Hello. Hello, hello. How are you? I'm doing well. I was just explaining to your producer the very interesting situation

I'm in where I'm in a slight fetal position in my gym desperately trying to use internet because the internet went down my home and my basement flooded

and I have two homeschool children running around crazy. But we made it work. Oh my god. How did you make it work?

Being a child of immigrants and stretching a dollar and making it 20 and being creative and hustling

the good summaries of the gym decided looked at me and took pity on me. You know, I'm not a linman well-muranda person

but I feel like the only quote that works here is from him immigrants to get the job done.

Hey y'all, you're listening to It's Been A Minute from NPR. I'm Sam Sanders and the guy talking to me from his gym is Wajahat Ali.

He has many things, a calmness for the daily beast, a public speaker and the author of a new book.

It's called Go Back to Where You Came From and other helpful recommendations on becoming American.

It's a book all about the kind of immigrant grit he displayed and trying to find a place to record this chat.

But it's also full of quote unquote helpful recommendations for immigrants that he's gotten from white Americans.

The whole book points out just how hilarious and untenable and difficult becoming American can be.

And throughout the book Waj uses his story to offer strategies on how to make America more welcoming and compassionate.

And yes, he still believes that's possible.

I really enjoyed talking with Waj about his book and politics and why he aspires to be just like Bugs Bunny.

Enjoy.

I suppose that is the perfect introduction to this conversation all about your book on how to be an immigrant making it in America

and perhaps the first lesson is just make it work.

Just make it work. If life gives you lemon, you make lemonade.

And in my case, if you come from Southeast and immigrants originally from Heatherwood,

you make a char, which I think most NPR listeners now know what a char is.

Remind them just in case.

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