From self-proclaimed "weekend brown girl" as a teenager, to relearning traditional Bharatanatyam dance as an adult, and soaking in time with her parents as cultural connection... this episode's guest, Kirthana Sasitharan, takes us on a real journey. Her raw reflection of her parent's sacrifices really resonated with us, and it's no surprise that she's committed to making sure "our (Tamil) culture will never die with me"
Other highlights:
1:43 Kirthana's decision to go into journalism and her parents reaction
4:21 What being a 'weekend brown girl' means
7:08 An epic Diwali party celebration in University
10:28 Why completing traditional dance is so important
16:27 The biggest struggle her family faced & and what being an immigrant means (cue: Black tax from Trevor Noah)
We are left with the thought of the role of legacy in celebration and the implications & importance that actions today can have on the future. Reminder to rate and review our podcast on Apple - it helps other like-minded people find our pod and grows this beautiful community!
Kirthana Sasitharan is a CBC News Reporter, Producer, and Newsreader. Her experience includes travelling Ontario, working in various community newsrooms including CBC Hamilton, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo, CBC Thunder Bay, and CBC Sudbury. She’s also worked on the TV side of things at News Network, Marketplace, and the investigative unit.
Her experience outside of the CBC includes working for Business in Vancouver, the United Nations Association of Canada and Editor in Chief of Ignite Magazine. Kirthana is also a content producer having co-produced and managed a diversity oriented series for CBC Toronto called Boldly Asian. She’s also produced, reported, and marketed another series focused on the diversity of Toronto communities and perspectives called Rediscovering Culture.
