Ep 230 Stars, Stripes, and Stories: A Fourth of July Special

Saadia Khan 0:36

Hello, and welcome to Immigrantly the podcast that fearlessly embraces the immigrant experience like no other. I'm your host Saadia Khan.

Saadia Khan 0:44

Each week we delve into the rich tapestry of stories, perspectives and tribes that make up the immigrant narrative. At the end of every episode, I pose a thought-provoking question to my guests: How would they define America in a single word or a sentence? Today, in celebration of the Fourth of July, I decided to turn the tables and pose the same question to our team because we wanted to share our unique thoughts and hopes for America with you. So this particular episode enhances your Fourth of July celebrations with a dash of intellectual stimulation and contemplation. It's short, sweet, and won't disrupt your holiday plans. Instead, it will infuse your day with flavors spice and meaningful discourse to save. As for my response to the question, I'm saving it for the right moment, when that day comes, rest assured that you will be the first to hear it. So sit back, relax and immerse yourself in this enriching conversation. And Happy Fourth of July to everyone.

Michaela Strauther 2:00

Hey, everyone, its Michaela. I'm one of the Content Writers at Immigrantly. And it's funny because on the day that I'm recording this audio for the Fourth of July, it's actually Juneteenth. Of course now, Juneteenth is a national holiday, so a lot of people took the day off. But ironically, I actually went to work today. My situation was just a bit different for various reasons. But I'm a black American woman. So of course, the sentiment of working today is even stranger, given the history that, you know, by now, I hope we're all familiar with.

Michaela Strauther 2:31

So in the context of the Fourth of July, when today is Juneteenth. At the same time, I'm just reminded that America is very imperfect. And that, you know, not everyone was free on July 4, 1776. Of course, I always knew that. But it kind of puts it in a different light, when you realize just how long it took like it took a century before freedom is even a possibility for America's enslaved population. So the fourth of July can't be this big celebration of this big, perfect country that celebrates freedom and liberty for all when that's clearly not true. It wasn't true the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. And it wasn't true the day after that. And in a lot of ways, arguably, it still isn't true today. But at the same time there's been progress. So one of my biggest hopes is that people and American society just in general learn that it's actually beneficial to critique the place you live in, so that it's always improving. It's not like there's just a stopping point where like, we're like, okay, America is the freest place you can get, you know, I think a lot of people would agree with that sentiment, even if plenty of people disagree.

Shei Yu 3:56

Hi, my name is Shei, and I'm the podcast assistant at Immigrantly. What does America mean to me? I think the answer to this question is constantly changing. And because of that, America means possibility, not mobility, in the sense of the American dream, but in the sense that as an individual, you have the ability to take any path you want, become whoever you want to become. But as a country, America is also full of possibility. I truly have no idea whether we're moving towards progress, reform change or utter catastrophe. And what do I hope for America, I hope for bridges to be built between communities who don't understand each other, whether that's along the lines of race, ethnicity, culture, East Coast, West Coast, rural, urban, liberal, conservative, I want America to become more understanding of difference. I think the fact that there are so many different types Have people and groups and communities means that it's that much more important to be open to other viewpoints and experiences.

Saadia Khan 5:23

How do you like it so far? Not too intense, I hope? Well, there is more to come. Here's our content writer, Rainier Harris talking about his hope for America.

Rainier Harris 5:35

I think America is an insanely fantastic place. Just being born and raised in New York City, I feel like I take for granted the amount of diversity and opportunity and just things I know that's not that's not super specific. But it just things present in America, the people, the places the the things that I feel like, so lucky to have right at my disposal and not feel like it's yards and yards away.

Rainier Harris 6:04

Now, in terms of what I hope for it, though, I hope that it becomes more accessible to everyone. I think America is a place of opulence. Which I mean, I shouldn't say that. But that's a that's a douchey way of saying that. But it's it's a place where a lot of big things can happen. People can be very wealthy, and people can have tons of things and a lot of love and a lot of whatnot. But I hope that everyone is able to have their basic necessities met in America, we have way too much wealth for that not to be able to happen. I hope everyone can get at least to there.

Rachel Chai 6:48

Hi, everyone, my name is Rachel and I'm the Media Intern for Immigrantly.

Rachel Chai 6:53

For me, America depicts a land of possibilities. When I say possibilities, I don't mean it with just a positive connotation. I see the United States as an expansive landscape then compasses a spectrum of diverse experiences. And these experiences are dependent on the identity one holds the color of their skin the language they speak mostly the food they cook and eat every day the music they regularly listen to, and the place they were born. For some their identity affords them the privilege to live a life where they do not have to worry about police brutality against their community discriminatory practices in the academic and professional spheres and getting micro aggress by strangers on the daily for some their identity attracts the attention of cat collars, mansplain errs and harassers. For some their identity fails to protect them from systemic racial injustice, the stripping of their bodily autonomy and the denial of their gender and sexuality.

Rachel Chai 7:47

In that way, I see America as a glamorized platform that is waved around like a piece of meat in front of starving individuals with the words opportunity, freedom and success branded on one side, while the harsh reality that majority of people experience is obscured from view on the other side, the chance to climb the big ladder in America cannot be promised through just hard work, persistence and resilience, contrary to how it is normally presented. This land is made up of nuanced stories that are intertwined with different openings and closings, some more fortunate than others. In the end, I can only hope for America and Americans to keep moving forward, and making efforts to constantly improve as a country that prides itself in treating everybody well, equally and justly.

Katie Lam 8:34

Hi, guys, this is Katie. I'm the Social Media Coordinator for Immigrantly. My feelings about America are complicated to say the least. You know, I think that there is definitely a lot of division and a lot of polarization in the country. But I still think it's a pretty great place to be. I'm the child of refugees, and they came here for a better life. And I think they found one. Sadly, that's not the case for all minority groups. I think that a lot of us are chasing the American dream. But in reality, that's not always possible. Honestly, I would love it if we could dismantle all of our problematic structures. But right now, I would settle for less divisiveness, more reaching across the aisle, helping each other out, listening to each other, and doing what's best for the entire country and not just a small portion of the elite. So yeah, Happy Fourth of July, everyone, whatever that means to you.

Haziq Ahmad Farid 9:35

Hi, everyone. I'm hungry Come at varied editor and sound designer at Immigrantly. To me, America is perseverance. And what is perseverance? It's persistence in spite of obstacles and resistance. Granted, it's not perfect, but it is ever changing. And one thing I've come to realize about America is change is constant. It's people unafraid to push back against outdated ideologies, from fighting for the right to live, the right to vote, and the right to love. It's a momentum that gets stronger with every new generation. My hope for America is for that momentum to never stop. Change is never easy. change will take time and change will always be faced with obstacles and resistance, but be persistent in spite of that, and persevere.

Saadia Khan 10:37

I want to thank my entire team: Michaela Strauther, Shei Yu, Rainier Harris, Katie Lam, Rachel Chai, and Haziq Ahmad Farid for making this episode quintessential Immigrantly.

Do come back next time for another episode. This episode was produced by me Saadia Khan. Editorial review was done by Shei Yu. Our editor for this podcast episode is Haziq Ahmad Farid, and the music is done by Simon Hutchinson.

Don't forget to follow us on all the socials our Twitter is @Immigrantly_pod our Instagram is at @immigrantlypod. Our Tiktok is @mmigrantlypodcast where I post interesting videos and our team members explore the space as well. Take care, see you next time.