Forouz Salari (00:04.542)
Hi everyone. I'm Forouz Salari.
Miranda Ramnarayan (00:06.444)
And I'm Miranda from Narayan.
Forouz Salari (00:08.641)
We are excited to introduce you to our new podcast, Grown Between Worlds.
Miranda Ramnarayan (00:14.134)
If you're an adult child of immigrants, whether you immigrated as a child or teen, or you were born into a first or second,
If you're an adult child of immigrants, whether you immigrated as a teen or child, or you were born into a first or second generation immigrant family, this podcast is for you.
Forouz Salari (00:36.671)
If you're a non-immigrant partner who loves someone from an immigrant background and wants to understand them more deeply, you're in the right place too.
Miranda Ramnarayan (00:45.804)
At its core, this podcast is a space for the stories, identities, and lived experiences that don't always get seen or understood. At least not fully, not deeply, and especially not without a lot of explanation.
Forouz Salari (00:59.991)
Here, we centre the layered realities of women, queer and trans folks, neurodivergent and disabled people across immigrant communities, as well as people in inter-ethnic, intercultural, interfaith, interracial and queer partnerships who are learning how to navigate love and life between worlds.
Miranda Ramnarayan (01:19.288)
We'll be talking about identity and belonging, family and culture, partnership, healing, and all the quiet questions that can follow you for years when you grow up in between places.
Forouz Salari (01:31.425)
This podcast isn't about trauma for the sake of trauma. It's about depth, insight, humour, honesty, and the freedom to take up space in the fullness of who you are.
Miranda Ramnarayan (01:44.024)
We're also releasing this at a particular moment. Over the last 5-10 years, we've seen a rise in xenophobia
Over the last five to 10 years, we've seen a rise in xenophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric around the world. In parts of North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, and regions of South and Southwestern Asia, policies and narratives that dehumanize migrants have become more visible, and they impact real families and real lives.
Forouz Salari (02:17.023)
At the same time, queer and trans communities, especially trans women, gender diverse people and queer youth, are facing escalating prejudice and legislative attacks. We're seeing pushes against feminism, against bodily autonomy, against gender equity. We're seeing growing hostility toward neurodivergent and disabled people whose needs and experiences are often dismissed or misunderstood.
Miranda Ramnarayan (02:44.544)
And yet, in the midst of it all, people who live between worlds continue to model something really powerful. Resilience, adaptability, compassion, even creativity.
Forouz Salari (02:57.121)
These communities teach us how to hold multiple truths at once, how to stay soft in a hard world, and how to build connection without erasing who we are. That's why this podcast matters to us. Because these stories, these voices, this wisdom, they're an antidote to the rising tides of fear and division.
Miranda Ramnarayan (03:20.768)
Exactly. So what will you actually hear in season one? Each episode is a warm, reflective conversation with someone in the mental health field who has lived experience as a child of immigrants, someone partnered with an immigrant or someone working closely with immigrant communities.
Forouz Salari (03:46.999)
We come to these conversations with curiosity and deep respect. We don't ask anyone to overshare. We're not here for shock value or sensationalized trauma. We're here for spacious, thoughtful conversations that honour people's boundaries, context, and complexities.
Miranda Ramnarayan (04:06.382)
Some guests will join us with their full names. Others may use pseudonyms or participate anonymously. All of that is welcome here. We'll be asking every guest two grounding questions. One at the beginning about their personal connection to immigration and one at the end about the wisdom they'd offer to others living between worlds.
Forouz Salari (04:27.955)
Our hope is that as you listen, you might feel a little less alone.
That you'll hear echoes of your own story, gain language for experiences you've been carrying quietly, or discover completely new perspectives. And if you're a partner, friend, or professional supporting immigrant communities, we hope you'll gain insightful takeaways that deepen your connections. Each conversation touches on sensitive themes, which may feel deep or tender. So we invite you to listen or watch at your own pace and take good care of yourselves.
Miranda Ramnarayan (05:01.272)
We don't have everything figured out and we don't pretend to. But we are deeply committed to creating a space that feels grounding, honest, and human.
Forouz Salari (05:11.967)
If you've ever felt like you exist in the in-between, between cultures, identities, expectations, or versions of yourself, we made this podcast with you in mind.
Miranda Ramnarayan (05:27.106)
Season 1 of GROWN BETWEEN WORLDS is launching on April 15th, 2026.
Forouz Salari (05:32.619)
you can follow along, subscribe, and share it with anyone who might need to hear these conversations.
Miranda Ramnarayan (05:38.958)
Thanks for being here with us.
Forouz Salari (05:41.121)
Your story matters, your voice matters, and you are not alone.
Miranda Ramnarayan (05:45.89)
Welcome to Grown Between Worlds.