Conversations with My Immigrant Parents

Immigrant whānau across Aotearoa have frank conversations covering love, ancestry, home, food, expectation, and acceptance.

Produced by Saraid de Silva and Julie Zhu

A podcast cover for "Conversations With My Immigrant Parents". Illustration featuring two young women on an orange background.

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All episodes:

Little Pomegranate Tree

Season 3 / Episode 1
Adel escaped religious persecution in Iran as a teenager. He talks with his wife Maxine and daughter Carmel about language, whakapapa, plane rides, and the privilege of putting art first.
Contains offensive language
Haami and Carmel Chan-Salmanzadeh outside their home in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa

Representation Matters

Season 3 / Episode 2
Palestine is where the heart is for father Sameer and his daughters Wajd and Shahd. The family discuss the difficulties returning home, sisterhood, and what they learnt from Shortland Street.
Contains discussion of March 15th, 2019
(L-R) Shahd, Wajd, and dad Sameer recording their episode of the podcast

(I Need To) Put More Water in My Beans

Season 3 / Episode 3
In Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Mara and Beto learn how their son Jamil found out about the birds and the bees in Brazil, while their kids talk about growing up black in Gisborne and having DJs for parents.
Contains reference to sexual content
(L-R) Mara, Jamil, and Beto pose for a photo with Jamil holding a laptop where his sister Jazz is video calling in

Mama Is More Stronger

Season 3 / Episode 4
Tooba and her husband Habib chat with their teens about community and strength in Ōtautahi, a place that has been both a source of immense grief and love since they arrived in 2007 from Pakistan.
Contains discussion of March 15th, 2019
(L-R) Fatima with her mum Tooba in the bontanic gardens in Ōtautahi

Crying from Up in the Sky [English Dub]

Season 3 / Episode 5
Hương fell pregnant at 20, but she didn't know it was twins until it was time to push. In this bilingual episode, she talks with her daughters Hà and Ly about dependence, marriage, and homecomings.
(L-R) Hương and daughter Hà

Crying from Up in the Sky [Vietnamese]

Season 3 / Episode 5
Hương fell pregnant at 20, but she didn't know it was twins until it was time to push. In this bilingual episode, she talks with her daughters Hà and Ly about dependence, marriage, and homecomings.
(L-R) Hương, Ly, and Hà prepare lunch

None of Us Know

Season 3 / Episode 6
Both Mahe and his dad Tui were raised by their Tongan grandmothers. In the last episode of the series, father and son discuss namesakes, queerness, and parenting through fear and uncertainty.
Discusses domestic violence and losing children.
(L-R) Tui and Mahe Pofele record their episode of the podcast

Season 3 Trailer

Trailer
Immigrant whānau across Aotearoa have frank conversations covering love, ancestry, home, food, expectation, and acceptance.
(L-R) Adel, Haami holding cat Googoosh, Carmel, and Maxine on the steps of their home