Jacobin Radio: The Americanization of a Russian Émigré w/ Emil Draitser

08/06/2025 1h 1min
Jacobin Radio: The Americanization of a Russian Émigré w/ Emil Draitser

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Podcast: Jacobin Radio (LS 60 · TOP 0.1% what is this?)Episode: Jacobin Radio: The Americanization of a Russian Émigré w/ Emil DraitserPub date: 2025-05-15Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationEmil Draitser — Soviet satirist turned American memoirist — joins Suzi to talk about his new book, Laughing All the Way to Freedom: The Americanization of a Russian Émigré. It's a sharp, funny, and moving account of his journey from censorship and conformity in the USSR to the chaotic freedoms of the 1970s United States.
We explore how satire served as both survival and resistance in the Soviet Union, and how his identity was reshaped — culturally, politically, and personally — through the messy process of becoming American.
Emil reflects on the welcome once extended to Cold War refugees like himself, and the stark contrast with today's hostile climate for immigrants. We also touch on the uneasy “friendship” between Putin and Trump, imperialists determined to redefine the character of politics.
Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jacobin, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.