What is Foreign Bodies?
Foreign Bodies is an award-winning newsletter and online community centering immigrant and refugee experiences with a mission to de-stigmatize mental illness and encourage personal storytelling. It was born from my (Hi, I’m Fiza Pirani!) reporting fellowship with The Carter Center Mental Health Program.
Every other Monday, subscribers receive a roundup of must-reads called the Monday Matter. These roundups include personal essays, reader recommended books and the latest news coverage on immigrant mental health. It’s also where I include community updates, shout-outs and resources. Subscribers also have access to exclusive giveaways. I work with immigrant authors to send books to Foreign Bodies readers, packaged with notes from the authors themselves.
The larger issues, which are free for all to read and typically published whenever I have the time and financial resources, feature a personal essay on a particular immigrant experience, followed by research on its connection to mental health and well-being. You’ll get relevant resources and insight, a compilation of additional #relatable stories, plus expert Q&As and pet pics of my sassy pointer bulldog rescue, Lady.
Why should I subscribe?
Becoming a subscriber means you’re noticing the hard work that goes into this newsletter, that you find value in the work and, of course, that you believe in our larger mission.
What’s your mission?
Immigrants and members of oft discriminated minority groups have long been conditioned to keep our innermost troubles to ourselves. We’re expected to appear resilient and submissive and we know we’ll have to work twice as hard to get half as far. For those of us with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illnesses or disabilities, for anyone who might be grieving or feeling misunderstood, our experiences may even be keeping us from getting the help we deserve and need.
Here at Foreign Bodies, I believe shedding generations of internalized stigmas and stereotypes starts with dialogue—dialogue within our homes, at the dinner table, at our respective houses of worship and, perhaps most importantly, dialogue we offer our reflections in the mirror.
Through the stories I share in this newsletter and through the community we build together, I hope to make you feel a little more understood. I want to reassure you that you’re not alone and help is available. Let’s normalize the bearing of our untold narratives, one experience at a time.
How much does it cost?
While funding from The Carter Center helped build this newsletter, this newsletter is fully reliant on readers like you to live on.
Free sign-ups can read our larger issues, but may otherwise have limited access.
Subscription options
Paying subscribers get the full experience for 12 months at $5/mo or $55/yr. This includes access to every post (not just the occasional free ones) such as our popular biweekly roundup of must-reads plus exclusive book giveaways partnered with immigrant authors and the ability to participate in subscriber-only comments.
Become a Sustaining Member: Give beyond our standard rate and become a Foreign Bodies Sustaining Member, which gives you the full paid subscriber experience. Just choose your price.
Another way to give more: send in one-time donations. If your gift exceeds any of the annual subscriber rates, we’ll automatically add you to our paying subscribers list so you never miss a beat.
Discount memberships available for:*
Carter Fellows (past and present)
Students (currently enrolled with university email)
Clinicians, advocates, reporters and academics either working with immigrant communities or researching immigrant or refugee health
*If you fall under any of the above groups, or if you find the membership cost in any way prohibitive, please email 4nbodies@gmail.com.
For large groups:
If you’re part of a university or institution hoping to get a bulk discount for 10+ students, employees etc., email for discount rates!
What’s in the free issue?
The public issues, published whenever I have the time and financial resources, are topped off with a personal essay on a particular immigrant experience, followed by research on its connection to mental health and well-being. You’ll get resources and insights, a compilation of additional #relatable stories, plus fun lil add-ons, such as expert Q&As and dog pics of my sassy pointer bulldog rescue, Lady. Biweekly roundups, giveaways and selected community discussions are exclusive to subscribers or gift recipients.
So, like, do I have to be an immigrant to read this?
Lol, what! No. Foreign Bodies may be geared toward immigrant experiences, but I’m sure non-immigrants will connect to the diverse subject matter, too. Check out the archive first if you’re still on the fence! ;-)
What’s in a name?
This is a great question. Dictionary.com defines a “foreign body” as an object or entity in the physical body that’s been introduced from outside. The medical dictionary defines it as a mass of material that is not normal to the place where it is found. Our name considers this physical capsule or place in a much more figurative sense.
We are entities (never objects!) And the physical capsules we’re being introduced to, willingly or not, might represent a variety of masses of matter distinct from other masses: a different country or region, a new colonizing culture, a new socioeconomic standard, a new industry.
At the core of migration and assimilation is a desire to belong, to feel at home again. This loose definition of “foreign bodies” allows us to include anyone from any background—migrant, indigenous or not—who may be struggling to feel acknowledged and understood.
As iterated in the previous point, Foreign Bodies was certainly created to address the unique experiences of immigrants or refugees living with mental illness, but if you’ve ever felt like an outsider within your community, I hope this newsletter will connect with you, too.
I also want to address the potentially offensive nature of being called a “foreigner” or “alien,” both terms or themes I may use here. Considering context, being called a foreigner or alien by natives in everyday life would probably rub some of us the wrong way—especially if you’re, um, a native yourself! This is (obviously) not my intention. In a sense, I’m reclaiming the labels as a sense of pride.
Who’s behind all this?
Hey there! I’m Fiza Pirani, founder of Foreign Bodies.
This all started out as a way for me to try and make sense of my own sh*t. I was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2017 after months of lingering too long in a darkness I convinced myself would go away on its own.
Since then, I've realized there's a lot to say, share, learn and unlearn about my relationship with mental health and how my foggy identity as a South Asian Muslim immigrant living in the American South might play a role.
My fellowship with The Carter Center (more on that here) + talking to fellow immigrant friends made me highly aware of our shared experiences.
There's something unique about growing physically and emotionally disconnected from your homeland. And having to prove to a new country that you're worth keeping around. Something about wanting to assimilate enough to seem relatable, but not so much as to alienate your parents and their plight.
I've been craving a digital space to dig into it all.
In this newsletter, I hope to share stories about how foreign bodies cope or struggle to cope with their mental health, whether that's related to a diagnosed illness, stigmas or larger issues of sexuality, globalization, identity, colorism, discrimination, faith and so on.
Depression really amplified my underlying issues with identity and belonging. I struggled to find stories I could relate to. And there's nothing more painful than feeling alone or misunderstood while fighting a war with your own brain.
Maybe this'll help someone like me out, make them feel less alone and better understood. Maybe it'll just become another newsletter to lose in your inbox.
Want to get in touch with me directly? I’m @fizapirani on Twitter. And if you’re into doodles and thoughts about the act/art/mess of writing, check out my other Substack letter, word vomit.
Previous collaborators I’ll always cherish:
Hanaa' Tameez was one of our two lovely copy editors and early fact-checkers! She’s a multimedia journalist from New Jersey and holds an M.A. from CUNY Graduate School of Journalism with a concentration in bilingual journalism. Give her a follow on Twitter: @HTameez!
The inimitable Farahnaz Mohammed was crucial to Foreign Bodies as a copy editor for multiple years. She is a traveling journalist and editor who happens to be a mega mental health advocate, too. Find her on Twitter @FarahColette or at farahmohammed.com. (Also, you can call her Farah).
Marissa Evans is a freelance illustrator and social issues reporter for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. She created art for Issues 13 and 14. Want to work with her? Shoot her an email and check out her portfolio at themarissastudio.com.
See that fun, animated logo on our site? That’s the work of Carter Fellow and friend, Rory Linnane! Rory’s a gem of a human and talented journalist for USA Today. Find her on Twitter as @RoryLinnane <3
I really like this. Can I donate a little more?
I’m blushing, omg. YES! This newsletter is always open to donations, which help fund the weekly work along with the larger issues. Any amount exceeding a minimal annual subscription of $33 will automatically grant you a year of subscriber status. Just shoot us an email and let us know you’ve sent us a gift.
How can I contribute my story and get featured?
For anyone interested in sharing their own personal story for a future issue, please email me directly at 4nbodies@gmail.com with “Foreign Bodies pitch” in the subject line.
What happens next?
Once we connect and you’ve confirmed you’re still interested, I’ll give you a better understanding of the timeline and what to expect from the process.
How can I get involved with Foreign Bodies?
Eee! So glad you asked. To find out how you can help this newsletter grow, just send an email to 4nbodies@gmail.com with some information about you, why you’re interested in being a part of this and what kinds of skills (personal or professional) you think you could bring to the team. I’d love to hear from you.
Are you on social media?
Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram! ;-)
Can I forward the emails?
Occasionally forwarding emails is just fine, but I do want you to encourage your friends and family to subscribe themselves!
What’s Substack?
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
If you're thinking about suicide or worried about someone who might be, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to connect to a crisis counselor. You can also find a wealth of culture- or language-specific recommended resources on our site, foreignbodies.net.
