Amplifying Young Multicultural Voices with Saad Khalid

Saad: I am seeing that as an emerging concept that people were not talking about a couple of years ago, but I think a generational change has happened, a rising tide of young people from these migrant communities. They see value in the media spaces, they see value in telling their story, being able to share with a wider audience what their values are, what their systems are. So I really see young people taking the mantle, really stepping up.

Brian: Today we are with Saad Khalid, Project Director for the 2025 Australian Multicultural Youth Media Summit at the Ethnic Community Broadcasting in Australia. He is a first generation Pakistani Australian and highly recognised leader in Australia's multicultural media and ethnic broadcasting sector. Saad has been recognised as a finalist for 2024 Young Australian of the Year and listed among the 40 most influential Asian Australians under 40 for 2023. He is an award-winning documentary creator and podcaster who started producing content focused on the forgotten history of migrants in Australia during the 1800s. Saad, welcome to The Native Experience.

Saad: Thanks so much, Brian. It is great to be here.

Brian: Tell us about yourself and what you are nerding out on right now.

Saad: I am 22 years old, Pakistani Australian, deeply invested in the world of ethnic community broadcasting. What that means is migrant-powered media, how people come together to tell stories of migration, of engaging diaspora communities, and really looking at what a multicultural future looks like. I am leading a project called the Australian Multicultural Youth Media Summit, bringing together diverse content creators from all around Australia in early 2025. In terms of geeking out, probably GeoGuessr, being able to go on different streets around the world, looking at the various clues and trying to get better at it.

Brian: Tell me about the work you are doing.

Saad: I work in multicultural community broadcasting. That means migrant communities coming together in a media space, a third media sector after public and commercial broadcasting, led by the community for the community. It has been operating for the last 40 years in Australia. Since COVID, people have realised the importance of communicating to migrant and multicultural communities.

Saad: What I am leading is a summit for multicultural young people, anyone aged between 14 and 30, that they can put together content. They could be making a podcast, part of their student newspaper, making TikToks or Instagrams, but really looking at what this storytelling means in the broader context of society. It really does not take much to start a podcast or start writing for your local newspaper. That is the sort of person I hope to cultivate through my work.

Brian: What inspired you to get into this?

Saad: I am the son of a diplomat. Growing up, I changed about nine schools, moved around all continents of the world. That inspired me to connect with different cultures. When I came to Australia at 14, I really got into what being a migrant looks like. I started as a volunteer community broadcaster in Canberra with an in-language program in Urdu, the native language of Pakistan. Eventually that advocacy platform grew. I ended up making documentaries, podcasts on forgotten migrant history about 150 to 200 years old. Over time I grew into leadership positions from board positions to advisory ones.

Brian: Are young people stepping up?

Saad: I am seeing that as an emerging concept. A generational change has happened. A rising tide of young people from migrant communities. They see value in media spaces, in telling their story. South Asian Australians are leaning into what it means to be Indian, Nepalese, Pakistani, but also have that dual identity with being Australian. They have launched podcasts, series, documentaries on cross-cultural identity. They have seen good traction and really started the conversation around suicide prevention, mental well-being, looking after one another. These people have played vital impact just by starting a podcast, just by interviewing their uncle or the local community elder.

Brian: Tell us about the history of migrants in Australia during the 1800s.

Saad: Someone told me about the story of Australia's Muslim camel drivers. In the 1800s, people came from South Asia, from modern-day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. They came with camels to places in Australia where horses simply could not go, and they helped open up Outback Australia. There were about 2,000 of them. They played a vital role in connecting Outback communities, carried supplies, linked different outposts. But as the locomotive came, as telegraph was laid, these people were simply forgotten about. Some were sent home. Many stayed, had children of their own, were outcasts in society. Under the White Australia policy, they were not talked about.

Saad: My documentary looked into this history, why it is relevant today, interviewed a number of their descendants, visited Outback towns where they made an impact. It came together in a documentary called Kings of the Desert. The word pioneer should not be used just for an explorer or a settler. Migrants make an important contribution and sometimes we forget about it.

Brian: Tell us about your kindergarten localization story.

Saad: I had my first day in school in the United States, in Virginia. I was five years old, going into kindergarten. I walked into the class, waved to everyone, and introduced myself with an As-Salaam-Alaikum in my native language. Everyone looked dazed and confused. But there was a teaching assistant, Ms Asghari. She was married to a Pakistani. She immediately picked up that this kid might need some help. She volunteered, taught me English on the sidelines and helped me get over my first culture shock. By the end of kindergarten I was able to interact with different classmates. Someone that was there for only one year of my life was very pivotal in shaping my life's direction.

Brian: How do you communicate the differences and similarities between cultures?

Saad: We might all be different but we are all the same in essence. The effects of globalisation means we are increasingly interconnected. Any person can get onto YouTube, learn about different cultures. That background provides an opportunity to relate with someone so the next time you sit in a room, an American interacting with a Pakistani or an Australian, you find points of similarity. One of them is warmth and being accepting of different communities. The United States and Australia are melting pots for different cultures to form their own unique identity.

Brian: What is your advice for a migrant who wants to maintain their culture but also assimilate?

Saad: Interact with your neighbour, the person living next door, the security guard you wave to on your way into work. Share what it means to be from your background. In Pakistan, we often share a plate or give food to our neighbour. Being able to share those values is a good start. Volunteer in your community. Get out there, put your hand up. Find forums where different communities come together and find points of relatability. Finally, share your story. Do not be afraid to get out there and put out what your culture is and what your experience has been. You will find many people who relate to your messaging. That will set up a life of abundance, a life of being excited by other people and what they bring to the table.

Brian: Saad, thank you. Congratulations on everything and good luck on the upcoming summit.

Saad: Thanks so much for this opportunity.

Brian: Saad Khalid, Project Director for the 2025 Australian Multicultural Youth Media Summit. Remember, always strive for authenticity and embrace the power of native experiences.