The podcast where three 1.5-generation immigrants come together to answer life’s most important questions, like:
“Can you ever truly belong to two cultures?”, or “Can tahdig heal identity issues?”
We’re three friends who immigrated during our teenage years (a.k.a. the awkward puberty phase, but make it international), old enough to remember “before,” young enough to be expected to fully adapt. We’re not exactly from here or there. We carry pieces of both, but belong fully to neither.
YekoNim isn’t just about immigration. It’s about what happens when you’re always translating parts of yourself, when your identity is patched together across places and times. It’s about the pressure to “fit in,” the grief of leaving, the comedy of trying, and the beauty of finding your people in the in-between.
Each episode is a mix of our random interests, mildly wise takes, and chaotic humor. Whether we’re dissecting relationships, sharing personal fails, or deep-diving into existential questions, YekoNim is our way of saying, “You’re not alone in the weirdness of it all.” We’re not here to speak for anyone. We’re just here to speak honestly—and hope someone out there hears themselves in it.
So, whether you’re here to laugh, relate, or procrastinate, welcome to chaos, welcome to YekoNim.
Our Guests
Mahta Riazi
Mahta is a poet and a community organizer. As a second-generation immigrant, Mahta deeply resonates with the “in-between” spaces—an experience often defining for 1.5-generation immigrants and beautifully reflects the complexity of blended identities.
So, who is a 1.5-generation immigrant?
In academic terms, a 1.5-generation immigrant refers to individuals who immigrate at a young age—usually before adolescence—often carrying the cultural imprint of their country of origin while simultaneously growing up in the culture of their new home.
Unlike first-generation immigrants, who experience the full brunt of cultural shock as adults, 1.5-generation immigrants straddle the line between two worlds. They are often fluent in their native language and the language of their host country, but their cultural identity? That’s a constant work in progress.
You see, you’re not quite native to either place—you’re not fully at home in your parent’s country, but also a little too foreign for the new one. It’s like living in a perpetual state of “but where do I belong?” with a side of what even is home?
You’re the cultural bridge no one asked for, mostly fluent in both awkward silences and mixed metaphors, and always ready with an anecdote about the time your family tried to make Thanksgiving kebabs. It’s a lot, but someone’s got to navigate the mess, right?
Your Hosts
Emad
co-host
Director of Visual Overload
- Comes up with ideas so bold that we usually say “no”, and then do it anyway.
- Built different (but really just quotes aghash Steve Jobs every 5 seconds
- Drops Farsi translations of every English word we say so fast, you’d think he had an F1 pit crew in his brain
Mohammadreza
co-co-host
Audio Editor-in-Chief
- Tries to keep it deep and intellectual, but laughs way too hard at our dumb jokes
- Once calculated his unpaid podcast hours in billable rates and had a crisis
- Fluent in the ancient art of “I get your point, but actually no.”
Omid
co-co-co-host
Logistics Dad
- Most likely to say “this actually reminds me of a book I read”
- Watches Emad and Mohammadreza miss deadlines like a disappointed dad… but makes it work anyway
- Kindest person in the room, but won’t admit it. Ever.
Being a 1.5-generation immigrant is equal parts chaotic and confusing
Let’s be real: who else is going to talk about the niche struggles of loving two cultures but belonging to neither? We want to share the kind of absurd yet meaningful conversations we wish we had when we were figuring things out. But here’s the thing:
This isn’t a podcast about immigration. It’s about us & our perspective—the funny, messy, and meaningful ways we navigate life as 1.5-generation immigrants. We’re talking about that sweet spot between tradition and modernity, identity crises, food dilemmas, and all the quirky moments that make up our lives. We want to share the kinds of conversations we wish we had when we were stumbling through the maze of cultural expectations, career pressures, and, of course, family dynamics. So, buckle up. It’s time to laugh, reflect, and embrace the weirdness that comes with being “too much” of both worlds but somehow never enough of either.
If you also have a story that you want to share, get in touch with us.
Our Listeners
Somehow, in this big chaotic internet, a few people found YekoNim. Here’s who’s listening to us so far:
Started in July of 2024, currently with 2 seasons and about 30 episodes out and ready for our listeners— not including the original 6 episodes we recorded while eating, mumbling, and pretending we knew what we were doing (we absolutely did not). Those are safely buried.
Here are some stats from Spotify—not Emad’s favorite platform, but the only one that sends us charts we don’t fully understand. Let the data speak… even if it’s whispering at this point.
Followers
Streams
Listeners per month
Gender
Age
Location
* Does not include any VPN wizardry.
Newest Episode
Latest Episodes
EP30 – Hopeless Romantic
هوپلس رمانتیک یعنی چی واقعاً؟ چرا به آدمی که هنوزم به عشق واقعی باور داره میگن ناامید؟ توی این اپیزود درباره این تیپ شخصیت حرف زدیم، از نقش فضای مجازی و دیتینگاپها گفتیم، و اینکه چطور یک و نیمی بودن میتونه این مسیر رو سختتر، پیچیدهتر و حتی رویاییتر کنه. What...
EP29 – Freewill & Determinism | جبر و اختیار
این قسمت رفتیم سراغ یکی از فلسفیترین درگیریهای ذهنی تاریخ: جبر یا اختیار؟ از فلسفه و فیزیک کوانتوم تا زیستشناسی و مغز. و البته که تو هیچکدوم تخصصی نداریم 🙂 با هم گشتیم دنبال اینکه خودمون چطوری به زندگی نگاه میکنیم، و اینکه اصلاً این سوال بهظاهر تئوریک، چطور توی...
EP28 – Rise of Nerds | ظهور نردها
از ریشهی کلمهی نرد و اینکه چطور یه زمانی مسخره میشد، ولی الان شده نماد باهوش بودن و حتی باحال بودن. همچنین دربارهی اینکه چطور کامیونیتی نردها میتونه برای ما «یک و نیمیها» حس تعلق بسازه گپ میزنیم. We talk about where the word nerd even comes from, how it went...
EP27 – Men VS Men | مردان در مقابل مردان
در آخرین قسمت از سهگانه محمدرضا، این بار به شکل گفتوگو محور نشستیم و از رابطهمون با پدرانمون گفتیم. مردانگی برای نسل اونا چی معنی داشت و برای ما چی؟ چطور تفاوت سنی و مهاجرتی (پدران نسل ۱، ما نسل ۱.۵) روی این موضوع تأثیر گذاشته؟ چی ازشون یاد گرفتیم و چیارو رو تصمیم...
EP26 – Patriarchy | مرد سالاری
توی این قسمت از سهگانه محمدرضا، رفتیم سراغ یکی از ریشهدارترین ساختارهای اجتماعی: مردسالاری. از تاریخچهش گفتیم، از اینکه چطور مشکلات امروزمون رو شکل داده و حتی چطور خودش به خود مردها هم آسیب میزنه. ولی مهمتر از همه، از مسئولیتپذیری جامعه مردها در برابر این ساختار...
EP25 – Masculinity | مردانگی
مردانگی یعنی چی؟ چرا بعضی ویژگیها رو “مردونه” و بعضی رو “زنونه” میدونیم؟ اصلاً این مفاهیم طبیعی هستن یا یه چیزیه که جامعه به خوردمون داده؟ تو این قسمت، مردانگی سمی و سالم رو زیر ذرهبین گذاشتیم، یه کم هم دربارهی زنانگی حرف زدیم و سعی کردیم بفهمیم این برچسبها از...
EP24 – On Being Nice | در باب نایس بودن
در این اپیزود، سراغ کتاب “درباره خوب بودن” میریم و دربارهی تفاوت نایس بودن و مهربونی حرف میزنیم. هرکی نایسه پخمست؟ کدوم رو ترجیح میدیم باشیم و اینکه آیا میشه هر دو بود؟ In this episode, we explore “On Being Nice” and discuss the difference between niceness and...
EP23 – Dark Side of AI | نیمه تاریک هوش مصنوعی
این قسمت، درباره نیمه تاریک هوش مصنوعی گپ میزنیم! اینکه هوش مصنوعی خوبه یا بده و بقول پدر هوش مصنوعی، جفری هینتون، چجوری یه تهدید وجودی به حساب میاد؟ In this episode, we dive into the dark side of artificial intelligence! Is AI a force for good or a looming danger?...
EP22 – Embracing Vulnerability | پذیرش آسیب پذیری
چرا باید آسیب پذیری رو در آغوش بگیریم؟ آسیبپذیری معمولاً چیزی نیست که با افتخار ازش حرف بزنیم. بیشتر وقتا ترجیح میدیم قایمش کنیم و وانمود کنیم که همیشه قوی و بیاحساسیم. اما اگه بگیم که آسیبپذیری نهتنها ضعف نیست، بلکه میتونه ما رو قویتر، خلاقتر و حتی صمیمیتر...