Immigrantly

My guest is Micha Cooper Edwards. She is the founder and CEO of Soleil Space and Soleil Entertainment. At her core, Micha is a visionary media entrepreneur—her expertise span over 15 years in media and across many markets. Micha has led international campaigns for iconic brands like NIKE, Jordan, and PepsiCo, as well as social impact efforts and corporate partnerships for Netflix and HBO documentaries. As an independent producer in Hollywood and a native of Trinidad and Tobago, Micha felt the weight of underrepresentation, and that's how Soleil came about. We spoke about representation, why Micha prefers to use the term transculutralism instead of multiculturalism, and what lies ahead. Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between “ghosting,” “Icks,” and the question of whether or not to swipe right, the dating world isn’t the same as it used to be. Forty-eight percent of adults aged 18 to 29 have used a dating app before, hoping to find that special thing called love — or maybe just something casual. But how do we feel about swiping left on someone so quickly? And have dating apps actually made it harder to find meaningful relationships? The Immigrantly team wanted to discuss all the ooey-gooey details of dating apps, love, and relationships this Valentine's Day. I got together with two team members, Kayla and Shei, to get their experiences and opinions on modern dating. Listen to this episode to join the conversation! Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn't qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther I Editorial Review: Shei Yu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds               Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigrantly family, today I’ll be chatting with Mari Uchida. She is a photographer, director, a fiercely creative artist whose work has been seen in the New York Times, Time Out New York, The Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, Broadway World, and other platforms. Her subjects are photographed against varied backdrops, from city streets to the performing stage.  She uses photography to highlight people left out of the frame. We spoke about the art of photography, why she chose it, and why her craft has led her to projects, including the inaugural Broadway Asian Men calendar “Unapologetically Asian” with East Side Stories and Collaborazians.   Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn't qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu I Editorial Review: Shei Yu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest, Dr. Mimi Khuc, is a writer, teacher, and scholar of things unwell, a pedagogy that examines humans' relationship to the world and themselves as one with differential unwellness because of the structures around them. Mimi is a Professor of Asian American studies and disability studies. Presently, she lectures at Georgetown University and is the 2023 Activist in Residence at FLOURISH at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Beyond academia, Mimi is the managing editor of the Asian American Literary Review and has appeared for talks organized by institutions like the ACLU, Ford Foundation, and Catapult. Before this conversation with Mimi, the term unwell was no more than a descriptor to me. I hadn’t realized that there is an entire study and practice dedicated to centering unwellness beyond the human body. Mimi and I chatted about current wellness trends and how they harm productivity structures. We connected this to ableist notions of resilience and grit, especially in immigrant communities. And finally, we also talked about ways to take care of ourselves and each other amidst this messiness. It was a thought-provoking, unique, and entertaining discussion. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn't qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu I Editorial Review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Mangesh Hattikudur. He is a podcaster and co-founder of Kaleidoscope, a podcast production company. He’s also the co-host of the podcast Part-Time Genius, the former senior vice president of iHeartRadio, and the co-founder of the magazine Mental Floss. But it is his more recent podcast that we’ll be talking about today. Toward the end of 2022, Mangesh released Skyline Drive, a podcast where he dives into astrology and tries to understand what we find so alluring about the stars. Everyone from BTS fans to Ronald Reagan has found comfort in astrology, and Mangesh does a great job of exploring why.  Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn't qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela StrautherI Editorial Review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmen Rita Wong is a journalist, entrepreneur, and personal finance expert. Once the host of a TV program called On The Money, Carmen has worked with CNN, CBS, and NBC, and she was a financial advice columnist for four different magazines, including Glamour and Good Housekeeping. She is also the author of five books, including the most recent memoir, "Why Didn't You Tell Me"? Carmen's mother was Dominican, but Carmen spent the first 31 years of her life believing she was also half-Chinese through her father, whom she calls Papi Wong. In this memoir, she discusses the whirlwind of her identity and the complex relationship with her mother.   Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn't qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela StrautherI Editorial Review: Shei Yu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m joined by Amy S Choi and Rebecca Lehrer, co-founders and co-hosts of The Mash-Up American podcast, which features stories and interviews on the things that make us who we are: culture, relationships, and identity. I feel a kindred spirit for these two since Immigrantly bears many similarities. Starting in 2013, The Mash-Up American has been telling stories, from zany ones on ginger being the old-school viagra to thorny topics like sickness & death. Underlying these tales is the commitment to navigating the complexities of what they call “mash-up identity.” The interview is focused on their most recent series on grief. We talk about grief, how we can understand it without over-pathologizing the sentiment, and why it’s both universal and personal. What I loved most about the conversation was that we explored, kept it light, and kept it honest. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter | Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Living in New Jersey is about to become more affordable under the new ANCHOR property tax relief program created by Governor Murphy and the Legislature. The State will soon deliver over $2 billion in tax relief to more than two million homeowners and renters. Eligible New Jerseyans can receive up to $1,500. Apply today. Even if you didn’t qualify under the previous program, you may now. The deadline is February 28th. Visit: anchor.nj.gov Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Yudi Liu & Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu &Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome listeners. As some of you may know, our team is taking a much-needed break to rest and recuperate so that we can come back on January 10th, reinvigorated to share some awesome Immigrantly content with all of you. In the meantime, I am sharing a special episode from “Before me”. It is a five-part documentary produced by Self-Evident about journalist Lisa Phu chronicling her mother’s journey from Cambodia to America over the course of decades. Don’t forget to subscribe to them wherever you listen to podcasts. Enjoy! For most of her life, Lisa told a story about how her mom and family first came to the United States. Some of it was right, some of it was wrong; none of it was actually ever told to her by the people who had lived it. After Lisa gave birth to her first child, her mom flew across the country to care for them both. And during that visit, she finally shared the real story with Lisa. About growing up in Cambodia, fleeing genocide by the Khmer Rouge, surviving as a gold dealer in Vietnam, building a home in America while navigating the fallout and traumas of war… and carrying the future of her children throughout the journey. You can listen to Before Me wherever you listen to podcasts. Created, written, and produced by Lisa Phu Edited by Julia Shu Fact checking by Harsha Nahata and Tiffany Bui Sound design by James Boo Additional support from Cathy Erway Original theme music by Avery Stewart Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Audio engineering by Dave Waldron and Timothy Lou Ly Cover art and show name created by Christine Carpenter Audience engagement by Rekha Radhakrishnan Thanks to Ben Kiernan for participating in the research and reporting process Huge thanks and gratitude to Lan Phu “Before Me” is a Self Evident Media production. The show’s Executive Producers are James Boo, Lisa Phu, and Ken Ikeda. This project is also supported in part by the and the City and Borough of Juneau. Thanks to the  for the residency they provided for this project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is nothing Immigrantly loves more than switching up the narrative--and that's why today, we're sharing some controversial opinions, or "hot-takes," about the holiday season. Before we begin 2023, I wanted to get together with Yudi and Michaela from the Immigrantly team to talk about everything from pumpkin spice flavors to Love Actually. And the best part is, we have some hot takes from you all, too--our listeners! How do your opinions compare to ours? Listen to this episode to find out! No matter what holiday you may (or may not) celebrate, we hope this episode inspires some exciting conversations for you, too. Enjoy the holidays, and have a happy New Year! Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does following your passion look like? How many aspiring actresses, dancers, writers, podcasters and artists have been told that their powers won’t make them any money? How many of them stop chasing their creative dreams altogether? Well, my next guest did the very thing that many people would be terrified of doing. Today, I'm interviewing Maya Fuji, a Japanese American artist who dropped out of graduate school to follow her passion for art. Leaving school to do what you love takes guts, which is why I'm so excited to talk to Maya. She's had a pretty amazing journey so far. Maya has held solo exhibitions in two San Francisco art galleries this year alone. The first one was in May at Voss Gallery, and the second opened just recently at Swim Gallery in November. Join the conversation: Instagram | Twitter |  Please share the love and leave us a review to help more people find us! Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther and Saadia Khan I Editorial Review: Yudi Liu  I Sound Designer & Editor: Haziq Ahmad Farid I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic Sounds     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices