Conversations with immigrants who are kicking ass in the US. Sasha Kapustina talks to people who came to the US from all over the world about what brought them here, how they found their American Dream, what it took to get to it, and what they've learned.
My guest this week is Hicham Oudghiri, a Morrocan-American entrepreneur. The founder of Enigma, a startup that creates a data infrastructure that will help businesses make informed decisions mostly about other businesses. One of their focus points is specifically small business lending, which is notoriously difficult. And Enigma is aiming to change that and has made some progress there - among their clients are PayPal, American Express, and Capital One. This is part two of my conversation with Hicham. And in this episode, we talk more about what Hisham’s company does and the larger context of the impact of data on society. If you haven't listened to part one - you can find it wherever you’re listening right now. We talk about how his Moroccan, French, and American backgrounds have shaped his worldview. FIND HICHAM: https://twitter.com/merinids https://enigma.com/ https://medium.com/enigma FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Hicham Oudghiri, a Morrocan-American entrepreneur. The founder of Enigma, a startup that creates a data infrastructure that will help businesses make informed decisions mostly about other businesses. One of their focus points is specifically small business lending, which is notoriously difficult. And Enigma is aiming to change that and has made some progress there - among their clients are PayPal, American Express, and Capital One. Hicham is my second high-tech guest in a row. I hope you guys don’t mind. I guess it is a reflection of the world we live in or at least my sense about it. Data and data collection and exploitation of data is everywhere and we all have our concerns, fears, and frustrations about it. But the reality is that this is how the world will be for the decades to come and we better learn to deal with it and hopefully even benefit from it. This is part one of the conversation and we focus on Hicham’s family background and how the mix of Moroccan, French, and American cultures has instilled him with the values of open-mindedness, nomadic desire to explore the frontier, and at the same time appreciation of the civic values and ethics, and how that manifests in his day to day business thinking. FIND HICHAM: https://twitter.com/merinids https://enigma.com/ https://medium.com/enigma FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Camila Russo, a Chilean-American financial journalist. She cut her teeth at Bloomberg News. And in 2020 she founded The Defiant, a crypto news platform. She has also written a book, the first history of Ethereum, called The Infinite Machine. In this Part 2 of the conversation, Camila and I talk about how she made the transition from writing about the traditional markets to covering crypto and how she has since placed her bets on decentralized finance. Check out Part 1 of my conversation with Camila - where we talk about her journey coming to the US. And please remember that none of this is financial advice. FIND CAMILA: https://thedefiant.io/ https://twitter.com/camirusso Get her book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8HS2WC/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1 FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Camila Russo is a Chilean-American financial journalist. In 2020 she founded The Defiant, a media platform that has quickly become one of the most trusted and respected news sources in the world of decentralized finance, more known as crypto. You’ve heard of crypto. You’ve heard of Bitcoin. You’ve heard of Doge. If you’re into sports you’ve probably heard of the digital collectible sports cards. You may have even heard of the mysterious non-fungible tokens, the NFTs. It’s the cutting edge of finance and technology and to most people, it sounds like the intersection of digital witchery and Ponzi schemes and there is certainly a good share of speculation and let’s be honest unkosher activity in that field and yet, many believe it’s the future. Full disclosure, I do. But I’m not here to sell you on it, as they say, do your own homework. What I am excited to do - it to introduce you to Camila. Who is not some TikTok “crypto influencer,” she is a real solid financial journalist, Northwestern grad, who cut her teeth at Bloomberg and now she is focusing on crypto. It makes me extra happy that a woman, an immigrant, and a Latina is at the helm of the best platforms in the space. And while I’m on this fangirl kick over here... I want to tell you about Camila’s book - The Infinite Machine, which was published by HarperCollins in 2020 and is a great introductory book for anyone who is curious in this space. It’s the first book on the history of Ethereum. It’s an easy and exciting read because besides breaking down the basics of what crypto is - the book focuses on the stories of the people, who are building this future technology. FIND CAMILA: https://thedefiant.io/ https://twitter.com/camirusso FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Rohit Bhargava, Indian-American Wall Street Journal bestselling author, speaker, and self-described near-futurist. Rohit is a branding expert. He spent 15 years in leadership roles at two world-renowned ad agencies: Leo Burnett and Ogilvy. His ideas have been implemented by such giants as the World Bank, NASA, Intel, Disney, Colgate, Coca-Cola, NBC Universal, American Express, and many others. Rohit also teaches Marketing and Storytelling at Georgetown University. Rohit is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company, ON A MISSION to help the world be more open-minded by teaching others how to be non-obvious thinkers. And in this first part of the conversation, we talk about Rohit’s childhood growing up as a world citizen and the perspective that it gives him. And in this second part of the conversation, we talk about the sense of belonging, the value of the American accent, and some future trends that are both fascinating and terrifying. FIND ROHIT: http://www.rohitbhargava.com https://twitter.com/rohitbhargava https://www.instagram.com/rohitbb/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Rohit Bhargava, Indian-American Wall Street Journal bestselling author, speaker, and self-described near-futurist. Rohit is a branding expert. He spent 15 years in leadership roles at two world-renowned ad agencies: Leo Burnett and Ogilvy. His ideas have been implemented by such giants as the World Bank, NASA, Intel, Disney, Colgate, Coca-Cola, NBC Universal, American Express and many others. Rohit also teaches Marketing and Storytelling at Georgetown University. Rohit is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company, ON A MISSION to help the world be more open-minded by teaching others how to be non-obvious thinkers. And in this first part of the conversation, we talk about Rohit’s childhood growing up as a world citizen and the perspective that it gives him. Tune in on Thursday for part two of the conversation. Where we talk about being a double immigrant, his non-obvious perspective on people butchering his name, and some trends. FIND ROHIT: http://www.rohitbhargava.com https://twitter.com/rohitbhargava https://www.instagram.com/rohitbb/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Grace Ramirez, Chef Grace. And this is part two of our conversation. If you have not listened to part one - check it out wherever you’re listening right now. Grace shares her immigration journey from Venezuela to the US and from being a TV producer to being in front of the camera and then further into the kitchen. And this is where we pick up in today’s episode. Besides writing cookbooks and hosting TV shows, Grace has been an ambassador for Zacapa rum. And she shares her story of getting herself that gig. Spoiler alert, it did not land in her lap by itself. She wanted it and she got it. Grace has been an activist and volunteer with Chef Jose Andres’s World Central Kitchen. And we talk about her work in NYC during the pandemic. Grace also shared exciting news about her newest venture that is focused on women and corn. FIND GRACE: http://www.chefgraceramirez.com https://www.instagram.com/chefgraceramirez/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
48. From Master Chef to World Central Kitchen (w/Grace Ramirez. Part 1) This week on the podcast - Grace Ramirez, Chef Grace, the first Venezuelan-American on the show. She has written books and hosted TV shows, all around the world. She started her career on season one of Master Chef and for the last few years, she has been actively working with Chef Jose Andres’s World Central Kitchen. First, in Puerto Rico in 2017, then the Bahamas and Venezuela, and for the last year - New York. During the pandemic, the organization has helped prevent over 250 restaurants in NY from closing and delivered over 9 million meals. The City of New York has recognized Chef Grace Ramirez as a Covid-19 hero. In this first part of the conversation we talk about Grace’s childhood in Venezuela, her having to leave right after high school because of a dictatorship taking over, her career as a TV producer, and her first steps in the food industry. FIND GRACE: http://www.chefgraceramirez.com https://www.instagram.com/chefgraceramirez/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Erwin Valencia. Erwin is the Director of Training and Conditioning with the NEW YORK KNICKS. Erwin is a Philippino-American physical therapist, strength coach, sports scientist, mindfulness coach, social entrepreneur, international speaker, and mentor. He is a true Citizen of the World. It’s hard to even compress his biography into a reasonable sentence. From Non-Profit Rehabilitation Programs in the Philippines to sports clinics of NYC, on to Major League Baseball, to the start-up communities of Silicon Valley, to the dance studios all over the world, to the developing sports medicine in South East Asia, and Eastern Europe, to the Madison Square Garden and the NBA. And clearly, Erwin is just getting started. This is part two of this conversation. Erwin shares his story of getting into the NBA and being a life-long learner. We also talk about belonging and Erwin shares some beautiful gems of wisdom there. FIND ERWIN: https://erwinvalencia.com/ https://www.instagram.com/erwinbvalencia/ https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@erwinbvalencia FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Erwin Valencia. Erwin is the Director of Training and Conditioning with the NEW YORK KNICKS!! NBA, in da house, my friends! Erwin is a Philippino-American physical therapist, strength coach, sports scientist, mindfulness coach, social entrepreneur, international speaker, and mentor. He is a true Citizen of the World. It’s hard to even compress his biography into a reasonable sentence. From Non-Profit Rehabilitation Programs in the Philippines to sports clinics of NYC, on to Major League Baseball, to the start-up communities of Silicon Valley, to the dance studios all over the world, to the developing sports medicine in South East Asia, and Eastern Europe, to the Madison Square Garden and the NBA. And clearly, Erwin is just getting started. This is part one of our chat - where we talk about Erwin’s childhood growing up as a third culture kid in his home country of the Philippines... FIND ERWIN: https://erwinvalencia.com/ https://www.instagram.com/erwinbvalencia/ https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@erwinbvalencia FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Michael Ronen is a futurist, experience designer, and digital event producer. He is the founder of Wonderland - an Immersive Design Agency. Michael’s background is in theater and throughout his life he has been creating projects and environments that allow for empathy and intimacy. He is on a mission to help people realize their human potential in full. And of course I relate to that idea. He is the freshest off the boat guest we’ve had on the podcast. Michael has just moved to the US from Germany a half a year ago, - right in the middle of pandemic, election, protests, and wildfires. FIND MICHAEL: https://www.instagram.com/ronenmichael/ And on Clubhouse @michaelronen Check out his articles on Medium. https://ronenmichael.medium.com/can-we-create-digital-intimacy-in-times-of-physical-distancing-a7d5c754446c FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Michael Ronen is a futurist, experience designer, and digital event producer. He is the founder of Wonderland - an Immersive Design Agency. Michael’s background is in theater and throughout his life he has been creating projects and environments that allow for empathy and intimacy. He is on a mission to help people realize their human potential in full. And of course I relate to that idea. He is the freshest off the boat guest we’ve had on the podcast. Michael has just moved to the US from Germany a half a year ago, - right in the middle of pandemic, election, protests, and wildfires. FIND MICHAEL: https://www.instagram.com/ronenmichael/ And on Clubhouse @michaelronen Check out his articles on Medium: https://ronenmichael.medium.com/can-we-create-digital-intimacy-in-times-of-physical-distancing-a7d5c754446c FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Nurit Katz is UCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. She also teaches at UCLA Extension’s Sustainability Certificate Program. And she is a first-generation American, a proud daughter of a Serbian-Croatian Israeli immigrant. In this episode, we talk about how to get people and most important organizations and companies to think and care more about sustainability. And I was pleasantly surprised by Nurits outlook because I have a tendency to get into “all is lost” mode and there is a lot of this doomsday messaging out there and it’s actually nice to hear a professional who while being aware of the challenges has a positive and proactive outlook. Here are a few links from Nurit: UCLA Sustainability: https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/ UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge: https://grandchallenges.ucla.edu/sustainable-la/ iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ City Nature Challenge: https://citynaturechallenge.org/ UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate: https://www.uclaextension.edu/environmental-studies-public-policy/sustainability-environmental-studies/certificate/sustainability FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Text “ALIENS” to +1 310 388 82 79 and let’s chat! Email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Nurit is UCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. She also teaches at UCLA Extension’s Sustainability Certificate Program. And she is a first-generation American, a proud daughter of an Israeli immigrant. We talk about what sustainability is and is not. And how immigrant perspective can be of value here. Here are a few links from Nurit: UCLA Sustainability: https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/ UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge: https://grandchallenges.ucla.edu/sustainable-la/ iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ City Nature Challenge: https://citynaturechallenge.org/ UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate: https://www.uclaextension.edu/environmental-studies-public-policy/sustainability-environmental-studies/certificate/sustainability FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
My guest this week is Paulina Isabel Almarosa. And this is part two of my conversation with her. Check out part one where Paulina shared her experience of growing up undocumented. I want to put a trigger warning right here as we do talk about grief but I also want to invite you to open your mind and take a listen. And the reason is that we all have losses in our lives, and this year, we all lost something. And the thing with grief is that avoiding it doesn’t help, like any emotion it will demand a space. It will dig itself deeper in your mind and manifest in the most unexpected way in the most uncomfortable moment. But there are ways to honor your grief. Paulina is a “grief keeper.” She is a social worker who focuses on healing the Latinx community. FIND PAULINA: https://www.instagram.com/latinxgrief/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Paulina Isabel Almarosa is a licensed social worker and the founder of Latinx Grief. Paulina works with a very touchy subject. I’d say, the touchiest of subjects - grief. I’m very happy that I’ve had a chance to have this conversation with Paulina right now when the US Congress is debating immigration reform. I feel that it’s important to understand and remember what’s at stake. Unfortunately, human nature is such that we only care about things that reflect on us directly. It makes people much more likely to support a cause if they know someone who is affected. Well, with undocumented people - you just will never know. But they are here, 11 million people. You’re with them at school, or at work, they are making your favorite breakfast sandwich, you’re taking a class from them online. Yes, they are picking your fruit, looking after your kids, washing your grandma up at a nursing home, and cleaning your house. They’re managing the building you live at, designing a poster for your new favorite TV show, or selling you your new car. They are here. They are part of your life. You can not pretend you don’t know them. FIND PAULINA: https://www.instagram.com/latinxgrief/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Dean Zulich is a rockstar photographer. Among his clients are NIKE, UN, Playboy, and ESPN. His work has appeared in Vogue, New York Times, Boston Globe, and many other publications. He has traveled the world taking pictures and teaching photography. Dean is Bosnian. He was born and raised in Yugoslavia and in this episode, he shares his story of fighting and escaping the war that followed the collapsing of his country. FIND DEAN: https://www.deanzulich.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dee_riot/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Clubhouse Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an event or an episode: www.WeTheAliensPod.com/links Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Dean Zulich is a fashion and commercial photographer originally from Bosnia. Among his clients are NIKE, UN, Playboy, and ESPN. His work has appeared all over the media - Marie Claire, Vogue, The New York Times, Boston Globe. Make sure to check out part one of the interview where Dean shares his war experience and his thoughts on capitalism vs. socialism. He got catapulted into the world of fashion photography by a reality TV show The Shot that he entered right after college. The show promo described him as a “Bosnian war veteran with swagger to spare,” which is spot on. FIND DEAN: https://www.deanzulich.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dee_riot/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and on Clubhouse Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Dean Zulich is a rockstar photographer. Among his clients are NIKE, UN, Playboy, and ESPN. His work has appeared in Vogue, New York Times, Boston Globe, and many other publications. He has traveled the world taking pictures and teaching photography. Dean is Bosnian. He was born and raised in Yugoslavia and in this episode, he shares his story of fighting and escaping the war that followed the collapsing of his country. FIND DEAN: https://www.deanzulich.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dee_riot/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
This is part two of my interview with Ehsan Zaffar and if you’re tuning in here I highly recommend that after listening to this episode you go to the previous one and listen to the fascinating story of Ehsan’s family’s escape from war-torn Kuwait. Some crazy stuff there. In today’s episode we talk about Ehsan’s passion - inequality, well, fight against inequality to be more precise. Ehsan is a civil rights lawyer, a professor, and an author. He is also the director of the Center on Inequality at ASU called The Difference Engine. The way Ehsan talks about fighting for equality is not only passionate but it's a very different way of thinking about equality compared to what you hear 90% of the time. Ehsan doesn't talk about "demolishing," “abolishing,” and "taking down the oppressors." He talks about creating systems that support. FIND EHSAN ZAFFAR: UnfairNation Podcast Ehsan’s website - http://www.ehsan.com/ The Difference Engine - https://thedifferenceengine.asu.edu/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ezaffar FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Ehsan Zaffar is a civil rights lawyer, a professor, and an author. As a Senior Advisor on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security, he advises on matters of freedom of religion, fighting violence against women, and LGBTQ rights. Ehsan teaches at Georgetown University, George Mason University, George Washington University, and Temple Universities. He serves on the Executive Board of ACLU California and on the Advisory Board for Team Rubicon, an organization that helps returning veterans apply their skills to help communities facing natural disasters. Ehsan is the director of the newly formed Center on Inequality at Arizona State University called The Difference Engine. He also hosts UnfairNation, a podcast on power, inequality, and civil justice. Ehsan came to the US as a child refugee from Kuwait, escaping the Gulf war. FIND EHSAN ZAFFAR: UnfairNation Podcast Ehsan’s website - http://www.ehsan.com/ The Difference Engine - https://thedifferenceengine.asu.edu/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ezaffar FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
This is part two of My conversation with Zara Barrie. She is a first-generation British-American. She is the former Senior Sex & Dating writer for Elite Daily. And last year her first book came out, GIRL STOP PASSING OUT IN YOUR MAKEUP. And we’re not talking about makeup at all. We talk about elitism, diversity, and how to get your first book published. Since it’s part two of the conversation - we jump in right at the place where we talk about career stuff. If you want to hear about Zara’s attempt at reuniting with her mom’s culture and how she came to appreciate America with all its flaws - check out part one wherever you’re listening right now. FIND ZARA BARRIE: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAWLAdFl-ww/ https://thecrazysadbabesclub.com/author/thedirtybeauty/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Zara Barrie is a first-generation British-American. I know what you’re thinking. Brits don’t count. Guess what, they do. Even Canadians count as immigrants. We do not discriminate here, not by distance, not by language. A lost home feels the same to everyone. Zara is the former Senior Sex & Dating writer for Elite Daily. She has penned over three thousand articles. And recently launched www.CrazyBadBabesClub.com, a wellness publication for bad girls. Together with Dayna Troisi she hosts the “GirlZ, Interrupted” podcast. It is and I quote “not a wellness podcast but a mental illness podcast.” According to Zara’s official bio “She identifies as a mascara lesbian and lives beyond her means in New York.” Zara’s first book came out in May of last year. And I listened to it twice. I never thought I would. The book is called, GIRL STOP PASSING OUT IN YOUR MAKEUP: THE BAD GIRL’S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. I thought that my need for wisdom about sex, dating, and mental health was satisfied by Brene Brown and Esther Perel. I really did. Who would have thought that who I actually wanted to listen to was a foul-mouthed New York neurotic lesbian girl? But she talked to a part of me that hasn’t been talked to in a while. And guess what, I’m pretty sure, you have that part too. Even if you’re a man. You might not like that part of you, you might diminish and even disregard that younger, messier, more confused, and arrogant version of you. But it is still there. And Zara gives it a voice. Also, Zara is my sister-in-law. And I am super proud. FIND ZARA BARRIE: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAWLAdFl-ww/ https://thecrazysadbabesclub.com/author/thedirtybeauty/ FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
This is part two of My conversation with Dr. Otto Yang, who is the associate chief of the infectious disease at UCLA. Dr. Yang is a first-generation Taiwanese-American. He grew up in a family of scientists. He graduated from Brown University and Harvard. And for the last 20+ years, Dr. Yang has been specializing in T cell immunology and HIV. And since the beginning of the pandemic, he has repurposed his lab to study the immune response to COVID-19. We talked about Dr.Yang’s research in part one of the interview and in this episode, we get down to the nitty-gritty of the COVID-19 - how the virus spreads, how the vaccines work, why we need to double mask, and how Taiwan managed to keep the infection rate so low without lockdowns (total of 955 cases to date / 9 deaths / population 23.8 million). Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND DR. OTTO YANG: Dr.Yang's UCLA Profile - https://www.uclahealth.org/otto-yang DONATE TO DR.YANG'S LAB: Garry Shandling Biomedical Future Fund - https://www.uclahealth.org/Infectious-Diseases/shandling-biomedical-future-fund FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Dr. Otto Yang is a first-generation Taiwanese-American and the associate chief of infectious disease at UCLA. Dr. Yang has a background in clinical infectious diseases, and his laboratory specializes in immunology and HIV infection. That experience and background put Dr.Yang in a unique position at the beginning of the pandemic - and he has repurposed his lab to study COVID19 and how our immune system responds to it. His research was covered in a somewhat controversial way by The New York Times. We cover a lot of ground in today’s episode. As usual, we talk about Dr. Yang’s personal journey from growing up as a first-generation Taiwanese American in Tennessee to Harvard and then UCLA. We compare notes on dictatorships. Dr. Yang shared a great primer on the state of affairs in Taiwan, which considering what has been happening in Hong Kong, we should all keep an eye on. We, of course, talk about Dr.Yang’s research and why he describes himself as, and I quote, “the toilet paper of medicine.” Gwenyth Paltrow and Tom Hanks also make an appearance in that part of the story… On Thursday, we will be posting part two of the podcast - where we get into the weeds of COVID19. We talk about how the virus spreads, how it works, the variants, the immune system responses, vaccines, and all that good stuff, which we keep learning more and more about every day. Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND DR. OTTO YANG: Dr.Yang's UCLA Profile DONATE TO DR.YANG'S LAB - Garry Shandling Biomedical Future Fund FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter and Clubhouse addict because you want to be closer to people, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an immigrant-alien, and you know that you and they came to this country to build and contribute, and you can’t stand discrimination and belittling of their lives and contributions - this podcast is for you.
Ariel shared an amazing and very personal story of what it was like to live in the Soviet Union as a Jewish person and what it took to escape. How at the age of 15 he was pressured to denounce his parents as traitors, and what happened when he refused. In today’s episode, we talk about how what is happening in Russia today is intrinsically connected to the collapse of the Soviet Union hence the title of the episode The Unfalling Empire. For those of you who don’t follow Russian politics closely, one name that comes up in the conversation that you need to know is the name of Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, Alexey Navalny. For the last 15 years, Navalny has been an increasingly uncomfortable thorn in the side of Putin’s regime. He investigates corrupt politicians and makes youtube films that are very popular online. The most recent one, which focused on Putin’s Palace was viewed over 100M times. Russia’s political field has been cleared out of essentially any opposition - politicians who refuse to side with Putin, end up in jail or dead. And so, Navalny is this last man standing. And in the summer of 2020, he was poisoned with a chemical weapon no less, a nerve agent Novichok. He miraculously survived and upon his return to Moscow, he was immediately arrested which sparked the most recent wave of protests all over Russia about a month ago. Around that time, there was a lot of talk about new sanctions against Russia - but that’s where it stood at the time of the recording. This conversation with Ariel Cohen will give you a bit of a historic and global context to understand the situation. Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND ARIEL COHEN: https://www.arielcohen.com/ and on Twitter @Dr_Ariel_Cohen FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter addict but are contemplating TikTok, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an alien and you know that they came to this country to build and contribute - this podcast is for you.
Ariel Cohen is a political analyst and strategist, writer, and commentator. He is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center, he is also a Senior Fellow at the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC). Dr. Cohen consults for Fortune 500 companies and international law firms. You’ve seen him on CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, C-SPAN, and BBC, you’ve heard him on the radio, you’ve read his columns in Forbes and other publications. He is a leading expert on Eastern Europe and the Middle East and the author of the book Russian Imperialism: Development and Crisis - that you can find on Amazon. We talk about how he and his family escaped the Soviet Union, what it was like being refuseniks in USSR, and what it was like being an immigrant scholar of the Soviet Union in the US. Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND ARIEL COHEN: https://www.arielcohen.com/ and on Twitter @Dr_Ariel_Cohen FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok ASK YOUR FRIENDLY RUSSIAN on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love NPR, This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read Forbes, LA Times, The Atlantic, and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter addict but are contemplating TikTok, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an alien and you know that they came to this country to build and contribute - this podcast is for you.
My guest is a journalist, activist, and author Asra Nomani. She is a former The Wall Street Journal correspondent. She has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, People, Salon.com, and many other publications. She taught journalism at Georgetown University. You’ve heard her on NPR and seen her on CNN, Fox News, and Bill Maher’s show talking about Muslim extremism and Muslim reformism. Asra is the co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. Asra was born in India. She was brought to the US as a young child and grew up in a conservative Muslim family. She tells that story in the first part of the interview. She also talks about how she only finally fully integrated into American society in her late 20s with the help of her dear friend and Wall Street Journal colleague - Daniel Pearl. Asra was also the last person who saw him in Karachi the day when he got kidnapped in January of 2002. You may remember his name from the news. Daniel Pearl became the first Western journalist to be beheaded by the Pakistani militants. His murder was filmed and parts of it were shown on TV. This happened just months after 9/11. Life split into before and after. Especially for many journalists all over the world for whom it became crystal clear that the Geneva convention is not going to be protecting them in this war. And their press ID or vest is actually making them a target. Daniel Pearl became a symbol of courage and standing up to extremism and antisemitism. Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND ASRA: https://asrainvestigates.substack.com/ and on Twitter @AsraNomani FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read The Atlantic and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter addict but are contemplating TikTok, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an alien and you know that they came to this country to build and contribute - this podcast is for you.
My guest is a journalist, activist, and author Asra Nomani. She is a former The Wall Street Journal correspondent. She has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, People, Salon.com, and many other publications. She taught journalism at Georgetown University. You’ve heard her on NPR and seen her on CNN, Fox News, and Bill Maher’s show talking about Muslim extremism and Muslim reformism. Asra is the co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. Asra was born in India and has had a distinguished career as a journalist, but her story is deeply connected to the story of her dear friend and colleague - Daniel Pearl. Some of you may remember his name, for some of you, like me, the story may be new although the events unfolded 19 years ago. Here’s some context. Daniel was the South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal. In 2002 he was following a story that brought him to Pakistan where he was kidnapped and then became the first Western journalist to be beheaded by the Muslim extremists. There will be two episodes this week. This one is part one - Asra and I talk about her experience coming to the US as a child and how the separation and transition impacted her and her family. We talk about mental health and her struggle navigating social life and dating having been brought up in a conservative Muslim family. We also talk about Asra’s friendship with Daniel Pearl and how he helped her to truly integrate into American life. And on Thursday tune in for part two of this interview where we talk about what happened in Pakistan in 2002 and what is happening now, how it changed the world, and Asra’s own life and mission. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND ASRA: https://asrainvestigates.substack.com/ and on Twitter @AsraNomani FIND WE THE ALIENS PODCAST: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok MUSIC: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read The Atlantic and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter addict but are contemplating TikTok, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an alien and you know that they came to this country to build and contribute - this podcast is for you.
The Year’s End Episode, it’s a mix of a recap and touching base with the guests of the podcast. Francis Cholle’s book Squircle became a Wall Street Journal bestseller. Kinga Philipps was featured on the EPIX show ENSLAVED that is set to broadcast all over the world. Inbal Lessner’s show SEDUCED: Inside The NXIVM Cult beat HBO's The Vow with critics. Che Guerrero released a new comedy album. Sandra Zanella is about to publish a book and move to Dubai. Sara Stanizai has grown her business in the middle of the pandemic. Horacio Marquinez has completed the filming of 2020Americans. Find this week’s contributors: Francis Cholle (@francischolle), book Squircle. Kinga Philipps (@kingaphilipps), the ENSLAVED docuseries. Inbal Lessner (@inballessner) the SEDUCED: Inside The NXIVM Cult docuseries. Che Guerrero: @cheguerrero88 Sandra Zanella: @mymindfulmomlife Sara Stanizai: https://www.prospecttherapy.com/ and on Instagram @prospecttherapy Horacio Marquinez: @2020Americans Hector Herrera: http://hectorvoice.com/ & @wolf.frank9 SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS: Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. FIND US: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (green card holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career, finding love, and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about the great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American-born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggles growing in between the cultures of their parents' home country and America. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carve their path while redefining what American is. We talk about philosophy, psychology, culture, language, and history. We also talk about the news of the day, things that we all worry about - but in the context of the immigrant perspective. If you love This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America, if you read The Atlantic and New York Times, if you watch John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and/or Trevor Noah, if you are a Twitter addict but are contemplating TikTok, if you, your spouse, your parent, or your grandma is an alien and you know that they came to this country to build and contribute - this podcast is for you.
This is the first winter holiday celebration on We The Aliens, the audio home for all the aliens. It’s a Russian party. To get over with it once and for all, Sasha talks about the Russian drinking rules, three things to know about vodka, and the traditional order of toasts. PSA it’s “ZA ZDOROVYE,” not “NA ZDOROVYE.” Sasha introduces the guests of the party, our listeners - immigrants and immigrant allies, who share their holiday stories. SHARE YOUR WINTER HOLIDAY STORY - Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. Find this week’s contributors: Kevin Munoz of Latin American Educational Opportunities Podcast: https://latinamericaneo.org/ and on Instagram @latinamericaneo The Refugee Translation Project: https://refugeetranslation.org/ and on Instagram @refugee_translation Hector Herrera: http://hectorvoice.com/ Janan: @queenjanan_ of Compassionate Healing @compassionate_healing_ Che Guerrero: @cheguerrero88 and on TikTok @myundocumentedass Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on TikTok Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: We The Aliens podcast hosts conversations with IMMIGRANTS from all over the world who came to the US and found their path to the American Dream. No matter what their status is - undocumented, DACA recipient, permanent resident (greencard holder), naturalized citizen - all are welcome here. We talk about the challenges of leaving the home country, finding the legal path, finding a way to belong in the new world, building a career and family and sustaining the family traditions. We talk about IMMIGRATION as a process of growth and self-discovery, adaptation, overcoming cultural shocks, and fighting racial and ethnic stereotypes. We talk about great contributions that immigrants make to the American economy, culture, science, and society. We also feature stories of the first-gens, FIRST GENERATION American born, the third culture kids, who have their own set of struggle growing in between their parents culture and American. We talk about their battle to find their identity and carving their path while redefining what American is. We also talk about the deep universal themes and the news of the day, things that we all worry about. If you love This American Life, The Daily, and Pod Save America - this podcast is for you.
This week on the podcast - Karel Flores - one of the most beloved salsa dancers and in-demand salsa teachers out there. Some of you know that I’m slightly obsessed with salsa and bachata dancing but this conversation is not just about dance, because besides being a stellar salsera, Karel is also an activist. Karel is a force. She was born and raised in Mexico City. For years she was part of the famous NYC Yamulee dance company and now she is running her own Karel Flores army of salsa teams all over the world. And she doesn’t shy away from putting her activist messages into her choreography. And I personally love it. I never thought that art should stay away from politics and activism. To me, there’s nothing controversial about it. Art is the expression of the person’s passion - and if done right activism doesn’t take away from the art - on the contrary, it gives art a focus point. We talk about growing up in a family of artists, impostor syndrome and fear of college, the isolation of immigration, dance career and business, influencer responsibility, and the value of therapy, we also talk about activism, feminism, environmentalism, fight for equality, and yes, Trump. In the PSA part of the conversation, Karel shares her story of being affected by a mold infestation. And how that almost forced her to retire from dancing. I loved Karel’s fiery Mexican-Newyorker energy. I felt a kindred spirit. Check out our merch shop - www.WeTheAliensPod.com/SHOP SHARE YOUR WINTER HOLIDAY STORY - What do you love most about the holidays? What do you miss most from your home country? What did you come to love about the American holiday season? Or maybe you have a funny or weird or memory or story? Or maybe you came up with something special for this pandemic Christmas - tell us. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com. Find Karel: https://www.karelflores.com/ and on Instagram @karelflores Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and on TikTok Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Sara Stanizai is a therapist who doesn’t have a therapist vibe. As she puts it, “not your nice-white-lady” therapist. Sara is the founder of Prospect Therapy which is an LGBTQ+ affirming psychotherapy practice. She and her colleagues work with “overachievers,” “black sheep,” and the queer community. We talk about how being a daughter of Afghani refugees, Muslim and queer, and growing up in post 9/11 America equipped Sara for her work in a unique way. We also talk about identity and adapting and how it impacts mental health. Sara shares her story of hiding her identity for years and trying really hard to be “white” only to find out that what she thought would set her up for success was actually setting her back. We talk about impostor syndrome, how it’s connected to self-sabotage and procrastination, and how it can lead to depression and anxiety, and also how immigrants, first-generation, and third culture kids are at high risk for impostor syndrome and how that can lead to major career and life setbacks. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and tell us what you think about the show and how you're dealing with balancing your various identities. Find Sara and her team: https://www.prospecttherapy.com/ and on Instagram @prospecttherapy Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
This week on Thursday, December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. And my guest today is Tamara Mena. She is an actress, model, bilingual TV host, and Instagram influencer. She is also a survivor and motivational speaker. She came to the US as a teenager, only a few years later she survived a terrible car accident that left her paralyzed chest down. We talk about how whether it’s immigration status or disability that make us alien, we all search for a way to belong. We talk about the power of words and especially the words we use to describe ourselves. We also talk about how social media gives opportunities to those whom the gatekeepers usually keep out. Tamara also shares her story of participating in a TV pageant show called Nuestra Belleza Latina (Our Latin Beauty). She did a catwalk in a swimsuit in a wheelchair. She is an unstoppable woman. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and tell us what you think about the show and tell us how being limited as an immigrant forced you to develop new skills and qualities. Find Tamara: http://tamaramena.com/ and on Instagram Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
AJ Feliciano is the Head of The Roost podcast network based in Austin that is part of the WarnerMedia owned Rooster Teeth Productions. The Roost is a video-centric podcast network with more than 70 shows with tens of millions of monthly downloads. It was fun to talk shop with AJ - we touched on how big players coming into the industry changes how independent podcasters will have to think of their work and business and he shared some of his thinking that’s behind running a podcast network. AJ shared his parents' immigration story and his own story of growing up as a third culture kid in Miami. We also talk about race, representation, and diversity in the media. The effect Black Lives Matter had on the field. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and tell us what you think about the show and tell us your name-changing stories. Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Yunyun Winnie Gu is a student from China. She has studied art and architecture, and now she is a graduate student of education at Lehigh University. She is the creator of an Instagram project called Third Culture Chinese that gained 60K followers in the two years since it was created and where Winnie posts her comics talking about being a third culture kid, cultural shock, identity crisis, and other issues familiar to most immigrants. Besides her project, we talk about China and how Winnie views the history and the current government. Find Winnie on IG @thirdculturechinese. Find us: www.WeTheAliensPod.com YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Damien Fahrenfort is a South-African professional surfer, famous and one may even say notorious for his blog Dooma’s Rumors that is no longer active but that for years was a source of controversy in the world of professional surfing. Damien now lives in Los Angeles and in the last 10 years has gone from content creation at Quicksilver to launching the US version of the surf magazine STAB to running an apparel boutique in Venice Beach. He is now an athlete manager to two World Championship Tour surfers, Jordy Smith and Michael February, and a co-founder of Free Radicals, advertising, and marketing agency. We talk a lot about his journey from being a professional athlete to becoming a businessman, and of course the transition from South Africa to the US. We also talk about the South African history of racial segregation and reconciliation. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrantsMakeAmericaGreat www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
This is Dia De Muertos episode. I talk a little bit about the history of the holiday and then I talk to Greeny Camberos, a Mexican-American artist based in Los Angeles who creates amazing Dia De Muertos themed art - dresses, and crowns, and body art and all kinds of beautiful things. Check out her Instagram @coronoaschingonas which translates as “badass crowns,” which they totally are. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrantsMakeAmericaGreat www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Panamanian-American cinematographer Horacio Marquinez has shot over 30 feature films in the US and all over the world. Including one of my personal favorites - Bobcat Goldthwait's - World’s Greatest Dad. And we talk about what it was like to work with the king of clowns, Robin Williams. We also talk about the shadow of tragedy that is hanging over that film. And here’s the first disclaimer of this episode - we mention suicide. And right away spoiler alert - if you haven’t watched the movie World’s Greatest Dad, we talk about the finale of the film, but personally, I don’t think it spoils it. You will love it or hate it no matter whether you know how it ends or not. It’s that kind of a movie. Horacio and I talk about family, and opposing family to be true to yourself. We touch on relationships and dating, and what it was like to be a gay boy in Panama in the 70s. We talk about learning to trust self and how to get into Columbia Film school if you don’t speak English. We also talk about Horacio’s newest project that he’s creating together with my friend, Russian filmmaker Kirill Myltsev. The project is called 2020 Americans. And it’s a mixed media project - it’s a documentary and a series of black and white photographs - that take a snapshot of the United States today. The guys have been driving around the US in the pre-election months and will continue driving around after the election until they collect 2020 photos and find out what it means to be American today. Here’s their Instagram is @2020Americans. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrantsMakeAmericaGreat www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Her face is on a mural in Miami Design District, some know her as the “Best Dressed Photographer of the New York Fashion Week,” and she knows a thing or two about castanets. Angeles Almuna is also a breast cancer survivor. We talk about immigration, passion, search, art, fashion, dance, love, heartbreak, perseverance and so so much more. Angeles also tells her stories of meeting fashion stars, such as Zac Posen, Alexis Bittar, Iris Apfel, and attending a Christmas Party at the Obama White House. Angeles’s initiative Fashion Strikes Cancer in partnership with Miami Design District is benefiting Breast Cancer Research Foundation and if you donate before the end of this month your donation will be tripled! It will be matched three times up to $75,000. DONATE HERE! Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod And share the show with a friend! #WeTheAliens www.WeTheAliensPod.com Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
The second part of my conversation with Israeli-American award-nominated editor and producer Inbal Lessner. We’re talking about her newest TV show - a docu-series “Seduced. Inside The NXIVM Cult.” (Starz / Sunday at 9 pm PST.) Disclaimer / trigger warning: we don’t talk about anything graphic but sex is mentioned so this episode may not be suitable for young children, and also rape and coercive relationships are discussed. Nothing gory in here, but you know, heads up. We talk about how people get sucked into such cults, some of the red flags you can catch, and how the idea of the American Dream was exploited by NXIVM to target immigrants. We also touch on the ethics of documentary filmmaking and the importance of seeing and hearing people. Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod And share the show with a friend! #WeTheAliens www.WeTheAliensPod.com Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Inbal Lessner, is an Emmy and Eddie nominated film and TV editor, she is a producer and writer, she is a mom, she is an immigrant from Israel, and she is a total rockstar. You’ve seen her work on numerous networks, including CNN's Emmy-nominated Decades docu-series - The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The Movies. She is one of the creators of the show “SEDUCED Inside The NXIVM Cult” it’s a STARZ documentary series that is now streaming on Amazon and on Hulu. We talk about serving in the Israeli army, immigration, being a foreign student at NYU, being a female filmmaker, and the art of deciphering notes. We also talk about the tragedy of family separation and the ACLU documentary “The Fight.” #WeTheAliens www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Sandy is a mom, a physician, a yogi, and an author. 10 years ago she received a phone call in the middle of the night. Scared for her life, she left her home and never went back. She had to start from scratch but she has her American Dream. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrantsAreEssential www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook , Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
We continue celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month by bringing you great conversations with Latinx folks. This week on the podcast - Tupac Zapata, originally from Honduras but to me he is always Tupac from Echo Park. We talk about immigration, gentrification, gangs, change, about how odd it is to be a foreigner in your home country, we talk about Echo Park's past, and Tupac's future. We also talk about COVID-19. Tupac has lost his father to the disease just a few weeks ago and wanted to share his story. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrationNation #ImmigrantsAreEssential www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Hector Herrera is from Mexico City, now an LA actor and a dialect coach. Hector’s voice alone is a good enough reason to listen to this interview but he also shares some crazy stories including going to El Salvador in the middle of a civil war, and accidentally attending a Christmas evening with KKK in Louisiana. Sasha also talks about the new rules on Facebook and the challenges of getting authorized by Facebook to run ads on social issues, which immigration is considered to be one of. Hector’s website - http://hectorvoice.com/ #ImmigrationNation #ImmigrantsAreEssential www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
In this episode, I talk about 20 years in poisonings of Russian opposition, the importance of keeping an eye on the #Navalny case, and where #Novichok could have come from. I thank Novaya Gazeta for the amazing reporting they do on the subject. Materials published by Echo Of Moscow, Washington Post, New York Times, and The Atlantic were also used in preparing this episode. You can listen to We The Aliens Podcast wherever you find your podcasts. #AskYourFriendlyRussian https://www.wethealienspod.com/ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0... Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/304... RSS - https://wtapod.libsyn.com/wtapod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wethealienspod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethealiens... Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeTheAliensPod
This week on @WeTheAliens podcast I talk to Daniil Zacharevich, a fisherman from Provincetown, Massachusetts. We talked about his search for his path, his experience with the work and travel program, living in the big city, immigrant life, waiter's life, and fisherman's life, becoming a US citizen, and finding your pace and your place. We also talked about the history of Belarus, the plight of post-Soviet countries, and the joy of being able to vote. www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on Facebook Instagram and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Che Guerrero was brought to the US from the Dominican Republic as a young child. He was undocumented for many years. And now, he’s a comedian, activist, and a future lawyer. We talk about race, identity, immigration, and standup comedy. #WeTheAliens #HereToStay #ImmigrantsAreEssential www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on Facebook Instagram and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Today I talk about the momentous events in Belarus. And the lessons that we can learn for the future. #SupportBelarus #StandWithBelarus Support Belarus through Belarus Solidarity Foundation. Subscribe to our brand new and shiny YouTube channel. www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on Facebook Instagram and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
Today on the podcast, I talk to Yulia Linhares. She came to the US from St.Petersburg, Russia over 20 years ago. Yulia is an oncologist. She graduated University of Chapel Hill, N.C. She did her residency at UCLA and served the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai Center in Los Angeles. And now she is the Chief of the Lymphoma Service at Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. Basically Yulia is a rockstar doctor. #HereToStay #ImmigrantsAreEssential #WeTheAliens www.WeTheAliensPod.com Follow us on Facebook Instagram and on Twitter @WeTheAliensPod Editing and mix: Damien Rowley. Music: "My country" courtesy of Ben Bostick www.benbostick.com
On today's episode - Kinga Philipps! She is a writer, producer, and TV host. She works with all the major TV networks, Travel Channel, Syfy, Discovery, EPIX, and National Geographic. She came to the US from Warsaw, Poland with her parents at 5 and grew up dreaming of being an explorer. Now, she does it for a living! In this episode we talk about social media - the battlefield between the thongs and the authentic weirdos. #whichsideareyouon #WeTheAliens #HomeIsHere #ImmigrationNation
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