BORN AND RAISED: LOVE

EPISODE ONE: ROMANCE

Description: ​Finding love is hard enough. Parental expectations, cultural traditions, and the
modern romance scene makes it that much more challenging.

Guests: ​Anasimone George, Lateefa Farah, Michael Chen, Carmelia Ray, Fahmida Kamali and
Ahmed Saleh.

AL: ​From HuffPost Canada, you’re listening to “Born And Raised.”

[Theme plays]

AL​: Welcome to season two! My name’s Al Donato and you might remember me from our first
season, where we cooked up some tasty food stories from children of immigrants. Allow me to
introduce you to my new co-host for this season, Alisha Sawhney..

ALISHA​: Hey Al! I’m happy to be here for this season.

AL​: Happy to have you! So Alisha, you and I work together. And when it came up that “Born
And Raised” was getting a season two, you were like, “I have a treasure trove of stories I’m
dying to share!” And I was like, “Yes!”

Now I’m coming from a place where as a Filipino-Canadian who was born here, I feel a step
removed from culture, right? And I’m so curious as to how others navigate creating those
connections. Where are you coming from Alisha?

ALISHA: ​I’d like to call myself generation 2.5 actually.

AL​: Oooh, 2.5! Why?

ALISHA​: I was born in Ottawa, but I feel like my experience merits 2.5 because my mom was
born here, she grew up in Alberta, but she’s of Indian origin; both of her parents are Indian. My
dad is also Indian, but he came to Canada from India in his twenties. So I think that has shaped a
lot of how I’ve been raised, of course. And for me, “Born And Raised” encapsulates this
beautiful mix of being in a family of a different culture, but growing up here and what that
means and how people like us have to navigate dating, love, all of these things in the Canadian
context--

AL​: --It’s all so different.

ALISHA​: --It’s all so different. It’s so nuanced by the fact that we have another culture that’s
part of our identity.

AL​: Now this season of “Born And Raised” is switching gears from food stories to love stories.
And love is a pretty big topic.

ALISHA​: Now love is a pretty big topic. It’s messy, it’s frustrating, it’s painful, it can be super
embarrassing … but love is also affirming and supportive, and eye-opening and inspiring. All the
adjectives! And it only gets more complicated when you’re a child of immigrants.

AL:​ Absolutely. As the first generation of our families born here, we’re the first to be raised
with multiple sets of cultural values. The ones our parents brought over and the ones we learnt
here in Canada. So, this series is all about how those values play into how second-genners feel
about love. We’ll be listening to ways second-generation folks are figuring different types of
love out, just like we are. Alisha and I, we’re going to be sharing our own adventures with you,
so expect to get in our feels together.

ALISHA​: That’s right, and we’re kicking it off with romantic love. So the first story we’ve got
for you is a very sweet Meet Cute, if you will. It’s a classic boy-meets-girl story.

AL​: Oh cool! But obviously, this one has a “Born And Raised” twist, right?

ALISHA​: Well, of course. But, it’s more like boy-meets-girl, and then his family meets her
family. And as you’ll hear, their cultural backgrounds play a big role in how they get and stay
together. This is the story of Fahmida and Ahmed.

FAHMIDA​: I was born and raised in Toronto, but my parents are Bangladeshi.

AHMED​: My name is Ahmed Saleh. I’m an Afro-Arab from Zanzibar and Oman.

FAHMIDA​: I remember not actually being introduced to him, but I was like, “Okay,
cool, I’ll follow this person on Instagram.” It’s not that he was really popular on
Instagram, but he didn’t follow me back. I thought that was so rude. I was like, “That guy
is so full of himself. How could he not follow me back?!”
AHMED​: So I got her number, I texted her, and I spelt her name incorrectly.

FAHMIDA:​ Forgot to mention that.

AHMED​: And definitely not appreciated. I think because of that she didn’t respond to
me for about 24 to 48 hours.

FAHMIDA​: It was three hours.

AHMED​: In my head, that’s 24 hours.

FAHMIDA​: Our friend put us in touch, we texted for a few days, and then we went on a
group date because we wanted to keep things really halal.

I think within the first month I knew that I really, really liked him. I sent him a text
message one night after talking, like after we had hung up on each other, and I was like,
“OK Ahmed Saleh, I would like to get married to you. Let’s discuss next steps.” So there
was not really a proposal. Kind of declared my intentions right away.

AHMED​: This was a claim. She just claimed me.

FAHMIDA​: Yeah. And he responded with like, “I think my brain just exploded.”

AHMED​: As soon as I got the text message, I kind of called my parents and let them
know early on, like, “Hey, there’s this person, just letting you know.” And what I wanted
to do is, I wanted to keep my parents in the loop, I wanted them to feel involved. Reason
being is that, because we are second-generation, I could foresee a lot of things that we
would do differently. It’s almost like every time you do something it has to be calculated
because you’re, you’re a member of the Muslim community, the African community, the
Arab community, you’re also a Canadian, you’re also young, and you’re also a visible
minority. So there’s a lot of thinking even into something really, really small.

FAHMIDA​: When we started talking, we knew that we couldn’t just talk to each other
because like, that was going to be fun or whatever. Like, it wasn’t casual dating. There is
no such thing as casual dating when you are Muslim. It’s always kind of like, “If we date,
that means that within the first few weeks, we’re going to tell our parents that there’s
someone we’re talking to so that they kind of know and know that we’re going about it
 with intentions of something long-term.” So that’s how I’ve navigated dating for the last
few years and that’s how we also began our relationship.

ALISHA​: And that was just the beginning… Because now, they had to plan a WEDDING!

FAHMIDA​: It took us months to get to the point where our parents could kind of
finally agree on what they wanted to do.

So, the bride and groom actually aren’t that involved in the planning, especially in the
initial talks. It’s considered something that the families take care of because the bride and
groom are supposed to be bashful and shy!

ALISHA​: Because two sets of parents are heading the show, working out how to please
everyone has been real tricky. So the first challenge for Fahmida and Ahmed was figuring out
where the celebrations ​—​ CELEBRATIONS in plural ​—​ would take place.

FAHMIDA​: For Ahmed’s family, correct me if I’m wrong, they don’t have any family
members that are living in Toronto. While they’ve lived here for the last 25, 26 years,
they don’t have a big community here. So it was actually important for Ahmed’s family
to have the wedding in Oman. And that was a little bit crazy to me and my parents, but
my dad also really likes Ahmed, really likes his family, and was like, “We will do what
you want to do.”

ALISHA​: But having the wedding in Oman came with a new set of challenges… namely
Fahmida’s father wouldn’t be able to go because long flights are a health risk for him. So they
decided to have the nikkah in Toronto.

​ HMED​: So for majority of Muslims, there’s a very religious event called the nikkah.
A
And that kind of anchors everything else, regardless of culture, because this is where the
legal aspect of the wedding happens. So this is where you actually say your vows and say
you would like to marry X or Y person.

Man proposes to father, “Can I marry your daughter?” Hopefully he says yes. If he says
no, then it gets really messy and spicy, but usually they say yes. So for Omanis, the
general tradition structure is you have the nikkah, which they actually call a melkah,
happens in a mosque and only with men.
 Now here in Canada, Muslim commmunities when they do the nikkah/melkah, it’s men
and women. So initially when I heard about the male-only ceremony, I put on my woke
hat and was like, [AHMED CLAPS] “This is problematic, I’m not having it!”

But then it balanced out in the end because we got this five-star hotel for the reception,
the guys just go to a mosque, have some coffee and dates and that’s a wrap, whereas the
women get like a DJ and this reception.

FAHMIDA​: Kay, but you’ll be there.

​ HMED​: I’ll be there, but it’s interesting. The gender dynamics are definitely
A
fundamentally different.

One principle that’s really important is compromise. Which, when it comes to culture
that’s the C-word you don’t say. I’m not compromising. This is who I am, this is where
I’m from, why should I do less?

If we took an absolutist approach to culture, sure we could make one side happy, but then
the other side won’t be happy.

To honour my parents is really important, especially considering now that I’m starting
my own life, I won’t have that opportunity every single day to honour my parents. I think
with the time I have left, I’d love to honour them and make them as happy as possible.

FAHMIDA​: They weren’t as privileged as I am today and that privilege comes from the
fact that they both came to this country as refugees and their experience as refugees has
been really difficult for them. And I also recognize that when they were getting married,
they didn’t have the opportunity to do all the things that they wanted to do.

Okay, things aren’t going to be quote unquote perfect, like we imagine. But maybe this
new version of perfection is this compromise, is this new fusion of cultures that works for
us. So that’s been a lot that we’ve learned.

ALISHA​: So what are Ahmed and Fahmida most looking forward too…?

​ HMED​: I think I’m looking forward to all the really cool Instagram captions I’m going
A
to post. One I’ve been thinking about is, so Omanis usually wear a dagger. So at the
nikkah I’m going to wear a dagger, with a scarf tied around it. And for my Instagram
 caption, I wanted to write something like, “Well, a lot of people talk about having the
strap. I actually have one.”

FAHMIDA​: I thought you were going to say you were excited about showing Oman to
me. Like that’s what you’ve been parroting these past few weeks!

​AHMED​: Yes, and the captions.

​ AHMIDA​: I​ ’m just excited to be married and spend the rest of my life with my pocket
F
prince!

[Ceremony fades in. Iman’s speech and crowd chant runs underneath]

ALISHA​: We were lucky enough to go to Fahmida and Ahmed’s nikkah in Toronto.

​ HMED​: I’ve never, besides my own blood, I’ve never met anybody who genuinely
A
cared for my well-being and success. And I think for me this is like a really big deal.
Because on my own, I wouldn’t do much for myself.

FAHMIDA​: Oh, I get so shy when it comes to talking about my feelings! I will say that
for a long time I was really cynical about love. And the understanding I had about love
wasn’t an authentic understanding. It was something I had read or maybe observed with
others.

And also for a long time, I didn’t think that I deserved the love that I have right now. For
the first time in my life, somebody has shown to me that they actually care more about
me and my success than they care about their own. So, to Ahmed I say thank you, and
I’m very excited for the next 100 years of our lives together. And you better not leave me
before I leave you or else I’ll be really mad about it!

[ceremony fades out]

[singing]

AL​: This couple is goals! Not just for getting together, but for achieving the impossible: they
pleased their moms and dads.

ALISHA​: Their immigrant moms and dads!

AL AND ALISHA​: It’s wild! [Laughs]

ALISHA​: I feel like managing family expectations is a huge part of the second gen experience.

AL​: Mmmhm.

ALISHA​: Like for many of us, it’s challenging to balance what our families expect of us and
what we actually want in a partner, without them breathing over our shoulders. It’s kind of
endearing because it’s out of love, but let’s be real, it’s also very annoying.

AL: ​ Alisha, it sounds like you’re talking from personal experience. Have you faced a similar
pressure?

ALISHA​: Well, let’s just say my mom wouldn’t hesitate to tell me to download apps to meet
South Asian professionals. And my grandma, she has hundreds and hundreds of Facebook
friends. My grandma would periodically go through her lists of Facebook friends and start
naming aunties from god-knows-where and their sons and their grandsons who are of eligible
age.

AL​: Oh my god! She’s proactive.

ALISHA​: It’s whatever, I’m so used to it.

AL​: Now hearing about you and hearing about Fahmida and Ahmed, it’s kind of inspiring me to
step into the shoes of an immigrant parent and try my hand at setting up a love story between
second-genners. So I talked to professional matchmaker Carmelia Ray, who specializes in
pleasing immigrant parents. She helped me plan a date for two complete strangers.

CARMELIA​: I’m Carmelia Ray, celebrity matchmaker, online dating expert, and the
host of the reality TV show “Mom vs Matchmaker.” I am from an immigrant family. I
had to deal with adjusting to North American living and satisfying my parents, so I’m
uniquely prepared to help people given that I’ve had this experience.

You know, I’m matching the single person that has this ideal. And then they’ve got to go
through a secondary approval. So if I didn’t have the approval of mom, or that concern,
great! There’s only one person I need to please and that’s the single. But in reality, I’ve
also got to please the mom, “Umph! They don’t have a university education, I don’t care
that they’re hot and we have great chemistry, without that piece of paper mom is not
going to accept that.” Or, “Oh, they’re not of Roman Catholic descent!” It’s really--that’s
 where it starts to get really tricky and it’s just more work for me! It’s just a lot more work
for me.

AL​: I thought it would be fun to try my hand at Carmelia’s profession and set up two
second-generation Canadians on a blind date.

Now I’m not an immigrant parent. I’m not trying to set up doctors with lawyers, so this is
probably going to be a breeze. I figure I can just slap together two random people. But when we
put out a call for potential singles, it became clear everyone was looking for something
particular.

For weeks, we were getting submissions that sounded like this:

SINGLES:
“Must love dogs...”
“Is traditionally minded…”
“Must be okay with me rambling about my interests and referencing vines and memes
24/7...”
“Ride bikes with in the city and just chill out with…”

AL:​ I’ll admit, I was looking for something particular too. Maybe not immigrant parent
standards, but I wanted to at least get two nice people who have common interests to have a good
time together. At any rate, I thought How hard could that be?

AL​: It was so hardddddd.

CARMELIA​: [Laughs]

AL​: It literally took a full month to find two compatible, decent humans. When I reported back
to Carmelia, she gave me a matchmaker wake-up call.

CARMELIA​: Like a qualified match would take from six to eight weeks. It could take
upwards of two to three months to find an equivalent life partner. For someone--

AL​: Yeah, and this is me trying to find a ​blind date.

CARMELIA​: --For someone who’s coming to a matchmaker with the expectation

they’re going to be getting dates every Friday night, wrong perspective! You saw the
challenge it took in just getting two people to go on a date with a degree of compatibility.
 AL​: Yeah, your job is exhausting!

CARMELIA​: [Laughs]

AL: ​In the end, I found two people I thought would be perfect together. Meet Michael. He works
with immigrant youth as a counselor.

MICHAEL​: [Laughs] The type of person I’m looking for is someone who is strong in
their identity, they know who they are, they know what they believe in, and they’re very
amicable and nice person to get along with.

AL​: And here’s Lateefa, she works in public relations. And her idea of Mr. Right sounded like
Mr. Michael.

LATEEFA: ​Good conversation!

AL​: When it came down to where they should go, we thought it’d be nice if they met up at Tuk
Tuk Canteen in Toronto, which you might remember as Mike Tan’s restaurant from ​episode two
last season​. So we put microphones on them and sent them on their way, and Michael and
Lateefa got off to a good start.

MICHAEL​: Wow this looks good.

LATEEFA: ​That looks very good.

MICHAEL​: Right? Do you mind if I take a photo?

LATEEFA: ​Yeah, of course!

MICHAEL​: I always have to take a photo. Yeah. I don’t even post it on Instagram half
the time.

LATEEFA: ​You just keep it for yourself? That’s so good!

MICHAEL​: Yeah. I keep memories, right?

LATEEFA: ​You could be like a food blogger, with all of the food that you have…
AL​: They even got pretty personal… Lateefa opened up to Michael about her secret dating
life….

LATEEFA: ​That’s why the dating life is kind of a secret.

MICHAEL​: Oh, it’s a secret? Really? Do your parents know that you’re on a date right
now?

LATEEFA: ​Uh uh.

MICHAEL​: Who knows--who knows that you’re on a date right now?

LATEEFA: ​Only my friends do. Like if I’m ever dating, only my friends know.

MICHAEL​: Mmmhmm.

AL​: It was a pretty solid date, I mean they talked for three hours. I thought it went well, but I
wouldn’t be sure until I asked them. Michael was a solid yes. But Lateefa…

AL:​ Would you see Michael again?

LATEEFA: ​Probably as friends. The fact that I went on a blind date and that me and this
person, we had a lot of similarities and we kind of connected really well was crazy, and
maybe I should start making my friends put me on blind dates.

AL: ​Exactly.

LATEEFA: ​As we were talking, I was kind of reflecting and thinking, maybe it is time
to kind of talk to my parents about this and get an honest, just to be transparent and like,
“Hey, I’m at an age where I’m independent, I have my own job, I’m doing my own
things, how do you guys want me to meet people? I just want some advice from you,
right?” So this is maybe might be a doorway into, “Hey parents! Hello!”

CARMELIA​: The one thing a matchmaker can’t predict is chemistry.

AL: ​Right.

CARMELIA​: So this was a 10/10 first date. You did an incredible job. A really good
job.
 AL: ​Yes! Thank you! So I got a--I went into with the mindset, “I have to make sure they
wanted to see each other again.” To me, that would be a success.

CARMELIA​: They both did want to see each other again.

AL: ​Even if she was more like, as friends?

CARMELIA​: Yes, as friends. Because what that tells me is she doesn’t have a sexual,
romantic attraction. But it’s undeniable that you matched people that met enough criteria
that they had a great time. It didn’t seem forced. The conversation flowed. To sit with a
complete stranger for three hours and have ongoing steady form of conversation is rare.
Now, she’s going to have a dialogue with her parents.

AL: ​Fingers crossed.

CARMELIA​: That’s great! You did good.

AL: ​Thank you! Well, I was just following in your footsteps. The Carmelia Ray way!

CARMELIA​: [:aughs] Thank you!

AL: ​Alisha this might sound weird, but having this end without a second date makes me really
empathize with the moms and dads out there whose kids are rejecting the people they set them
up with.

ALISHA: ​OK, Al I’m really going to give you some tough love right now.

AL​: Hit me.

ALISHA​: That’s not how love works!

AL​: You’re right, you’re right!

ALISHA​: Dates are not going to be magical all the time!

AL: Yeah… and you know what, the stakes were low for me because neither of these people
were my kids. Imagine how much more attached I’d feel if I was a parent trying to make a love
match.
ALISHA​: Well at the end of the day, only you know who’s right for you and your family has to
respect that. But obviously, my heart goes out to immigrant parents who are on the hunt.

AL​:​ ​And hey, if the search for someone who gets everyone’s approval is too hard, you can
always hire a matchmaker.

***

AL​: Another thing I took away from this date was really relating to Lateefa and how she kept her
dating life a secret from her parents. My mom doesn’t know that I date and it’s probably going to
stay that way for a long time. And living like this means I can’t really open up to her about who
I’m catching feelings for or if my heart gets crushed a tiny bit.

ALISHA​: Well Al, it took me a long time to tell my parents about my first relationship. I mean,
they knew about him but they didn’t meet him until over a year later.

AL​:​ ​Wow, why did it take that long?

ALISHA​: It was really built up in my head that he had to be a certain way and check off certain
boxes for them to approve of him. So in my mind, I was waiting for these things to happen. And
I definitely waited too long and I think because they did like him. But I think this really just
speaks to how there’s an unspoken rule when you’re a second-generation kid that you can’t just
be dating someone for the sake of dating someone. You--if you’re bringing someone home,
there’s the expectation that you’re going to marry them.

AL​:​ ​Yeah, you’re gonna put a ring on their finger.

ALISHA​: Exactly. You might not do it right away, but you’re definitely dating someone
seriously and with purpose. Otherwise, why are you bringing someone home?

AL​:​ ​That’s a really tough situation to be in.

ALISHA​: I mean, before that, when we were seeing each other, but nobody really knew, there
were a lot of excuses I had to come up with.

AL​:​ ​Oh yeah?

ALISHA​: Like just logistics-wise, going on dates, there’s a lot of subtlety and….
AL​:​ ​You mean sneaking around.

ALISHA​: ...Yeah.

AL​:​ ​Sneaking around. I feel you. Were you also like me going, “Oh, I’m at the library!”

ALISHA​: Pretty much, I mean all your girlfriends become your cover stories. You’re always
sleeping over at their houses. Meanwhile, you’re actually getting hotels or AirBnBs.

AL​:​ ​Oh my god, really?

ALISHA​: Yep.

AL​:​ ​I know a lot of other second-gen people in our boat. From the outside looking in, it kind of
seems like this behaviour is deceit, you know? And it kind of is, but not in a disrespectful way.​ ​A
lot of the times, North American narratives showcase healthy relationships as being completely
open from the get-go. But you and I both know this isn’t always the best option.

ALISHA​: Yeah, the fun of dating around might not be appreciated by an immigrant parent. So
love lives end up going undercover. Anasimone George can speak to this experience too. She’s a
comedian who runs her own show in Toronto called SHADE.

ANASIMONE​:
[clip from her stand-up]
...And my dad thought the best way to introduce me was to go, “This is Ana! She has a
show for the Muslims and the gays!” I have a Muslim--I have a show, [mocking her own
misspeak] I have a Muslim--I have a show for everyone who isn’t a straight white guy,
but apparently that just means the Muslims and the gays. Yeah, I’m not Muslim. Anyway,
thank you so much! I’m Anasimone.

ANASIMONE​: Shade is a comedy, well it’s like a variety show, stand-up comedy based
that I host. It’s for people of colour, women, people from the LGBTQ community. Shade
has been my invisible partner. Like, I would do anything for that show.

ALISHA​: In her own act, Anasimone talks about family. And in real life, her family has a lot to
say about her single status.
 ANASIMONE​: My dad is worried, my grandma’s worried because I’m past the expiry
of like, when I should’ve. Like, I should’ve been married five years ago…. In my dad’s
sense, he sees me now where I’m very career-focused and he’s like, “What’s wrong with
her? Why isn’t she meeting anyone? Why isn’t she dating anyone? What the hell’s going
on?”

Because I remember there was a time when my mom asked me, “Are you--” both my
parents were like, “Are you dating anyone?”

And I was like, no, because I wasn’t dating at the time.

And they were like, well, why not?

And I was like, because we never talked about it!

When I was casually dating for a couple years, my mom was asking so many questions
like, “What does he do, who is he, when am I going to meet him, are you guys going to
get married?” And I’m like, [Kisses teeth], I just want to be able to navigate this
relationship without you in my ear about it.

And I get it, they’re concerned, they want to make sure I’m meeting somebody that’s up
to their standards, but also their standards are so warped.

I’m not in a place in my life right now where if I was dating a woman for instance, where
I would be able to just be comfortable right off the bat and be like, “Meet my parents.”
Because that’s a whole other thing. Like I’m not out to my parents, and they come from a
culture where that’s not something that’s talked about or addressed or anything …. It’s a
big no no.

My worry with them is, if I bring somebody home that I’m not going to get married to,
they’re going to be like, “What are you doing?”

ALISHA​: The thing is, this divide between what Anasimone shares with her parents and living
openly as a bisexual woman isn’t disrespectful. In fact, it’s ​because​ of the respect she has for her
parents, that she keeps quiet..

ANASIMONE​: It’s one thing to say or do something to your parents, but it’s another
thing when you realize that they’re also explaining themselves to an entire community.
 The thing about being a child of immigrants is your secret is also 300 other people’s
secrets. Your issue is 300 other people’s issues.

ALISHA​: So that’s where she’s at right now. That might change one day, maybe. But that’s not
anytime soon. Right now, Anasimone is deeply entangled in her love of stand-up comedy and
her variety show, SHADE.

ANASIMONE​: I think I would be more sad if something happened to SHADE than if I

broke up with someone, which is like, sad, but… It’s just become my whole life.

ANASIMONE​:
[clip from her stand-up]
How’s it going everyone? Oh my god, you guys are so hype. This is incredible.

ANASIMONE​: Shade is the one show where I’m like, excited and nervous to go on
stage and make sure that the audience is happy and make sure that these people go home
happy that they came to the show.

ANASIMONE​:
[clip from her stand-up]
I watch porn every day. Before I go to sleep, some people pray, I just surf the net, you
know. It’s how I get my glow before shows. Masturbation. Some of you are confused. It’s
not Fenty, it’s my wrists.

ANASIMONE​: It’s taught me a bunch of things, but definitely vulnerability and what it
means to love a thing. Even though it’s, I think it’s a journey, I don’t think anyone will
ever actually know, there’s not one final love destination. But it’s definitely taken me on
a whirlwind. And also what love is for me. Like, it’s no longer this sort of person. It’s
literally the people who come to shade. Which is weird to say that you love like a
hundred strangers, but yeah.

AL: ​There’s where you’re at right now.

ANASIMONE​: That’s where I’m at right now. Yeah.

AL: ​Alisha, the way love is for Anasimone, have you ever felt that way about something that
wasn’t a romantic relationship?
ALISHA​: I mean, I felt really deep connections with some of my friends. I think when you’re
single for deep periods of time and you’re just kind of looking for love, you don’t realize some
of the best things are right in front of you and some of the deepest relationships you have are
actually very validating because you feel that sense of belonging and respect and connection. It’s
a very joyful, comforting experience to feel that with someone, if it’s just platonic.

AL: ​That’s so sweet! And just as valid. Just as valid to cherish.

ALISHA​: I think for me, I feel a similar way about queer community. Like events like
Anasimone’s which brings us all together really makes us feel like, accepted and warm, even if
we’re not getting that from other places in our lives. And if you see someone cute in the crowd,
that’s just a bonus. It’s icing on the cake.

AL:​ That’s all from us. Born And Raised is hosted by me, Al Donato.

ALISHA​: And me, Alisha Sawhney. Our producers are TK Matunda, Stephanie Werner, and Al
Donato. Our executive producers are Lisa Yeung and Andree Lau.

AL:​ Additional production work courtesy of Maija Kappler, Katie Jensen, and Vocal Fry
Studios. A special thanks to all our guests: Anasimone George, Lateefa Farah, Michael Chen,
Carmelia Ray, Fahmida Kamali and Ahmed Saleh.

ALISHA​: If you love what you just heard, there’s more to swoon over. To see photos of our
guests, show notes, and read a transcript of this episode, check out ​huffpost.ca

AL​: Tune in for our next episode… it sounds like this.

TONY:​ So it popped up, I’m like, “mom!” She’s like, “what?”

She was just like, “It was like bad stuff, don’t look at it.” I’m like, “Wha--!”

ALISHA​: Until then, thanks for listening!