Modern Minorities

Latest Episodes:

THI BUI’S The Best We Could Do (Quarantined Comics) Oct 03, 2020

Show notes

You may have heard Raman mention his super-secret, super-NERDY, third podcast “Quarantined Comics” with his reporter pal (and past MM guest) Ryan Joe. SHARON was recently a guest, where we talked about THI BUI’s “The Best We Could Do” - an illustrated memoir of the author’s family's history and exodus from Vietnam to America. Bui’s FIRST book (which you don’t need to - but should - read) covers love, war, and the refugee's journey — with an intimate focus on one family: her own

As you can imagine, our discussion got pretty deep, and pretty real about all of OUR family's immigrant histories, - so much so, that it started to feel like a Modern Minorities episode! So we decided we’d share this one as a bonus episode. And if you want to nerd out more one on some of the best (not just superhero) comics out there, check out Quarantined Comics to see what else Raman is working on :)

BOOK: “The Best We Could Do” (Thi Bui) -

goodreads.com/book/show/29936927-the-best-we-could-do

vulture.com/2017/03/thi-bui-best-we-could-do-refugee-comic.html

PODCAST: “Quarantined Comics”

www.qtdcomics.com

https://apple.co/3feekQr // https://spoti.fi/3eK1PMg

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ERIK RIVERA makes it (relatable) for everybody Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Comedian Erik Rivera isn’t on “the drugs” - despite what his mom thought. He just liked hitting the comedy clubs as a kid, and giving people - no matter where they’re from - something to relate to. We got into a pretty serious (but often funny) chat about being brown in a white world, and being American - while still in the mix of different cultures and countries (his mom’s from Guatemala, his dad from Puerto Rico, and married white).

Erik’s making his mark, making us laugh, and making us think. His HBO stand-up special “Super White!” covers the hilarious truths of parenting and being married in a mixed relationship. Erik’s comedic take on his unique experience has been featured on HBO’s “Entre Nos,” NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”, the Tonight Show, and the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. AND he’s even teamed up with Eva Longoria and Kevin Hart to create meaningful (and hilarious) projects to drive representation forward. AND Erik’s created and written an upcoming animated show for Amazon - “Ricky & Cricket”. AND then there was that one time he was on CBS “Superior Donuts” - in the most talked about episode tackling immigration in the US.

LEARN ABOUT ERIK

ErikRivera.com
@ErikRiveraComedy (IG + FB)
“I’m No Expert” (1-hr comedy special): https://youtu.be/AVVY2uG7FXo

MENTIONS

FILM: Mambo Mouth (1991) imdb.com/title/tt0247497
FILM: Coco (2017) imdb.com/title/tt2380307

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LUCIA LIU Rocks (the Boat) Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Lucia Liu is the Founder of ROCK THE BOAT - a podcast and community focused all about Asians challenging the status quo. On her show, Lucia interviews entrepreneurs, entertainers and executives, from Adele to Andrew Yang - and many more. Beyond comparing notes on her immigrant-parent / free-range childhood, we explored the idea of creating your own destiny, the difficulties of differentiation, the trade-offs that come with choice, and ultimately...what it takes to do the right thing.

LEARN ABOUT LUCIA

Podcast: apple.co/3j5E6ZF

@rocktheboatnyc // gorocktheboat.com

MENTIONS

BOOK: “Dear Girls” (Ali Wong): goodreads.com/book/show/44600621-dear-girls

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JAMES VERALDI wants (You) to Start Saving the World Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

James “Jay” Veraldi’s has worked across media, tech, VC, and ultimately conservation. He’s worked at/with all the big names - Target, Viacom, P&G, YouTube, Snap, TikTok - but now, most importantly, Jay’s the founder of ANIMALIA - a new platform (and podcast!) for conservation and climate news, information, and experiences. Jay has become deeply rooted in the conservation space - through Animalia, but also his work in Laos with The Lao Elephant Initiative, as well as a stealth bee/pollinator based biomonitoring project. And this is why he’s in the minority - he cares and is doing something about the physical state of our world. In a conversation that links conservation to race to environmentalism, Jay shares how he got there, why it’s the most sane path forward, and why Nala is his best friend. Ultimately, it’s a powerful conversation about conservation - encouraging us all to wake up and face the uncomfortable truths about how we live in this world, and what small steps we can start making to be better to it.

LEARN ABOUT JAY

Animalia (brand): iloveanimalia.com / @iloveanimalia

Animalia (podcast): apple.co/3kIn3gq // spoti.fi/30jqjr9

Lao Elephant Initiative: https://www.laoelephantinitiative.org/

MENTIONS

FILM: The Land Before Time (1988) imdb.com/title/tt0095489

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ABBY ALLEN will Not be (called) a Minority Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Abby Allen is Founder of Neon Butterfly - the only creative agency of its kind run by a woman of color. Her mission-driven approach has the world’s biggest brands making their voices more relevant to the changing faces of America - not just because it’s the right thing - but also the SMART thing to do. In 2013 she created “Perfectly Mixed” - driving cross-country to interview and photograph interracial familes and mixed race individuals. In our candid conversation, Abby shares the taxing nature of her daily experiences with racism, overcoming fears, and her taking issue with the term “Minority.” And she lives in Cincinnati!

LEARN ABOUT ABBY

Instagram: @abbymallen or @livingneon

Company: hneonbutterfly.com

Project: perfectly-mixed.com

Op-Ed: “Diversity and inclusion is not a topic. It's my life” adage.com/article/opinion/opinion-diversity-and-inclusion-not-topic-its-my-life/2263156

MENTIONS...

SHOW: “Rami” (Hulu): imdb.com/title/tt7649694

SHORT FILM: “Hair Love” https://youtu.be/kNw8V_Fkw28

PERSON: Lama Rod Ownes (Black Bhudist Teacher): lamarod.com

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RUTH BADER GINSBURG (Notoriously) Bent the Curve Towards Justice. 1933-2020. Sep 20, 2020

Show notes

Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY. She passed away on September 18, 2020, in Washington DC. She will be missed.

RBG was an American jurist who served on the United States the Supreme Court from 1993 until in 2020. She earned her bachelor's degree at Cornell University and married Martin D. Ginsburg, becoming a mother before starting law school at Harvard, where she was one of the few women in her class. Ginsburg transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated joint first in her class. After law school, Ginsburg was a professor at Rutgers Law School and Columbia Law School, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field.

Ginsburg spent much of her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, winning many arguments before the Supreme Court. She advocated as a volunteer attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and was a member of its board of directors and one of its general counsel in the 1970s. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she served until her appointment to the Supreme Court.

Ginsburg received attention in popular culture for her fiery liberal dissents - she was notorious, and leaves big shoes for all of us to fill.

(Speech excerpted from her talk at the University at Buffalo, August 2019)

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TERRY KAWAJA knows the Power of (mistaken) Identity Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

Terence “Terry” Kawaja is not where you think he’s from. Beyond being a thought leader in media / marketing / tech, Terry’s the Founder & CEO of LUMA Partners (a leading investment ban), a seasoned pro with 25+ years’ experience advising $300+ billion - including outcomes with companies like Snapchat, Salesforce, AT&T, Foursquare, and many other pivotal deals in the space. In the boardroom or on the big stage, Terry brings a distinct blend of humor and data - with a straightforward style that is NEVER afraid to tell it like it is. In this candid conversation we ventured beyond industry-talk to his honest POVs on the current state of race in society and leadership - drawing a clear line between right and wrong. And if you haven’t yet heard the news - check out the new “Black LUMAscape” that came from an idea sparked during the recording of this episode.

LEARN ABOUT TERRY

Twitter & Instagram: @tkawaja

Company: LUMApartners.com

Black LUMAscape:

https://on.wsj.com/2FdzDpb

adweek.com/brand-marketing/black-lumascape-black-owned-ad-tech-firms/

MENTIONS...

FILM: Working Girl (1988) - imdb.com/title/tt0096463

PERSON: Christopher Hitchins (philosopher) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens

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Hear our TEACHERS’ (panel) perspective Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

One minority we ALL could do more to hear from in this moment is TEACHERS, especially amidst the concerns and controversy of schools re-opening during the pandemic. So we assembled a panel of educators from around the country to share their first-hand take on things. Special thanks to our new friends Alice in Queens, Stacia in Detroit, and Chris in New Jersey for lending their voice to the mix during some very taxing times. We hope you’ll listen and seek to understand the experience of some of our most essential workers right now.

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Is RAMAN SEHGAL a (UK) doppelgänger? Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

Did you know there is more than one Raman Sehgal in the world? Only “Raman UK” is the cooler, better looking, version with a posh accent (well, Newcastle). Raman is the wildly successful Founder & Global President of Ramarketing, a leading design/digital shop. He’s also a husband and dad (at least we have that in common). In work and life - he’s always challenging himself to level up, and his many successes are testament to his unique approach. Born and raised in England, Raman moved to Boston last year - where we finally had the chance to meet - and the world isn’t ending (or is it?). Nearly a year later, we sat down for a ranging conversation on family, culture, and...football? This guy must really be Raman’s evil twin (he even has a beard)

LEARN ABOUT RAMAN UK

Twitter: @ramanelli

His company: ramarketingpr.com

His podcast: moleculetomarketpod.com

MENTIONS...

FILM: Wanted (2008) - imdb.com/title/tt0493464

FILM: Limitless (2011) - imdb.com/title/tt1219289

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IDA ABDALKHANI is Middle Eastern from (middle) America Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

Ida Abdalkhani is the Founder & Chief Catalyzer of Ability to Engage an award-winning boutique consultancy. She also happens to be an Iranian American girl from Lima, Ohio, who may or may not have been homecoming queen after 9/11. Ida continues to make thousands of people laugh in her TEDx talk, and has taught ‘Creativity & Design Thinking’ at Ohio State AND Michigan - so we know she can bring people together. In a conversation about being removed from the culture you live in AND the culture you’re from - we learn about being Middle Eastern in middle America, and not speaking enough Farsi with friends. Through her stories, Ida shares that no matter how much we may want to break down in this crazy world, we always have a choice to come back together for each other.

LEARN ABOUT IDA

abilitytoengage.com / @AbilityToEngage

her TEDx Talk - https://youtu.be/-HJG63EXCmw

MENTIONS...

TV: “Shahs of Sunset” (Bravo) - imdb.com/title/tt1997999

BOOK: “The Alchemist” (Paulo Coelho) - goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemist

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