird girl with the parents who had weird accents. After the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, her Arizonian community shrouded her in suspicion — she was now also a weird terrorist. Those labels compelled her to push for that ever-moving goal-post of ‘Good Immigrant’ but, as many of us know you can achieve all the features of this title but still not be and feel accepted. She even felt out of place in the Persian comm...

Western ideals of success, often deeply rooted in capitalism, are often demonstrated as the only goals worth pursuing in colonized countries. In the Caribbean, we show this mentality through the extreme focus on rote memorization, earning all A’s in exams and eventually if you’re good enough, if you’re worthy enough, gaining acceptance into an international university (usually one in Great Britain or the USA). As you can imagine, this extreme focus on winning over the other has ment...

Raise your hand if any of the following resonates with you. 1) You feel like the only way you can accomplish your goals is through working harder and longer than everybody else. 2) You feel that being successful means that you have to just accept working with people who are disrespectful and mean. 3) You feel like you are a disappointment because you worked extremely hard, and your family sacrificed a lot for you. But you're stuck in a career where you don't feel like you'll ever rise through...

A common belief held amongst older women in immigrant communities is the expectation for younger women to be the traditional good daughter and daughter-in-law. Parween came face to face with this expectation as a random auntie asked her, “What do you do for work?” Parween told her about her business helping women of color improve their financial literacy. The auntie shook her head and cautioned Parween, saying, “You shouldn't get too busy with that career, because you will not be able to...

“Therapy?” I can hear the echoes of the aunties' judgments now. Though the guilt and shame took me some time to work through, I eventually decided that this was the right decision for me.I have suffered from depression and anxiety since I was young. As both an immigrant and a Millenial, it is no surprise that this is something I am still dealing with. I was able to push through my hesitation and finally make the decision to find a therapist and if you are struggling with your mental health, I...

For most of us, there is a tight network of parents, aunties, uncles, and even neighbors who watch our every move, ensuring that we are well behaved, whatever that means. Alicia felt the same pressures growing up. Her parents raised her to be fiercely independent outside of the home. But when her parents spoke, they expected her to follow their every command. And this pressure to be subservient, didn't stop at the perfume she wore or the hobbies she chose, it also extended to her parents...

We live in a world that often tells us to dim our light. Especially as immigrants in a new country, we’re often told to keep our heads down and blend in. Shinjini Das was born in India, moved to Malaysia, and finally immigrated to the USA when she was nine. That first move to New Jersey sparked her journey of learning how to trust and accept her ambitious pursuits from her high-level academic wins to her nationally recognized public speaking triumphs. Keeping up with her go-getter person...

“You should be more grateful.” We hear that phrase often from our parents. It’s also a phrase that is echoed and amplified when we move to a new country. That phrase comes back to haunt us with a specific type of energy when we express our desire to dream bigger.Don’t get me wrong - being grateful is important. It helps you love yourself, accept yourself, and feel excited by all the progress you’ve made on your journey. However, using gratitude as a reason to stay where you are when you want ...