327: Who Needs a Time Machine? I Changed Countries

What does it mean to belong in America without proving your worth? Why are immigrants still expected to be extraordinary just to be seen as enough? And what happens when we stop performing successfully and simply allow ourselves to be human? In this deeply resonant conversation, host Saadia Khan is joined by Bilal Lakhani, Pakistani-American journalist, writer, and host of the podcast pehchaan, to explore identity, home, immigrant guilt, and the often-unspoken emotional cost of leaving the place you love. Bilal shares how moving from Karachi to the United States led to clinical depression, why raising his daughter changed his understanding of belonging, and how many immigrants internalize the belief that they must achieve in order to deserve space in America. The episode unpacks The pressure on immigrants to be extraordinary rather than ordinary humans Why do many naturalized citizens hesitate to call themselves "immigrants?” Why pauses, joy, and rest are a form of quiet protest ...