We spoke with Fiza Pirani of Foreign Bodies, a newsletter that destigmatizes mental illness, centered on immigrant and refugee experiences. Fiza’s created a community of people who resonate with her vulnerability and mission to give a voice to populations that aren’t typically featured in mainstream media.Fiza was born in India and lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to America, and she personally struggled with depression and a lack of belonging. As a journalist, she felt compelled to write for an audience who might share similar feelings. Fiza curates essays and the latest news coverage on the immigrant experience and mental health. She also shares personal stories and photos, expert interviews and research, and community resources and shoutouts. We talked to Fiza about her personal experiences with mental health, why her writing appeals to a wider audience beyond immigrants and refugees, and how she builds trust with her readers by being vulnerable.LinksForeign Bodies, Fiza’s newsletterFiza on TwitterIssue #14 of Foreign Bodies, which features psychologist Sharon Lo’s advice for having conversations about mental illnessHow Telling My Immigrant Parents I Contemplated Suicide May Have Saved My Life, Fiza’s Teen Vogue article The Carter Center’s Mental Health Journalism Fellowship, which helped Fiza launch Foreign Bodies How not to be sad, Laura Deming’s article on sadnessHighlights(02:29) Why Fiza left her traditional newsroom job to start telling immigrant stories(14:39) The meaning behind the name of Fiza’s newsletter, Foreign Bodies (19:57) Why mental health is particularly challenging for those who don’t feel like they belong(38:34) How Fiza launched Foreign Bodies through a reporting fellowship (42:13) Common challenges that mental health journalists face On talking about stigmatized issues:There are discussions that I feel like I haven't really been able to have growing up—maybe they've been stigmatized—about mental illness, about identity, so that connection is definitely very intimate for me. On publicly sharing her personal story: I felt like I had a story that needed to be told, and I think almost everyone has a story that they feel needs to be told. And it really was just about being okay with publicizing that and letting your vulnerabilities be on the screen or on paper or wherever you want to pitch your story.On feeling a lack of belonging: The only word that I've really been able to associate my identity with is the fact that I've always felt foreign.TranscriptNadia (00:42):We'll get into Foreign Bodies itself in a bit, but I'd love to start by just having you talk about: how did you arrive here from a personal standpoint, why is this topic important to you?Fiza (00:53):Oh, man. Let's see.Fiza (00:58):Well, I, myself, am an immigrant, so I definitely ... There are discussions that I feel like I haven't really been able to have growing up, maybe they've been stigmatized, about mental illness, about identity, so definitely that connection is definitely very intimate for me. I was a journalist, or I am a journalist, but I was with the newsroom for about four and a half years.Fiza (01:30):And I always knew that writing was in my blood. My mom is a storyteller, my daddy, my grandma is a big storyteller, will remember everything about everything. And I definitely feel like once I got into the industry, I noticed there was a huge focus on audience and catering to an audience, your audience are subscribers, the people that have been loyal to you.Fiza (02:03):And what I quickly noticed was there wasn't so much of an emphasis of that immigrant audience, which makes up such a huge portion of the American population. And the more I researched, the more I realized that there really are very few publications, at least in mainstream media, few focuses on the immigrant experience at all.Fiza (02:29):And I remember when I was in the newsroom, I left almost a year ago-ish. I left because I was getting burnt out, like completely.