Only in America with Ali Noorani Ali Noorani

In lieu of a regular, full episode this week, we hope you’ll join us live for the National Immigration Forum’s annual convening, Leading the Way, Nov. 16-19. Each day from 3-5 p.m. Eastern, we’re bringing together influential voices for critical conversations about immigration and the role of immigration in our nation’s future. Tune in to hear more about the path forward.

For our special post-election episode, Ali talks to Robert P. Jones about the future of American identity, interpreting recent polling trends, and what the numbers reveal about how we can heal and build a path forward.

Robert is CEO and Founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI. He’s also the author of “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity.”

This week, we’re taking a bit of a break from the relentless election news cycle. Ali chats with Nancy Jooyoun Kim, whose debut novel, The Last Story of Mina Lee, has become a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller since being published in September.

They discuss immigrant experiences in the U.S. and how telling those stories can bring a powerful perspective to a complicated topic. Plus, how her book challenges the assumptions of the American Dream and the types of immigrant stories we often hear.

In the final episode of our pre-election deep dive into civic engagement, Ali hears about the experiences of 2 first-time voters who recently became US citizens through the Forum’s New American Workforce program.

Karla Garcia talks about her father’s experience voting for the first time this year and the changes she’s seen in the Latinx electorate over the years. Ambica Prakash spoke about her journey through the naturalization process and her perspective on civic engagement as a new American.

Ali sits down with Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, the executive producers of Little America, an Apple TV anthology series telling the immigrant stories we don’t often hear in American pop culture. They chat about the about the power of storytelling, how to create a sense of connectedness amid division, and what’s missing from conversations on immigration.

This week Ali speaks to Bob Worsley, a businessman and former Republican member of the Arizona State Senate. He recently wrote a book called “The Horseshoe Virus” on polarization in politics.

An active member of the LDS Church, Bob spoke about how his faith informed his civic engagement — and why advocating for commonsense immigration policies doesn’t have to be partisan.