Sharon Lee Thony and Raman Sehgal are two MODERN MINORITIES - Asian-American industry pros "making it" (?) - even though they never became the doctors their parents wanted them to be. Each week, they are joined by folks of all stripes - entrepreneurs, corporates, athletes, reporters, politicians, entertainers, and more - to uncover how our different cultural backgrounds shape how we uniquely experience the world. MODERN MINORITIES is a collection of conversations about work and life through ...
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ROAMING (Tamaki) ...feeling old and young again
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ROAMING is the graphic novel winner of three 2024 EISNER awards for best graphic novel, best writer, and best penciller/inker - by cousins Mariko + Jillian Tamaki. It's a book about three young women touring New York City in the late aughts, and it's both a love letter to New York City and a nostalgic look at the relationship between three friends …
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"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 nove…
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Perspolis’ (perplexing) Persian protagonist
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“The normalization of things being taken away. You see all the things going on in Tehran in 1979 — you see them here as well, which makes it a sad, scary, and timeless tale.” PERSEPOLIS, by Marjane Satrapi is an award winning, now banned graphic autobiography from the early 2000s about a young girl growing up in Iran, and becoming a woman overseas,…
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Veera Hiranandani’s (writing) identity
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“What happens after we've survived? What's our responsibility to somebody suffering more than I am? For kids it’s like, ‘Let's just go over and help them — like, why wouldn't we?’ “ Veera Hiranandani is an award-winning author of several books for young people - one of the most recent of which is THE NIGHT DIARY - a must read. While the novel is a …
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USA Travel (Learnings) from Nebraska to Wyoming
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“Make the time to scratch beneath the surface in each state. Spending time with the people - in the cities, in the towns, at the restaurants - you're always going to uncover something.” Summer marches on, and we’re making plans to get out and about. Hear part TWO of Raman’s USA Travel series (from his other pod LEARNINGS FROM LEADERS) - covering th…
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USA Travel (Learnings) from Alabama to Montana
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“It's so easy to go onto the next thing - but take that moment to stop and celebrate small and big wins.” Summer is here, which probably means many of us are thinking about our next trip. As we continue our pod sabbatical / vacation, Raman’s other podcast LEARNINGS FROM LEADERS continues a series on one of his favorite pastimes: TRAVEL — turning ou…
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Our kids (rewired) with Claire & Seif
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”I'm grateful she doesn't have that crazy addiction - they are getting a new relationship with technology. Smartphones and social media have basically caused a great rewiring of childhood.” As parents today, Blippi & Taylor Swift aren’t all we have to worry about. When it comes to our (young kids), it’s near impossible to avoid TV, tablets, and vid…
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Manreet Sodhi Someshwar’s (written) Partition
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”Being a writer is just bloody hard work and passion. It is a kind of madness, which compels you every day to go to say, ‘OK, let's do it again today’ “ Manreet Sodhi Someshwar’s the author of nine novels - including the Long Walk Home, Radiance of a Thousand Suns, and most recently the Partition Trilogy - a historical fiction novel series which Ra…
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"It truly is a matter of exploring, discovery, knowing your boundaries - to gradually get there. The key is to keep your eye on the North Star - what is it that makes you come alive?” In this personal conversation from Raman’s other podcast “Learnings from Leaders” - Raman chats with Bernice Ang, an Executive Coach who helps senior leaders design a…
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"How do you express what you want in a way that activates you, is unignorable, and automatically aligns your beliefs, your values, and how you show up in the world?” Bonnie Wan knows what it feels like to struggle with burnout and uncertainty about where to go next. As a celebrated advertising strategist she spent years helping brands like Pepsi an…
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Linda Clement-Holme’s (lightening) backpack
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"Some have to carry more weight than others - everybody's got to do their part to try to lighten their load." Linda Clement-Holmes served as P&G’s Chief Diversity Officer AND P&G’s Chief Information Officer - significantly elevating early efforts in corporate Diversity & Inclusion. Starting as a systems analyst in 1983, Linda has led a global caree…
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John Pepper & Ursula Burns’ (Learnings from) Leaders
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“Making improvements is challenging. But we can't give up and we've got to learn how to do it better.” “Speak, engage, help, be helped. Be part of society. Be an optimist towards the fact that people can change, that people can learn.” John Pepper and Ursula Burns sit down for a candid conversation on race, understanding and the state of our societ…
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Najoh Tita-Reid’s (balance) across worlds
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“Don’t take the straight ladder, go up and across to build your toolkit.” Najoh Tita-Reid is a Black leader of marketing reinvention who’s maintained feet on both sides of the world - literally. Najoh spent many years as a Black American living in Europe with her husband and two kids. Najoh’s worked across in multinational roles across leading bran…
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"People are willing to risk a lot to show their support for our freedoms." Ed Rigaud was the first President & CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which pays tribute to all efforts to abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people. This conversation’s actually from June of 2020, when we were in the midst of a long …
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“I used to have this dream where I would be laying down, looking up, about to die - I used to make all my decisions - how I dress, how I presented myself to be opposite of that because I didn't want that to happen for me.” Kris Stith is a DC native who has won awards in photography, painting, and podcasting. He is now freelancing as an Art Director…
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Edel Rodriguez’s (Cuban) American Odyssey
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“The book was originally a memoir about coming to America - my history and how it connects to what's happening right now. Trump sounds just like the things Castro said — this is pretty dangerous.” Edel Rodriguez is a Cuban American artist, activist and author who’s created more than 200 magazine covers for the likes of Time, The New Yorker, Newswee…
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“We don't understand people we disagree with, and being challenged by the news is something people find refreshing. I figured I couldn't be the only person out there who wanted that — and it turns out I'm not.” So it’s a new year, and it’s going to be an interesting one, so what better way to start 2024 by an introduction to a different perspective…
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As 2023 comes to a close, we revisited some of our favorite moments from all this past year’s Modern Minorities conversations this past year. Minority voices for ALL of our majority ears. Heard someone you liked? Be sure to go back and check out any of our past episodes, leave us a 5-star review on Apple/Spotify, and send us a note about your favor…
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India revisited, Rajiv Satyal & Sharad Lal
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“People are interconnected in India, there's an interdependence that doesn't exist here — a connectedness, togetherness.” To continue our chat on India ahead of Raman’s return trip, we connected with his other “Learning from Leaders” podcast co-hosts Sharad Lal and Rajiv Satyal. Sharad is speaker and coach based in Singapore who Raman worked with i…
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India revisited, with Barun Singh & Sonali Kulkarni
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“India just, it's so drastic, the gap between those who have and those who don't. But they also have a lot of joy. There's billions who live in fundamentally different ways from how we live and you can't get a sense of that until you're around it.” Ahead of Raman’s return to India - his first time back in nearly two decades - he wanted to reconnect…
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Meeting the Moment (with AG & David)
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“Seek things that challenge you to think differently, in a new and better way. Seek to understand and empower the people closest to the real knowledge source, the people that do the work every day. Instead of being right, do right.” David Taylor & A.G. Lafley are two of P&G's Emeritus CEOs, who joined Raman on-stage at the recent recent P&G Alumni …
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A whole new world with (the cast of) Aladdin
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“Playing Jasmine, and meeting mixed kids and parents saying, ‘my kid has never had someone to look up to,’ — we're creating space for people to see themselves." Join us as we take on the wonders — over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride — with the cast of Aladdin on Broadway! In a candid conversation Sonya Balsara and Don Darryl Rivera star…
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“It sucks that a lot of times when POC want to break into the industry, we have to publish a memoir first. But I personally had to — I've been needing to do this for a very long time.” Deb JJ Lee, is an award-winning graphic novelist and artist. Their young adult IN LIMBO tells Deb’s Korean American coming of age story - covered by Quarantined Comi…
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Thanksgiving’s always been special because it combines two universally loved things, being around friends and family, and food — some of the very topics we talk about the most on this show. So we decided to revisit of our favorite questions with some of our favorite FrieMMds of the Pod over the years: Raman Sehgal (UK edition), Jieun Kirtley, Justi…
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“That's the thing about fiction — you can hear the same story at different points in your life and you bring something different to it every time you hear the story.” Justin Rueff is an artist, designer, educator and creator. Justin paints murals and signs, he draws comics and illustrates books. Justin’s the co-creator and artist for LESS DESOLATE,…
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“Even to this day, the cool thing about Diwali is that I can't wait to add to the traditions I learned from my parents.” Diwali - the Festival of Lights - is celebrated by more than a BILLION people worldwide. And like so many of our traditions with roots in religion, Diwali is ALSO similar because it’s a cultural celebration where stories of famil…
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“Jokes are subjective anyway, but laughs are as objective as you can get — as long as the joke is funny and the audience is laughing. That's where the line is, if people laugh or not.” Jocelyn Chia is a New York-based lawyer-turned-comedian, who's a regular at the Comedy Cellar and Gotham Comedy Club, and has been featured in Vulture, Vice, CNN, BB…
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Qaisar Shareef’s (travel) learnings
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“There's nothing that opens up your mind, even your heart, to new and unknown things than travel. Get outside your comfort zone.” S. Qaisar Shareef is P&G’s former head of Pakistan and Ukraine, author of “When Tribesmen Came Calling,” and a longtime friend of Raman’s other-other podcast (not the one about comics). But more importantly, Qaisar is al…
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“Reading a comic book isn't going to solve peace in the Middle East. But I do think part of the solution is understanding both sides.” We're all shocked and saddened by the attack on Israel - and as of this episode, war with Hamas. Officials and aid groups warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis, where escalating violence has already killed thousan…
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How To Understand Israel (in 60 Days or Less)
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“Israel’s very similar to the US - it's super complicated.” We're all shocked and saddened by the attack on Israel - and as of this episode, war with Hamas. Officials and aid groups warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis, where escalating violence has already killed thousands of people and wounded and displaced many others. And that's a longer con…
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“Music journalism doesn't have to be chasing celebrities or whether this music is good or not. You can ask what does it mean — and sometimes that itself can be provocative. Being in Atlanta opened my eyes to the work that we do.” Christina Lee is a music journalist who’s covered Atlanta’s hip hop scene for over a decade. Her award-winning culture r…
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Jenny Nguyen's (Sound On) at the Sports Bra - REBOUND REVOLUTION
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“The only way we're ever going to watch a women's sports game in its full glory is if we had our own place.” Have you ever walked into a bar dedicated exclusively to womens’ sports? Jenny Nguyen hadn’t either. So she opened The Sports Bra bar in Portland, Oregan. Longtime FrieMMd of the pod - Melissa Haughton, famed Canadian podcast producer joins …
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Mita Mallick’s (Re)imagining Inclusion (RE-AIR)
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“Inclusion starts at our kitchen tables. If you aren't building cross-cultural relationships - actively learning about a lived experience that is not your own - how do you expect to show up at work differently as an inclusive leader?” Mita Mallick is a returning FrieMMd of the pod, who came back to talk about her upcoming book — Reimagine Inclusion…
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“He made me laugh, he made me sad, he almost made me cry — this was a superpower. I went on this wonderful, connective human experience with another person, just by watching him.” Sung Kang is an American filmmaker - best known for his role as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, a character he first portrayed in one of the seminal Asian Americ…
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Fahad Khawaja’s (Hue) is amplifying voices
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“I’d been around the block on so many different businesses, and people of color were often left behind. And so building HUE was really about bridging that divide.” Fahad Khawaja is a leading community builder who is the Co-Founder & CEO of HUE - a culture & community platform that aims to amplify voices of color, to increase our visibility, and to …
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“Knowing it's rooted in a truth makes the story hit harder. You linger in the frames and you’re left with it” — “the graphic form really gives it a unique power, Have you ever wondered what its like to be an Asian teenage artist coming of age in the suburbs of the big city, with an unpredictable and often unbearable mother, while also saddled with …
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“Even in Tulsa, the place where this happened, this was not widely known. I felt writing something that could ground the story and the people there would be honestly a valuable contribution to our nation's understanding of itself.” Victor Luckerson is a journalist and author working to bring neglected black history to light. His new book is Built f…
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“There's no one right way to be Asian American you know? The diasporic experiences trying to grapple with culture, what to keep and carry, what to relate to - so very human and universal.” Shin Yu is many things - poet and writer, but also podcast host and producer of Ten Thousand Things – a show for Seattle’s NPR affiliate KUOW Public Radio. Shin …
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The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist
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After last week's episode about Adrian Tomine’s latest film SHORTCOMINGS - based on his 2007 graphic novel of the same name - we wanted to share a 2020 conversation frieMMd of the pod Ryan Joe + Raman had on Quarantined Comics, about Tomine’s autobiographical work The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. But this is no regular comics geek ou…
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Adrian Tomine’s (drawn) Shortcomings
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“I wasn't thinking about an audience. It was a pure outpouring of just whatever came to me. I was rebelliously and ambitiously not giving them the book they were looking for.” Adrian Tomine is an American cartoonist who we’ve admired** for years. Adrian is the creator and writer of the 2007 graphic novel SHORTCOMINGS, which was a New York Times Not…
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Nidhi Chanani’s (turned) many pages
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“So many kids wanna be artists - they wanna make comics. How powerful is it for me to say that whatever you imagine and whatever you want to pursue, you can do that?” Nidhi Chanani an Indian-American freelance illustrator, cartoonist and writer. Nidhi’s debut graphic novel Pashmina won ALL the awards, but her diverse body of work - from Jukebox, Bi…
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KARI’s melancholy & the infinite (Indian) sadness
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“India is this place that's known, but distant to me. The Indians I knew were always my parents' generation, so I can only observe its youth culture through books like this.” Ever wondered what it's like to be a female South Asian advertising writer working on women's hair care products living in a big and bustling smog city, cramped into an apartm…
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“As an actor, as a martial artist, as a human being, all type of knowledge, ultimately means self-knowledge. Under the sky, under the heaven, there is but one family. It just so happened, that people are different.” Bruce Lee (李振藩) was among the first Chinese-Americans to truly bridge the gap between East and West. Born in San Francisco (1940), rai…
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Justin Richmond (Started) from the Bottom
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“When you really discover what it is to be Black — that’s that moment where it's like, ‘oh, this is what we're up against’ — but you gotta be proud of who you are.” Justin Richmond is a podcast producer and co-host for more than a few Pushkin podcasts - including “Started from the Bottom” and “Broken Record” with writer Malcolm Gladwell and Def Jam…
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Rajiv & Brian Tome's (curious) Crossroads
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“There need to be silences - you need to give people room to run. Let people talk more. I already know what I know now. I wanna know what you know.” Recently longtime FrieMMd of the Pod Rajiv Satyal sat down with Crossroads pastor and podcast host Bryan Tomes on his show “The Aggressive Life.” What started as an exploration of Rajiv’s comedy career…
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Johnathan Gibbs’ (QPOC) perspective
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“We are united as Black and Asian people to recognize the BS of people trying to leverage the successes from our communities as some way to cover up the real stuff — being locked out of certain things.” Johnathan is a content creator, podcaster, activist, serial panelist, and bubble tea enthusiast. His activism began in 2008 with his “blasainFMA” Y…
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Lilly Singh (& Rajiv) bring it to the table
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“Everyone has a chip on their shoulder and it's beautiful and it is specific to them. There was no one else that looked like me - and well, there should be - and so I'm gonna make it.” Lilly Singh is arguably among the most accomplished comedians and online presences around. Lilly’s a Canadian YouTuber television host, comedian, writer, and actress…
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Steven Wakabayashi’s (community) co-hosting
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“If we, as a part of a community, want to move forward — this requires a large conversation.” As Sharon & Raman embark further into our sixth season, we continue exploring bringing more friends to the microphone as guest hosts. One of those partners on our shortlist has always been longtime FrieMMd of the Pod, podcaster and mindfulness advocate Ste…
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“Inclusion starts at our kitchen tables. If you aren't building cross-cultural relationships - actively learning about a lived experience that is not your own - how do you expect to show up at work differently as an inclusive leader?” Mita Mallick is a returning FrieMMd of the pod, who came back to talk about her upcoming book — Reimagine Inclusion…
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This month to celebrate AAPI heritage we’re sharing an episode from First of All, a sister podcast from the Potluck Podcast Collective (who MM’s been a part of for years) featuring unique Asian American voices and stories. First of All is a show where actor and filmmaker Minji Chang brings real, unfiltered conversations on career, family, love, & m…
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