I’m Not Just a Refugee: Mina Binasaid on Identity, Freedom and Finding Belonging
Season 4, Episode 1 | Sukany4: The Podcast
How much of who we are is shaped by the choices we make, and how much by the expectations other people place upon us?
It’s a question that has stayed with me since my walk with Mina Banisaeid.
There are some conversations where you start with one subject and find yourself wandering into quite another. We talked about family, freedom, friendships, art, ADHD, the women who lift us up and the complicated business of belonging.
And, rather fittingly for a walking podcast, we occasionally had to work out where we were going!
But the thread that kept pulling us back was identity.
Who we are, and who we’re allowed to be.
Growing up with expectations
Mina grew up in Iran, where her experience of being a girl and then a woman was shaped by restrictions and expectations that influenced her everyday life.
During our conversation, she reflected on what it meant to seek permission, challenge rules and navigate the conflict between wanting independence and loving the family who had raised her.
It’s easy to talk about freedom as though it’s one big thing.
But sometimes it’s the little things. Going somewhere because you want to. Making decisions for yourself. Being able to experiment, get things wrong and try again.
Mina described moments from her younger years when she found ways around restrictions, including trying to pursue opportunities that weren’t always encouraged.
Mina didn’t just question the rules, she had to put so much energy into navigating them.
At one point, we found ourselves reflecting on what that energy might have been used for if she hadn’t had to fight so hard for what we take for granted as “ordinary” choices.
That was sobering.
Freedom isn’t only about what we’re allowed to do. It’s also about having the space to discover what we’re capable of.
Starting again in a different country
Moving to the UK opened up possibilities for Mina, but it also meant navigating a new set of challenges.
Language, unfamiliar accents, finding work, creating friendships and building a sense of belonging all became part of her experience.
There’s an interesting moment in our conversation when we reflect on how easily someone’s abilities can be overlooked when they don’t speak a language in the way others expect.
A person doesn’t suddenly become less intelligent because they’re speaking their second language.
Yet how often do we make assumptions based on someone’s accent, vocabulary or confidence?
Mina’s reflections made me think about how much of a person we fail to see when we judge them only by what they can communicate in a particular moment.
She also spoke about her ADHD and how understanding it has helped her make sense of parts of her life.
Her interests are wide ranging. She sees connections between things. She’s curious about the world.
Rather than viewing these characteristics only through the criticisms she’d previously encountered, she has been learning to understand herself differently.
And isn’t that something many of us spend years trying to do?
Unlearning what we’ve been told about ourselves.
“I’m not just a refugee”
This was one of the most important parts of our conversation.
After arriving in the UK, Mina became involved in volunteering, community work and supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.
She met people who offered friendship, encouragement and opportunities. Some of those relationships have become an important part of her life.
But she also began questioning how she was being seen.
Her refugee experience was an important part of her story, but it isn’t her entire identity.
She is also an artist. A woman with ideas, ambitions, interests and a whole range of experiences that existed beyond migration.
Mina spoke about the discomfort of being introduced or recognised primarily through her refugee status.
There’s something worth considering here.
When we celebrate someone for overcoming difficulty, are we also allowing them to be recognised for everything else they bring?
Or do we sometimes keep returning them to the very experience they’re trying to move beyond?
Mina also raised difficult questions about the expectations placed on people with lived experience who volunteer or support others.
In particular, she reflected on the importance of boundaries, safeguarding and recognising that someone helping a community may also need care and support themselves.
It’s a conversation that reaches far beyond refugee support.
How often do we assume that because someone is capable, generous and willing to help, they have endless capacity to keep giving?
The women who open doors
One of my favourite threads in this walk was hearing Mina talk about the women who have encouraged and supported her.
People who have introduced her to communities, recognised her talents, advocated for her and created opportunities.
She spoke warmly about the importance of friendship and the difference it has made to find women she can connect with.
And I loved that this part of the conversation wasn’t about one person doing everything alone.
Despite how often we’re encouraged to celebrate individual success, very few of us get anywhere without other people.
Whether that is someone who makes an introduction; Someone who recommends us for an opportunity; Someone who sees a talent we haven’t quite learnt to recognise in ourselves.
Mina shared an example of being recognised as an artist and given an opportunity to contribute creatively rather than being approached only because of her refugee experience.
That is an important distinction.
There’s a difference between being invited into a room because of a label and being recognised for the full range of what you can offer.
And what a difference that can make to somebody’s sense of belonging.
The importance of remembering what we take for granted
We also talked about privilege, particularly the everyday things that can become almost invisible to us.
Mina shared memories of her grandmother, who couldn’t read or write, and how she helped write letters for her.
Later, through her work with others, she was reminded that some people haven’t had access to opportunities or skills that others consider ordinary. For example, using a computer; Accessing education; Understanding how systems work.
Things we can easily assume everyone knows how to do.
This part of our walk really made me reflect on how much of our own experience we treat as universal.
And how important it is to remain curious about the experiences we haven’t lived.
Because we don’t know what we don’t know.
Sometimes we need someone else’s story to remind us.
Final Thoughts
Towards the end of our walk, Mina spoke about how much she continues to change, learn and unlearn.
What I loved was her recognition that growth doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a completely different person.
We can hold on to the kindness, curiosity and values that matter to us while changing the way we understand ourselves and the world.
And perhaps we can become a little better at giving others that same freedom.
Not reducing someone to where they came from, the difficulties they’ve experienced, a diagnosis, their profession or the assumptions we’ve made about them.
Just allowing people to be people.
All of them.
So I’ll leave you with a few thoughts.
When was the last time someone saw something in you that you’d forgotten was there?
Are there labels you’ve outgrown but still find yourself carrying?
And whose story might you understand differently if you asked a few more questions before making assumptions?
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Resources & Connect
Mina Banisaeid is an artist and community advocate whose personal and creative journey explores identity, belonging and inclusion. Originally from Iran, Mina has built a life in the UK, becoming involved in community initiatives, creative projects and work supporting women and people with refugee experience.
Her story is also one of questioning labels and challenging expectations. Mina is passionate about recognising people for their talents, perspectives and potential, rather than allowing any single experience to define them. Through her art, community involvement and personal experiences, she brings an important perspective to conversations about belonging, opportunity and the power of women supporting women.
Links:
- Instagram:@minaart2018
Our Season 4 opening walk takes us to the picturesque village of Dalston, just outside Carlisle, where Mina and I set off from a car park near the local Co-op, making our way through a leafy village park towards the River Caldew. It’s a lovely, peaceful route, taking us through green spaces, beneath the trees and towards the water, away from the bustle of everyday life. The riverside provides a beautiful setting for conversations about identity, belonging, cultural expectations and finding our own path. And, in true Sukany4: The Walk and Talk fashion, there are a few moments when we’re not entirely sure which way we’re going! A gentle walk through Dalston, with a few unexpected turns, plenty to reflect on.
