We’re so pleased to welcome Saadia Khan, host of the Immigrantly podcast, to The State of Women Podcast Network.
For a podcast host whose show discusses difficult, complex, and nuanced topics, not to mention narratives that have the power to unite or divide citizens and listeners, Saadia Khan’s style and approach are remarkably intimate and conversational—and that’s exactly the point.
Khan, founder and host of Immigrantly, believes a key to her show’s success as well as a crucial missing ingredient in much of current discourse about immigration and immigrants in America is authentic and candid conversation that centers the voices and perspectives of immigrants.
Khan; a Pakistani American immigrant, human rights activist, and social entrepreneur; has worked as an interpreter for Human Rights First and serves as a board member for Hearts and Homes for Refugees. She has a human rights background from her time working with UN Women and other UN organizations at a small civil society organization focused on women’s rights. But she began to explore the idea of focusing on first- and second-generation American immigrants in the wake of political discourse and recent events that made it clear a fuller, fairer picture was needed.
A little over three years ago, she decided to launch her podcast.
Immigrantly invites listeners to join a conversation each week that is simultaneously casual and based on thorough research. The podcast helps to provide some of the same nuance, complexity, seriousness, and attention to both detail and broad issues that are often the “default” for groups who are not immigrants or underrepresented. Because Khan features plurality of Muslim women, women of color, immigrants from diverse backgrounds, and more; listeners get a fuller spread not only of the issues but the conversations people are having about those issues—and it’s all done in the style of a chat over coffee.
“I was frustrated with mainstream media’s archaic and stereotypical depiction of immigrants and decided to launch a podcast and create an online community that dares to deconstruct the immigrant identity through honest and unadulterated conversations,” she said.
Now with over 170 episodes, Immigrantly has now won the 2021 Golden Crane Award for Asian Culture: Stories and Experiences, presented by the Asian American Podcasters Association for distinction in Asian and Asian American podcasting, as well as other nonprofit and podcasting awards.
The podcast has featured a wide range of guests, including Grammy-winning singer Arooj Aftab, as well as the author of “The Kite Runner” Khaled Hosseini, who joined the show for an intergenerational discussion of Afghan identity and current events.
The show’s format, including Q&A-style interviews and narratives, is aimed primarily at women 34 and younger but is approachable for anyone looking for a deeper insight into immigrant experiences.
“We believe that truth is more tenable and raw when it is shared as a first person account,” Khan said, adding that the show’s format allows her to “amplify narratives that are often sidelined or completely ignored in the mainstream media.”
Khan turned to podcasting as a natural outlet for these dialogues, especially as an organic reflection of the community and conversation she wants to create, and an approachable way to reach listeners.
“Podcasting allows listeners to learn stuff in their own time without the fear of being judged or appearing uninformed,” she said.
One of the biggest challenges for Khan, she said, has been that she can’t reach as many people as she would like as an indie podcaster. She hopes with increased outreach and resources in the future that she and her team will be able to continue expanding Immigrantly’s resources, educational materials, and community.
Khan sees Immigrantly as a mission and community already, and issues discussed in podcast interviews will often spill over onto the organization’s blog, providing educational resources; or their social media channels, prompting further discussion.
Khan is quick to credit her team, all women of color with different identities and backgrounds, for much of the show’s success. The sentiment rings true: A diverse team bringing their own perspectives and lived experiences together makes Immigrantly successful. It’s also what Khan believes can make conversations about immigrants—and most importantly, including immigrants—more successful.
Immigrantly releases a new episode every Tuesday. Follow Immigrantly on Instagram and follow Immigrantly and Saadia Khan on Twitter.
