Kareem Rahma, Host of SubwayTakes, on Having a Good Conversation and Growing Up as a Muslim Kid in America

"Having a good conversation is a lost art. SubwayTakes came out of this: My ideal night is four hours at a table arguing and conversing with a group of five people. Debating about nothing, no one getting offended, because it's for fun. The spirit of debate is missing from America. SubwayTakes is a place where you can have a good time arguing."

"Growing up as a Muslim kid in Minnesota, I learned how to be a chameleon. I didn't want to be different. I couldn't speak English for the first six years of my life. I got bullied for it. In my home, it was Arabic music and the news, CNN and Al Jazeera. When I was a kid, I would say to my dad, Hey, look what I did. And he'd be like, Great, keep going."

"One lesson my mom instilled in me is that one thousand minor inconveniences are worth it to keep the actual tragedy or the big problem at bay. I can get fucking fucked, and I'm like, It's fine. The other day, I lost my wallet. It flew off my bike. I was going like 30 down the Manhattan Bridge. I'm pretty sure it just flew into the river."

SubwayTakes launched in 2023 on Instagram and TikTok as an interview series filmed on New York City subway cars with the prompt "So what's your take?". The show centers on spirited, playful debates and conversational curiosity, aiming to revive the lost art of conversation. More than five hundred episodes have aired. Personal background includes growing up Muslim in Minnesota, learning to adapt culturally, speaking English only after age six, and enduring bullying. Family lessons emphasized persistence and accepting minor inconveniences to avoid larger tragedies. Anecdotes include losing a wallet on the Manhattan Bridge and traveling to Europe relying on Apple Pay and a passport.

Read at www.esquire.com