From Talk to Podcast, Here is The Dearborn Girl

posted on: Dec 18, 2020

By: Mohamed Nada/Arab America Contributing Writer

Podcasts continue to grow in numbers, especially since they can be started by just about anyone, and can reach many people with apps like Spotify. Two girls with big dreams bring what they are looking for in life by starting their very own podcast.

As for Rima Fadlallah, pictured left, and her partner Yasmeen Kadouh, they decided it was time to start their new podcast called Dearborn Girl, a series based in Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn Girl is a podcast based show, that represents two Arab women who talk about multiple issues women face.

The goal of the podcast is to start conversations within the Arab and/or Muslim community in Dearborn and beyond. Their show features the awesome stories of Arab and/or Muslim women in Dearborn, with a new episode weekly.

The girls wanted to do more than just sit around and carry on with their lives; they strived to voice their opinions and share it with the rest of the world.

The podcast was not a small feat-Kadouh and Fadlallah had been wracking their brains to come up with ideas. At times, they were overwhelmed with perfectionism and had moments of “analysis paralysis”. Eventually, though, they decided it was more important to see their dream through and create the podcast.

After the release of the podcast, it was an almost immediate success. Metromode conducted an interview with the Dearborn Girl’s Fadlallah and Kadouh, who talked about the success:

“No and yes. I could answer honestly yes or no to either. I’m not surprised because I’ve always believed that we needed a space like this, I just never could articulate it. And then as we developed it, it made sense,” Kadouh says.

Why the name Dearborn Girl?

In the Detroit News, Sarah Rahal got some exclusive insight on the Dearborn girls regarding what they were all about and why they chose the “Dearborn Girl” for their podcast.

“They chose the name because the term “Dearborn girl” has come to mean a heavily cultured Middle Eastern girl who doesn’t venture beyond the walls of her community. They’re hoping to redefine that image, Kadouh and Fadlallah said.”

With their podcast, they decided to take back the negative connotation of “Dearborn Girl”, replacing it with the empowerment and the telling of the women’s raw stories.

More in this article here.

Of the Many Stories Discussed…

Here is a great story from one podcast episode on a bright girl name Mariam Jalloul, a Harvard graduate.

The girls hope to share her achievements and story of getting into Harvard with the rest of the Dearborn community through the Dearborn Girls series. This episode highlights some expectations of Arab and/or Muslim women.

Description: Mariam Jalloul and her journey a girl living in Dearborn to acceptance into Harvard. This is her story of how she leaves everything behind to help discover who she truly is in the world. 

Through this podcast, the girls also seek to help voice the words of Arab women in their community. These are the stories that need to be heard.

The podcast is a great way to reach out to people who are eager to hear what the girls have to say about the community.

Although they cover a variety of topics, their main priority is to discuss women’s issues and the Dearborn community by sharing as many stories as possible.

Description: Full interview with Mariam about her time at Harvard and the struggles she faced. 

Dearborn Girl- Give it a Listen!

With the vast number of podcasts out there today, not many focus on the more difficult issues, like what these women are doing. Ultimately, Dearborn Girl is more than just a podcast and conversation, it’s empowering women in the Dearborn community to tell their stories and shed light on the issues surrounding the community. It’s streaming on all major platforms, so go ahead and give them a listen.

Check out Arab America’s blog here!