"The Politics of Otherness": A Talk with Saadia Khan

Since the 2016 Elections, there has been a growing marginalization or "othering" of specific communities in the United States. When these communities are "othered," or not accepted by the mainstream, they are more vulnerable to a denial of human rights. How can we bring communities together in a divided America and "de-other" these groups?

Saadia Khan, a graduate of the Columbia Human Rights Masters Program, will discuss this "othering" and share her insights from interviews she conducted as part of her weekly podcast, The Alien Chronicles: Immigrant Stories. Saadia launched her podcast six months ago to feature the stories of immigrants from all walks of life. The conversations center on race, gender, equality, and integration in a divided America with the goal of creating empathy for "the other" through relatable narratives.

Saadia is a Pakistani American living in New York. After graduating from Columbia, she worked as a Policy Specialist at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), where she focused on countering violent extremism and financing for women's rights.