Modern Minorities

“For the first time I was dealing with being labeled when I never had that label before…whereas my experience and my existence prior to that, I was surrounded by a lot of multiracial kids and families and it wasn't until I got to college, and all of a sudden I was a minority. But my saving grace was the theater department. I was an actor, I was in a place where there was a massive amount of acceptance because we were all sort of fringe people. So it's like all of a sudden, you're not the only outsider here.”

The legendary Louis Diamond Phillips is an actor and film director. Known to audiences globally as the breakout star in La Bamba and Young Guns, and his deceptively effortless work in the brilliant Stand and Deliver, Phillips is a face that we all recognize (ironically), moreso for his work playing non-Asian roles…until now.

Lou Diamond Phillips appears in a cameo role as himself in the new film EASTER SUNDAY about a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family in this love letter to his Filipino- American community. Stand-up comedy sensation JO KOY leads an all-star comedic cast: JIMMY O. YANG (Silicon Valley series), TIA CARRERE (True Lies, Wayne’s World films), BRANDON WARDELL (Curb Your Enthusiasm series), Tony nominee and Grammy Award winner EVA NOBLEZADA (Broadway’s Hadestown), LYDIA GASTON (Broadway’s The King and I), ASIF ALI (WandaVision), RODNEY TO (Parks and Recreation series), EUGENE CORDERO (The Good Place), JAY CHANDRASEKHAR (Super Troopers series) and of course Lou himself.

Lou chats with us about experiencing racism for the first time as an actor, juxtaposed with the excitement he has now for playing a Filipino on screen for the first time. We were so excited for the opportunity to speak with Lou and we know you’re going to love hearing about the moments that brought him to where he is today!

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“It’s not really the Brown girls from Jersey City who save the world” -Kamala Khan

Kamala Khan's super power is...time management? Kamala ain’t just a household name because of the Vice President - she’s also the star of MS. MARVEL - her own Marvel TV series NOW on Disney+ (starring Iman Vellani - but also past guest Azhar Usman). We’ve long said that this Pakistani American superhero from Jersey City, NJ is arguably one of the most important new characters in pop culture of the new Millenium (alongside Miles Morales, of course)

So we figured we’d replay a 2021 episode from Raman’s other podcast Quarantined Comics (bc we were into Ms.Marvel WAY before it was cool). Featuring FrieMMd-of-the-pod Ryan Joe and OUR favorite Pakistani American superhero - Lena Shareef, who you may remember from our inaugural Ramadan series way back when in 2021 (Lena also co-hosts the most awesome podcast “Grounded Geeks” with her brother Aman) - we kinda geek out about how much we LOVE this character and this comic.

Kamala Khan - aka MS.MARVEL - was created in 2014 by award winning novelist, and Muslim American G. Willow Wilson. Kamala's just just trying to get her homework done, nerd out with fan-fic / MMORPGs, figure out her relationship with her religious brother, come to terms with her best friends, and meet the expectations of her immigrant parents. Enjoy our super-nerdy, super grounded conversation about Kamala Khan, with spoilers for the comic - not the TV show. You can start streaming / binging the show after - and thanking us later.

LEARN ABOUT

Mike Curato is an award-winning author and illustrator of a more than a few incredible kid's books, as well as the more recent graphic novel FLAMER, which is a MUST-read no matter your age, gender, or sexual orientation. Author Jarrett J. Krosoczka put it best: “This book will save lives.”

Mike’s children’s books include the "Little Elliot" series - about an adorable polka-dotted elephant, of whom Raman’s daughter is a BIG fan. Mike’s also created beautiful kid’s stories like "Where is Bina Bear?" He’s illustrated other moving and important stories like "Worm Loves Worm", "What If", and "The Power of One." And in October he’ll be releasing the book “What Are you” alongside Christian Trimmer. Beyond Mike’s work being always elegant and beautifully illustrated, there’s a much deeper sentiment just beneath the surface that will appeal to parents and kids alike.

FLAMER - Mike’s 2020 graphic novel debut - is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel set in 1995 at a Boy Scouts summer camp, and tells the story of a young teen Aiden who is bullied for being who he is. But the story goes much deeper, and hits a lot of notes and nerves that are both important and all-too-familiar (the liberal mentions of the X-Men, Lord of the Rings, and Nirvana don’t hurt either). Flamer isn’t just a must-read book for those of us who can relate, but it’s one that we should read for greater empathy for the people around us.

LEARN ABOUT MIKE

“As a culture, there’s a lot of pride, a lot of authenticity — It brought awareness to my level of fluidity in love.”

Beyond celebrating LGBTQIA+ stories this month for PRIDE, did you know that June is ALSO Caribbean-American Heritage Month? What does it mean to identify as Caribbean-American or LGBTQIA+? What impact do these monthly celebrations have on cultural representation? Since we didn’t have the answers, we asked FrieMMds of the Pod Arianne Hunter and Mercedes Dean to talk about their Carribbean and Queer intersections. In a conversation about heritage, authenticity, and pride - hear how family impacts perspectives, falling in love reveals things you never knew existed, and the fluidity of personal identity.

LEARN ABOUT ARIANE: Ariane is a Queer, Black Caribbean American woman living in Brooklyn with her partner. She is a corporate worker turned entrepreneur as a career coach, strategist, and advisor for Black women taking the leap at work and beyond.

From time to time we feature creators / causes that we admire and hope you’ll enjoy — opportunities to learn AND give back. FrieMMd of the Pod Olesya Govorun (from our recent Ukraine episode) recently reached out to share an important cause to the cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people — artists’ fellowships to the the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery in Opishnya, Ukraine. Ceramics are a core part of the cultural identity of Ukraine - and art doesn’t just reflect the time we are in - but it outlasts us all and make an impact for generations to come. Each year, Olesya, her friends and family fund scholarships for artist-in-residence programs in Opishnya, a town near and dear to Olesya’s heart.

it goes without saying that we continue to be saddened, frustrated, and mixed up over the ongoing war in Ukraine. And while it seems like the world is taking some action, It feels like there’s not much more we can do as individuals. Donating to local, on the ground causes that go beyond relief efforts - and funding cultural heritage is something we hope you’ll consider...

DONATE

“Filipinos love spam — but wherever you look in American history, I found how little I knew.”

Gabrielle Berbey is a documentary audio producer and filmmaker who's done work with the Atlantic and WNYC / NPR. She's actually one of the hosts of the critically acclaimed podcast “The Experiment” by the Atlantic.  Gabby recently released a three-part mini series talking about SPAM - beyond her personal Filipino family experience - going beyond the immigrant experience to American labor, the changing middle class, and the next generation of immigrant Americans. You’ll love this candid conversation about how Gabby’s mixed ethnic experience infom her curiosity as a journalist.

This episode is sponsored by the Department of Health & Human Services, who’s encouraging you and your community to make sure you’ve got the COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster. We can do this, together. Find vaccines and boosters near you @ VACCINES.gov

LEARN ABOUT GABBY

“It’s not just heroics -  the highest compliment one soldier can pay to another soldier is he did his job.”

Larry Hama is an American comic book legend —  an accomplished artist, writer, actor, and musician who’s been in the business since the 1960s. Larry is also a US Army Veteran - where he became a firearms and explosive ordnance expert. Larry’s actually best known to American comic readers as writer / editor for Marvel Comics, where he worked on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Wolverine, Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja, and Elektra. He co-created the character Bucky O'Hare - developed into comics, toys, and animation. And in the 1980s, Larry helped create “The ‘Nam” - arguably one of the most authentic retellings of the Vietnam war from the American perspective (for many surpassing the film Platoon). Larry’s storied experience as a Japanese American, Army Veteran, comics legend, and kid from SF + NY - inform everything he’s done, and why his work resonates with so many across industries. And you’ll love hearing about all of his encounters with contemporaries like Gloria Steinem, Neal Adams, and even Marlon Brando. Special shout-outs to guest host Dan Wu (from NPR’s “Where Y’All Really From”) and Keith Chow @ HardNOC Media who connected us with the one and only Larry Hama.

This episode is sponsored by the Department of Health & Human Services, who’s encouraging you and your community to make sure you’ve got the COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster. We can do this, together. Find vaccines and boosters near you @ VACCINES.gov

LEARN ABOUT LARRY HAMA

“There's so few of us here in Kentucky. It's a self-reflection - to be able to claim the identity as a Southerner”

Dan Wu and Charlene Buckles are the hosts of the public radio / podcast “Where Y’All Really From” (on Louisville Public Media) — but in their day job, they’re upstanding professional citizens - a restauranteur and a social activist  who decided to create a show about a year ago - that shares the Asian Kentucky experience - for Asian Americans in Kentucky (it’s bonus content for anyone else in Kentucky). Dan’s professional cooking career was kickstarted on Fox’s MasterChef — and he’s since a mainstay of local  street fairs, pop-ups, his own restaurant Atomic Ramen, and on the campus of the University of Kentucky. A fierce advocate for immigrants, refugees, and small business owners, Dan’s also an unapologetic comic book & movie geek and podcast junkie. Charlene’s a proud proud formerly undocumented Filipina-Kentuckian. A former teacher turned fundraiser (ACLU KY FTW), she wildly passionate and active in areas of immigrant justice, women empowerment, racial literacy in Early Education, delicious cookies, local floral arrangements, and her adorable children. Between the hot takes, and reality show / comic book nerding out, you’ll find yourself wondering how you were so luck to get an upgrade from Sharon + Raman - but also getting a feel for what the Asian Kentucky experience must really be like.

This episode is sponsored by the Department of Health & Human Services, who’s encouraging you and your community to make sure you’ve got the COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster. We can do this, together. Find vaccines and boosters near you @ VACCINES.gov

LEARN ABOUT DAN & CHARLENE

“I love doing accents - Indian, Iranian, Arab. But now stand-up allows you to go do the movie of the week and then go on stage and make fun of it.”

Maz Jobrani is a comedian, actor and entertainer - who happens to be Persian, but most definitely identifies as an immigrant. His Netflix special “Immigrant” at the Kennedy Center had him doing some Arab dancing to Public Enemy, he’s given two TED talks, and has been on shows and movies you’ve seen like Superior Donuts (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Shameless, Stephen Colbert, James Corden, and even NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. Maz has got more than a few comedy specials on Showtime and Netflix. He’s performed at the White House and opened for Michelle Obama. His latest standup special is Pandemic Warrior on NBC’s Peacock TV streaming service, and his weekly podcast “Back to School” has him outsourcing his kids' questions to experts on God, politics, fashion, and more. You’ll enjoy hearing us nerd out with one of the nicest, most curious stand up comics around.

“Music is a force that brings us all together, wherever you’re from.”

For this ENTIRE holy month of Ramadan, we wanted to hear some music by MUSLIM artists (beyond Dua Lipa, Cat Stevens, AR Rahman, and Zane Mallick) — so we’re bringing back MMusic with longtime FrieMMd of the Pod + our favorite Egyptian American from Cleveland, Seif Hamid, aka the musical artist Soof.

This week we’re listening to HASEEB (featuring REHMA). “Play Love” s a track that covers a theme universal to all music and art — love. The combined R&B / rap sensibilities, merged with cultural - and pop-cultural - references (Superman & Lois Lane, going to mosque) has a great vibe you’ll be bobbing your head to all day.

"No one had seen an actual Muslim's take. But I'm an artist - if I want something done right, I can just do it myself."

Sara Alfageeh’s a Jordanian American comics creator and creative director — but mostly just a major history nerd who just really wants to draw girls with swords. Sara's the co-creator of SQUIRE - a recently released graphic novel that blends the familiar hero's journey with a uniquely Middle Eastern inspired take — a fun read we highly recommend you check out.

Sara's also the co-founder of One More Multiverse and  her work has been featured by Harvard, Lucasfilm, the BBC, NYU, and even a Google Doodle. Her secret origin will inspire you, and her enthusiasm will give you faith in the next generation - and challenge you to not just sit back, but to pick up a pen and start creating...because no one is going to do it for you. Sara's wise beyond her years, and we can't wait to see what she creates over the next 25 years...

LEARN ABOUT SARA

“Music is a force that brings us all together, wherever you’re from.”

For this ENTIRE holy month of Ramadan, we wanted to hear some music by MUSLIM artists (beyond Dua Lipa, Cat Stevens, AR Rahman, and Zane Mallick) — so we’re bringing back MMusic with longtime FrieMMd of the Pod + our favorite Egyptian American from Cleveland, Seif Hamid, aka the musical artist Soof.

This week we’re listening to "Yallah" by ABIR - a big, pure voice that we don’t hear as often anymore. This track is a catchy pop that blends worlds that you can’t help but listen to and dance (challenge accepted). The headline of the song is about a love, devotion, and hospitality unique to the Arab world - for Arabs and beyond. It’s a proud song that announces that they are here in a big way, and we should be listening.

“It's unfortunate because the truth is right there — and at this point we're just pretending to be asleep.”

Tehran Von Ghasri  is a comedian, actor, tv/radio/podcast host, and activist. Tehran is many things - half iranian, half black, half amazingly nerdy and amazing. As a comic he’s a mix of Dave Chappelle and Stephen Colbert meet Maz Jobrani. He’s actually co-hosts “Back to School with Maz Jobrani” - which is how we met. Tehran’s got roots in DC + LA. He’s a A Laugh Factory favourite, and has been seen on Netflix, FOX, Bravo, Pivot, Comedy Central, the Kennedy Center, and a sold out show near you. There’s a saying - good comics make you laugh, great comics make you think. Tehran is NO exception to that. Fair warning, with Sharon out, Raman’s flying solo so you’ll hear some nerding out down many many tangents and rabbit holes,

LEARN ABOUT TEHRAN

• iamtehran.com
• twitter.com/iamtehran
• instagram.com/iamtehran

MENTIONS

“Music is a force that brings us all together, wherever you’re from.”

For this ENTIRE holy month of Ramadan, we wanted to hear some music by MUSLIM artists (beyond Dua Lipa, Cat Stevens, AR Rahman, and Zane Mallick) — so we’re bringing back MMusic with longtime FrieMMd of the Pod + our favorite Egyptian American from Cleveland, Seif Hamid, aka the musical artist Soof.

This week we’re listening to one of great MC’s in the game - OMAR OFFENDUM. It's not enough to just call him a musician or an emcee.  He's a true poet — incredible with the pen, truly bridging cultures with his deep lyrics (be sure to listen for the “LA” in the rhyme scheme of the last verse)

“We weren't the only Black Muslim family at the Masjid, but one of the few. I was just listening to what they were saying and picking up on it.”

Aaliyah “Ali” Habeeb is many things — a writer, actor, producer, teacher — with numerous film / theater credits and awards: the titular role in Henry IV parts 1 & 2, Back to the Real, Surely Goodness & Mercy, Love Ya Like a Sis, and even apprentice with both director & actors of Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe. Aaliyah’s recently produced & directed the short film “America Again,” (based on the 1920s Langston Hughes poem of the same name) - which takes a critical look at the impact racial disparities of education system -  through the reflections of Aaliyah’s former students. Aaliyah’s also Black, and Muslim, and from Kent, Ohio. Born and raised in the Islamic faith, Ali wrote a 99 day inspirational wellness journal that takes the 99 Attributes of God in Islam, the Asma al-Husna, or Most Beautiful Names. A friend of Sharon’s for more than a decade - over which Aaliyah’s transformed into the artist she is today. You’ll enjoy this conversation not just about being Black or Muslim, but about being an American of faith - who gives us faith.

LEARN ABOUT

“Music is a force that brings us all together, wherever you’re from.”

For this ENTIRE holy month of Ramadan, we wanted to hear some music by MUSLIM artists (beyond Dua Lipa, Cat Stevens, AR Rahman, and Zane Mallick) — so we’re bringing back MMusic with longtime FrieMMd of the Pod + our favorite Egyptian American from Cleveland, Seif Hamid, aka the musical artist Soof.

This week we’re listening to the one and only beautiful, soulful voice of DANIA — an unexpected, classy, old school vibe from a modern R&B artist.

"It's about sacrifice. It's about spirituality. It's about getting closer to God.” “Ramadan is a time to better yourself — a new beginning for many things.”

Ramadan Mubarak (رمضان مبارك)! Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by 1.8 BILLION Muslims worldwide. It is ~30 days of fasting, prayer, reflection and community — lasting from one crescent moon to the next. And as beautiful a culture and religion as Islam is, we know far too little about it, nor what Ramadan really means for its people. For this holy month of Ramadan we wanted to go deeper on one of the biggest holidays in the world. So we decided to fire up the Rabat-signal to get a little help from our FrieMMds — past guests Seif Hamid, our favorite Egyptian American musician by way of Cleveland (Soof!), and Lena Shareef, our favorite Pakistani American comics podcaster (Grounded Geeks). We asked them everything from how they celebrated as Ramadan as kids in the midwest and back in their respective motherlands of Egypt and Pakistan, what fasting means for them, Ramadan’s role in the culture, and even learned what all of us can do to celebrate Ramadan.

LEARN ABOUT LENA

"We need an institution that is there to protect our rights — that every kid in this country knows exists for them."

Satjeet Kaur is the former Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States — where she’s been involved for more than a decade leading as an organizer and activist providing direct support to Sikh communities across the country, responding to hate crimes, organizing advocacy, and mobilizing civil engagement. Satjeet was named as one of the 15 faith leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress. Most folks don’t know that Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, and something we learned is that part of the Sikh faith is standing out and speaking up. For Satjeet and the Sikh Coalition that means advancing civil rights for all underrepresented communities - which is really powerful, interesting, and inspiring work. Lots more in the shownotes below. Also, Satjeet’s father’s a rad scientist, and her mother-in-law’s Saag is amazing.

LEARN ABOUT SATJEET

"The idea that a person can't relate to something because it's not directly about them is a misunderstanding of who's been reading books this whole time."

Mariko Tamaki is an award-winning Canadian comics creator and writer — known for works like Skim and This One Summer (with her cousin Jillian Tamaki). Her latest novel is Cold, a haunting YA novel about four students who knew too much and said too little. AND Mariko’s also the Co-founder & Editor of Surely Books - a comics imprint of LGBTQIA+ creators. Mariko’s ALSO known for comics like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Emiko Superstar, and several prose works of fiction and nonfiction. AND since 2016, Mariko’s been writing for Marvel & DC comics - on powerful books like I Am Not Stafire, and Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass. Mariko’s also only the second woman to write Detective Comics - the 1000+ issue flagship DC series about the Dark Knight. If you can’t tell by now, one of us has been a BIG Mariko Tamaki fan for awhile, and after hearing her approach to writing and sharing personal stories, you soon will be too.

LEARN ABOUT MARIKO TAMAKI & HER WORK:

"These stereotypes of 'nerd girls are awkward' really plays on kids' minds. The world needs to know smart women who are very strong in their thinking and perspectives."

Shalini Govil-Pai is a tech and media executive at Google, who previously worked at Pixar on films like Toy Story and A Bug's Life. Shalini’s worked on partnerships across YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max - at the center of disruptive technology, challenging herself to educate, entertain, and inspire globally. It was a great chat about her experiences coming up in a very male-dominated technical field, and the lessons learned along the way, as well as some of the reflections on today’s media culture. Whether growing up in Bombay / Mumbai India - surrounded by Bollywood (and Amitabh Bachchan) - or creating a new life in America and the Silicon Valley, Shalini’s not afraid of taking risks and challenging the status quo - all because of her deep connections with her family, friends, and community.

LEARN ABOUT SHALINI:

“We feel grief. We feel anger. We feel sadness. We feel mobilized to help. We feel energized. But we feel that our life, it's not the same as it was before.”   //  “We're on a precipice and people will say why wasn't more done. This is about Ukraine right now, but may not stay about Ukraine. And so not doing anything, it's not an option.”

While a tragedy continues to unfold in Ukraine, it remains...abstract ...for many of us. Something terrible happening in a faraway place to a faraway people. We see photos and videos online - a horror is happening to a people we do not know over there, and sadly, we find ourselves going back to our busy lives over here.

Ukraine is a sovereign nation of 44 MILLION, with a rich, beautiful culture and people. There's more than another 10 Million folks of Ukrainian heritage living outside of the country, among one of the world's largest diaspora populations.

We can’t solve the Ukrainian crisis with our podcast. But what we can do is create more empathy and understanding. So we sat down with some Ukie friends - old and new - to learn about their Ukrainian heritage, their personal stories, and their very real feelings in this moment. Olesya Govorun was born in Kyiv, and lives in NY, and a longtime friend of Raman’s. Adrianna Melnyk is a 3rd generation Ukrainian American, a non-profit professional active in the Ukrainian American community. Both are daughters, mothers, wives, and all around amazing people living through a unthinkable moment for them, and especially their countrymen. Hear their stories, because whether we know it or not, we are ALL Ukrainians.

HOW TO HELP:

“I was told over and over to change my name to the point where I lost out on a lot of things. But I never felt that was something I was going to do. And I didn't want to compromise that.”

Sheetal Sheth is an acclaimed author, actress/producer, cancer graduate, and activist. She’s the author of “Always Anjali” and its sequel, “Bravo Anjali” - which are among Raman and his daughter’s FAVORITE books. Sheetal’s stories challenge us to bring our full selves to the table, and challenge a world that keeps that from being a reality.

Sheetal’s an outspoken advocate - with op-eds in CNN, The Daily Beast and Thrive Global. And more recently, as an author, Sheetal’s a part of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) - a leading literary nonprofit  - who is celebrating and engaging kids in the important topic of Diversity. RIF’s hosting a celebratory event on MARCH 2 (“Read Across America Day”) rallytoread.org/readacrossamerica - alongside Chelsea Clinton, Sandra Boynton, Miguel Cardona (U.S. Secretary of Education) and many more.

In a conversation about growing up with a “funny sounding” name - you’ll hear of some of the stories that shaped Sheetal - and so many of our experiences, and how she’s chosen to share a new perspective for us all going forward. And tune in for a “very special” reading at the top of the episode, with some voices you’ve heard, and some voices you’ve heard about...

LEARN ABOUT SHEETAL:

“It's important for the community to be teaching our history — the reality with our history is we have to be the ones to tell the story.”

Black History is not just one month - it’s being made every day. But since we are NOT experts about the Black experience - especially when it comes to Black History, we sat down with FrieMMds of the Pod (past guests) — Stanley Lumax (Founder of African Chophouse AND Teranga), and Suzanne Sinatra (Founder & CEO of Private Packs — to unpack what Black History meant to two folks with very interesting backgrounds and experiences - as immigrants and children of immigrants. You’ll find this one to be a very...spirited conversation that makes you unpack and question what these months even mean, or should/n’t mean to us all....

LEARN ABOUT STANLEY:

"You're taught to make them forget, to move into leadership. There's not a lot of neurosurgeons made every year - and so there's not a lot of young Black people talking about their experience.”

Dr. Edjah Nduom is a Black neurosurgeon-scientist, activist, patient advocate, father, husband, son and brother. He gets paid to take out brain tumors and study how to treat them with the immune system. He does not get paid to pursue social justice, both inside and outside of medicine, but he does it anyway. Edjah is also the Co-Founder of Physicians for Criminal Justice Reform - an organization that wants to change the conversation on how negative encounters with the criminal justice system lead to detrimental health consequences in targeted communities. Born to immigrant parents from Ghana, he actually moved back to Ghana at the age of eleven, and found out his Nintendo cartridges weren’t compatible. Not to long after, he found himself back in the US, having earned and worked his way up through an elite medical system that still (does) not look like him. Edjah’s ’s now using his position to speak up more, and create a better system for us all.

LEARN ABOUT EDJAH

“We tried to do what people would do back in the old country, but I felt like I was living a secret life.”

"It was interesting seeing Chinese New Year from different lenses.”

Gong Xi Fa Cai! ...a common Chinese wish of prosperity for the Lunar New Year - celebrated by more than a BILLION people around the world. So wanting to learn more - we once again brought back some past FrieMMds of the Pod to talk about the big day: Hollywood actor and producer Brian Yang (Linsanity, Snakehead, Hawaii 5-0), and fellow podcaster Lucia Liu (Rock the Boat, Bund to Brooklyn). As both Brian & Lucia grew up across Chinese and American cultures - we chatted about the many similarities - and differences - celebrating the Lunar New Year with family and friends. From proper greetings to red envelopes, from fun card games to learning how you should really eat the fish - you’ll enjoy this fun conversation among friends old and new. You’ll also find out who gives the best Lai See / Hóngbāo ((紅包) — the red envelopes everyone used to get (as kids), but now find ourselves all giving (as “grown ups”).

LEARN ABOUT LUCIA

“We are afraid of the pain of healing because there is something comforting about living in the now, in the conflict, in our own assumptions about others. We are in uncharted territory and that's frightening.”

Abdul-Rehman Malik is an award-winning journalist, educator, cultural organizer — and a great storyteller you’ll just want to sit back and listen to all day. His work at the intersection of faith and social change has spanned the globe — across the US, Canada, UK, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sudan, Mali, Malaysia and more. Abdul-Rehman, a BBC-radio veteran, hosts the popular podcast “This Being Human” - featuring Muslim voices, stories, and experiences, AND is currently a Lecturer at the Yale Divinity School as well as director of the Muslim Leadership Lab at Yale’s Dwight Hall Center of Social Justice. In this must-listen-to conversation about heritage, compassion, pain, and forgiveness - we go deep on the state of the world as it’s always been, and how we must face it for what it is today. It’s a conversation that will leave you wanting more, for which you’re in luck, because Abdul-Rehman also has an amazing podcast that creates greater empathy and understanding through conversation. Sound familiar? (PS - his is way better)

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“We know him so much from his speeches — but this book shows how exhausting everything was.”

In honor of MLK day, we could've just put a famous speech to a hip beat, but instead Raman + Ryan decided to read KING - Ho Che Anderson's critically acclaimed unauthorized graphic biography of the life of Martin Luther King Jr — on Raman’s other underground podcast, Quarantined Comics. Ryan also snuck in another Anderson book GODHEAD - a near-future capitalist tale juxtaposing the white corporate and black urban experience against a sci-fi backdrop of...finding God?

Graphic novelist Ho Che Anderson is a London-born creator of Jamaican heritage in Toronto - who brings a pretty unique perspective to the handful of independent comics he's created over the years. Most likely informed by the sensibilities of who his parents named him after - Ho Chi Minh + Che Guevara. So it was no surprise to see such a contrarian and unflinchingly honest take on a civil rights icon like Martin Luther King Jr. While most folks usually only know just five words about the Civil Rights movement ("Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King") - the graphic novel KING focuses on not just the larger than life legend, but the man and all his flaws along his journey and the people’s varying takes on him back then...

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“Being an immigrant kid - your experience and your parents’ and your grandparents’ experiences are in three completely different worlds.”

Gene Luen Yang is an award-winning cartoonist, storyteller, and teacher - whose been creating comics since the fifth grade. His 2006 graphic novel American Born Chinese will be a 2022 Disney+ TV series by Shang Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton. Two of Gene’s other two books - Dragon Hoops + Superman Smashes the Klan - won the 2020 Eisner (the Oscars for comics), and Raman’s reviewed them on his other podcast Quarantined Comics. Gene’s a former CS + Math teacher - who’s since gone on to work on some of the biggest name in pop culture and comics - including Avatar the Last AirBender, rebooting Shang Chi over @ Marvel Comics (before the hit movie), and having more than a few unique takes on DC’s Superman. Gene was named the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and has also received a MacArthur Genius Grant. Gene advocates for the importance of reading diversely - and makes his kids finish all of their projects. Raman tried really hard not to fanboy over one of his personal heroes...

LEARN ABOUT GENE LUEN YANG

Michelle Li is a longtime reporter and anchor for NBC St. Louis. During a January broadcast sharing commonly eaten foods for the New Year’s, she briefly shared some of her Korean American New Years traditions.

Then a viewer left her station a voicemail. Then Michelle shared the voicemail. And the internet blew up. #veryasian

...Sharon and Raman react - and unpack - this a little more.

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“The choice to be an activist is a privilege, because so many people don't have that choice.”

One of - if not THE defining issue of our time is climate. To kick off the new year, we wanted to share a powerful conversation two young climate activists - Raeesah Nor Mohamed (from South Africa) and Hussein Ali Ghandour (from Lebanon) - had with our our FrieMMd of the Pod Jay Veraldi on HIS Animalia podcast. These two are not simply minorities because of the color of their skin - but because of what they believe, AND where they believe it -  in some unique and challenging places -- where caring about the climate is NOT necessarily a mainstream thing.

Over the past few years, you’ve seen an uptick in protests, marches, and demonstrations from incredible people like Raeesah and Hussein from all over the world.  At COP26 in Glasgow, over 100,000 activists made their way outside the event to demonstrate and push for more decisive action from world leaders. Understand what motivates activists like Raeesah and Hussein to give everything they have to the issue of climate change. It's really worthwhile to hear where these two are coming from, how they view the world, and the actions they are taking on behalf of the climate movement. While we can't all be activists - we should all heat this chat to reflect on our own personal privilege, and more importantly - focus on where we can drive greater systemic change for us all.

Animalia’s mission is to create positive, inclusive dialogue on critical topics that protect this planet — AND to support the people and organizations working to lift up all life who occupy it. Make it your resolution to subscribe to their podcast + newsletter at JoinAnimalia.com

LEARN ABOUT...

“Publishers thought it was maybe going to be a niche book, but I was surprised by how many really young readers were connecting with it. I want this to be something that you could trick your conservative dad into buying for you.”

Jen Wang is an award-winning graphic novel author and illustrator Jen Wang - best known for some amazing stories like “Stargazing,” “The Prince & the Dressmaker”, “In Real Life” and “Koko Be Good”. We’ve been fans of hers for a really long time. Her books are not-quite-autobiographical (always), but there are seeds of truth and real life in almost every story she tells. Being Asian American, having a major healthcare scare as a kid, and more. And since Sharon’s off doing who knows what, Raman’s Quarantined Comics co-host Ryan Joe subs in FTW. But most interesting about our chat with Jen was diving into her unconventional journey and decisions along the way. We challenge you to give Jen’s books a try - for you and your kids - and NOT find your eyes start leaking.

LEARN ABOUT JEN

“You can't expect to do better unless you know better. Understanding who we are collectively - Asian-Americans and non-Asians.”