Brown Colored Glasses

As South Asians, we are all too familiar with the dreaded word "dating" and what that can mean in terms of stigmas, taboos, expectations, outcomes and more. This episode discusses it all - the idea of dating, what it means today for the current generation versus our parents generation, dating only within our cultural community, how dating to marry (and not to explore relationships) is a rite of passage that a South Asian ...

As a bonus episode to all the listeners, this was a special live recording with the BCG hosts and Rizwan Mawani, a passion educator, author and researcher in the field of anthropology and religious studies. His work has taken him across the globe to address audiences from students to policy makers and BCG had the opportunity to host him and ask any questions from the live audience related to faith, identity and spirituality. On the...

Do you find yourself questioning your own faith and those of others based on how deeply they follow the practices of their faith? Do you wonder about the impact of Covid-19 on our beliefs and what this past year has meant for us in a spiritual sense? Do you feel that your sense of faith has evolved over time as you have begun to form your own identity and come to realize what offers you comfort and serenity? If you answered "Y...

As we continue to honor Women's History Month, this episode covers the all too familiar topic and ideal that we as South Asians struggle with quite a bit: body image. You will get to listen to heartfelt, personal experiences from each of the hosts and how they experienced body shaming in different ways and it's impact on them as individuals. We also discuss social media and "what's trending now" and its ram...

In this second episode which delves into the notion of South Asians and colorism, the hosts discuss all aspects of our obsession with the lighter skin - whether it's the "Fair & Lovely" face cream, the tone filter on shaadi.com or our own parents telling us not to stay out in the sun for too long. What is also discussed is the why - where did this stem from and how as a society we ended up discriminating those wi...

Brand New Season for BCG and a whole new team! In this episode, you get to be a fly on the wall and listen in on four friends, aka your new hosts, talk about the good, bad and the ugly when it comes to Valentine's Day. What are some of the pressures one feels when this day comes around? Does this day really need to be just about romantic love? What about self-love, Galentine's Day and in general, love for humanity? Take a...

This episode is the season finale for the first season of Brown Colored Glasses and features the host's daughter, Imaan, to reflect upon the topics of this season such as mental health, unconscious bias, gender and racial conversations and more - all from the lens of a child. Many times, as an adult, we succumb to an invisible threshold that society places upon us whether in terms of our personal or professional lives.  What w...

This episode is the third and final segment of the 3-Part Series on Unconventional Career Paths in South Asians. This one features, Saqib Siddiqui, a Pakistani engineer cum lawyer who shares his personal story of how his culture, his family and the giant expectations of acceptable and lauded career choices affected him from a very young age. What is really delightful about this particular episode is that even though Saqib is discus...

This episode is the second segment of a 3-Part Series on the topic of Unconventional Career Paths in South Asians and features Aelia Hassan, a senior at Indiana University studying Sports Media and Broadcast Journalism. This dialogue really hits home the idea of empowering young girls to pursue their dreams and passions and in this case, it all began with Aelia's love of sports from a young age. Aelia talks about the struggles...

The episode is the first segment of a 3-Part Series on the topic of Unconventional Career Paths in South Asians and features Anisa Butt, a successful British Indian television and film actress, podcast host and more! This inspiring and motivating dialogue allows you as a listener to learn about the world of acting, from the lens of a South Asian woman - the struggles, the wins, the joys, and most of all, the desire and passion to p...

This bonus episode serves as a precursor to a three part series on the topic of pursuing unconventional career paths within South Asians. It shares the perspectives and possible reasons of both the South Asian parents and the youth that may be at odds in terms of what is considered to be an honorable career and trajectory of life (the trilogy of medicine, law or engineering) versus what one may desire out of life as an actor, write...

This episode is all about that D-word - divorce - and how we as South Asians struggle with the idea of casting a final end to marriage, something sought after as the end all, be all of a person's life and worth. In addition to analyzing the reasons for the stigmas, taboos and the fear of divorce, we also have the opportunity to hear from Naila Aladdin, a South Asian Muslim woman, who shares the story of her experience with div...

This episode discusses interfaith and interracial marriages within our South Asian community and how and why we tend to shy away from and shun these types of relationships due to the stigmas attached of marrying outside of the community. We also have the opportunity to chat with a happily mixed married couple, Fareena Lalani and Carlos Torruella, who share their story of how they met, the challenges they encountered both internally...

This episode takes a deep dive into the notions of culture and identity and the important role that language plays in the formation of one's identity and heritage. "Hinglish", a blend of Hindi and English, and it's role as a new mother tongue for South Asia is discussed in terms of the preservation of our culture, heritage and identity for generations to come. We also get to hear from Shireen Lakhani, a teacher ...

This episode discusses the idea of normalizing LGBTQ+ within South Asians and features two powerful and successful women, Shama Dharani and Sanya Matani who identify themselves within the queer community. From learning about their individual stories, to discussing authenticity and spirituality and how desi (South Asian) parents can be more accepting, this is one eye-opening dialogue that will make you challenge your original belief...