My guest this week is Hicham Oudghiri, a Morrocan-American entrepreneur. The founder of Enigma, a startup that creates a data infrastructure that will help businesses make informed decisions mostly about other businesses. One of their focus points is specifically small business lending, which is notoriously difficult. And Enigma is aiming to change that and has made some progress there - among their clients are PayPal, American Express, and Capital One.
Data and data collection and exploitation of data is everywhere and we all have our concerns, fears, and frustrations about it. But the reality is that this is how the world will be for the decades to come and we better learn to deal with it and hopefully even benefit from it.
This is part one of the conversation and we focus on Hicham’s family background and how the mix of Moroccan, French, and American cultures has instilled him with the values of open-mindedness, nomadic desire to explore the frontier, and at the same time appreciation of the civic values and ethics, and how that manifests in his day to day business thinking.
FIND HICHAM:
CONVERSATIONS WITH IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE KICKING ASS IN THE US
SASHA KAPUSTINA talks to people who came to the US from all over the world as well as first-generation Americans about what brought them here, how they found their path, what it took, and what they've learned.
#WeTheAliens #HereToStay
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Camila Russo
Camila Russo is a Chilean-American financial journalist. In 2020 she founded The Defiant, a media platform that has quickly become one of the most trusted and respected news sources in the world of decentralized finance, more known as crypto.
You’ve heard of crypto. You’ve heard of Bitcoin. You’ve heard of Doge. If you’re into sports you’ve probably heard of the digital collectible sports cards. You may have even heard of the mysterious non-fungible tokens, the NFTs. It’s the cutting edge of finance and technology and to most people, it sounds like the intersection of digital witchery and Ponzi schemes and there is certainly a good share of speculation and let’s be honest unkosher activity in that field and yet, many believe it’s the future. Full disclosure, I do. But I’m not here to sell you on it, as they say, do your own homework.
What I am excited to do - it to introduce you to Camila. Who is not some TikTok “crypto influencer,” she is a real solid financial journalist, Northwestern grad, who cut her teeth at Bloomberg and now she is focusing on crypto. It makes me extra happy that a woman, an immigrant, and a Latina is at the helm of the best platforms in the space.
And while I’m on this fangirl kick over here... I want to tell you about Camila’s book - The Infinite Machine, which was published by HarperCollins in 2020 and is a great introductory book for anyone who is curious in this space. It’s the first book on the history of Ethereum. It’s an easy and exciting read because besides breaking down the basics of what crypto is - the book focuses on the stories of the people, who are building this future technology.
FIND CAMILA:
GET HER BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8HS2WC/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
Rohit Bhargava
Rohit Bhargava, Indian-American Wall Street Journal bestselling author, speaker, and futurist.
Rohit is a branding expert. He spent 15 years in leadership roles at two world-renowned ad agencies: Leo Burnett and Ogilvy.
His ideas have been implemented by such giants as the World Bank, NASA, Intel, Disney, Colgate, Coca-Cola, NBC Universal, American Express, and many others. Rohit also teaches Marketing and Storytelling at Georgetown University.
Rohit is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company, ON A MISSION to help the world be more open-minded by teaching others how to be non-obvious thinkers.
In Part 1 of the conversation, we talk about Rohit’s childhood growing up as a world citizen and the perspective that it gives him.
In Part 2 of the conversation. Where we talk about being a double immigrant, his non-obvious perspective on people butchering his name, and some trends.
FIND ROHIT:
Grace Ramirez
My guest this week is Grace Ramirez, Chef Grace, the first Venezuelan-American on the show.
She has written books and hosted TV shows, all around the world. She started her career on season one of Master Chef and for the last few years, she has been actively working with Chef Jose Andres’s World Central Kitchen. First in Puerto Rico in 2017, then Bahamas and Venezuela, and for the last year - New York.
During the pandemic, the organization has helped prevent over 250 restaurants in NY from closing and delivered over 9 million meals. The City of New York has recognized Chef Grace Ramirez, as a Covid-19 hero.
In this first part of the conversation we talk about Grace’s childhood in Venezuela, her having to leave right after high school because of a dictatorship taking over, her career as a TV producer, and her first steps in the food industry.
Erwin Valencia
My guest this week is Erwin Valencia. Erwin is the Director of Training and Conditioning with the NEW YORK KNICKS!
NBA is in da house, my friends!
Erwin is a Philippino-American physical therapist, strength coach, sports scientist, mindfulness coach, social entrepreneur, international speaker, and mentor. He is a true Citizen of the World.
It’s hard to even compress his biography into a reasonable sentence. From Non-Profit Rehabilitation Programs in the Philippines to sports clinics of NYC, on to Major League Baseball, to the start-up communities of Silicon Valley, to the dance studios all over the world, to the developing sports medicine in South East Asia, and Eastern Europe, to the Madison Square Garden and the NBA. And clearly, Erwin is just getting started.
Michael Ronen
Michael Ronen is a futurist, experience designer, and digital event producer. He is the founder of Wonderland - an Immersive Design Agency. Michael’s background is in theater and throughout his life, he has been creating projects and environments that allow for empathy and intimacy. He is on a mission to help people realize their human potential in full. And of course, I relate to that idea.
He is the freshest off the boat guest we’ve had on the podcast. Michael has just moved to the US from Germany half a year ago, - right in the middle of a pandemic, election, protests, and wildfires.
FIND MICHAEL:
On Instagram and on Clubhouse @michaelronen
Check out his articles on Medium.
Nurit Katz
My guest this week is Nurit Katz, who is UCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. She also teaches at UCLA Extension’s Sustainability Certificate Program. And she is a first-generation American, a proud daughter of a Serbian/Croatian Israeli immigrant.
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (UN World Commission on Environment and Development)
Which is the UN way of saying, just think about your kids.
We all care about the environment kind of... I say "kind of" because we care but most of the time we don't really have the time to think about it let alone do anything more than recycle and bring your bags, which is good but, let's be real, won't save the world.
We need people helping us navigate and understand what's important and what's not. What can have an impact and what's a publicity stunt?
We talk about what sustainability is and is not. And how immigrant perspective can be of value here.
Here are a few links from Nurit:
UCLA Sustainability: https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/
UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge: https://grandchallenges.ucla.edu/sustainable-la/
iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/
City Nature Challenge: https://citynaturechallenge.org/
UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate: https://www.uclaextension.edu/environmental-studies-public-policy/sustainability-environmental-studies/certificate/sustainability
Dean Zulich
My guest this week is Dean Zulich.
Dean is a rockstar photographer. Among his clients are NIKE, UN, Playboy, and ESPN.
His work has appeared in Vogue, New York Times, Boston Globe, and many other publications. He has travelled the world taking pictures and teaching photography.
Dean is a friend, and so the conversation was rather informal. There’s an f-bomb or two. Also, we recorded it a while ago, before the pandemic actually, and I didn’t have the right equipment yet and so the sound quality is a bit uneven. But the story is worth it.
Dean is Bosnian, he was born in Yugoslavia. Quick refresher. Yugoslavia was formed after WWI and has existed until the end of the 1980s. After WWII the country boldly distanced itself both from the Eastern Bloc and NATO, and started the Non-Alignment Movement.
It reached its prime under Josip Tito, a dictator who managed to keep all the different Yugoslav ethnic and religious groups together. In the 50s and 60s Yugoslavian economy grew and was considered one of the economic miracles. But after the 70s oil price drop and recession that followed things were not going as great, ethnic tensions started growing. And it all blew up soon after the death of Tito. A decade of wars, genocides, NATO bombings and Russian peacekeeping operations followed. Then the controversial International Criminal Tribunal created by the UN to prosecute the war crimes, it operated between 1993-2017.
There are currently 7 countries on the territory of former Yugoslavia. Some tensions remain but the Balkans are at peace now.
Fun fact for Game Of Thrones fans - the Kings Landing was filmed in Dubrovnik, in Croatia. Check out the pictures. It’s fascinating.
FIND DEAN:
Ehsan Zaffar
I always get excited when I run into a FELLOW IDEALIST.
Because if I do have an enemy in my life - that would be cynicism.
I refuse to accept that idealism is naive.
Being an idealist doesn't mean being blind to reality. Being an idealist means choosing to believe in goodness in people and in the world and doing your part to support it.
I'm an atheist and so believing in people is the best I can do. It's all I have.
I'm thrilled to post my conversation with Ehsan Zaffar today, on International Women's Day because when I told him that I will post it on that day, Ehsan got sincerely excited.
The way he talks about fighting for equality is not only passionate but it's a very different way of thinking about equality compared to what you hear 90% of the time.
Ehsan doesn't talk about "demolishing the system" and "taking down the oppressors." He talks about empowering those who have been at a disadvantage by providing them the tools to move forward and up.
Happy Women's Day to all women and men! It's not a gender holiday. It's a celebration of the fight for equality - and that is a fight that we're fighting together.
EHSAN’S BIO:
Ehsan Zaffar is a civil rights lawyer, a professor, and an author.
As a Senior Advisor on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security, he advises on matters of freedom of religion, fighting violence against women, and LGBTQ rights.
Ehsan teaches at Georgetown University, George Mason University, George Washington University, and Temple Universities.
He serves on the Executive Board of ACLU California and on the Advisory Board for Team Rubicon, an organization that helps returning veterans apply their skills to help communities facing natural disasters.
Ehsan is the director of the newly formed Center on Inequality at Arizona State University called The Difference Engine.
He also hosts UnfairNation, a podcast on power, inequality, and civil justice.
Ehsan came to the US as a child refugee from Kuwait escaping the Gulf war.
FIND EHSAN:
UnfairNation Podcast
Ehsan’s website - http://www.ehsan.com/
The Difference Engine - https://thedifferenceengine.asu.edu/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ezaffar
Zara Barrie
Zara Barrie is a first-generation British-American. I know what you’re thinking. Brits don’t count. Guess what, they do. Even Canadians count as immigrants. We do not discriminate here, not by distance, not by language. A lost home feels the same to everyone.
Back to my guest. Zara is the former Senior Sex & Dating writer for Elite Daily. She has penned over three thousand articles. And recently launched CrazyBadBabesClub.com, a wellness publication for bad girls.
Together with Dayna Troisi she hosts the “GirlZ, Interrupted” podcast. It is and I quote “not a wellness podcast but a mental illness podcast.” According to Zara’s official bio “She identifies as a mascara lesbian and lives beyond her means in New York.”
I know it all feels and sounds very girl-heavy. It kind of felt that way to me, too. But there’s more and there’s a reason, stick around.
Zara’s first book came out in May of last year. And I listened to it twice. I never thought I would. Honestly. The book is called, GIRL STOP PASSING OUT IN YOUR MAKEUP: THE BAD GIRL’S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
And I never, and I mean NEVER fall asleep in my make-up.
I also thought that my need for wisdom about sex, dating, and mental health was satisfied by Brene Brown and Esther Perel. I really did. Who would have thought that who I actually wanted to listen to was a foul-mouthed New York neurotic lesbian girl?
But she talked to a part of me that hasn’t been talked to in a while. And guess what, I’m pretty sure, you have that part too. Even if you’re a man. You might not like that part of you, you might diminish and even disregard that younger, messier, more confused, and arrogant version of you. But it is still there. And Zara gives it a voice.
Also, Zara is my sister-in-law. And I am super proud.
FIND ZARA:
On Instagram, listen to her podcast, read her blog, and buy her book.
Dr. Otto Yang is a first-generation Taiwanese-American and the Associate Chief of the Infectious Disease at UCLA.
Dr. Yang has a background in clinical infectious diseases, and his laboratory specializes in immunology and HIV infection. That experience and background put Dr.Yang in a unique position at the beginning of the pandemic - and he has repurposed his lab to study COVID19 and how our immune system responds to it. His research was covered in a somewhat controversial way by The New York Times.
Part 1: We cover a lot of ground in today’s episode. As usual, we talk about Dr. Yang’s personal journey from growing up as a first-generation Taiwanese American in Tennessee to Harvard and then UCLA. We compare notes on dictatorships.
Dr. Yang shared a great primer on the state of affairs in Taiwan, which considering what has been happening in Hong Kong, we should all keep an eye on.
We, of course, talk about Dr.Yang’s research and why he describes himself as, and I quote, “the toilet paper of medicine.” Gwenyth Paltrow and Tom Hanks also make an appearance in that part of the story…
Part 2: We get into the weeds of COVID-19. We talk about how the virus spreads, how it works, the variants, the immune system responses, vaccines, and all that good stuff, which we keep learning more and more about every day.
FIND DR. OTTO YANG:
DONATE TO DR.YANG'S LAB through Garry Shandling Biomedical Future Fund
Ariel Cohen is a political analyst and strategist, writer, and commentator. He is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center, he is also a Senior Fellow at the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC). Dr. Cohen consults for Fortune 500 companies and international law firms. You’ve seen him on CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, C-SPAN, BBC, you’ve heard him on the radio, you’ve read his columns in Forbes and other publications. He is a leading expert on Eastern Europe and the Middle East and the author of the book Russian Imperialism: Development and Crisis - that you can find on Amazon.
We talk about how he and his family escaped the Soviet Union, what it was like being refuseniks in USSR, and what it was like being an immigrant scholar of the Soviet Union in the US.
Let us know what you think about the show. Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com.
FIND ARIEL COHEN: https://www.arielcohen.com/ and on Twitter @Dr_Ariel_Cohen
Asra Nomani
This week on the podcast our guest is Asra Nomani, a journalist, activist, and author. She is a former The Wall Street Journal correspondent. She has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, People, Salon.com, and many other publications. She taught journalism at Georgetown University. You’ve heard her on NPR and seen her on CNN, Fox News, and Bill Maher’s show talking about Muslim extremism and Muslim reformism. Asra is the co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement and author of Tantrika: Traveling the Road of Divine Love and Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam.
Asra was born in India and has had a distinguished career as a journalist, but her story is deeply connected to the story of her dear friend and colleague - Daniel Pearl.
Some of you may remember his name, for some of you, like me, the story may be new although the events unfolded 19 years ago.
Here’s some context. Daniel was the South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal. In 2002 he was following a story that brought him to Pakistan where he was kidnapped and then became the first Western journalist to be beheaded by the Muslim extremists.
In part one - Asra and I talk about her experience coming to the US as a child and how the separation and transition impacted her and her family. We talk about mental health and her struggle navigating social life and dating having been brought up in a conservative Muslim family. We also talk about Asra’s friendship with Daniel Pearl and how he helped her to truly integrate into American life.
And in part two of this interview where we talk about what happened in Pakistan in 2002 and what is happening now, how it changed the world, and Asra’s own life and mission.
FIND Asra Nomani: https://asrainvestigates.substack.com/
and on Twitter @AsraNomani
The Year’s End Episode
The Year’s End Episode, it’s a mix of a recap and touching base with the guests of the podcast.
Francis Cholle’s book Squircle became a Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Kinga Philipps was featured on the EPIX show ENSLAVED that is set to broadcast all over the world.
Inbal Lessner’s show SEDUCED: Inside The NXIVM Cult beat HBO's The Vow with critics.
Che Guerrero released a new comedy album.
Sandra Zanella is about to publish a book and move to Dubai.
Sara Stanizai has grown her business in the middle of the pandemic.
Horacio Marquinez has completed the filming of 2020Americans.
Find this week’s contributors:
Francis Cholle (@francischolle), book Squircle.
Kinga Philipps (@kingaphilipps), the ENSLAVED docuseries.
Inbal Lessner (@inballessner) the SEDUCED: Inside The NXIVM Cult docuseries.
Che Guerrero: @cheguerrero88
Sandra Zanella: @mymindfulmomlife
Sara Stanizai: https://www.prospecttherapy.com/ and on Instagram @prospecttherapy
Horacio Marquinez: @2020Americans
Hector Herrera: http://hectorvoice.com/ & @wolf.frank9
Holiday Episode
This is the first winter holiday celebration at our Alien audio home. It’s a Russian party. To get over with it once and for all Sasha talks about the Russian drinking rules, three things to know about vodka and the traditional order of toasts. PSA it’s “ZA ZDOROVYE,” not “NA ZDOROVYE.”
Sasha introduces the guests of the party, our listeners - immigrants and immigrant allies, who share their holiday stories.
SHARE YOUR WINTER HOLIDAY STORY - Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and leave a message or email a voice memo to wtapodconnect@gmail.com.
Find this week’s contributors:
Kevin Munoz of Latin American Educational Opportunities Podcast:
https://latinamericaneo.org/ and on Instagram @latinamericaneo
Damian Harris-Hernandez of The Refugee Translation Project:
https://refugeetranslation.org/ and on Instagram @refugee_translation
Actor and dialect coach Hector Herrera: http://hectorvoice.com/
Medical marijuana activist Janan: @queenjanan_ of Compassionate Healing @compassionate_healing_
Karel Flores
This week on the podcast - Karel Flores - one of the most beloved salsa dancers and in demand salsa teachers out there.
Some of you know that I’m slightly obsessed with salsa and bachata dancing but this conversation is not just about dance, because besides being a stellar salsera, Karel is also an activist.
Karel is a force. She was born and raised in Mexico City. For years she was part of the famous NYC Yamulee dance company and now she is running her own Karel Flores army of salsa teams all over the world. And she doesn’t shy away from putting her activist messages into her choreography. And I personally love it. I never thought that art should stay away from politics and activism. To me there’s nothing controversial about it. Art is the expression of the person’s passion - and if done right activism doesn’t take away from the art - on the contrary, it gives art a focus point.
We talk about growing up in a family of artists, impostor syndrome and fear of college, the isolation of immigration, dance career and business, influencer responsibility, and value of therapy, we also talk about activism, feminism, environmentalism, fight for equality, and yes, Trump.
In the PSA part of the conversation Karel shares her story of being affected by a mold infestation. And how that almost forced her to retire from dancing.
I loved Karel’s fiery Mexican New Yorker energy. I felt a kindred spirit.
Sara Stanizai
Sara Stanizai is a therapist who doesn’t have a therapist vibe. As she puts it, “not your nice-white-lady” therapist.
Sara is the founder of Prospect Therapy which is an LGBTQ+ affirming psychotherapy practice. She and her colleagues work with “overachievers,” “black sheep,” and the queer community.
We talk about how being a daughter of Afghani refugees, Muslim and queer, and growing up in post 9/11 America equipped Sara for her work in a unique way.
We also talk about identity and adapting and how it impacts mental health. Sara shares her story of hiding her identity for years and trying really hard to be “white” only to find out that what she thought would set her up for success was actually setting her back.
We talk about impostor syndrome, how it’s connected to self-sabotage and procrastination, and how it can lead to depression and anxiety, and also how immigrants, first-generation, and third culture kids are at high risk for impostor syndrome and how that can lead to major career and life setbacks.
Tamara Mena
This week on Thursday, December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. One billion people worldwide and 1 in 4 Americans have some sort of disability yet they remain an invisible minority.
And my guest today is Tamara Mena and she fights to be seen. She is an actress, model, bilingual TV host, and Instagram influencer. She is also a survivor and motivational speaker.
She came to the US as a teenager, only a few years later she survived a terrible car accident that left her paralyzed chest down.
We talk about how whether it’s immigration status or disability that make us alien, we all search for a way to belong. We talk about the power of words and especially the words we use to describe ourselves. We also talk about how social media gives opportunities to those whom the gatekeepers usually keep out. Tamara also shares her story of participating in a TV pageant show called Nuestra Belleza Latina (Our Latin Beauty). She did a catwalk in a swimsuit in a wheelchair. And this year she is participating in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit search! She is an unstoppable woman.
Call our Google Voice at (213) 973-3813 and tell us what you think about the show and tell us how being limited as an immigrant forced you to develop new skills and qualities.
AJ Feliciano
AJ Feliciano is the Head of The Roost podcast network based in Austin that is part of the WarnerMedia owned Rooster Teeth Productions.
The Roost is a video-centric podcast network with more than 70 shows with tens of millions of monthly downloads.
It was fun to talk shop with AJ - we touched on how big players coming into the industry changes how independent podcasters will have to think of their work and business and he shared some of his thinking that’s behind running a podcast network.
AJ shared his parents' immigration story and his own story of growing up as a third culture kid in Miami and New Jersey.
We also talk about race, representation, and diversity in the media. The effect Black Lives Matter had on the field.
Winnie Gu
What is an American university? - It’s a place where Russian professors teach math to Chinese students. Ha. Ha. It's a Russian joke.
November 17th is International Student’s Day. Yunyun Winnie Gu is a student from China. She has studied art and architecture, and now she is a graduate student of education at Lehigh University. She is the creator of an Instagram project called Third Culture Chinese that gained 60K followers in the two years since it was created and where Winnie posts her comics about being a third culture kid, cultural shock, identity crisis, and other issues familiar to most immigrants.
Besides her project, we talk about China and how Winnie views the history and the current government, and how American dating culture is hookup oriented vs. relationship oriented.
Find Winnie on IG @thirdculturechinese.
Damien Fahrenfort
Damien Fahrenfort is a South-African professional surfer, famous and one may even say notorious for his blog Dooma’s Rumors that is no longer active but that for years was a source of controversy in the world of professional surfing. Damien now lives in Los Angeles and in the last 10 years has gone from content creation at Quicksilver to launching the US version of the surf magazine STAB to running an apparel boutique in Venice Beach. He is now an athlete manager to two World Championship Tour surfers, Jordy Smith and Michael February, and a co-founder of FREE RADICALS, an advertising and marketing agency.
We talk a lot about his journey from being a professional athlete to becoming a businessman, and of course the transition from South Africa to the US. We also talk about South African history of racial segregation and reconciliation.
Greeny Camberos
I honestly tried to put together some fun stuff for you to lighten the mood because it is a stressful time and I don’t want to add to that. But it’s Day of the Dead, people, how much lightness can you pull out of that? Well, I estimate - about 50% of lightness and 50% of depth. Okay, there may be some residual heaviness there but overall I think it’s a pretty good mix.
It's Dia De Muertos episode.
Greeny Camberos is a Mexican-American artist based in Los Angeles who creates amazing Dia De Muertos themed art - dresses, and crowns, and body art, and all kinds of beautiful things. We talk about the holiday, the meaning, and what is and what's not to be considered cultural appropriation.
Check out her Instagram @coronoaschingonas which translates as “badass crowns,” which they totally are.
HORACIO MARQUINEZ
Panamanian-American cinematographer Horacio Marquinez has shot over 30 feature films in the US and all over the world. Including one of my personal favorites - Bobcat Goldthwait’s - World’s Greatest Dad. And we talk about what it was like to work with the king of clowns, Robin Williams. We also talk about the shadow of tragedy that is hanging over that film. And here’s the first disclaimer of this episode - we mention suicide. And right away spoiler alert - if you haven’t watched the movie World’s Greatest Dad, we talk about the finale of the film, but personally I don’t think it spoils it. You will love it or hate it no matter whether you know how it ends or not. It’s that kind of a movie.
Horacio and I talk about family, and opposing family to be true to yourself. We touch on relationships and dating, and what it was like to be a gay boy in Panama in the 70s. We talk about learning to trust self and how to get into Columbia Film school if you don’t speak English.
We also talk about Horacio’s newest project that he’s creating together with my friend, Russian filmmaker Kirill Myltsev. The project is called 2020 Americans. And it’s a mixed media project - it’s a documentary and a series of black and white photographs - that take a snapshot of the United States today. The guys have been driving around the US in the pre-election months and will continue driving around after the election until they collect 2020 photos and find out what it means to be American today.
Here’s their Instagram is @2020Americans.
Angeles Almuna
Her face is on a mural in Miami Design District, some know her as the “Best Dressed Photographer of the New York Fashion Week,” and she knows a thing or two about castanets. Angeles Almuna is also a breast cancer survivor. We talk about immigration, passion, search, art, fashion, dance, love, heartbreak, perseverance and so so much more. Angeles also tells her stories of meeting fashion stars, such as Zac Posen, Alexis Bittar, Iris Apfel and attending a Christmas Party at the Obama White House.
Angeles’s initiative Fashion Strikes Cancer in partnership with Miami Design District is benefiting Breast Cancer Research Foundation and if you donate before the end of this month your donation will be tripled! It will be matched three times up to $75,000. DONATE HERE!
Inbal Lessner
Inbal Lessner, is an Emmy and Eddie nominated film and TV editor, she is a producer and writer, she is a mom, she is an immigrant from Israel and she is a total rockstar. You’ve seen her work on numerous networks, including the CNN's Emmy-nominated Decades docu-series - The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s and The Movies.
She is one of the creators of the show “SEDUCED Inside The NXIVM Cult” it’s a STARZ documentary series that is now streaming on Amazon and on Hulu.
We talk about serving in Israeli army, immigration, being a foreign student at NYU, being a female filmmaker, and the importance of the art of deciphering notes. We also talk about the tragedy of family separation and the ACLU documentary “The Fight.”
#filmmaking #immigration #momlife #CNN #STARZ #Seduced #NXIVM #documentary #NYU #filmschool #familyseparation #Israel #USA #studentvisa #greencard #citizenship #AmericanDream #dreambigworkward
Sandra Zanella
This week on the podcast - Sandra Zanella. She is a mom, a physician, a yogi, and an author. She is from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Sandy told me a crazy story… And I guess I should put a trigger warning here. The interview describes a crime. I don’t want to spoil it for you and I want you to hear it in Sandy’s words. It was only the second time she told the story publicly.
To give you a brief idea, -10 years ago, Sandra got a phone call in the middle of the night. She had to leave her home immediately and was never able to go back. She had to build a new life from scratch in Los Angeles.
As I was listening to her story, I kept thinking about how we all watch docs and series about cartels, crime and kidnappings and other stuff like that and it’s all exciting and thrilling, and we read on the news about cartels taking over whole regions and terrorizing the people - but it all is somewhere out there… and we forget that it is indeed real life for someone. It was the first time I heard this kind of a story first-hand.
Sandy also talked about how the events of that night and what followed impacted the rest of her life and how she’s dealing with that to this day.
I’m so grateful to Sandy for having the guts to share this story. The crazy and ironic thing us that I, of course, didn’t know that part of Sandy’s story and the reason I wanted to invite her on the podcast is her Instagram page - @mymindfulmomlife. From the name you can get what story I was after.
I wanted to record this conversation because despite all the talk of the family values and the value of the family, family in the US always comes second to business and career. Everyone always assumes that if someone is “kicking ass” - it has to be in the professional field. And to be honest - I do that too most of the time, I’m as much a product of the society as anyone.
The more valuable is this conversation. I want to bring you different stories of people finding their place in life and their version of the American Dream.
Sandy’s story is one of fearless self discovery and commitment to family. I’m truly excited to bring a story of a kick-ass mom.
Tupac Zapata
We continue celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month by bringing you great conversations with Latinx folks.
This week on the podcast - Tupac Zapata, originally from Honduras but to me he is always Tupac from Echo Park.
I met Tupac a few years ago when he worked as a barista at the coffee shop on the ground floor of the building my husband and I lived in. It seemed that he knew everyone in the neighborhood. It’s kind of true. Since then - I’ve been following him on social media where he is documenting the gentrification of the neighborhood where he has lived in for almost 30 years ever since he came to the States.
In Tupac’s Facebook or Instagram you can read stories about local shops and small business owners some of whom have been weathering the gentrification and some of whom close down. It’s a story of a disappearing neighborhood. Gentrification is a complex issue. Tupac is doing a beautiful job giving it a human face.
And now he’s also a member of Echo Park neighborhood council. Which I think is great. There are few people who know and love the place the way he does.
We talk about immigration, gentrification, gangs, change, about how odd it is to be a foreigner in your home country, we talk about Echo Park's past, and Tupac's future.
We also talk about COVID-19. Tupac has lost his father to the disease just a few weeks ago and wanted to share his story.
Stay healthy! Stay safe.
Love you all!
Peace.
Hector Herrera
In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month aka Hispanic Heritage Month - I’m bringing you a lineup of cool Latinx folks over the next few weeks.
Hector Herrera is from Mexico City, now an LA actor and a dialect coach. Hector’s voice alone is a good enough reason to listen to this interview but he also shares some crazy stories including going to El Salvador in the middle of a civil war, and accidentally attending a Christmas evening with KKK in Louisiana.
Hector was born and raised in Mexico and has been living and working in Los Angeles for over thirty years now. Most recently he worked as dialect coach with the actors on the show Mayans M.C., and a new show Coyote that is currently on hold because of COVID-19. Besides his work as an actor, he cares deeply about justice, and human rights, and Latinx people. He has worked with Amnesty International on awareness campaigns, and he continues working with private attorneys assisting with translations for their Spanish speaking clients. Hector is a very deep and caring man, I think you will enjoy his company.
Sasha also talks about the new rules on Facebook and the challenges of getting authorized by Facebook to run ads on social issues, which immigration is considered to be one of.
Hector’s website - http://hectorvoice.com/
Daniil Zakharevich
This week on We The Aliens podcast I talk to Daniil Zakharevich, a fisherman from Provincetown, Massachusetts.
With all the events unfolding in Belarus, I wanted to talk to someone who is from there to give a personal perspective on the events. And I found Daniil, he grew up in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. I reached out to him on Facebook. He was shy and wasn’t sure if he was “kicking ass enough” but the way I see it - if the person can confidently say that they are successful and happy - they are absolutely kicking ass.
We talked about his search for his path, his experience with the work and travel program, living in the big city, immigrant life, his days at Mari Vanna NYC and Moishe’s Moving, waiter's life, and fisherman's life, becoming a US citizen, and finding your pace and your place. We also talked about the history of Belarus, the plight of post-Soviet countries, and the joy of being able to vote.
#ЖывеБеларусь #Беларусь #протест #SupportBelarus #Belarus #election #vote #protest #Putin #policebrutality #Lukashenko #activist #feminism #immigration #daca #weareallimmigrants #dacadreamer #dreamer #wearealldreamers #undocumented #immigrant #citizenship #visausa #workandtravel #longdistance #NYC #provincetown #provincetownart #myPtown #capecod #fishing #saltwater #staycation #newengland #marivanna #waiterlife #Fishermansdiary #fisherman #fishermanslife #immigrantlife #citizen #activism #marivannanyc #lobsterfishing #lobster #commercialfishing #fishingfamily #seatotable #sustainablefishing #mainetheway
Che Guerrero
Che Guerrero was brought to the US from the Dominican Republic as a young child. He was undocumented for many years. And now, he’s a comedian, activist, and a future lawyer.
We recorded this conversation before the shooting of Jacob Blake and all of the events that followed but we did talk about race quite a bit. Actually we talked about race and identity more than immigration in this episode but it is part of Che’s immigrant experience and it certainly is something that every immigrant has to navigate. Because I dare to say most other places in the world don’t deal with this issue on the level that America does.
If nothing else I believe this conversation is a little window into an experience that many of us don’t have. I listen to Che, who has worked as a nurse with elderly for years and is studying to become a lawyer, and I hear the pain and anger in his voice that are very real. And no matter how you look at this - that pain won’t just disappear.
Those are complicated issues and I encourage all of us to listen to people who are going through these experiences and to read up on it.There’s a lot that has to be done if we hope to live in a harmonious society. And it’s not going to be achieved by force.
Yuliya Linhares
Doctor Yuliya Linhares on We The Aliens Podcast this week!
Listen to this story - from post-Soviet hunger and chaos to a trailer in Appalachia and rice and beans during med school, to a residency at UCLA, working at Cedars-Sinai for years and now, Doctor Linhares is the Chief Of Lymphoma Service at Miami Cancer Institute. Boom! American Dream is alive.
Among other things, we talk about the collapse of the Soviet Union, the importance of Japanese poetry, the healing qualities of salsa dancing, the wonder of the Monarch butterflies, and white bats.
Kinga Philipps
My guest this week is a real-life Lara Croft, Wonder Woman, natural mermaid, and all around total badass - Kinga Philipps!
She is a writer, producer and a TV host. She works with all the major TV networks, Travel Channel, Syfy, Discovery, EPIX and National Geographic.
She came to the US from Warsaw, Poland with her parents at 5 tucked under the seat on the plane. She tells the story. And landed in Oklahoma. She grew up dreaming of being an explorer and has been one since she was a child but unlike most of us she does it for a living! Here’s to having a vision!
You’ve seen her on National Geographic. Where Kinga co-hosted America’s Lost Treasures. You’ve seen her in a bunch of shows on Travel Channel. And most recently - she was part of Samuel Jackson’s team on his docuseries Enslaved that premieres on Epix in September. We didn’t get to talk about it which means that I’m going to have to have her back closer to the premiere date to talk about what it was like to explore the shipwrecks and dive and see the remains of actual ships that carried slaves across the Atlantic. Intense stuff.
We talk about a bunch of things and even get a little bit into religion and race. We recorded this conversation in May so we don’t talk about the most recent incidents and wave of protest. But unfortunately this theme is always present in America.
On a completely different note… This week is #sharkweek and besides the regular Monday and Thursday episodes I will be posting a bonus episode tomorrow, where Kinga and I talk about sharks and marine conservation.
Kinga is an endless source of great conversations! She travels, she writes, she spearfishes, and takes awesome photos! I’m obsessed with her Instagram.
Check out our chat...
And check out these links to learn how to protect and support the sharks and marine life -
Make sure the fish you’re buying is in season -
https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/our-app
Make sure the products you’re using are shark free -
DJ Charlie
This week on the podcast - DJ Charlie. Charlie Antillon is a salsa and bachata DJ.
First, Charlie came to Los Angeles from Guatemala. And then from a church musician he became a salsa DJ. Now, he’s one of the best in Los Angeles. Salsa people know him and love him.
The video that I posted is a little snippet of my birthday dance from last year. It’s a little salsa familia tradition to celebrate the birthday person with a special dance.
And that is what I love most about the salsa scene - the community. Salsa familia. Doesn’t matter what age you are or what skill level, where you’re from or what your job is. You come, you take in the music and dance. And the music and dance takes you in.
And of course you can look at the darker side of this scene, it’s a club scene and it comes with all usual attributes - the creepy drunk guys, the mean sloppy girls, the jealousy, the cliquiness, - you can look at all of that and see a jungle but it’s not what I saw.
Salsa became my church. And now that I know Charlie’s story - it makes even more sense. Don’t take it the wrong way. I don’t mean to diminish the real church but I grew up without religion, all I have is my faith in people. And in the time when my faith in humanity was challenged, dancing became an opportunity to connect with a community in a very basic way, be in the moment and create together with another person, one dance at a time - what can be more human and what can be more sacred.
Can you tell I miss dancing? Well, this was my little ode to salsa.
Check out my conversation with the leader of our Warehouse, Senator Jones, Chinaland, and West End, Gramercy congregation - DJ Charlie.
Amrita Thadani
This week on the podcast - Amrita Thadani. Amrita is the founder of Neococo, a mission-driven apparel company that hires women refugees and displaced women who embroider Neococo shirts by hand.
How cool is that! I don’t know. I just have a soft spot for handmade stuff. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching my mom and my grandma paint those traditional Russian wooden folk art toys and I know how much work and how much heart goes into hand made stuff… It just melts my heart when I think about it. There is something very comforting and warm in the image of women making things.
In this conversation we talk about a bunch of things of course - but one of the big things that came up is the theme of community.
And it reminded me of how in ancient times exile used to be the harshest punishment. Because it was essentially a death sentence. Because you couldn’t survive without your tribe. You can’t kill a mammoth by yourself. Of course it’s not as harsh in the modern world. You can get a job…
But one of the biggest losses is the loss of your tribe, your community. And it is not just the obvious part - you miss your friends, your family. But also a wider community, the network of connections that you take totally for granted.
You know how you talk to an old friend and you mention that you’re trying to get this thing going and she’s like “Oh, I have a friend who’s in that field, I’ll connect you two” - so that just doesn’t happen in immigration. I mean it takes years to build these relationships from scratch.
And I’m not just talking about how hard it is to get things done.
That feeling cuts really deep because you don’t know anyone - you don’t know who to trust and they don’t know you, and hey don’t know if they can trust you. And as an animal you feel that lack of trust to your environment. And it all crystallizes into this feeling of unsafety that you live in for a long time while you slowly build your new community.
But here’s one of the most beautiful things about being an immigrant. Yes, when you leave, you lose your tribe. And it’s a loss that you may grieve for years.
But you become part of this new immigrant tribe. And there will be someone who will reach out to you. They can see where you’re at. And they’ve been there.
And it’s kind of universally understood among immigrants.
Like, I was helping a fellow Russian immigrant with something once and a friend asked me, “Is she your friend or are you just helping her because of the code?” - And I am guilty of taking things literally a lot. So I was like, What code? - and he goes, “The immigrant code.” And it never occurred to me, it was just a natural thing to do, but the immigrant code is a thing.
Once you’ve gone through it. You cannot be indifferent to a fellow immigrant. And Amrita’s story is a beautiful proof and example of all that.
Listen to her story and then go to www.NEOCOCO.com and get a mask or a shirt!
#HereToStay #ImmigrationNation #WeTheAliens
Francis Cholle
Francis is a business consultant, author, and speaker. He is the founder of The Human Company and The Squircle Academy. As a consultant, he has worked with companies as Siemens, Maybelline, Loreal, Ralph Loren, and many many more.
In episode #1, we talk about Francis’s path, opera singing, Frenchness, sustainability, and being cool with being a work in progress.
And in episode #2, we talk about Squircle and sustainability in life.
Francis's book Squircle: A New Way To Think For A New World is available on Amazon.
https://www.squircleacademy.com/
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