America's Identity Crisis / Liyah Babayan
Liyah Babayon is an Armenian refugee, activist, entrepreneur, and business owner of Ooh La La consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho.
I first became familiar with Liyah after she was featured in a Slate article that explored the upsurge of anti-refugee activism in the city of Twin Falls, Idaho. I approached her to do a podcast with me, and what resulted was an in-depth and fascinating discussion into her personal history as a refugee, of starting a business during the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the Armenian Genocide, the geopolitical chess game being played between the United States and Russia in Syria and the greater Middle East, her personal experience with the xenophobic anti-refugee activism that has grown in this community, and living in this place and time during the great experiment that is America, as well as many other fascinating subjects.
This conversation was recorded in Ooh La La, Liyah's consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Episode Notes:
Read the article, “If You Want to Live Here, You Need to Live by the Rules Here”, published in Slate
