Code Switch
NPR
What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.Want to level up your Code Switch game? Try Code Switch Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/codeswitch
- 39 minutes 15 secondsHow local police extend ICE's reach, even in sanctuary citiesSanctuary policies have been described on both sides of the aisle as protecting immigrants. But in many ways, in practice, they have given rise to a specific kind of policing that gives ICE a much wider reach than it might otherwise have. We talk to anthropologist Peter Mancina, who is the author of a recent book, On the Side of Ice: Policing Immigrants in a Sanctuary State about his on-the-ground research embedding with police in New Jersey.
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NPR Privacy Policy21 January 2026, 3:35 pm - 22 minutes 21 secondsFreedom through the eyes of foes: Rev. Martin Luther King and Sen. Barry GoldwaterIn honor of MLK Day, we sit down with historian Nicholas Buccola, author of One Man’s Freedom, to re-examine the concept of "freedom" by comparing the legacies of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and conservative politician Barry Goldwater. In our conversation, Buccola reveals the profound gulf between Goldwater's abstract view of freedom and King's focus on the daily fight for dignity and individual liberty– and he helps us understand what this historical battle can teach us about the fight for freedom today.
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NPR Privacy Policy17 January 2026, 8:00 am - 33 minutes 13 secondsVenezuela and the long tradition of US interferenceThe U.S. ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is just the latest chapter in a long, troubling history of American intervention in Latin America. NPR immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd brings us to the New York courthouse where President Maduro was indicted by the U.S. government. We also talk to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Greg Grandin, who explains how the modern concept of national sovereignty — a country’s right to govern itself — originated in Latin America as a response to U.S. expansion.
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NPR Privacy Policy14 January 2026, 8:00 am - 18 minutes 11 secondsJelani Cobb talks democracy, Trumpism, and the future of journalism2026 is off to an intense start, but many of the events we're seeing play out today come out of dynamics that have been building for years. Jelani Cobb, a journalist, historian, and the Dean of Columbia's journalism school, talks to us about his new book, Three of More is a Riot (Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025), which analyzes some of the major events of the United States' past decade and a half, and how they've set the groundwork for much of what's happening now.
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NPR Privacy Policy10 January 2026, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 40 secondsHow 'The Joy Luck Club' highlighted the complicated dynamics of immigrant familiesConnecting across generations can be tough, even in the same family. This is at the heart of Amy Tan’s 1989 novel The Joy Luck Club. This week, we're bringing you an episode from NPR's Books We Loved series, where our very own B. A. Parker, along with Andrew Limbong and The Indicator’s Wailin Wong, discuss how miscommunication and misunderstandings between parents and their children continues to be a theme in stories of immigrant families today.
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NPR Privacy Policy7 January 2026, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 17 secondsSupport for Israel is waning, but many White Evangelical Christians remain steadfastAmong the American public, support for Israel has fallen among almost every demographic group. But for many White Evangelical Christians over the age of 35, support has remained steadfast. And that support continues to be a major shaper of U.S. policy in the region. So today, in our final installment of the Code Switch History Class series, we're looking into the history and theology behind how White Evangelicals became so connected to Israel, and what that connection looks like in the public square.
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NPR Privacy Policy3 January 2026, 8:00 am - 39 minutes 15 secondsFrom "CRT" to "DEI": A history of race and moral panicsA few years back, many politicians were raising the alarm about the dangers of "CRT" in schools. Today, the new risk to public education is "DEI." What do both of these moments have in common? They have all the elements of a moral panic. So in this installment of Code Switch History Class, we're looking at the history of moral panics in the U.S., and why they so often invoke fears about race and integration.
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NPR Privacy Policy31 December 2025, 8:05 am - 18 minutes 30 secondsWhere ICE came from, and where it needs to goIn 2018, in light of some pretty aggressive rhetoric and policies being enacted by the Trump administration, many people were asking a pretty direct question: Should ICE be abolished? Seven years later, amidst arguably even harsher policies and language, many are still asking that same question. So today, on the second installment in our Code Switch History Class series, we're taking a look at where ICE came from, and talking to an expert about what a more humane immigration system might necessitate.
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NPR Privacy Policy27 December 2025, 8:05 am - 40 minutes 35 secondsWhat the 1968 fight for ethnic studies classes teaches us about todayThe fight over the soul of higher education is very alive right now, with the Trump administration engaged in dozens of investigations and multiple lawsuits against colleges and universities around the country. Billions of research dollars at those schools have been frozen, too. So today, in a special series called Code Switch History Class, we're looking back at another time of upheaval — a long, bloody strike at San Francisco State that forever changed higher education in the United States.
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NPR Privacy Policy24 December 2025, 8:00 am - 17 minutes 34 secondsKeep culture and tradition alive at the mahjong tableHow do we keep family traditions alive? For some people, it's by speaking their heritage language, or learning how to cook family recipes. For Nicole Wong, it was through games — specifically, learning the ins and outs of Mahjong. Her research led her to start the Mahjong Project, and to write a book about what she was learning called Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora. So this week, we talk to Nicole about what it's like trying to teach people a game you're not the best player of, and what she's learned about leveling up to elder/auntie status.
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NPR Privacy Policy20 December 2025, 8:05 am - 38 minutes 24 secondsThe fight over public education, from Texas to the White HouseFor months, the Trump administration has been making moves to dismantle the Department of Education — with mixed success. But when it comes to the fight over public education, some of the most significant dustups are happening on the local level, with school boards around the country. Today, we're looking at one of those fights, which played out in a rapidly changing suburb of Dallas called Southlake.
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