Paola Mendoza knows what it is like to feel exhausted and disillusioned as if this country is not for her but against her. But she also knows resilience like it’s her middle name. Paola is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, a human rights activist who carries her Colombian heritage and immigrant identity with pride and perspective. She is a fierce feminist who is raising her son to be one. She recently co-authored a YA novel "Sanctuary". Our conversation was deep, profoundly honest, and introspective.

1. I
Ep-93 "I Couldn't
Just Create Art for
Art's Sake"
TH

2. II
Paola Mendoza knows what it is like to
feel exhausted and disillusioned as if
this country is not for her but against
her. But she also knows resilience like
it’s her middle name.

3. II
Paola is a critically acclaimed filmmaker,
author, a human rights activist who
carries her Colombian heritage and
immigrant identity with pride and
perspective. She is a fierce feminist who
is raising her son to be one.

4. II
he recently co-authored a YA novel
"Sanctuary". Our conversation was
deep, profoundly honest, and
introspective.

5. II
Hey listeners. How is it going?
Can you believe it? Another
month has passed and we are in
the middle of September.
Saadia Khan 0:15

6. II
September! I know, I say this a lot
whenever we approach a new month and
you must be thinking she's going to go on
a rant about new month and what it
entails, but it never fails to surprise me
how unprepared I am each time.
Saadia Khan 0:15

7. II
Things are moving at warp speed, and I
guess there isn't much to but just go along
for the ride, right? Although I must confess,
what made me do a double take this time
was the fact that we've lived with COVID
and quarantined for half a year, six
months.
Saadia Khan 0:15

8. II
Now, March seems like just yesterday. I
know, I know. March was also the
longest month ever because we were
sitting in anticipation of some miracle
to happen.
Saadia Khan 0:15

9. II
It didn't quite happen though, did it?
Because of poor leadership and poor
judgement, this country is still experiencing
unchecked COVID infection rates and
death rates. That is a truth we must all
reckon with. European nations have
banned us from visiting them.
Saadia Khan 0:15

10. II
We want to get the latest on that
breaking news right now. The European
Union has just released a list of
countries that are allowed to travel into
the EU.
News Report 1:29

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The United States is not one of them. The
EU, a block of 27 nations, is trying to
recoup some of the summer travel season
so they want to make it for people, make it
easier for people to travel within Europe
and for select countries from the outside
to come to Europe for non essential travel,
that is tourism, business, etc.
News Report 1:29

12. II
And they were looking at how different
countries from outside the block were
doing with the COVID crisis, how they were
managing it at home, and the US was not
on the list.
News Report 1:29

13. II
Let that sink in. And believe you, me, all of
us want COVID to end. But just because I
want COVID to be over and you want
COVID to be over, it does not mean it is.
What scares me though, is that we've
become immune to not the virus, but to
the concept of the virus.
Saadia Khan 2:12

14. II
We've started to ignore how dangerous it
is. How it discriminates against more
vulnerable population, and how it is still
with us. This is all to say we need to stay
alert. Take care of ourselves and our
communities and know that this will pass
but not without sacrifice.
Saadia Khan 2:12

15. VI
Keep In Touch

16. VI
Keep In Touch

17. TH
Thank You
XIV
https://immigrantlypod.com/podcasts/ep-93-i-couldnt-just-create-art-for-arts-sake