Podcasts about pakistani american muslim

Another long overdue episode with a FANTASTIC guest! Philly-based lawyer-turned-writer Farah Naz Rishi has written YA, sci-fi, romance, and a heartbreaking memoir ‘Sorry for the Inconvenience'. Pop in your airpods, grab a hot drink, go for a walk, listen how you please, but don't miss how this Pakistani-American Muslim writer became a TikTok sensation, how she wrote the book that ‘broke Mindy Kaling's heart', and of course her favorite books and hometown Philadephia hang outs!Listen now on iTunes,Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you enjoyed this, PLEASE SHARE THE EPISODE WITH A FRIEND!SHOWNOTES for Ep. 97:Connect with Farah through her website and InstagramBuy Sorry for the Inconvenience and Farah's other books hereBooks and other stuff we discussed on the show:Robin Hobb's booksR.F. Kuang's booksUrsula LeGuin's writing schedulePhilly's fab restaurant Mawn (I tried it based on Farah's tip and it is AMAZING, but now apparently hard to get a table!)Free Library of Philadelphia Harriet's Bookshop in FishtownSupport the show via Patreon!Questions? Comments? Get in touch @theindianeditpodcast on Instagram! Want to talk gardens? Follow me @readyourgardenSpecial thanks to Soumya Saksham, Sudipta Biswas and the team at The Media Tribe for audio-post production!

Rudy Rochman is a prominent Israeli rights activist and filmmaker known for his efforts to foster understanding and dialogue around Jewish identity and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He gained international recognition for his grassroots advocacy and work in challenging anti-Semitism and misinformation through engaging social media content. As a co-producer of the documentary series We Were Never Lost, Rochman focuses on reconnecting Jewish communities worldwide with their rich heritage and historical narratives. Wajahat Ali is a celebrated journalist, author, and public speaker who tackles issues of culture, politics, and religion with wit and insight. Known for his book Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, Ali explores his experiences as a Pakistani-American Muslim navigating identity and belonging. A regular commentator on major news outlets, he is a passionate advocate for inclusivity, countering Islamophobia, and fostering cross-cultural understanding. For the Sake of Argument podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakenewfield Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/id1567749546 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield Timeline: 00:00 - Rudy Rochman Opening Statement 02:35 - Wajahat Ali Opening Statement 09:17 - The Debate Begins

Faith, culture, and sexual health: Two leaders share how they're changing the conversation in Muslim communities.In this episode, I sit down with Nadiah Mohajir and Sahar Pirzada, leaders from Heart, an organization focused on advancing sexual health and reproductive justice within Muslim communities. Nadiah shares her personal story, growing up in a South Asian Muslim family, and how it led her to start Heart. She talks about the cultural and religious barriers women face regarding sexual health and gender-based violence, and how Heart is working to create safe, open spaces for these crucial conversations.Sahar, who's been with the organization for nearly a decade, reflects on her journey from teaching sex education in Singapore to leading grassroots movements at Heart. Together, they dive into the complexities of addressing sexual health in faith-based communities, highlighting the importance of centering marginalized voices, such as queer and trans Muslims.They also introduce their latest reproductive justice campaign, which aims to provide Muslims with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about their health, all while staying true to their faith. Tune in for a conversation that blends faith, community, and health in a refreshing and insightful way.Highlights:Nadiah's upbringing in a traditional South Asian Muslim family and her path to founding Heart.Sahar's experience bringing sex education to Muslim communities and advocating for reproductive justice.The unique challenges of tackling gender violence and sexual health in faith-based communities.Heart's new reproductive justice campaign and its efforts to empower Muslim women and marginalized groups.How the organization blends Islamic values with public health education to offer holistic support.Nadiah's Bio:Nadiah Mohajir is a lifelong Chicagoan, Pakistani-American-Muslim, mother of three, public health professional, reproductive justice activist, and anti-sexual assault advocate.She is the Co-founder and Executive Director for HEART Women & Girls. For over a decade, she has led the organization to provide reproductive justice, sexual health education and gender-based violence awareness programming and advocacy to thousands of individuals, organizations, and campuses across the country. HEART ultimately aims to dismantle the stigma, silence, and systems that prevent individuals from seeking information, healing, and justice.Nadiah has worked in public health and reproductive justice for over twenty years in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to research, academics, policy, and community health. Her past work includes projects such as redesigning teen pregnancy programs, improving pregnancy outcomes in low-income communities in Chicago, running sex education programming for vulnerable youth, and evaluating innovative cross-sector partnerships in public health.She earned her Master's degree in Public Health in 2009 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Bachelor's degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago. Nadiah has also participated in a number of fellowships, including the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, Germanacos Fellowship, is a recipient of the Women's Innovation Fund and was selected to...

On this episode, we're joined by Aisha Sultan. Aisha (@AishaS) is an award-winning writer and columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, whose column is also nationally syndicated.Aisha is Pakistani-American Muslim, a wife and mom of 2 who writes to help people feel seen or heard and to provide perspectives people may not have heard before.(Wednesday, August 14 is Independence Day of Pakistan)One day she's writing a commentary on J.D. Vance's comments about “childless cat ladies” and the presidential election, another she's writing about a college faculty vote regarding the war in Gaza. Another, she's writing about a roaming cat that captured the hearts of the people in its community and another about the winners of the paper's father-child lookalike contest. She's a journalist and story-collector who likes and believes in people.Aisha talked about the different types of writing she's done, her evolution as a writer, and her foray into filmmaking. She gave examples of the work she's done and how she handled reporting those stories or columns.Aisha's salute: Journalists who have died in Gaza and the Committee to Protect Journalists.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)Tweet us at @journalismpodSubscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com

This week, award-winning author Hena Khan returns to the podcast. Known for her compassionate and relatable books for children that draw on her experiences as a Pakistani-American Muslim, Hena has 5 new books releasing in 2024.  We discuss the creative process behind this banner year of books, what she hopes young readers take away from these stories, the impact of book bans, and much more. If you're a teacher, librarian, or parent looking for summer reading titles for your kids, this would be a great episode to tune into.

On Today's Show "There's these universal truths [...] specific details, but universal feelings and universal experiences that people hopefully can relate to. And that's what I go for in all of my books. Common humanity.” - Hena Khan Hena Khan didn't believe her perspective mattered. As a Pakistani-American Muslim, she grew up not seeing her or her family reflected in the media she was consuming. As any kid might do, she concluded that it was simply because her experience was not important, a realization that became clearer in hindsight. Recalling her childhood writing, she discovered she had unintentionally white-washed her own homemade family newspaper.Building confidence in her perspective was a gradual process, extending into adulthood. Initially lacking self-assurance, she began writing while toning down her cultural identity to conform to perceived publisher expectations. Over time, her confidence grew, and today, she is recognized for authentically portraying stories rooted in her culture and religion.Reflecting on her own reading experiences, Hena values shared human experiences that transcend cultural backgrounds. She aims to demonstrate that these relatable moments exist in stories featuring non-white characters and diverse cultures.Renowned for works such as "Amina's Voice," its sequel "Amina's Song," the "Zara's Rules" series, and "More to the Story," Hena Khan shares her journey of grappling with invisibility as a young reader and the evolution of her faith in herself and her unique perspective. She also recounts the unexpected connection to a book about Christian white sisters in the 1800s in her unconscious quest for stories reflecting her Muslim immigrant family.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In Hena's reading challenge, "Read Desi" she encourages us to celebrate South Asian American writers.You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Allie Buffington, Library Media Specialist at  Holley Navarre Intermediate School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She tells us about the importance of making the library a space that kids want to come back to.ContentsChapter 1 - “Religious Holiday” (2:38)Chapter 2 - Gogol Search (6:16)Chapter 3 - Little Women (and the Khanicles) (9:43)Chapter 4 - Three Cheers From Andrea (18:17)Chapter 5 - Just Living (22:18)Chapter 6 - Common Humanity (30:20)Chapter 7 - Curious About Curious George (33:50)Chapter 8 - The Door is Open (35:31)Chapter 9 - Read Desi (37:28)Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:54)Links The Reading Culture The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup (for bonus content) Hena Khan Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | Goodreads Hena Khan's More to the Story is a Love Letter to Little Women | School Library Journal Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin  The Salam School for Girls  Alli Buffington's Library (this week's featured librarian) The Reading Culture on Instagram (to see reels of author conversations) Beanstack resources to build your community's reading culture Host: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express Host Miko Lee interviews Cathy Ceniza Choy author of Asian American Histories of the United States. Show Transcripts [00:00:00] Opening: Asian Pacific expression. Unity and cultural coverage, music and calendar revisions influences Asian Pacific Islander. It's time to get on board. The Apex Express. Good evening. You're tuned in to Apex Express. [00:00:18] Jalena Keane-Lee: We're bringing you an Asian American Pacific Islander view from the Bay and around the world. [00:00:22] Miko Lee: This is Miko Lee. And in August, I had the wonderful opportunity of hosting a live event. One of the first live events. That KPFA was offering at the back room in Berkeley. And it was an interview with Catherine Cinzia Choi on her new book Asian-American histories of the United States. So take a listen to the interview. You're going to hear some clapping and some noise because it was a live audience. we hope you enjoy it and find out more information at our website kpfa.org. take a listen welcome to KPFAS live virtual event. I'm Miko Lee from apex expressed in your host for tonight. A big round of applause to our producers of K PFA events that are here. Kevin Hunt, Sanger, and Brandy Howell in the back of the room. Wow, it's so great to be in front of a live audience. Thank you to Sam Rudin and the back room. This amazing glorious space for hosting us this live evening. Okay. Y'all we're coming back. We're coming out. We're still pandemic land. People are in their beautiful masks, but we're coming back and KPFA has a few more upcoming events. I wanna do a land acknowledgement, and I want to acknowledge that K P F a is located on unseated, Cho Chino speaking, Lonni land known as the Huk, as journalists and community members. We have the responsibility to engage critically with the legacy of colonists. Colonialist violence and to uplift the active and ongoing indigenous struggles connected to the land that we are gathered on tonight. If you wanna check out more, go to native land dot California, and if you live in the east bay, I'm asking, do you pay the Shmi land tax, which is led by indigenous women, find out more about Ante's work of reation and returning in indigenous lands to the people establishing a cemetery to reinter stolen alone, ancestral remains and building urban gardens, community centers and ceremonial spaces. So current and future generations of indigenous people can thrive in the bay area. Thank you so much for joining us. We are honored tonight to welcome author Cathy Cenzia Choy. Cathy is currently a professor of ethnic studies at our own UC Berkeley, and she has published multiple books around Asian American identity. And is here tonight to chat with us about her latest book, Asian American histories of the United States. Welcome Cathy. Yes. Thank you. Okay. I'm gonna do anode to the great poet Chinaka Hodges, and ask, who are your people and where do you come from? [00:03:19] Cathy Cenzia Choy: I am the daughter of Filipino immigrants born and raised in New York city. I've been in Berkeley since 2004, and UC Berkeley has been a very important institution and community for me. And it's just such an honor to be. Your presence today and tonight I wanna thank you Miko for taking the time to, to host this. I wanna acknowledge my family and friends who are in the audience, my husband and my daughter are here. And I'm so pleased about that. And I feel like I'm with my people right now. [00:04:03] Miko Lee: what are the legacies that you carry with you from your ancestors? [00:04:11] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Wow. These are really Deep questions. I know. I feel like I care, even though sometimes I'm not aware. All the details. I feel like I carry the histories of my ancestors, even though, as I write in the book. So many of us in including myself didn't grow up knowing much about Asian American history because it wasn't taught to us in our schools. And even with that I feel my ancestors' presence with me. And I especially thank my mother Petri, za and other family members for also making that presence alive in so many ways while I was growing [00:04:57] Miko Lee: up in New York city. And are there certain elements that you carry with you on the daily? [00:05:05] Cathy Cenzia Choy: I don't know. In terms of the daily, because now I'm at this point in my life where I've had many experiences and I. Learned more to own my voice. And I feel owning that voice like through speaking and through writing is something I've learned and carried from them. But it took me also some time to, to get to this point. And even though I've talked to so many people in public spaces I always feel still some, some. nerves every time. [00:05:50] Miko Lee: So maybe it's self-expression and passing on the torch to the next generation around storytelling, around [00:05:56] Cathy Cenzia Choy: teaching. Absolutely. I think one of the things that I try to impart in, in my teaching at UC Berkeley at university of Minnesota twin cities, where I had taught for six years prior to coming to Berkeley, I try to impart that, that lesson of learning to, to cultivate your confidence and to own your voice. [00:06:19] Miko Lee: Your book is such an interesting collection because you're talking about some deep Asian American history stories, and then you're intertwining it with your own personal stories. And I wonder if you could speak a little bit more about your personal family story and your her story and how that intertwines with Asian American, her story. [00:06:39] Cathy Cenzia Choy: One of the things that is different from in terms of this book compared to my previous two books, is that it was intended for a very broad audience. And given what Asian Americans have been going through in this country since 2020 in many ways it was also born out of some very difficult, challenging circumstances. And I've experienced like many Asian Americans have experienced since 2020, a level of fear and anxiety and grief, at what has been happening with the surgeon anti-Asian violence, its relation to coronavirus related anti-Asian racism and. all of this has infused a different approach to writing in this book. And I write in the first person, the second person in one chapter on, on world war II. And I write in the more traditional third person which is typical and scholarly history books. So when I write in the first person, I share personal experiences that are intertwined to these histories. And this includes some of the fear and anxiety I was already mentioning. And that concern about the surge in anti-Asian violence and that when I see those stories on the media I see my family members, I see my elders and. in the book. I talk about how I've talked to my children and I realize that they see me. And so that's one personal experience, but my husband is. And his family's history is also on the, in the book. There's one chapter titled 19, 19 declaration of independence and 1919, that declaration of independence is referring to the declaration of. Korean independence, both in Korea against Japanese imperialism but also a Korean Congress that came to Philadelphia in April 19, 19. And my husband's parents on his father's side were among those Korean independence activists in the early 20th century. And I share experiences also how we've tried to pass on Asian American history to our children. And I talk about a moment where we brought our son to the Japanese American Memorial garden in tan Farran, which is now a shopping mall, but used to be a horse racing track and then was converted into an assembly center or what they would call a relocation center which forcibly relocated Japanese Americans here in, in the bay area there before. Forcibly incarcerating them in internment camps during world Wari. So there's quite a bit of my history, my family's history in this, even though the, of, it's not the, all of the histories that I talked about, you're [00:09:50] Miko Lee: telling part of your family stories, but then you're also telling a bunch of personal stories, small stories of people to help really illuminate a moment in history. And I'm wondering how you went about the process of selecting those individual stories to help shed light on a bigger [00:10:03] Cathy Cenzia Choy: issue. Yeah that's a great question. I think that's one of the challenges with history, which has story in it history and is about communicating stories and the choices we make matter. So I chose stories that I felt reflected key moments events, groups in Asian American histories over the past almost 200 years. And the idea also was that in selecting these stories, many of which came from research, I had done in the past and also my teaching. But I also wanted to create this feeling in the book of engaging and inviting readers to think about what stories would they want to include and not to cut it off and say, these are the stories we need to know, but rather these are the stories of. People's families and communities. And what are the stories of your families and communities? [00:11:09] Miko Lee: So in a way, it's an invitation for the readers and the audience members to look at your personal stories and how they intertwine with Asian American [00:11:17] Cathy Cenzia Choy: history. Yes. I hope that one of my hopes is that the book is as accessible as possible and that it is shared across an incredibly diverse audience. Also multi-generational and it would mean a great deal to me, for people to share the histories in this book with their elders and people of their generation and younger generations. [00:11:44] Miko Lee: And speaking of stories and connections, one of the biggest connections of a API community is around our food. people. It doesn't matter where you are, people know about Asian food and Asian Pacific Islander food. And you have a whole section in your book that is an interlude around food. And I'm wondering if you can just read the bolded sections of the interlude to the audience as a teaser, and then we'll talk about it some [00:12:08] Cathy Cenzia Choy: more. Okay. Yes. I'd love that. Okay. We, [00:12:13] Miko Lee: so for those of you that haven't read the book, , here's a little bit of a teaser of what the book has to offer Yes. And just the fact there, there's an interlude in the book. Which is also do you wanna talk about that now or after you pretty different? [00:12:19] Cathy Cenzia Choy:  It's just it was, getting at a point that I had made earlier about how I wanted to write differently. I also felt compelled to write differently. And there's an interlude in the book and it's entitled 1965 reprise the faces behind the food. And I'm going to read an abridged version because this way of reading, it makes it like a shout out poem.yeah. So 1965 reprise the faces behind the food. This is for the Asian American faces behind the food that nourishes Americans and enriches American cuisine. The general public knows. So little about Asian American people, but our food is everywhere at one's exotic and mainstream. This is for Larry. I Italy on the Filipino American farm workers who started the grape strike in Delano, California in 1965. This is for Dawn Baan and those who champion labor history. This is for the over 300,000 Asian migrants, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino, whose labor made sugar production, Hawaii top industry. This is for the Chinese workers who transformed tens of thousands of acres of California, swamp land into airable land, and who applied their ingenuity to orchards from Oregon to Florida. This is for the Chinese, Japanese and Filipino workers in the canned salmon industry of the Pacific Northwest. This is for the Japanese fruit and vegetable farmers. This is for the Asian, Indian, agricultural workers. Many of whom found work in California's fields in the early century. This is for the restaurant workers like chinch wing, who started working at an Americanized Chinese restaurant in 1936 in New York city. This is for the food service workers in cafeteria. This is for the writer and migrant worker, Carlos bloon. This is for de leaping sound who in 1956 became the first person of Asian descent elected to serve as a us representative and champion the farmers of his Southern California district. This is for Thai American. Who have a complicated relationship with Thai food because they are often conflated with it. This is for the monos. Mono is a term that conveys respect for Filipino elders in the 1920s and 1930s, they followed the crops from California to the Pacific Northwest. The Mons demonstrated their militancy. The 1965 grape strike was not an exception, but rather a singular point on a continuum. In the age of COVID 19 Asian Americans continued to be the many faces behind the food, using their creativity and leadership to promote communal care during a critical time. This is for Hannah DRA, a self-identified Pakistani American Muslim, and the co-founder of transformation. A technology platform that redistributes leftover, prepared food from restaurants and companies to places that need them like homeless shelters. This is for heart of dinner, whose mission is to nourish New York, city's Asian elders with love and food every week, the irony of Asian Americans producing America's food and enlivening, the overall food experience and the context of hate and violence has not been lost on them historically. And in the present day in March, 2021, people gathered at North Dakota state university in Fargo to protest against anti-Asian hatred. One poster red love us. Like you love our food. [00:16:51] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. Yes. Can make some noise. That's good. And if I may add, this is for. Adding all of your stories so that our Asian American history and tapestry can become richer and deeper. Thank you so much, Kathy, for sharing that. Now talk about why you wanted a kind of musical interlude in the middle of the book. [00:17:15] Cathy Cenzia Choy: It had to do with the histories the multiplicity that I emphasize in the book that there are multiple origins of Asian American history. And we should refer to these as Asian American histories, because my approach in the book is less about a linear, a traditional linear approach which can sometimes suggest causality or. Progress all the time and rather than take a linear approach. One of the things that's distinctive about the book is that the first substantive chapter begins with the year 2020. And the book concludes with 1869 and then each of the chapters. So it goes back in time and each of the chapters moves forward and back in time. So one of the chapters is titled 1965. And it's about the faces of post 1965 Asian America. And it's referring to the immigration and nationality act of 1965, which dramatically changed the democratic the demographics of our country. And. Yet, it was difficult to weave in seamlessly the story of Larry Italy and the Filipino farm workers and how important that grape strike was in, in Delano, California. And I thought to myself I don't ne I, I don't wanna put a, another chapter entitled 1965. So I'm gonna do, I'm gonna do this interlude and then, and write in a different way to give people a break from the style and then encourage you to give shout outs of your own. [00:18:57] Miko Lee: Thank you. Speaking of Larry Iley who in a bunch of your book, you talk about erasure or as Helen Z talks about missing in history. What are those moments that are MIH? And Larry I. Long is one of those many stories we always hear about Cezar Chavez and the great boycott when it was actually a Filipino man, Larry Ile that you write about. And I'm wondering after doing this exhaustive research for your book and as a professor, what are some kind of key missing in history moments? Do you think stand out in Asian American Pacific Islander history? [00:19:30] Cathy Cenzia Choy: There are key moments in every chapter in this book. In the first chapter on, on 2020 I talk about the disproportionate toll of COVID 19 on Filipino nurses in this country. And so one of the things that's MIH, which I've tried to address in my own research and was the topic of my first book was why and how the Philippines became the world's leading sending country of professional nurses and a specifically to, to the United States. And so in, in every chapter, the chapter after 2020 is one on 1975, and it's about Southeast Asian Americans and the refugee experience, but also the descendants of refugees in Southeast Asian immigrants. And so much of their stories are MIH because we are familiar with the Vietnam war, but often from the American perspective. And we, the. Participation of and Laosian Americans were part of a secret army and a secret war. So there's so many instances of that in every single chapter where this I, ideas of erasure secrecy being overlooked like Larry Ile who worked closely with Suor Chavez for years, they were director and assistant director of the U F w but many of us yes, know that story. [00:20:58] Miko Lee: I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about the great former photojournalist quirky Lee and his impact, because I think one of those things about missing a history are those that have stood up to try and tell that story again, and you profile quirky. Can you tell a little bit the audience about Corky Lee and what he did. [00:21:14] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yeah, well, thanks for giving me the opportunity Corky Lee was one of the most important, I think photo journalists of the late 20th and early 21st century and is such a pioneer in Asian American journalism. And he is just one of the over 1 million people we have lost in the United States as a result of COVID 19. And I wanted to honor his memory in the book. He was well known for taking a photograph of a sick American after nine 11 and so many sick Americans in our country after nine 11 were targeted for anti-Asian violence, they were conflated with the stereotypical image of what a terrorist might, might look like in our country. And so we took this photograph of a sick man wearing a red turban with the United States flag draped around his shoulders. And the other thing he's also very well known for is something that is a major theme in this book, which is the theme of erasure of Asian American history and experience in the overall us experience and that era. one of the key moments is in 1869 with the completion of the building of the first transcontinental railroad, which took place at a Ary summit in Utah. And this is a very important moment in, in the history of our nation as a symbol of our modern progress that, enabled us expansionism across the continent. And eventually also into the Hawaiian islands and Asia and Chinese workers at were. About 90% of the labor force of the central Pacific here in the Western region of building [00:23:17] Miko Lee: my family that railroad. Yes. Yeah. My ancestors built that railroad. [00:23:21] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes. I re we talked about that briefly and there might be other descendants here too of the railroad workers. And when they finally met at Promentory summit, there was a celebratory photo it's quite known and there was not a single Chinese worker in this photo. Not a single Chinese worker and quirky Lee. When he was in grade school, he remembered, learning about Chinese participation in the building of this railroad. And so he looked at that photo and he noticed that absence and erasure. And so I believe it was the hundred and 45th anniversary of the building of. that railroad. And he rest staged that iconic photograph. And this time he included the descendants of the Chinese railroad workers and other Asian Americans. And it was a joyous moment. And he referred to these moments, photographic justice. [00:24:24] Miko Lee: I love that whole even ethos of photographic justice. And you wrote in your book that was a 2014, that's so recent that this has happened. It's just this and also one person. And it also shows the power. Hello, ethnic studies, professors in the house, the power that he, this one, man heard this story and said, why isn't this being told, right? [00:24:46] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes. And that's the, one of my hopes for the book is you'll notice that in, throughout the book in the various chapters, I oppose these questions. No questions for us to think about. It's not solely about here's the experience and here are the dates and the years and the events, but it's the way we all participate in history, but by what we choose to remember to reflect upon and how we use that historical knowledge to, to move forward, [00:25:20] Miko Lee: next up listen to girl gang by Rubia barra That was girl gang by the amazing Ruby Abara. [00:27:26] Miko Lee: You are tuned into apex express on 94.1 K PFA and 89.3 K P F B. Now let's get back to my interview with author Kathleen. Cinzia joy. [00:27:41] Miko Lee: Keeping on with this conversation about erasure and representation, you quote this study by Nancy Angwin, who is amazing. That is it really recent last year, 2021 study that says 40% of films have no zero Asian American Pacific Islander representation and of the films that do have representation over 25% of the characters die, violent. talk to us a little bit more about what does that say? How is that connected to erasure? What does that mean to the broader multicultural universe? What does it say about Asian Americans? [00:28:19] Cathy Cenzia Choy: In that chapter I'm gonna paraphrase since I'm not directly reading from it, but in that chapter, I reflect on that study and those statistics. And one of the things that if you wanna look directly at that study because in the notes, there's the URL to it. You, you will read that those statistics are juxtaposed with statistics about anti-Asian violence in 20, 20 and 2021. And I posed the question in that chapter. Are you, are we human? If we're not portrayed in a dignified and humane way. in popular culture. And if the only representations or the major representations of you are as, one dimensional flat stereotypes. And if it gets to the point where you're so used to the narrative on screen, that you can expect that Asian or Asian American character to die and not make it, what does that do to our psyche and how we view real world Asian Americans. So I didn't share this in the book, but when my children were younger, I actually had this experience. We, we brought them to this action film and this Asian American character was on screen. and I remember putting my head down thinking, oh I really hope this character doesn't die. and I turned to my son who was quite young at the time, and I tried to like, prepare him for that. And then the character did die in, in, in the film. So it's that feeling of why are we seeing such similar stories over and over again? And how can we begin to change that narrative? [00:30:14] Miko Lee: Connected to that and connected to your earlier book about Filipino nurses. One of my pet peeves, I love watching doctor shows as just totally fluff. And one of my pet peeve is that there are never enough Asian doctors and I am in the bay area. Every single one of my doctors is Asian. So I've always been like, this is such I don't understand. And especially with how many Filipinos are in the medical profession. So can you expand a little bit more of that and bringing in your last book, which is empire of care, nursing and migration and Filipino American history? [00:30:50] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes, I oh the present the past present and future of American nursing is inextricably linked to the presence of Filipino American nurses in this country. And Filipino American nurses have been in the United States for six. Decades. Many of them are immigrants, so they were born and raised in the Philippines, but the United States has been their home and they have made this incredible contribution to us healthcare delivery. And California we are one of the beneficiaries of their labor they're in hospitals, they're in elder care. And in the book I mentioned the Emmys, I forgot what year that was, but one of the co-host Michael Shay actually, said can you believe, Hollywood is a diversity problem and can you believe they did 15 seasons of ER without one single Filipino nurse? And have you been to a hospital in this country? And I feel also that frustration and that irony and it's, I have to say it's. It was especially painful since 2020 because Filipino nurses and other Asian American healthcare workers were also among the targets of anti-Asian violence. And hate in this country, even while they were wearing medical scrubs. For example, there was testimony given and there's one hospitalist in, in New York who I I quote in, in the book who, who talked about this paradox that here they are contributing to the health of our nation and putting their lives on the line yes. Through exposure and dealing with this hate and violence. And he said, it's really challenging being. celebrated and villainized at the same time. And that's the problem when so much of our common understanding or what we think is an understanding of Asian Americans is based on stereotypes. Because stereotypes are flat. They're one dimensional. They dehumanize even the most seemingly positive ones. [00:33:13] Miko Lee: Okay. I wanna talk about a different topic, which is in 1997, time magazine released this cover and on the cover where all these cute Asians, and it said the model minority. And I remember being in school and my teacher bringing that in and showing that magazine cover the class and pointing to me and I just had this like visceral gut reaction to it. Can you talk about how the model minority, the whole ethos of model minority has been used as a tool for white SuPM. [00:33:49] Cathy Cenzia Choy: I, I appreciate you phrasing the question that way. The model minority stereotype, which is a myth is such a complex stereotype. And some people might say, the model minority is about Asian Americans being smart and economically successful. And what's wrong with that? Isn't that positive? Isn't that the best kind of branding any group or could ask for. And it is a tool of divide and conquer. It is a tool of white supremacy which is, I think the way I understand. You're phrasing of the question because it too has a history. And part of that history is emerging in the late 1960s during civil rights and other, social movement protests, and having media stories quoting academics as experts contrasting Asian Americans as successful model minorities who don't complain. Don't ask for government help pull themselves up by their bootstraps in contrast to black Americans. And it was really direct like that now in, in contrast to African Americans who are protesting and demanding justice and change from the government this is a. Strategy of divide and conquer and prevent us from seeing. So in some ways it's another form of erasure that I talk about in the book that there's this longer history of Asian American and black solidarity and friendship living in neighborhoods together, working together in organizing [00:35:39] Miko Lee: together, [00:35:39] Cathy Cenzia Choy: organizing together work, interracial relationships and families. And we're [00:35:45] Miko Lee: talking about you, Grace Lee [00:35:46] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Boggs yes, I right. Grace Gracely BOS is certainly, part of that, one of many right. One, one of many who was married to James Boggs, a a black auto worker and author and activist. And they were married for a long time and together created. Summer which was this community, youth based organization and out of that love and marriage and mutual activism created something which is relating to another main theme in the book of resistance. It's like that creative spark like Detroit summer to create community gardens and to paint murals and to have intergenerational dialogues and to move forward in, in the most hopeful and an inclusive. Possible. And that's just one example. [00:36:42] Miko Lee: Yeah. I appreciate how in the book you're talking about erasure, you're having resistance stories, and then you did bring up talking about mixed race and global adoption. And I know your former book was around global families. So I am you share some really lovely tidbits in there, like about Punjabi Mexican communities that I think maybe folks don't know about, or maybe folks in the bay area went to go see the amazing Bonura ballet folk, Loco production that told that whole story in dance that Joti sing and Zenon Beon did. But you also talk about Kip full books' book about Hopper's mixed race folks. So do you feel that and your own kids are mixed race? My own kids are also mixed race different Asian ethnicities together. I'm wondering. Okay, sorry, this is a long question, but I'm thinking back to years ago, the amazing performer David photo Moto did a production where he came out, dressed in Scottish. It came out, dressed in entire Kabuki outfit with a kimono and a face, and he did a whole entire Kabuki dance and then picked up his bagpipe and played a Scottish bagpipe. And it was such a great combo of his two cultures that he meshed together and that he was sharing about himself with the audience. So with that being said, and with your both personal family story, and you're having written this book, what is your take on cross racial adoption and mixed race folks being a bridge to the future? [00:38:17] Cathy Cenzia Choy: well, so it's an interesting way of saying that because I think in that chapter, which is titled 1953 mixed race lives I don't necess, I do say they're about our future because our future is multiracial. And we know that since the 2000 census and in the most recent 20, 20 census we know that an exponential number. The largest growing group are of people who I identify as more than one racial category. But one of the key things I key points that I make in that chapter is that being a mixed race and multiracial is not solely about our future, but it's also about our past and our present. and we have a multiracial past. And that includes some key examples in the, in that chapter are early 19th century Chinese and Irish marriages and in New York city and east Bengali Puerto Rican, African American, west Indian families and communities in Harlem and Filipino and Irish multiple generational families in new Orleans. And you had mentioned, P Punjabi Mexican Americans from Texas to California and MES Filipino, Mexican family is especially in Southern California. That is just as much about our past and our present as, as well as our future and the adoptees also figure in, in, in that chapter and 1953 each year serves as a touchstone for going back and forth in time. 1953 is referring to the end of the Korean war and how foundational the international adoption, especially by American families of mixed race Korean and American children, born of us servicemen and Korean women. How important that group was in terms of transforming the United States into an international adoption nation to. Which, which leads the world in terms of internationally adopting children. And even though Russia, Guatemala Romania, Ukraine are also major sending countries of adoptive children to the United States. Most of those adoptive children are from Asian countries and Korea plays an important role in that history, but so does Japan and Vietnam as, as well. And they're an important part of Asian American history that I also think tends to be marginalized in our understanding of the Asian American experience. [00:41:09] Miko Lee: Okay. My last questions before we open it up to our lovely audiences, juicy questions is what would you like readers to walk away with after reading your book? [00:41:20] Cathy Cenzia Choy: I would love for readers to walk away with a more. nuanced and deeper understanding of Asian American histories and to reflect upon how relevant that is for this moment. This is a moment when so many of us are confronting so many different existential crises from climate to economic insecurity, but since 2020 for Asian Americans, this this dual crises of the pandemic and the surge in anti-Asian hate has really made an impact on so many of us and our communities. And I believe that understanding Asian American histories, understanding them as multidimensional human beings, who are part of the American experience Is one important step to, to reduce and end this violence. Thank [00:42:24] Miko Lee: you. Okay. We're passing out cards. Do we have, oh, we have some collected. Rolling. Does anybody have any questions? Does anybody have any questions? Oh, wow. [00:42:34] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yeah, jump in the [00:42:35] Miko Lee: card. Okay. I read this. Can you talk a little bit about medical scapegoating, which you mentioned in your book? [00:42:44] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes. One of the things that we are observing since 2020, and since COVID 19 has become a pandemic, is that medical scapegoating of Asian Americans. And in the book, I talk about how there's a long history of anti-Asian medical scapegoating that is as old as the oldest migration. Oldest mass migration of Asians to, to the United States. And in the second half of the 19th century Chinese and by extension Chinese American bodies were blamed for smallpox outbreaks. Japanese immigrants were blamed for typhoid. South migrants were associated with hookworm. And what this does is that it scapegoats people, it dehumanizes them and makes them targets for egregious forms of violence. And that what we are experiencing today is not new. And this relates to that point about kind of one of my hopes for the book is that learning and engaging about these histories is really important. To end this medical scapegoating and the violence that accompanies it. [00:44:02] Miko Lee: I think people don't even realize that China towns were burned down during those times, too. [00:44:07] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes, I in addition to erasure and resistance violence is a third major theme, of the book and violence means many different things. We, in the media, it often focuses on the most egregious forms of violence like mass shooting. But the anti-Asian hate incidents and violence have ranged from bullying and harassment in schools, spitting on Asian Americans name calling I'm telling Asian Americans to go back to where they, they came from and you were referring to arson and burning down of Chinatowns and , this was something here in California and in, in the Pacific Northwest the method of anti-Asian violence was all often in the form of expulsion of Chinese from their communities through arson shooting stoning threats, [00:45:04] Miko Lee: right. You talked a little bit in the beginning, and this is an audience question. You talked a little bit in the beginning about the order of the book and we had you read the interlude and you said that it was done in a different order, starting with, 20, 20. Can you talk a little bit more about your thought process in creating the book in this kind of non-linear time structure? [00:45:24] Cathy Cenzia Choy: In the preface I write and also in the acknowledgements I give thanks to my students over so many years at university of Minnesota UC Berkeley especially but also other institutions that earlier in, in my career, I've learned so much from my students, from listening to them from engaging in dialogue about what we're reading. And in spring of 2021, I taught this class on Asian American history in the age of COVID 19. And some of the students were telling me that they really appreciated having taken previous courses in Asian American history, but how sometimes the courses they would go in that linear approach and then primarily end. Maybe in like the 1980s or maybe the, the glass class would be here, are these contemporary issues now related to all the things that we've talked about. And they were just voicing, some concern about how is history relevant today. And so I played with the chronology using a non-linear approach to make this point that Asian American history is relevant. Now, it's relevant in 2020, it's relevant in 1975. It's relevant in 1953. It's relevant in 1869. And it's relevant right now. And we're all we're all a part [00:46:59] Miko Lee: of it. So I'm gonna combine a few questions here. And this one is really about the different waves of Asian American immigration and how those impacted the storytelling. And I think. The different, there's different immigrant communities have gone into really specific fields for instance, Chinese laundries and, Vietnamese nail salons, Cambodian donut shops. Can you talk a little bit about how the storytelling is connected to the different waves of immigration first generation second, third generation? [00:47:35] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Yes that's a great question. And the book is not organized that way in the sense, like this year represents a particular wave and so does the next year. But there are particular chapters in the book that refer to immigration waves. And one of the chapters not the 1965 reprise, but there is a chapter 1965 about the faces of post 1965 Asian America and 1965 referring to the immigration act. Of 1965 is often considered this a major wave and a new kind of immigration that was different from late 19th and then early 20th century waves of immigration. Because by that point, immigration policy had created preferences for highly educated persons with needed skills. And one of the reasons why we are seeing so many Asian immigrant professionals in the United States is not an outcome of our innate ability in stem. But is also an outcome of but is an outcome of immigration policy. It's not in any ability there's quite a bit of training, that, that goes into it. And I actually didn't have much talent in the stem fields, even though I write sometimes about them like, like nursing but in the chapter, 1975 trauma and transformation, I talk about waves theory and how there's often the conceptualization of three different kinds of waves to describe Southeast Asian refugees to the United States with. the first wave beginning immediately after the fall of psych on in 1975 tended to be this wave of people who Southeast Asians who had connections to the us military there, I had worked with them and were more highly educated. And that was part of the first wave. And then the second wave, which is sometimes referred to as the boat people, even though a number of Asian American studies scholars have criticized the use of that term because it obscures their heroic will to live, but more, more, much more di diverse, ethnically a lot of Chinese Vietnamese people of farming backgrounds from rural areas in contrast to the first and then like this third wave that, that came later that involved groups like ations and even later than that also immigrants through immigration policy as opposed to, to refugee policy. And what I also point out is that these kinds of conceptualizations are important. They help us, understand historically some major changes in terms of Southeast Asian American demographics in this country. But I wanted to emphasize, so I write in the book, waves are constantly moving and taking different shapes. And in 2000 there was a new group of refugees who were resettled in Minnesota. And this is a living history and that newer waves of refugees are coming from Myanmar and Butan and who are working in places like. The state of Iowa and working in our meat packing plants and who also have been exposed disproportionately to COVID 19 because then president Donald Trump had invoked the defense production act to keep meat, packing plants open. So waves are important, but they're not set and they're always moving and flowing like our histories [00:51:16] Miko Lee: as a follow up to that. One of our audience members has a question about how many immigrants have when they first arrive have been exploited in their labor positions. And they're wondering if you could share some positive stories and I M I wonder if you could share with the audience about uncle Ted and what he did with donuts [00:51:35] Cathy Cenzia Choy: well, I think. it isn't it isn't as though there are positive and negative stories, oftentimes when you are really deeply engaging with these histories and these stories, there's often these moments that might be negative and then others that are more positive. And I think that adds to the humanity of people. And so just to give an, the example of the Filipino healthcare workers, some of 'em are nurses, but are also working in elder care. And some of those conditions that they're working in are very challenging. It's very challenging to be a caregiver. And at the same time, so many of them also take pride in their. I don't wanna portray them as just solely being, having a negative experience. They're proud of their caregiving and we need to care for our caregivers a bit more in this country. In terms of positive stories, so one thing I'll share is there's this and this is an example. I, I feel of resistance and that creative spark there's something called the south Asian American digital archive SAA D and they have this project called the first day's project. And it's a project where immigrants, regardless of immigrants from around the world can share their story on this digital platform to describe their first days in, in the United States. And. Even though these first days have a mix of like positive and negative aspects. I have to say while reading these stories it brought just smile and joy. For me and reading these stories that are so unique and universal at the first time, same time. And so one of the stories was of this young girl who was nine years old back in, in the early 2000 tens and she was from Nepal. And so she came from Nepal and she was. I imagine they were, they landed at SFO and then they had to go to San Pablo and she wrote she said I was disappointed that what I saw wasn't like, TV shows of New York city with all those tall buildings and all that fun stuff, but she took her first Bart ride. And she said that was just so amazing. She had never been on this kind of faster public transportation that brought them from San Francisco to San Pablo and something like 40 minutes. And then she said, she was working really hard. She was like nine years old. And then she became, because her, both her parents were working, I believe in the fast food industry. And she had a younger sister, so she had to learn how to cook for her parents and her. Her sister and even some extended family. And so she said I learned English from like watching, watching the joy of painting with Bob Ross. Wow. Yes. And then she said she watched shows with Rachel Ray and em, Emerald Lagosi like on food network and, and she said like she wanted to become, she learned from those shows. She wanted to become really famous. And so she would do the cooking in like she was on her own food network show in front of the audience. Her younger sister, [00:55:00] Miko Lee: so cute. So cute and shout out to VIN G and bar go, who founded that and also run the Berkeley south Asian radical history walking tour. If you haven't been on that, you should because it's amazing. I am sad to say that this brings our evening to a close. Thank you so much for joining us. I wanna just say that back in the corner, we have the most amazing east wind books, our local bookstore, yay. East wind books. And we didn't touch on one of the questions that I wanted to ask, but about Asian American, the terminology, Asian American Pacific Islander actually. Expressed a whole episode on that interviewing Harvey, Don, who is the founder of east wind books and is a fellow professor of ethnic studies at UC Berkeley. [00:55:49] Cathy Cenzia Choy: And one of the veterans of the strike is also here from the late 1960s both that took place in San Francisco state college as it was then as, as well as UC Berkeley. And that's part of the reason why I have my livelihood and is it part of the legacy? This book is part of that legacy. [00:56:09] Miko Lee: So check out our legacy Asian American history is of the United States by our amazing guest, Kathy Cena Cho, you can get the books and get autographed back in the corner. We thank you for supporting independent bookstores. [00:56:24] Cathy Cenzia Choy: Thank. [00:56:31] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining us, please check out our website, kpfa.org backslash program. Backslash apex express. To find out more about our show tonight and to find out how you can take direct action. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Because your voices are important. Apex express is a proud member of the acre network, Asian Americans for civil rights and equality apex express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Paige Chung, Hien Nguyen and Nate Tan and with special editing by Swati Rayasaman. Thank you so much to the KPFA staff for their support. Have a great The post APEX Express – 10.27.22 Cathy Ceniza Choy appeared first on KPFA.

Ms. Marvel was reborn in the pages of Marvel comics almost a decade ago, when writers Sama Amanat, a Pakistani-American Muslim, and G. Willow Wilson, who converted to Islam in 2003, created Khamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakastani-American from New Jersey who idolizes the previous Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, Khan's portrayal has drawn plenty of accolades and criticisms for its portrayal of an American Muslim youth. And, in recent years, criticism of representation of Islam in western popular culture has become far more focused, especially in the two decades since 9/11. In general, however, mass media continues to reduce Muslims to a good Muslim/bad Muslim binary, lacking any real depth or nuance. With Kamala's Ms. Marvel now joining the MCU with the Disney+ television adaptation of her story having just wrapped, John decided to ask Dr. Safiyya Hosein, who has written extensively about Kamala Khan and whose academic work covers the intersection of Islam, comics, and gender, among other things, to join him to talk about it. Dr. Hosein is on Twitter @safibelle30

How often have you seen me have a guest for my Marvel recap episodes? NEVER! So you know this is a special occasion. My friend Noor of the incredible podcast “The Reality Is” is here with me to do a mid-season breakdown of Ms. Marvel! She's a Pakistani American Muslim living in New Jersey. Sound familiar? I've even seen pictures of her when she was younger, and the resemblance… spooky. I told her if blue “hardlight” starts coming out of her at any point… then I'm concerned. But also… intrigued. Get into it!Noor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealityispodNoor's Podcast (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reality-is/id1535296559Noor's Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1xHoNqhlL0z4HpmiEXKqi7*** HEY! Some of you have asked how you can show your appreciation for all of the content provided by your mama's favorite Black geek. How about you buy me a beer/coffee? FOLLOW THE BELOW LINK: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/realitycomics2 ***Are you a Big Brother fan? Check out my other podcast called Big Brother Breakfast Club, where we've had great guests like The Cookout alliance's Hannah, Derek F. and Kyland of BB23.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-brother-breakfast-club/id1581821551https://open.spotify.com/show/5hFyddPtwrtSFi5pEbdWaxDON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE, RATE, AND REVIEW! I LOVE 5 STARS!EMAIL ME: realitycomicstoo@gmail.comFOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: @realitycomicstoo / www.instagram.com/realitycomicstoo

We start our second season off with a deep dive into the groundbreaking play about a Pakistani-American Muslim family, "The Domestic Crusaders" written by Wajahat Ali. We get a chance to not only hear from Wajahat, but also from the New York debut cast members about their experience of the stage production nearly two decades ago. Don't forget to tune in to Part 2 of this episode coming out soon, which features a special Keema recipe from Wajahat himself!

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a supposedly well-intended — but actually incredibly offensive — comment, question, or microagression? Well today's guest, Nadia Ali, knows this feeling all too well. Nadia is the CEO and founder of Idea Labs in Action, a mission driven consulting firm designed to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and across communities. In today's episode, Nadia joins us to share her experience as a Pakistani-American Muslim woman, including the culture shock she felt moving from New Jersey to Colorado, some of the traumatic experiences of oppression and racism she's experienced at work and in her personal life, and why she feels it's particularly important for BIPOC to prioritize rest.   We're exploring:  The two things you NEED to ask yourself before asking someone you're curious about a question Dismantling the 40 hour work week standard, and why that reality is much more difficult to achieve for some than others The harmful stereotypes that the media perpetuates If any companies are “getting it right” when it comes to rest for their employees The steps that Idea Labs is taking to provide rest for women of color  And even more on the everyday realities of living with a marginalized identity in America   Support Nadia's Reflect. Rejoice. Recharge Retreat: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-woc-restoration-retreat   Learn more about Idea Labs in Action:  https://www.idealabsinaction.com/   Follow Nadia on Instagram: https://instagram.com/idealabsinaction  If you'd like to support us in continuing this work, we'd be honored if you'd consider donating here: https://www.patreon.com/thehumanizepodcast    Let's talk about it! Connect with us and continue the conversation:   Instagram: https://instagram.com/thehumanizepodcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/thehumanizepodcast  Email: info@thehumanizepodcast.com

Shahjehan Khan is the creator and host of KING OF THE WORLD, a riveting, bingeable podcast about his experience as a Pakistani American Muslim teenager who comes of age post 9/11. He also happens to be 11 years sober and a member of an internationally renowned punk rock band! Shahjehan talks with Lisa about all of this and more, including stigma, relationships with family and friends, and all the possibilities a sober life can offer.  You can find Shahjehan here:  https://www.shahjehankhan.com/KING OF THE WORLD podcast:  https://www.rifelion.com/shows/kingoftheworld

It's official: Immigrantly Podcast is on its 13th season! So for Season 13, LOVE is in the air. We're going to explore all things relationships. Our conversations are going to tackle the constructs we've built around relationships. In addition, we'll be exploring how different political and sociological factors affect the relationships we create with each other. To help us tackle these topics and more, we've decided to bring on a guest co-host for Season 13. Shahjehan Khan is the host of King of The World, an audio series from Rifelion Media reflecting on coming of age, identity, creativity, and mental health in the twenty years following 9/11 as a Pakistani American Muslim.  Saadia and Shahjehan will be joined by, among others, comedian Aparna Nancherla, Political Strategist and the co-host of Good Muslims Bad Muslim podcast, Tanzila Ahmed, Frances Tang of Awkward Essentials, and many more as we do our best to share honest, thoughtful, and even painful stories that deserve all of our attention and appreciation because let's face it, real love is hard work, no matter who or how you choose to love, and even if there wasn't much choice in the case. Get ready to laugh, cry, and reflect. The first episode of the season will launch on January 18th, 2022

Shahjehan Khan comes on the podcast to discuss grappling with his identity in a post 9-11 world, being thrusted into stardom as part of the punk rock band 'The Kominas', recovery from addiction and the artist's life. Shahjehan is a voice-over artist, actor, and musician based in Boston and the founder of the South Asian punk rock band The Kominas. He is the current host of the KING OF THE WORLD PODCAST, exploring his life as a Pakistani American Muslim in the 20 years since 9/11. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

Rifelion Media presents King of the World, a seven-part podcast series about a Pakistani American Muslim teenager who comes of age post-9/11 and, twenty years later, tries to figure out what the hell happened to him and to us.  Hosted by Shahjehan Khan.

In this much-needed khutbah, Sahar Pirzada of HEART Women & Girls honors us as she shares from her first-hand experience on "Leaning on Islam to Navigate Pregnancy Loss and Abortion." She highlights the struggles of navigating the topic of abortion in America, where it is highly politicized, polarized, and controversial. She shares the ways that Islam, Muslim scholars, and verses of the Qur'an opened up a much more nuanced way to navigate this difficult decision with compassion and kindness for both herself and her baby. Sahar talks about her process of weighing the different elements that orthodox Islamic scholarship has highlighted as important to consider: A) the point the soul enters the fetus, B) the threat of harm/endangerment to the mother, C) the presence of fetal anomalies, and D) the motivation/reason to terminate. Sahar advises us to not assume that we don't already know Muslim women who have experienced abortion, and she offers us helpful advice for how we can be more supportive as a community for women and couples experiencing this difficult topic -- by relying on an Islamic lens of faith, mercy, patience, and compassion. Bio: Sahar Pirzada is a Pakistani-American Muslim woman from the Bay Area. She is the Advocacy and West Coast Programs Manager for HEART where she explores the intersections of islamophobia and gender-based violence and supports survivors of sexual violence in the Muslim community. She has a masters of social work from USC and is also the Co-Director of Vigilant Love where she actively challenges islamophobia through arts, healing and organizing. Sahar's work has been featured in Teen Vogue, NPR, KPCC, Fusion's Sex Right Now and #GoodMuslimBadMuslim.

Pakistani American Muslim playwright, writer and performer.

*Trigger warning - this episode is a candid discussion about suicide and suicide prevention * Please take care of yourself, and if you need to, don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You can find resources below in the show notes. Hello everyone, my name is Abu Iqbal and I am a 17-year-old Pakistani American Muslim who is QPR Suicide Prevention certified. I have my own personal battles with suicide ideation as well as know people who have died by suicide, ultimately making me willing and motivated to discuss this topic. I love to connect with people and I hope this podcast episode helps you!In this episode we talk about:Stigmas around SuicideWarning signs and risk factorsSuicide PreventionHow to start and maintain healthy conversations regarding suicideImportance of listeningHow to be there for one another and yourselfGrounding activitiesResources to use or refer to peopleFacts and figures included in this podcast come from the following sources:QPR Institute (Suicide Prevention Training)(Video) How do you help a grieving friend? National Suicide Hotline - 800-273-8255Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention - 714-547-0885 Didi Hirsch Crisis ChatText home to 741741National Institute of Mental HealthAmerican Foundation for Suicide Preventionhelpguide.orgAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)NAMI Orange CountyPeer Connector Program NAMI-OC Warmline Call or text: (714) 991-6412American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP)You, Me, Empathy (Non's podcast)The Feely Human CollectiveRainy Day Diaries (Jenipher's podcast)NaseehaKhalil CenterInstagram accounts @realdepressionproject, @didi Hirsch, @dlcanxiety This unique takeover episode is a feature of the NAMI-OC Media Masterclass which teaches teens and young adults the basics of podcasting and growing their social media presence.  Takeover episodes feature Media Masterclass students who want to start their own podcast.Disclaimers:  It's Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  It's Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

#plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Kiyan Banuri Issue: The most issue that is most important to my community is the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic during Ramadan, as well as Islamaphobic rhetoric posited by public officials during the pandemic. As a Muslim, and an active member of the Muslim community, the cessation of congregations--praying at Mosque, reading the Quran, and other issues--have made Ramadan isolating and starkly different for many Muslims. And, tweets of political officials have spread anti-Muslim rhetoric as against the rule of law, social distancing, and gaining preferential treatment. These issues have deep impacts in the Muslim community, and I have felt the lack of knowledge and media coverage of the faith have lead to prejudice and Islamaphobia, especially during these trying times. I believe that exposure of Islam and its traditions, as well as emphasizing the commonality between Islamic and other value systems are important, especially in a time when households are on edge due to various issues such as job losses, the fear of infection or infection, etc. Bio: Kiyan Banuri is a Pakistani-American Muslim who hails from Utah. He currently studies International Relations and Japanese at Tufts University. Prior to college, Kiyan was heavily involved in Policy Debate, ranking amongst the top 25 in the United States, presiding Utah State Champion for 3 years in a row, researching various issues such as immigration, foreign policy, education, and surveillance policy. Learning the power of his own voice, he now wants to promote communicative effectiveness by helping others with their voice and ideas through opportunities in political campaigns, consultancy, and volunteering. He volunteered with the Emerald Project as an Ambassador, helping the non-profit combat the misrepresentations of Islam. And, he currently serves as an Executive Board member of the Tufts Association of South Asians, where he coordinates cultural events and celebrations on campus; these events attract hundreds of attendants, from around the east coast. He also serves as a selected consultant for 180 Degrees Consulting, the world's largest university-based consultancy. He aided in social media marketing, financial, and proof-of-model projects for various non-profit clients. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009655756571 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyan-banuri-440289196/ Instagram: @kbanuri Photo credit: Kirt Thorne #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol

AD Free StarShipSofa No 596 K.G. AndersonStarShipSofa No 596 K.G. Anderson.mp3Main Fiction: "Rowboat"Originally published in Metamorphosis K.G. Anderson is a Seattle-based writer, gardener, dancer, and cat-herder. Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in magazines and anthologies ranging from Galaxy's Edge and Weirdbook to the B Cubed Press Alternative Truths series, and are online at Factor Four Magazine, Ares Magazine and Far-Fetched Fables. She narrated StarShipSofa No 530, "The Stone Age Gap." K.G. is a graduate of the Viable Paradise and Taos Toolbox workshops. Find her online at writerway.com/fiction or on twitter @writerway.Narrated by: Farah Naz RishiFarah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. You can find her at home in Philadelphia, or on Twitter at @far_ah_way. Fact: Looking Back At Genre History by Amy H Sturgis See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Intro Hey everyone! This is Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom of two daughters, and ridiculously excited about the new twinkle lights on my Christmas tree this year.  Sometimes - you have to take joy in the small things. This is Episode #39 and today we are celebrating some of the best middle grade books published in 2017. And today’s episode is brought to you by WriteAbout.com - a writing community and publishing platform perfect for classrooms. If you are like me and are looking for an engaging and authentic way for your students to share their ideas with a wider audience, you are absolutely going to want to visit WriteAbout.com to check it out.    Main Topic - The Top 20 Middle Grade Books of 2017 This year has been another strong reading year for me so far. I read a lot more picture books thanks to participating in #ClassroomBookaDay but I still kept up with my middle grade reads. And as I look at my book list and genre tracker, I notice I read fewer fantasy books compared to last year and way more graphic novels thanks to the CYBILS. And also my plans to boost my nonfiction reading... failed. So this is an all fiction list.  And I decided to separate out the graphic novels this year since I read so many more of them so be on the lookout for another best of podcast very soon featuring just the middle grade graphic novels.    So, last year at this time,  I read 75 total books including 60 middle grade books with  31 of those published in in 2016. And my top three books last year were Booked, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, and The Wild Robot as my favorite read last year. (You can find that list here.) This year (2017), as of December 20th - I have read 91 books, not including picture books. 79 of those were middle grade with 55 of those published in 2017. A quick word before I begin. Picking JUST 20 was excruciating. And they are not necessarily the most “literary”. I read some beautifully written books this year, ones that are bound to get some top awards, but these are the ones I felt were both well-written and had that special spark that would appeal to young readers.  Even with that - I could easily share with you another 20 (or more!) fabulous books, but then we’d be here all night. Alright here we go - these are my Top 20 middle grade novels of 2017: This Is Just A Test by Madelyn Rosenberg & Wendy Shang This novel is about a boy named David who is preparing for his bar mitzvah while trying to please both his Chinese and Jewish grandmothers. (Not a small feat!)  Oh - and building a nuclear fallout shelter just in case things get out of hand with the Soviets. I loved this book because of its warmth and humor AND because it’s set in 1984. And I am all about that 80s nostalgia lately. (If you want to hear more about this book, check out episode 28 to hear an interview with Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Shang.)   Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes This book is about zany (and flexible!) 3rd grader Beatrice whose first day of school plans get derailed when her best friend, Lenny, shows up to school NOT wearing the matching ninja outfit they both agreed on. AND Lenny shows up with a new friend. I loved this book for it’s playful language, fun orange-tinted illustrations, and Beatrice’s great attitude. And since I have my own ninja-clad wall-climbing 8 year old gal at home, I have a special place in my heart for Beatrice.   Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner Speaking of playful books - what is not to love about a robot that blasts cubes out of its butt? But don’t be fooled by the humor - this is one smart book that celebrates the engineering spirit. It’s about a kid named Kennedy who discovers a mysterious box on his front step that assembles itself into a rather demanding robot. And Kennedy and the rest of his enginerd friends have to figure out how to contain this band of rogue robots who have escaped into their town.  Last week I had the honor of chatting with Jarrett Lerner  about Enginerds - and lots of other things - so watch for that episode in January!   A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins This debut middle grade book by Carter Higgins is about Derby Clark who, along with her dad and younger brother, travel around in their Rambler car, selling Christmas trees in the winter. And hot chocolate and gingersnaps and cinnamon sugar donuts out of an old concession stand trailer. In the summers, they make their home in Ridge Creek, Virginia where they set up their concession stand in the parking lot of a minor league baseball team. But this year when they arrive - Derby discovers that her minor league family is different - with mysteries to solve, people to help, and wrongs to make right. This is ones of those books with characters that stay in your heart - and for me, reading so so many books - it’s a rare find when they’re this memorable.   A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold One of my great reading pleasures this year was getting to know the sweet and quirky Bixby Alexander Tam - or BAT for short. And I was excited to hear that there is at least one more book coming!  In this first one, Bat’s mother, who is a Vet, brings home an orphaned baby skunk to take care of and all Bat can think about is how to find a way to prove his responsibility and get to keep him. This book is adorable and poignant and a great fit for younger middle grade readers.   Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart This incredible adventure is like Lord of the Flies meets Holes with a hint of The Ethan I Was Before.  It’s about a kid named Jonathan who has been sent to an island prison for kids for a crime he admits to committing but does not reveal until the end. On the island he encounters this tough group of 14 misfit boys - all imprisoned on this Alcatraz-type reformatory school for their crimes. Then suddenly, an incident occurs and the adults are all gone and the boys have to figure out what to do. If this one passed you by this year - definitely check it out! It’s got adventure and cool literary references and secret tunnels and oh it keeps you turning those pages!!   Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk This is Lauren Wolk’s second novel after her 2017 Newbery Honor book Wolf Hollow. And oh is this a masterful follow up! And one of those books that had me constantly pausing to research the historical details referenced.  Beyond the Bright Sea is about a young girl called Crow who as an infant washed ashore in an old boat on one of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. Other than the reclusive fisherman who is raising her, the other people on the island shun her because they think she came from Penikese Island - the nearby leper colony. When one night Crow spots a campfire on that supposedly abandoned island, she decides to find out for herself what answers that place may hold. This book enveloped me in that world and was full of surprises.   Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson This incredible, important, and beautifully written historical fiction novel takes place in rural Mississippi in the summer of 1955 right after the brutal murder of Emmett Till. That event and its aftermath has shifted the world of the main character -  Rose Lee Carter, her family, and her community.  But this isn’t just a Civil Rights story but the story of young girl dealing with self-doubt and family complications, and trying to decide how to balance making a better life for herself and making a better world for everyone to live in. And in a society that is asking us all to make those same calculations and bringing to light prejudices that some thought were on their way out, this is must read to understand our country and ourselves. I’d probably recommend this one for maybe ages 12 and up or perhaps a little younger with the understanding that the n-word is used. So some readers might need some context for that  - which would be a fantastic opportunity for much-needed conversation. And the sequel, A Sky Full of Stars, is coming out on January 2nd - a perfect time to read or reread the first book and have the second one ready to go!   Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry This is a novel told in alternating chapters of prose and poetry. The poetry sections are told from the point of view of Calli who is smart, sensitive, and into astronomy. She also has Tourette syndrome (TS) and was advised by her doctor and mom to hide that fact from people. But since she’s just moved to Utah with her mom, Calli is in this stressful position of starting a new school and trying to mask her tics and noises. The other chapters are from the point of view of her classmate and neighbor Jinsong. He is the student body president and the two of them form a fragile friendship that seems like it might be doomed when his friends start to target her. I adored this book and I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover (but we all do) - and Forget Me Not has such a gorgeous and meaningful cover. Kudos to Anna Booth for the cover design.   Funny Girl edited by Betsy Bird This collection of short stories is truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. Every one is written by women and about experiences young girls in particular can relate to. But - the boys in my class are loving this book, too!  It’s a great mix of personal narratives, poetry, comics, quizzes, and all kinds of cool formats. Some of my favorites are “One Hot Mess by Carmon Agra Deedy, “Bad Hair Day” by Kelly DiPucchio and “Brown Girl Pop Quiz” by Mitali Perkins. You really can’t go wrong with this book. And if you want to hear more about it, check out my interview with Betsy Bird on episode 32.   Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan This is a lovely and heartfelt story about a Pakistani-American Muslim girl, Amina, who is trying to navigate the complicated tides of middle school friendship where old friends are changing and old adversaries might be changing, too. Amina also has to deal with her rather traditional and more religiously strict uncle visiting their family and figuring out for herself how to express her beliefs and culture and voice in a way that feels right to her. This was Hena Khan’s debut middle grade, and I’m excited to see what else she has in store for us.   The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie This book has taken my class by storm!  I read it in one weekend and loved how much it creeped me the heck out. Every sentence - every detail in that first chapter ratchets up the tension as Tessa arrives at her new (possible haunted?) home in Chicago where things start to disappear, and mysterious figures are drawn in her sketchpad, and her brother’s ventriloquist dummy is… acting strangely.  And I haven’t even told you about the cemetery part yet!! If you have young kids who love a scary mystery - get this book in their hands!   Patina by Jason Reynolds This is Book 2 in the Track series and the follow up to Ghost. Here we the story of Patina “Patty” Jones - one of the new and fastest kids on the Defenders Track team. A girl who is running away from a lot - the taunts of the girls at her fancy new school. But also a girl who is running for a lot - for her mom who lost her legs to diabetes and won’t ever run again. And those stresses can sometimes manifest themselves in what looks like a bad attitude toward others and her teammates. So of course, her coach challenges her to run the event that requires the most cooperation - the relay.  It’s a rare sequel captures my heart as much as the first book but this one absolutely did it. And that first chapter about false starts and false finishes is one that has stayed on my mind a lot this year.   Wishtree by Katherine Applegate Did we have any doubt that this book would be wonderful? I have loved seeing how much my students are enjoyed this story about a brave and wise tree named Red and its loyal band of oddly-named tenants. The more subtle themes of immigration and racism take some coaxing and explaining and rereading to bring forth for them, but the the ideas about friendship are at the forefront of their minds. In a time when we all could use a dose of empathy and hope, Wishtree is the book we need.   The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez I really fell hard for this story about a Mexican-American girl reluctantly moving to Chicago with her mom and trying to both fit in and stand out and figure out who she is and what’s worth standing up for. Her fashion choices put her at odds with both her new school and her mother who wishes she could be more “senorita” and less punk rock. But the oh how I loved Malú and her parents and her friends, and I just wanted to go hang out with them in Chicago coffee shops and record stores. And the many zine sections in this book add a uniqueness that makes this book really stand out. (If you want to hear more about The First Rule of Punk, check out episode 33 to hear an interview with Celia.)   Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling This is a book that I came a little late to but when just about every single one of my middle grade Twitter friends are raving about a book, you know it’s something special. And they were right! And I’ll be honest with you - the moment I was sold on this book was the moment I took off the cover and saw the glorious undies - the cover underneath. But - I should tell you about the plot, too - right? This is a mystery centered around Aven - a girl with a fabulous (and sorta sick) sense of humor who likes to tell people that she lost her arms in a wildfire or an alligator attack. In reality, she was born without them and due to her adoptive parents’ vigilance - she can do just about anything that any other kid can do. But - when they all move so her parents can take over running the Stagecoach Pass theme park, Aven has to start a new school and deal with all that entails. Along the way, she meets a couple other “outcasts” who help her start to solve a major mystery at Stagecoach Pass. I loved this book because of how funny it was and how much research the author did to tell Aven’s story. Ban This Book by Alan Gratz I wish I had the guts that this main character has. But - she doesn’t start off so confident. Amy Anne is a shy, sweet fourth grader who loves the library, who loves to read, and who loves From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It’s her favorite book - and one of my childhood favorites, too. But - when her favorite is banned from the school library - along with more and more books, she forms a secret banned book library that she runs out of her locker. Until…. well, I won’t tell you but it’s fantastic! With twists along the way, references to so many other books, and a special (cameo?) by Dav Pilkey who visits her school. Please get this book and has a great message that might be different than what you think.   Posted by John David Anderson As I’ve mentioned before, when you get a new book by an author whose previous work blew you away (Ms. Bixby’s Last Day), you’re almost expecting to be let down.But Posted is incredible. It’s the story of four middle school friends whose equilibrium is shifted when two things happen. One - a new girl comes to school (Rose) and some of them want her in their group and some don’t. Two - cell phones have been banned due to a recent ‘incident” and one of the four main friends, DeeDee, inadvertently starts a trend of posting sticky notes on lockers to communicate instead. Those two catalysts jump start this series of events that lead to a bike. And a hill. And a post-it. And so much more that threatens to fracture their friendship forever. I loved this book and how the author structured it - how it brought forward past information in a flashback but then withheld the next step and then brought everything together at the end. It just was so well crafted.     Refugee by Alan Gratz This book was the most powerful, most emotional I read all year. And I’ll admit that it left me a bit of a mess, and there were times I needed to pause. But how Alan Gratz braided the three stories of Josef and Isobel and Mahmoud together was brilliant and beautiful and raw.  Bringing forward one strand and then another and another, binding them together.  The three stories are - Josef a young Jewish boy, who is traveling with his family from 1930s Germany to Cuba on the infamous ship called the St. Louis. Then there is Isobel and her family who are traveling on a tiny makeshift raft from 1980s Cuba to Florida. And finally Mahmoud and his family who are making their way from war-torn Syria in 2015 to Austria. Since I read this book last summer, there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where I haven’t thought of the courage and resilience of these characters and their brave parents in the face of the harshest realities. And… you know, it’s easy to be judgemental when reading about tragedies from the past, thinking to yourself, “Well, I would have done things differently - I would have stood up for those refugees.”  We often talk about books that encourage empathy - well, to me, this book helped me move beyond just empathy to some action. And if you’re looking to do more as well, please read Gratz’s suggestions at the end of the book about how you can help refugees around the world today. And I’ll link to those resources in the show notes if you want to check those out as well. (Alan recommends donating to UNICEF and Save the Children.)       Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder If you have spent any time with me over the past year, you have heard about this book. And if you’ve read it, I’ve probably cornered you for a long conversation to compare theories. And because I can’t stop thinking about it and talking about, and dwelling in the glorious uncertainty of it - my favorite book of 2017 is Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder!  On this mysterious eden-like island there live nine children - no more and no less. And every year when the green boat arrives bearing a new young arrival, the eldest child goes. This year, Jinny is now the Eldest and charged with teaching her young Care, Ess, all the rules she needs to follow to survive on the island and maintain that balance. But…  but.  This is a beautiful and compelling novel about goodbyes and childhood and innocence, and so so much more. I was really honored have the chance to chat with Laurel Snyder on the podcast last May when this book was released and if you want in on that conversation, take a listen to episode 25. Alright there it is. And this list, just like any other, is flawed. It reflects my own preferences and biases and I know there is just no possible way that I could read all the fabulousness in middle grade that was published in 2017. So there will be some of your favorites that I missed. In fact, one of my loves of last year - The Girl Who Drank the Moon - you know, the winner of the Newbery - wasn’t even on my 2016 list.  Because I didn’t finish it until after the episode aired. Right now, I am almost finished with The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish and the audio version of Jack Cheng’s See You in the Cosmos and both are turning out to be incredible! So a quick shout out to some 2017 middle grade releases that are on my To Be Read list: Top Want to Read Books from 2017 The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Bradley (but first I need to read The War Saved My Life) Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams Garcia Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla   Annnd…. lots more that I know I’m missing! So - I want to hear from YOU - what were your favorite 2017 reads and which ones should I prioritize in the new year? You can drop me an email at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect with me on Twitter or Instagram with the handle @Books_Between. Closing Alright, that’s a wrap! Look for our next episode featuring the top middle grade graphic novels of 2017. And, If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we should cover, I really would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher. And thanks again to WriteAbout.com for supporting the podcast this month - if you head over to their website you’ll find awesome ideas to get your students writing this year. Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!

Chuy and Micah are back in the studio - but only briefly! - recapping two recent Hancher performances, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I and an evening of dance performed by NYC Ballet MOVES. Listen in to hear them discuss the value of revisiting classic works in contemporary contexts. Then stick around to hear author G. Willow Wilson's lecture, A Superhero for Generation Why, given at Hancher on Sunday, October 8. G. Willow Wilson is a superhero who employs her literary powers to address pressing issues including religious intolerance and gender politics. In fiction, nonfiction, and comics, the American convert to Islam has distinguished herself as a writer of remarkable originality and insight. In her lecture, Wilson uses the challenges Ms. Marvel—a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager—faces as a parallel for the challenges of a misunderstood generation: the millennials. She discusses the genesis of Ms. Marvel, her roots in the historical science fiction/fantasy tradition, and the significance of writing a superhero for a millennial (and wider) audience.

Lise and Andi rave about the Marvel comic Ms Marvel, whose latest incarnation features Pakistani-American Muslim teen Kamala Khan in Jersey City who is a total fangirl of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). Andi loves that Ms Marvel was a fangirl before she was a superhero. Then one day Kamala wakes up with super powers and she has to learn how to negotiate this new aspect to her life, dealing with the powers and what she feels is her responsibility to help people now that she has them along with her grades, her classes, and her family life. It’s basically teenage angst – something all of us can probably relate to – along with the added angst of having super powers and trying to figure out how best to use them when you’re only 16-17 AND attempt to negotiate the landmines that come in any family as you’re figuring out who you are and who you want to be. Two big Ms Marvel thumbs up on this one, friends.

Ms. Marvel  Lise and Andi rave about the Marvel comic Ms. Marvel, whose latest incarnation features Pakistani-American Muslim teen Kamala Khan in Jersey City who is a total fangirl of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). Andi loves that Ms. Marvel was a fangirl before she was a superhero. Then one day Kamala wakes up with super powers and she has to learn how to negotiate this new aspect to her life, dealing with the powers and what she feels is her responsibility to help people now that she has them along with her grades, her classes, and her family life.  It’s basically teenage angst – something all of us can probably relate to – along with the added angst of having super powers and trying to figure out how best to use them when you’re only 16-17 AND attempt to negotiate the landmines that come in any family as you’re figuring out who you are and who you want to be. Two big Ms. Marvel thumbs up on this one, friends.    

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of an 8 and 10 year old, a teacher to eighteen 11 year olds, and we are all in the home stretch for summer vacation. It’s almost here. And - if any of you of are headed to the ALA Conference in Chicago this summer, I will be be there on Saturday and Sunday to interview author Mira Bartok about her new middle grade book The Wonderling. So - if you will be there, look for that and I hope we can meet in person. This is Episode #26 and Today I am welcoming author Caroline Starr Rose to the show and then in honor of Father’s Day coming up, chatting about some of our favorite fictional dads and two fabulous new books featuring awesome fathers. But first I am excited to tell you that today’s episode is supported by OwlCrate Jr. - a book subscription box just for kids 8-12. My daughters and I have been loving it! Every month has a different theme and it is such a treat to have a package waiting on your doorstep with a box full of - not only an awesome newly released book but fun little items all connected to the theme of that middle grade book.  If you head over to owlcrate.com you can see some samples of past boxes, and if you use the code BOOKSBETWEEN, you can save 15%. I hope you check them out - I really think you’re going to love it!   This week I am welcoming to the show Caroline Starr Rose - author of the recently released middle grade historical adventure Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine. We chat about the inspirations behind her latest novel, encouraging kids to read more, and we reminisce about Little House on the Prairie. Caroline Starr Rose - Interview Outline  Your latest middle grade novel, Jasper and The Riddle of Riley’s Mine, was just released this past February. Is this your first novel that is not written in verse? Tell us about this new historical adventure - what is Jasper & the Riddle of Riley’s Mine about?   One of the things I really loved about this book was they way the boys speak - using “ain’t” and “them” instead of “those”, “it’s his own dern fault”... How did you capture the voices of Jasper and Melvin? I just noticed that you have a new picture book on the Pony Express coming out this fall, yes?  I saw that you taught Social Studies and English.   A lot of our listeners who are teachers and librarians and homeschooling parents are always trying to find ways to connect subjects to really maximize the limited time we all have. When you were teaching full time, how were you connecting social studies and English? Is there anything that you used to do as a teacher that now, looking back - you regret?   Anything you would go back and change? Even though you aren’t in the classroom anymore, your passion for connecting readers and educators with the right book is clear. I especially love the “Classroom Connections” section on your website where you interview authors about their books and include a specific section on how that book would be a good fit in a classroom. How do you think that we as parents and teachers can raise kids who love reading? How is having a teenager reader different than having a middle grade reader at home? As someone who has gone through those years and is now out the other side, what can we expect?   You recently posted on your website a quote from Donalyn Miller (one of my inspirations as well!). It said, “I am as much a composite of all the book characters I have loved as of the people I have met.” Which book characters are you a composite of?  What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?   Book Talk - Two Novels Featuring Fantastic Fathers In this section of the show, I share with you a few books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week, with Father’s Day coming up, I thought I would focus on books with great dads. I know it’s such a trope with kids books that the parents get killed off or are otherwise out of the picture so that the main characters can go off on adventures unimpeded, but we’re breaking away from those books today. First, I’ll go into some detail about two newer releases that I have been loving - Amina’s Voice and Beyond the Bright Sea. And then chat about other favorite dads from both modern and classic books. Amina’s Voice This week I am starting with Amina’s Voice by an author who is new to middle grade - Hena Khan. This is a lovely and heartfelt story about a Pakistani-American Muslim girl, Amina, who is trying to navigate the complicated tides of middle school friendship where old friends are changing and old adversaries might be changing, too. Amina also has to deal with her rather traditional and more strict uncle visiting their family and figuring out for herself how to express her beliefs and culture. Here are three things to love about Amina’s Voice: Amina’s family! Her father - who is rather strict, does NOT care if he embarasses his kids by asking a million questions at Open House, but stands up for his daughter at a moment when she needs it. At first I wasn’t sure about him, but oh he grew on me! Her mom, who spends days preparing tons of traditional Pakistani food for their visiting uncle. That doesn’t quite go as planned. And Amina’s older brother, Mustafa, whose interest in trying out for the basketball team instead of joining something like Chess Club causes some friction at home. There was so much to relate to in those family moments in Amina’s Voice. That ending! I don’t want to give away too much but something bad happens in Amina’s Muslim community and the way things come together in the end makes me wish that every kid could read this story as a template of what to do in that kind of situation. It  didn’t shy away from difficult realities or make problems seem easy to solve yet it was uplifting and perfect. That this novel offers Muslim students and students from the Middle East with a main character whose background and customs might be a reflection of their own, or have pieces they can relate to. I so wish that I had this book six years ago to offer to my own Amina. She was a student of mine when I taught 6th grade and Muslim. And may have connected to this Amina’s story but she was from Bosnia so although the religious details about the Imam and Sunday school and learning passages from the Quran may have been a connection, the food and other cultural details might not have been. So while this book is absolutely a great addition to any library, I just hope that people don’t stop there and think they’ve covered a niche. It’s one girl’s story and I just can’t wait to see what else this new imprint of Simon & Schuster, Salaam Reads, will bring to the kidlit community so we have more and more stories to offer kids.     Beyond the Bright Sea Our second book this week is Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk whose novel Wolf Hollow won a Newbery Honor last year. And this book is, I think, another contender. It reminded me a little bit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society with a touch of Orphan Island in there. This book about a 12 year old girl called Crow who as an infant washed ashore in an old boat on one of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. She is now 12 and being raised by a reclusive fisherman and painter who she calls Osh. And the other people on this tiny close-knit island essentially shun her and will not touch her or touch anything she has touched because they think she came from Penikese Island - the nearby leper colony. And this chain of events suddenly takes off when Crow sees a fire on that nearby island and starts to get curious about where she came from. It’s so good! Here are three things to love about Beyond the Bright Sea.   The timeless quality of the setting. It reminded me of Pax in that way because there are very few clues at first in the way the islanders dress or how technology is described. Eventually, you do discover precisely when everything is happening but the journey of figuring that out is part of what I liked about the book. It brought to light some real history.  It took me until half-way through to realize that the leper hospital described in the novel actually existed. And they did really dynamite it and burn it down and transform it into a bird sanctuary for awhile. But the small cemetery does remain. I love a book that brings to light a forgotten story from history. Crow’s adoptive father who she calls Osh. He has his own secrets, his own complicated backstory, but his quiet, earnest protection of her makes you love him immediately. He’s from another land, speaks in a native language that no one on this New England island knows and we really feel for him as he is so deeply afraid of losing Crow - the one thing that has keep him anchored and steady. And as she ventures out to attempt to find her parents, it’s hard for him at first. And - I don’t want to spoil anything for you but oh when you find out what his name means…. Love him!   Both Amina’s Voice and Beyond the Bright Sea are outstanding reads. If you have a kid who enjoyed Finding Perfect or Like Magic or Sticks & Stones - Amina’s Voice would be great next book to introduce them to. And if you have a child who enjoyed Midnight Without a Moon or Wolf Hollow - Beyond the Bright Sea might be the perfect next book.   Q & A Our third and final segment this week is Question & Answer time.  Question: This question stems from a conversation I had with some students who have started to notice that in lots of books they are reading the parents are missing, dead, or otherwise out of the picture. So that had me thinking about counter examples and I came up with some but wanted other opinions, too. So I put the question out there on social media and asked: “Which middle grade books have you read that had great dads?”   Answer: And actually - there were a ton! Let’s start with some classics: Obviously one of the first mentioned was Ramona and Her Father. Loved him! I still remember that scene when he’s trying to draw his foot… Pa Ingalls from the Little House series Mr. Weasley from Harry Potter - such an honorable man who took on so much risk to protect Harry And some more modern novels with dads we love: Papa (Hans Hubermann) from The Book Thief is one of my all-time favorite fathers And one new book that came up over and over again and one that has been a classroom favorite with my 5ths is The Crossover - what a great relationship he had with his twin boys. Another book that was mentioned a lot was The Family Fletcher series and the two awesome dads heading up that family. I haven’t read it yet but that title is moving up my TBR list. Melanie Conklin’s Counting Thyme and the newly released Moon Shadow by Erin Downing are both books that I’ve been dying to read that so many mentioned as having a great fathers. The dad from Gertie’s Leap to Greatness and the dad in The Penderwicks and Mr. Pullman from Wonder and the dad from Ida B and Wolf Hollow!   I know there are tons and tons more - so I hope you jump on social media share your favorite middle grade dads. Closing Alright - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And thanks again to OwlCrateJr for supporting the podcast this month - don’t forget to head over to owlcrate.com and use code BOOKSBETWEEN to get 15% percent off your subscription! And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links: Caroline's Official Website: https://carolinestarrrose.com Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine Teaching Guide Where in the World Are We Reading? Activity Stone Mirrors: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmond Lewis (Jeannine Atkins) Wonder: A novel (Emma Donoghue) Insight (Tasha Eurich) Three Pennies (Melanie Crowder)  

On today's episode, Duane speaks with Shahjehan Khan, a voiceover artist, actor, and musician based in Boston. He is the host of the King of the World podcast, which explores his life as a Pakistani American Muslim in the post-9/11 era, 20 years later. Shahjehan shares how he weaved his struggle with addiction to cannabis, how all of that came together for him, and how he got into recovery. Son of Pakistani American immigrants, Shahjehan grew up as an average American young person in the suburbs of Massachusetts. When 9/11 happened, he remembers being a senior in high school, sitting in a calculus class. At that time, he was already a struggling teenager, which also marked the beginnings of heavy substance use. By the time he got to college, he dropped out after a year, came home, and had his first suicide attempt. He was then introduced to AA, but it really didn't resonate with him. He had a relapse a year after he joined a band. Until he realized he had to make that change. Now eleven years sober, Shahjehan found therapy to be the one thing that has helped him through his recovery journey. During the pandemic, he also found a community of recovering folks he could relate with.It also made him realize it was okay to be a multifaceted person. At the time, he felt like there were a bunch of little pieces that never felt like a cohesive whole. When he was first approached to tell his story, he didn't want to tell another 9/11-centered Muslim story because he was sick of it. Then he realized he could frame it in a coming-of-age way, being able to show the parallels of his own personal struggles with what was happening in his outer world post 9/11.The King of the World podcast is shining light on the American Muslim experience. And seeing the impact it had on him and the people he interviewed is also important for us to understand and grow as a society. In this episode, you will hear:Shahjehan's addiction and recovery journeyHis experience the next day after 9/11The moment he decided he needed changeExperiencing a relapse being in a band Finding the right method of recovery for yourselfWhy he stopped attending meetings and focused on therapyThe impact of the King of the World podcast on other peopleHis recovery processKey Quotes:[11:28] - "Doing the podcast in itself was an act of realizing that it's okay to be this multifaceted person... there were all these little pieces that never felt like a cohesive whole."[11:40] - "A lot of people in early recovery feel like fragmented people.. it's that process of that exploration."[14:43] - "9/11 made it so that we would always be responsible for something we never did." [21:09] - "We're starting to finally become a voice for people in a way but it's this complicated thing where I myself inside, I'm sort of using that as a crutch almost."[26:43] - "It's not that it just happened overnight. It is a continuous process for sure."[27:30] - "You're so used to being that 'other' in the room that you almost welcome it in a way."[43:12] - “You should always be redefining success for yourself.”[48:18] - "Find one person that you can be brutally honest with... and that can hear you out. And that's where the healing can start."Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.If you really enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com  to download it.Supporting Resources:King of the World PodcastImmigrantly Podcastwww.shahjehankhan.com Episode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations