Food in 2 Worlds: Are Healthy Eating Messages Reaching NYC’s Immigrants?

In this Food in 2 Worlds podcast, Fi2W reporter Juhie Bhatia and nutritionist Christina McGeough discuss efforts in New York that encourage immigrant communities to eat healthier.

A Critical Look at the Immigrant Detention System

In the opening scene of the PBS documentary Lost in Detention,  Kumar Kibble, the deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) states:

“We have a job to do.  We enforce immigration law and we seek to remove people that are here illegally from the country. In terms of protecting the public and also in terms of border security.  We’re setting records with our enforcement results.”

The documentary, narrated by journalist Maria Hinojosa, goes on to reveal a system in which some 400-thousand immigrants are detained each year. Detainees are often denied basic human rights and there are widespread complaints of sexual and physical abuse as well as racial profiling of detainees.

Hinojosa recently spoke at a forum on immigrant detention at The New School.  In this podcast you’ll hear highlights of her remarks and those of the other panelists, including long-time Fi2W contributor Valeria Fernandez,  Jackie Vimo from the New York Immigration Coalition and Amy Gottlieb, director of the American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program in Newark, New Jersey.

Listen to the podcast:

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Radio Ambulante, This American Life in Spanish

Radio Ambulante has high aspirations: to revolutionize Spanish-language radio in the U.S. and throughout the Spanish- speaking world.

Instead of the pop-songs, evangelists and sports that dominate the airwaves en español, Radio Ambulante (roughly translated as “radio on the move”) will tell sound rich first-person stories from Latin America and Hispanic communities in the US. Think This American Life, in Spanish.

The project is in the pilot stage—you can listen to a few stories on their website while they finalize their first three podcast episodes and raise funds to ultimately broadcast on radio stations in Latin American and the U.S. The pieces include an emotional story about the fall of the legendary Argentine soccer team, River Plate; a piece about migrating from Europe back to South America; and a story about one boy’s trials upon arriving to the U.S., and being sent straight to the belly of the beast: the high school cafeteria.

The team behind Radio Ambulante includes novelist Daniel Alarcón, entrepreneur Carolina Guerrero, journalist Annie Correal, and radio producer Martina Castro. Daniel and Annie came on the Fi2W podcast to give us a sneak peak of what the program will sound like, and tell us about their goals for the project.

Listen:

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Food in 2 Worlds: The Adoration of the Maggi

Maggi is a salty, thin, brown sauce that millions of cooks around the world #love.

You’ll need it if you want to cook West African joloff rice or Austrian fritatenzuppen. It’s sold in liter-sized bottles in China and Poland, and it’s just as familiar on German tables as it is on Filipino ones. The Vietnamese sprinkle it on their bahn mí and the Mexicans in their jugo de res.

Maggi seasoning, one of the world’s first industrially-produced foods, has found its way into some of the most classic recipes of far-flung, otherwise unrelated cuisines.

Officially, the sauce was invented in 1886 by Julius Maggi in Switzerland, but that doesn’t matter to the immigrants I interviewed. For them it’s the taste of home.

What is the power of Maggi, and why does it dominate immigrant kitchens? Reporter Aurora Almendral tells us how this iconic seasoning is viewed in Nigeria, Burundi, the Philippines and Austria. Listen:

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Battling Economic Woes at Home, Greeks Look to NY for New Prospects

As Greek leaders work towards an austerity deal to prevent a default, here’s a look at the ripple effect of the economic crisis on Greek immigrants in New York.

With Greece’s economy reeling and its unemployment rate at about 18 percent, some Greeks are trying their luck in the U.S. — especially in the immigrant stronghold of Astoria, Queens, where Greek stores, restaurants and travel agencies dot Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street. In this podcast, journalist Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska reports from Queens in a radio story originally broadcast on WNYC.

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Latino Republicans and the Florida Primary

The Florida Primary could be a turning point in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and Latino voters are in the middle of the fight.

It will be the year’s first primary in a state with a large Latino population. Florida also has a significant bloc of conservative Republican Latino voters. Will they vote for Newt Gingrich, a social conservative who says he’s open to some type of immigration reform? Or will they heed the endorsements of powerful Cuban American leaders in the state and support Mitt Romney?

Host Aswini Anburajan is joined on this podcast by Dan Judy, a Republican strategist and pollster at Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc., and Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

Listen to the podcast:

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Year of the Dragon Special – The Best Regional Chinese Restaurants in Flushing, Dim Sum in Manhattan and Happy Lunar New Year

In this Food in Two Worlds podcast, we bring you on a culinary tour of China—all around the Main Street Flushing 7 train stop in Queens. Plus, you’ll hear about the reinvention of Dim Sum in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and special Chinese New Year dishes.

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The John Liu Fundraising Scandal – The Top Political Issue for Asian Americans in NY

An F.B.I. investigation into New York City Comptroller John Liu’s fundraising practices has had a chilling effect on Liu’s ability to raise money for a potential 2013 mayoral run. As revealed this week in his campaign filing report, he’s also been forced to spend thousands on legal fees related to the investigation. But John Liu remains a role model for New York’s Asian American community and still embodies the political aspirations of this growing segment of the city’s population.

In this podcast, Fi2W executive producer John Rudolph interviews Sing Tao Daily reporter Stella Chan about her recent article for Fi2W concerning the conversations taking place about Comptroller Liu among Asian Americans. We also hear from Korea Daily Senior Reporter Danny Shin. Listen:

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Latino Perspectives on the 2012 New Hampshire Primary

In this podcast, recorded on the eve of the 2012 New Hampshire Primary, Pilar Marrero, senior political writer for La Opinion, and freelance journalist Valeria Fernandez speak with Fi2W Executive Producer John Rudolph about the mood of the voters in the Granite State.  Fernandez talks about her reporting on the state’s small but growing Latino population, and their concerns about the Republican candidates and President Obama’s immigration policies. Marrero says Republican voters she has met in New Hampshire are worried about illegal immigration, but they don’t necessarily support policies that would separate immigrant families. Listen:

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Polish Pharmacies in Greenpoint

If you’re looking for the center of community life for Polish immigrants in Brooklyn you should check out the local pharmacy.

Polish pharmacies in Greenpoint, Brooklyn help immigrants negotiate life in their new home while maintaining a connection to Poland.  In this podcast we’re digging into the Feet in Two Worlds archives for an intimate visit to a Polish pharmacy with journalist Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska.  Ewa is a reporter for the Polish Daily News and a frequent contributor to public radio.  This story, produced in 2005, was Ewa’s public radio debut. Listen:

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Immigrants Seek Constructive Role in US-Pakistan Crisis

Pakistani immigrants are keenly aware of the dangers posed by the latest crisis in U.S.-Pakistan relations.  Ever since the November 26 NATO airstrike that killed at least 25 Pakistani soldiers near the border with Afghanistan, the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan has been on a downward spiral.

In this Feet in Two Worlds podcast, Mohsin Zaheer, the founder and editor of The Pakistani Newspaper and the editor of Sada-e-Pakistan, an Urdu-language weekly in New York, talks about the shock waves rolling through the Pakistani American community.  In a conversation with Fi2W Executive Producer John Rudolph, Mohsin discusses the concerns of Pakistani immigrants as well as their desire to help rebuild the battered relationship between the two nations.

Listen:

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Latino Voters and the GOP Presidential Candidates – Economic Concerns Outweigh Faith and Religion

In this Feet in Two Worlds podcast, La Opinión senior political writer and columnist Pilar Marrero breaks down a new poll released by impreMedia and Latino Decisions analyzing how religion and faith are likely to impact voting decisions for Latino voters. We also hear from Matt Barreto of Latino Decisions. Listen and read Marrero’s article about the poll.

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How Zarela Martinez Brought Mexican Cuisine to New York

In this Food in Two Worlds podcast episode, Von Diaz tells the story of Chef Zarela Martinez and her pivotal role in bringing sophisticated Mexican cuisine to New York.  Also Mariana Suarez, co-founder of Gourmet Latino discusses the challenges facing today’s Latino chefs.

Listen:

Read reporter Von Diaz’s story about this groundbreaking chef.

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New Media Outlet Seeks to Serve Muslim-American Community in New York

Muslim Community Report is a brand-new print newspaper and website covering the diverse set of Muslim and African communities in the New York metropolitan area. The project is an expansion of Youth Community Report, a newspaper primarily written by youth who attend Drammeh’s school in the Bronx, the Islamic Leadership School.

Drammeh wants MCR to be considered a mainstream newspaper, but at the same time, it has the stated goal of challenging stereotypes about Muslim communities that emerged after 9/11.

In this podcast episode, Fi2w’s John Rudolph speaks with the paper’s primary reporter and editor, Arao Ameny, and publisher Sheikh Moussa Drammeh about the mission and target audience of the new venture. Listen:

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DREAM Activists Protest Alabama’s Anti-Immigration Law

A nation-wide network of young undocumented immigrants, their parents and their supporters in Congress are flocking to Alabama to protest that state’s harsh new anti-immigration law.

Last Tuesday, about 100 people engaged in an act of civil disobedience at the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery. Thirteen undocumented immigrants, including four parents, were arrested when attempting to deliver a letter to State Senator Scott Beason, one of the main sponsors of the law, HB 56.

In this podcast episode, Feet in Two Worlds reporter Aswini Anburajan speaks with some of the undocumented protestors who had been released from jail two days later. Fi2W Executive Producer John Rudolph also speaks with U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke who is heading to Alabama next Monday to lobby against the state law.

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The Future of Journalism Can Be Found in Chinatown

To outsiders, Chinatown in Lower Manhattan can be hard to penetrate. To insiders, Chinatown often feels like a steaming stew of alliances and tensions.

OurChinatown.org, a hyperlocal journalism project, is trying to change that. It’s a project that’s meant to spark debate and conversation within the Chinatown community, as well as reshape conceptions among outsiders of what Chinatown is, and the people who live and work in the neighborhood. OurChinatown.org provides original reporting while also aggregating top stories from five major Chinese-language papers serving the community.

The online newspaper, is an initiative of the Asian American Journalists Association’sExecutive Leadership Program. Bilingual reporters are doing street-level beat reporting, filing text, audio and video via smartphone. Forget the dumplings, cutting-edge journalism is now being served in Chinatown.

Listen to Jeff Yang, one of the creators of OurChinatown.org, speak with Fi2W’s John Rudolph about the project on the Feet in Two Worlds podcast.

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Food in Two Worlds Podcast: The Flavors of South Asia, All Within Walking Distance

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS—When Nirav Shah arrived in the U.S. in 1996 to attend college, he pictured himself headed for a career on Wall Street or in the high tech industry.  But a few years later, Shah, who grew up in Mumbai, India, started working for his aunt at her Indian sweets shop and restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens.  Shah now owns the flagship store of the business his aunt started, Rajbhog Foods, a small Indian food empire with 14 locations around the country and a catering business that provides vegetarian meals to airlines flying between Newark and South Asia.

When Shah’s aunt, Lata Mody, opened Rajbhog in 1977 she was part of a wave of new immigrants who helped create ‘Little India,’ a tightly packed neighborhood near the Roosevelt Avenue subway station that served as both a commercial hub and a residential neighborhood for New York’s growing Indian population.   Today, the area might just as easily be called ‘Little Pakistan,’  ‘Little Bangladesh,’ or ‘Little Tibet.’

In recent years immigrants from across South Asia have moved in, and like Shah and his family, many have gone into the restaurant and food business.  Within just a few square blocks it is possible to taste authentic flavors from virtually every corner of South Asia, and to buy ingredients and kitchenware to make South Asian food at home.

Feet in Two Worlds recently visited the area of 73rd and 74th Streets in Jackson Heights with Andrew Silverstein, the co-founder of Streetwise New York, a company that specializes in tours of immigrant New York.  Listen and meet some of the characters behind the food:

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DREAM Act Campaign Spawns New Leaders in the Immigrant Rights Movement

The immigrant rights movement is changing.  Just a few years ago its main focus was convincing Congress to pass a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.  That never happened, and today the emphasis has shifted to the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to legal status for millions of young, undocumented immigrants.  Many of them were brought to the US as young children, and only learned they were in the country illegally when they tried to apply for a drivers license or a college loan.  The movement’s new leadership is drawn from their ranks.  In this podcast, you’ll hear from three of these young activists:

• Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who decided to reveal his illegal status in the New York Times Magazine.  He also created an advocacy group called Define American.
• Tania Mattos, a leader of the New York State Youth Leadership Council, a group that is pushing New York to pass a state version of the DREAM Act.   A year and a half ago she decided to publicly announce that she is an undocumented immigrant.
• Juan Escalante, the communications director for Dreamactivist.org, who spoke to us by phone from Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he’s in his 4th year of study.

Vargas and Mattos spoke at the Feet in Two Worlds forum at the New School about DREAM Activists and the evolving immigrants rights movement.

Listen:

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Republican Candidates Do Not Resonate With Latinos

In this podcast, Fi2W Executive Producer John Rudolph speaks with La Opinión senior political writer and columnist Pilar Marrero about the first poll measuring how Latino voters are responding to the GOP presidential field. Read Marrero’s analysis of the poll.

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Yoni Ki Baat – The South Asian Vagina Monologues

South Asian immigrant women are taking to the stage and publicly talking about their sexuality in the performance series “Yoni Ki Baat.” Inspired by Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monolgues, Yoni Ki Baat is a grassroots movement of women writing and performing stories about relationships with their sexuality, their bodies, their culture and their lives. In this podcast, Feet In Two Worlds reporter Aswini Anburajan is joined by Vandana Makker, one of the founding producers of Yoni Ki Baat who has written and performed these stories for the past eight years out of San Francisco. Listen to the episode:

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Indian Americans Take to the Streets to Protest Corruption in India

In this Feet in Two Worlds podcast, reporter Aswini Anburajan talks to Atul Kumar, an Indian immigrant and entrepreneur and S. Mitra Kalita, an Indian American writer and journalist, about the growth of a new political consciousness among middle class Indians and Indian Americans. Read the blog post and listen to the episode:

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The Food in Two Worlds Podcast: Filipino Pop-Up Restaurant in NYC Offers Menu with Attitude

Welcome to Food in Two Worlds™, a new series from Fi2W.  Our goal is to make you hungry for the flavors that immigrants from around the world have brought to the US, and for you to gain a deeper understanding of the people who make, grow, sell and consume food in immigrant communities.  

Each time you step into a restaurant or your home kitchen, shop for food at a market, or buy from a food street vendor, you are not just feeding yourself, you are participating in a vast and intricate system that reflects culture, history, politics, economics, ideas about health and identity, and much more.  Food in Two Worlds™ will explore all of these topics in immigrant communities.  We’ll also tell you about restaurants and markets where you’ll find really good food, and we’ll even include recipes.

We hope you enjoy this new series and we invite you to contact us with your ideas for future podcasts and blog posts. Get in touch.