The VOICE

Saurav is a 3rd-student at Ryerson who enjoys golf, politics, and everything in between! He's also the President of the People's Party of Canada at Ryerson and spearheading the club's petition to KEEP the Ryerson university name. We dive into various topics in this episode so get ready! 

Born in Hong Kong, raised in Canada, worked in Taiwan, and now living in Singapore. Kyle has been around the world and has a lot of profound wisdom to share from taking the leap of moving to a new country to being the host of the What Kind of Asian podcast. This episode touches on a lot of the topics and questions that I think about as someone in my early adulthood. 

When we read headlines, we see numbers and a place distant from where we are. But in this episode, we talk to Farah who helps personalize the headlines with personal stories, opinions, and the raw feeling of what the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has had on her. This is not an easy topic to address but in this episode, Farah helps us understand what has happened and what you can do to help. There is a protest happening on August 28th in Toronto's City Hall from 3pm to 7pm EST.

Kim is a force of nature to say the least. With roots in Ottawa, she is best known for her store foodbenders that advocates for Palestinian rights. She has and continues to be the victim of too many death threats, legal battles, and hatred. Kim shares her struggles owning a small business during the pandemic, dealing with the criticism, and why she does what she does. 

Firdous AlHaddad identifies as a visible Muslim minority. She grew up in East Africa and her ethnicity is Yemeni-Indian. That alone should show you how special she is. Firdous homeschools her 5 kids and is an advocate of the benefits of nature. She is an inspiration to me and once you listen to this episode, you as well. 

Sophie is an Asian Latina who immigrated from Peru and is having a great time living in Canada. We talk about what it's like not being able to fully feel comfortable in either of her hyphenated identities, the BEAUTY pf Peru's highlands, drawing parallel stories of racism between her mom living in Peru vs Sophie in Canada, and more!! 

Mohammed Maxwel Hasan the host of a TV show, the Muslim Network TV, and recently started his own YouTube channel in a fascinating space discussing life through analogies. In this episode, we touch on what a productive debate is, how to have one, and why it is important to have these in today's world where we are being fed information we respond well to. Mohammed also opens up about important education is, the challenges & excitement of starting a YouTube channel, and what it means to be a Muslim Canadian in light of the London attacks. There is a lot of practical advice here. 

Conversations with Canadians is a podcast hosted by Mike Ryan who, like this podcast, is interested in finding out what Canadians are up to and what's on their minds. In this episode, we deep dive into Canada as a country next to a titan that is the USA as well as on a more personal level, what it means to be Canadian. 

Born to Sri Lankan parents, Thanujaa grew up in a boisterous household centered around sports. Growing up in Canada surrounded by friends that didn't always come from a Sri Lankan background, Thanujaa would accept an anglicized pronunciation of her name. But now, as Thanujaa thinks back she realizes the importance of pronouncing her name correctly. 

For many immigrant parents, coming to Canada is a dream but once they get here, it is anything but. Cindy Luu's parents came to Canada from Vietnam and soon began earning income through a demanding job running a dry cleaning business. Growing up in such a household was tough. Today Cindy helps run her family's new business that has had to adapt due to a global pandemic selling homemade satin masks and scrunchies. Give a listen to Cindy's story!