Chai Sabz

The Afghan diaspora has struggled for generations as empires have arrived in our country, fought for control, and left a trail of despair leading back home. It has always been known as the country that could never be conquered. The cost of this reputation for resilience are generations of instability. After 20 years of some social and political progress, our country faces another struggle for control. No one can say for certain what the future holds for the people of Afghanistan, and no one denies the the turmoil that the Afghan community faces in this moment. However, we must remember that no one can restore social and political progress in Afghanistan except the Afghan people themselves. This episode aims to remind people of the diaspora that, together, we have the best interest of Afghanistan in mind. Only we can succeed at restoring safety, stability, and peace in Afghanistan. To do so, we must maintain faith, hope, and unity in these times of hardship. #SaveAfghanistan

Many Afghans have witnessed their Afghan culture collide with their western interests as they grew up in a Western society. Sometimes the differences between Afghan and western cultures are interesting and even something to be proud of. However, there can be downsides that impact young Afghans' mental health and support system. Perhaps one of the most debilitating effects of this culture class is the alienation that one may experience by their family members. Mariam jan, host of a German blog called Afghanisch Unverblumt, joined me in this episode of Chai Sabz to discuss the serious repercussions of outcasting and stigmatizing our westernized Afghan counterparts. The episode covers mental health issues and the identity crisis that some Afghans may face as a further result of this alienation.  Mariyam jan also discusses her own experience as a young adult who went off to college at the age of 19 and received almost immediate backlash from her extended family members. Today, Mariam jan connects with Afghans of the diaspora on this subject through her blog and is vocal about her thoughts about the Afghan diaspora. Happy Listening! 

We each have a dream that we must climb mountains to achieve. While some of us have no choice but to travel the journey alone, others are lucky enough to find guidance along the way. Higher education is one of the largest opportunities granted to young Afghans in the United States, and it is a dream for so many others. It may also be the largest investment of time and money that students will make in their lifetime, which warrants precision in planning their college experience. After decades of having a lack of representation in professional fields, today, there are more Afghans who have traversed the rough terrain of higher education. This provides the upcoming generation of Afghans with mentorship that could guide them on their journey to achieve their postgraduate dreams. With each generation's success comes aid and to the following generations, thus, leading to growth and stability in our community of Afghans. Ms. Ellaha Sharifi received her Masters in Business Administration from Cornell University. She now works for Cisco on the intersection between business and technology. Ms. Sharifi joined the Chai Sabz podcast to discuss her endeavor in connecting young Afghans with mentors in their field of interest though the Afghan Pioneers Society. The society aims to connect trailblazers to mentors in their field and focuses on building a network of Afghan professionals. Join us in this intellectually stimulating and motivational conversation! Contact @afghanpioneers on Instagram for more information about becoming a mentor or mentee! Happy Listening! 

“You said you’re from California? No, where are you REALLY from?” Afghan-Americans face micro-aggressions, such as the one above, on almost a daily basis. It can be awkward and exhausting to consistently address various forms of ignorance about cultural and social etiquette in a country that is as diverse as the United States. It is particularly troublesome for young Afghan professionals who feel compelled to be agreeable in order to ascend in the workplace. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we discussed cultural ineptitudes that Afghan-Americans face in the workplace and methods of addressing them. Our culture teaches us to respect our elders, which includes having to refrain from correcting their shortcomings. This might contribute to some Afghans’ inability to stand up for themselves when confronted with micro-aggressions. However, there must be a way to reconcile the need to be both respectful and assertive when faced with cultural ineptitude. We welcomed Ms. Freshta Taeb in this episode to provide some insight to young professionals on overcoming challenges in the workplace. Ms. Taeb is a woman of many talents and experiences! She has an extensive resume filled with initiatives that have served the community such as translation services for asylees and refugees, diversity consultation for large law firms, women’s education advocacy, and mental health and domestic violence awareness (just to name a few!). She refined her skill set by working for recognized organizations such as Al Jazeera America, Wafa House, and the International Rescue Committee. Today, she serves as a Senior Interventionist for Cornerstone Marriage & Family Intervention in New York. We hope you find our discussion helpful in overcoming adversity in your profession. Happy Listening! 

A foundational avenue for becoming an empowered woman is through financial independence. For centuries, men have held the societal expectation of earning the family income. This has reinforced women's financial reliance on men and hindered women's advancement in entrepreneurial endeavors. Chai Sabz aims to encourage women’s financial independence by highlighting the achievements and viewpoints of Afghan women entrepreneurs through our new Women's Economic Empowerment series. We are happy to introduce this series with Ms. Tania Aria, an economist and entrepreneur by profession holding a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from University of Southampton, U.K. as a Chevening Scholar. Ms. Aria has worked on women’s economic empowerment, economic growth projects including international trade, export promotion, private sector development and research for over a decade now. She now resides in the U.S. and is the founder of her own jewelry brand, Veezha LLC. In this episode, Ms. Aria discusses how her jewelry brand supports artisans and artists in Afghanistan by using their craftsmanship in the jewelry design. She also shares her thoughts on how Afghans of the diaspora can play a role in fueling the economy in Afghanistan by investing in the country's high potential industries and talent. We close the episode with a brief conversation about methods of encouraging women's economic empowerment within the Afghan diaspora. Happy listening and remember to make that bank! 

Welcome to another episode dedicated to Afghan women's economic empowerment! In this episode of Chai Sabz, we are happy to introduce Ms. Meena Ahmadzai who is a fashion designer and entrepreneur based in the United Kingdom.  She is the owner and operator of Kandahar Bazar, which offers unique and authentic Afghan traditional clothes, jewelry and home décor to people in the U.K. During our conversation, Ms. Ahmadzai discussed the origins of her business as well as her thoughts on the hidden talents of women in the Afghan community. She also explained her role in advocating for Afghan women to market their skillsets, which positively impacted the lives of women in her community. Individuals like Ms. Ahmadzai are laying the ground work for more Afghan women to seek job opportunities and to unlock their true potential. We hope you enjoy this very wholesome episode. Happy listening!

There have been countless theories about bringing peace and stability to the people of Afghanistan. Most of these solutions revolve around international relations, the Taliban, and forms of funding. However, perhaps one of the most vital solutions to the instability of Afghanistan has been staring at us in the face with wondrous eyes and a tiny smile.In this episode of Chai Sabz, we conversed with Ms. Palwasha Mirbacha about her advocacy for children’s education in Afghanistan. Ms. Mirbacha is a leader at Boum-e Dana, a community initiative that brings young Afghan professionals together to promote education among the children of Afghanistan. Approximately 47 percent of the population of Afghanistan are aged under 15 years old. Despite their abundance in the country, children are far from receiving the educational resources they require to build a better future for themselves and for the nation. Ms. Mirbacha discusses the obstacles that she believes children face in attaining higher literacy rates and she describes Boum-e Dana’s attempts to make education available to the children of Afghanistan. Ms. Mirbacha’s message to our audience is clear; children are the only ray of hope for this country and their success depends on the resources that we are able to give them. If we nurture the most vulnerable population of children in Afghanistan, perhaps we can bring an end to the unrest in our country and look forward to a brighter future. If you are a writer or illustrator interested in assisting the Boum-e Dana community, please email pmirbacha@boumedana.af. Be sure to look up Boumedana.af for more information on their work. Happy Listening!! 

Each person travels a unique journey to find inner peace and happiness. For some, this journey may be riddled with obstacles that distract them from pursuing true personal growth. However, it is essential to pursue the goals that are satisfying to YOU, regardless of what it may mean for others. In this special episode of Chai Sabz, we followed one traveller on her path to finding inner peace through her spirituality. Ms. Meral Alizada is an incredibly talented Afghan-British poet and author of  a book of poems called Rumi's Daughter. Meral eloquently recites her poetry on this episode, which reflects her experiences growing up in a predominantly White community in Brighton, England. Our discussion focused on the obstacles that Meral faced growing up and the tools she used to overcome them, such as creative writing and poetry. Her poems explore themes of love, religion, identity, hope, and others that may resonate with listeners within the Afghan diaspora. Meral’s  ultimate message for the community is to drown out the voices that work in opposition to you. Instead, find your inner voice and move according to that voice. Be sure to purchase Meral’s book Rumi's Daughter, available on Amazon! Happy Listening!

The subject of "religion" may appear in Afghan media, in our homes, and even among friends who are aware of our background. However,  the persistent intrusion of religion in our community does not capture the varying views on faith within the Afghan diaspora. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we welcomed Ms. Homaira Tahmass to join us in a healthy conversation about our views on religion and its role in our own lives. Ms. Tahmass is a student of Psychological Sciences at University of California Irvine and she uses her social media platform to promote mental and physical health, faith, and positivity to her followers.Part of spiritual and personal growth is to ask questions and listen to others perspectives. Since religion is a prevalent aspect of Afghan lives, it is reasonable to want to learn and understand in order to come to a conclusion on our personal beliefs. We hope to inspire such conversations to occur within the Afghan community without conflict or judgment. If you have comments on any of our experiences or want to offer your opinion, feel free to DM us on instagram or email us at chaisabzofficial@gmail.com. Happy listening! 

“Don’t let your struggle become your identity.” Mental health issues are often ignored within the Afghan-American community. However, addressing the special obstacles that each individual faces can be important in resolving their personal struggles, and may even bring families and communities closer together. In this episode of Chai Sabz, Sara Stanizai  discussed her wide ranging advocacy for mental health among marginalized communities. Sara is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Long Beach California. She owns and operates Prospect Therapy, which provides queer-and trans affirming therapy with a focus on couples and first-generation immigrant mental health issues. Her therapy is based on her lived-experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ and Afghan-American communities. In our conversation, Sara spoke about common experiences between these groups such as imposter syndrome, intergenerational trauma, and identity crisis. Sara further works to destigmatize therapy within the Afghan-American community in California through an Afghan-American women’s support group. This group encourages Afghan women from different walks of life to express their common struggles in a non-judgmental and confidential space. Sara hopes to continue her work in the form of therapy and support groups and she encourages similar initiatives Afghans in other parts of the diaspora. Follow @prospecttherapy on Instagram! 

Welcome to Season Two of Chai Sabz!!We are excited to start our latest season by conversing with Ariana Abawe a.k.a Ariana the Journalist. In this episode, Ariana discusses her endeavor to highlight the beautiful side of Afghanistan to the world through "Ariana Magazine." She has integrated stories from members of the diaspora into this medium in an effort to bring the Afghan community together. She has also included experiences of non-diaspora individuals who are enthralled by Afghan culture. Ariana further talks about her vision of success as it pertains to this magazine as well as the common conception of success within the diaspora. We agreed that success is personal and has many forms. It is important to ask yourself what is your idea of success and whether you are taking steps towards reaching your goals. Be sure to purchase the latest edition of Ariana Magazine today!https://arianamagazine.bigcartel.com

There exists a special connection between a people and the symbols of their culture. Each element has value, whether it may be immense or not. Due to the importance of culture to ethnic groups, its misuse may be viewed as disrespectful to the members of the group. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we discuss cultural appropriation and its many facets. We attempt to define cultural appropriation as well as its distinction from appreciation. This is followed by a discussion on the reasons behind appropriation as well as several examples of the appropriation of Afghan culture by popular fashion brands. How should Afghans respond to such uses of our culture by large companies for profit? Is cultural appropriation ultimately a form of social progress?

Weddings are an integral piece of Afghan culture for reasons ranging from its place as a status symbol in our society to it being a rite of passage for young Afghans. Families spend thousands of dollars planning the grand event while couples struggle to balance their wedding desires with familial pressures. Although there is a collective effort to stage the perfect wedding, not as much focus is put into the “after party” or the marriage itself. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we invited Ms. Ria Mushfiq, a talented Afghan-American wedding planner based in Atlanta, GA , to discuss her experience planning weddings as well as her thoughts on marriage in the Afghan diaspora.

No person should have to face intense violence in their lifetime, but especially not young children. However, the reality for thousands of Afghan children involves witnessing or experiencing some form of violence in their early years. This may be a repercussion of war, family violence, refugee migration, etc. Regardless of the type of experience, the impacts of childhood trauma may last for years and manifest themselves in varying ways during the course of a survivor's lifetime. In this Episode of Chai Sabz, we listened to the narrative of Razia Mirza, currently a successful skin care specialist and entrepreneur living in California. For years, Razia jan rebelled against her father as he physically and mentally abused Razia jan and her family. She insisted that her family break many antiquated Afghan traditions in the pursuit of peace, stability, and safety. Although she struggled with many of the traumas that her father brought upon her, she stands stronger today than she did in the past. Razia jan encourages any victims of domestic violence to reach for the strength within themselves and to break free of their abuser.

"When women support each other, incredible things happen."In this special episode, join Zuhra and Maryam’s conversation with Mozhdah Jamalzadah and Sofia Nader of “The Girls of Wisdom” podcast. Your “Chai Sabz” hosts were glad to accept an invitation to be interviewed by Mozhdah and Sofia on issues that pertain to the Afghan diaspora and the role of young Afghans living in the West. We enjoyed our productive conversation with these intelligent women and are proud of the partnership that has formed between us. It was very interesting to hear new perspectives on some of the topics that we have previously discussed on our podcast and we hope to hear more input from our listeners regarding our discussion! DM us on Instagram @chaisabzofficial or email us with your thoughts at chaisabzofficial@gmail.com.

What do you think of when you hear the word "privilege" being said? This episode explores what it really means to have privilege when we consider factors beyond race such as finances, education, and geography. This leads to a discussion regarding the privilege that has been granted to Afghan-Americans and how it could be used to support the Black Lives Matter movement. One of the most impactful ways of using our privilege is to have serious discussions with our family members about the importance of this movement. Although these conversations can be frustrating, they are essential to help end long-existing racial biases against black people. The black struggle is our struggle because our people have endured similar oppression in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and other countries. Thus, we can easily identify an injustice and should support any cause that strives for justice and equality. The first step of fighting injustice is to recognize our privilege as Afghans living in the west and then using it for a greater cause.

Black Americans have faced oppression in the United States since the conception of this country. Out of the many forms of racism and aggression that they face, police brutality is one that has become increasingly publicized. Although the exact number may be unknown, it is a known fact that countless unarmed black men and women have been subject to the use of unnecessary force by law enforcement across the United States. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we recap the recent killing of George Floyd while he was in police custody in Minneapolis. We also discuss the slow progress of law enforcement in their de-escalation training. As a minority group that faces struggles similar to those of black people we feel their long-running pain, and we call for Afghan-Americans to stand in solidarity with our African-American brothers and sisters in their fight for equality. Our support stems from the empathy that we have gained from watching the oppression of our own people during decades of war in Afghanistan.

In this episode, we react to the recent tragedy that struck a maternity hospital in Dasht-e-Barchi, Afghanistan. This horrible incident accompanied several similar attacks that took place only a few months after the United States peace agreement with the Taliban. What do these attacks tell us about does the future of Afghanistan? The healthcare of women in Afghanistan? We further discuss the concept of survivor's guilt as it pertains to Afghans in the west. Survivor's guilt can fuel a need to help people in Afghanistan who have suffered from the repercussions of war. How can we prevent human rights violations in Afghanistan from thousands of miles away? How does our unity play a role in spreading awareness towards issues in Afghanistan?

In this episode of Chai Sabz, Mariam Azimi of "Project This Is Me" joins us to discuss the impact that hate speech has on survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Azimi shares with us her experience with hate speech after she revealed to her community that she was sexually abused as a child. She further tells us about the forms of hate speech that influenced her to move away from the toxicity that she discovered in her community. A survivor's voice should not be drowned out by a volume of hate speech directed towards them. We should not allow our rage to make us forget that their pain requires attention and that their wounds need healing.

Once famed for her fearless defiance of traditional Afghan norms the former Afghan Air Force pilot, Niloofar Rahmani, was forced to flee from Afghanistan and start a new life in the United States. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we discuss Rahmani’s struggle to maintain her dream job in the conservative Afghan society as well as the gender norms that led to the community to turn against her. We also explore the future of Afghan social progress as it relates to the meaning of success and moving away from the double standards set between men and women. Is Rahmani’s uncertain future in the United States a reflection of the stagnant social progress in the Afghan community?

Healing can be one of the largest challenges to survivors of domestic violence, but it is so essential for overcoming the past and moving forward. In this episode of Chai Sabz, we followed one survivor’s journey of healing from her previous abusive relationship. We hope that as you listen to Sara’s story, you too can get a sense of the importance of the healing process and learn of ways for you to apply it in your life.

Aryana Sayeed is considered the Queen of Afghan music and she’s an idol for many people, especially young Afghan women. She is loved not only because of her musical talent, but because of her self-proclamation as a humanitarian and philanthropist for Afghanistan. Although her art spoke to many of us in the past, she has severely disappointed us in the present. Despite taking on her usual role as a voice for Afghanistan and Afghan women, Aryana recently failed to use her platform as a successful and powerful Afghan musician to highlight one of the most prevalent problems in the Afghan community...domestic violence.