Monday Matter: The Jungle Prince of Delhi, a hairy issue and more
Your weekly Foreign Bodies roundup
Every Monday, we’ll send Foreign Bodies readers a story (or six) we recently read and adored. This is also a chance to do some housekeeping and give shout-outs and all that jazz. Our Monday Matter roundups are available for both free and paying subscribers.
First things first
A little housekeeping
Our second giveaway is live and ends FRIDAY!
Enter to win Nigerian-American Bassey Ikpi’s incredibly moving memoir, I’m Telling The Truth But I’m Lying. Remember: Paying subscriber entries count twice.
Speaking of paying subscribers…
As of today (Nov. 25th) there are only 37 days left before this newsletter will be fully funded by you. Why am I asking for your financial support? Well, because I believe everyone should be paid for their work, including myself and the volunteers who have given their time out of love. Become a paying subscriber?
If you’re a student or need an additional discount, please email me at 4nbodies@gmail.com and we’ll work something out!
Mark your calendars for Issue 12.
Out Friday morning. It’ll be a hairy one.
Read this!
Stories we’re loving
My Brown Dad Voted for Trump (Longreads, Anjoli Roy): “‘We’ve got to give him a chance,’ he parroted to my sisters and me, as we sat there, horrified.” This is a really raw story about a daughter digging into her father’s early years growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the privilege (or illusion) of fitting in. For any Indians who grew up in prominently white communities, especially those of us in the South, you may find this essay a tad too relatable.
For My Immigrant Parents, a Vacation Is a Reprieve from Labor—for Me, It’s a Time to Work (Catapult, Tiffany Teng): “Their hard-earned money was constantly spent on me to have fun, activities they did not have time for, activities they would never pursue or spend money on themselves. They invested in me, an extension of their American dream.” Teng writes about the guilt, how the only way she feels she can repay her parents is by showing them the world in whatever way she can. #IFeelThis
In Doha and Beyond, How Climate Change is Erasing the Past (Gizmodo/Earther, me): Inspired by Issue 10 of Foreign Bodies, I reported a larger story dissecting the climate-induced erasure of history. “Almost every immigrant’s relationship with the past has an element of quicksand to it,” novelist Omar El Akkad told me. Climate change is only exacerbating this vanishing.
Just for fun: The Jungle Prince of Delhi (NY Times, Ellen Barry): “Their story was passed between tea sellers and rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers in Old Delhi: In a forest, they said, in a palace cut off from the city that surrounds it, lived a prince, a princess and a queen, said to be the last of a storied Shiite Muslim royal line.” The House of Oudh…indeed a helluva story.
In the news
Relevant news coverage that doesn’t really fall under our larger mission to de-stigmatize through personal storytelling, but is still essential reading for anyone who wants to stay up-to-date on immigrant/refugee mental health.
A new 'Sesame Street' show in Arabic aims to help refugee children: CNN’s Alaa Elassar reported on the recent International Rescue Committee and Sesame Street collab called “Ahlan Simsim,” or “Welcome Sesame.” The show seeks to help refugee children who have experienced the trauma of war or displacement strengthen their social-emotional skills.
DACA changed a generation of California immigrants. These are some of their stories. (LA Times; Cindy Carcamo, Andrea Castillo, Teresa Watanabe, Sonali Kohli): Sergio Cortes, 35, has been riddled with anxiety, afraid to leave his home, has shed several pounds and was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “He learned that years of unresolved trauma over his legal status had built up.”
Bookshelf
Books and essays I’m currently reading (plus reader-recommended works!)
Recently picked up: Canadian-Egyptian journalist Omar El Akkad’s work of fiction, American War, set in a near-future USA ravaged by climate change. I spoke with Omar (hey, Omar!) for that Gizmodo/Earther story I linked above. You may also remember his chilling words from Issue 10.
Listening to: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. Another Audible credit I’ve been wholeheartedly enjoying, partly because it’s narrated by Tom Hanks and partly because it’s a story about siblings. (Hi, Faiz! I love you, you idiot!)
Reader rec from Ashley Okwuosa: I’m Telling The Truth But I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi. Ashley sent me her rec via email just days before we launched the giveaway, and I’d be lying (ha ha) if I said I don’t wholeheartedly agree with her pick. Enter to win.
Remember, we always have tons of wonderful stories and resources available at foreignbodies.net.
Love to see it
Shout-outs, thank-yous and more
Our giveaway lineup from November 2019-February 2020 is, um, stellar. So grateful for the authors who have agreed to be part of this project on immigrant mental health and can’t wait to share the magic of their writing with you, plus a special note from the authors themselves. A mega thank-you to Malaka Gharib, Bassey Ikpi, Mira Jacob, Min Jin Lee, Esmé Wang, Namrata Verghese and Omar El Akkad (so far!) You can keep track of our giveaways here (and we’ll email you once each is live, of course!)
One of my favorite people, Safurah, sent me this super corny (but super cute) lil thing.
Thanks to Aysha Khan for giving Foreign Bodies some love on Twitter recently! Subscribe to Aysha’s newsletter Creeping Sharia for the latest in journalism about Muslims in America.
Shout out to The Carter Center and my Carter Fellows cohort for always advocating for thoughtful and effective reporting on mental health. Director Kari Cobham recently asked me to write about my experience as a fellow, if anyone wants to read:
Gotta end with some Lin-Manuel words of wisdom.
OK, that’s it for now. Did you absolutely hate this? Open to criticism and suggestions. See ya later!
Love,
Fiza