Serena Rasoul’s humble upbringing in rural Virginia left her feeling like a leper to both white neighbors and other Arab Americans from afar. Her childhood defense mechanism? Resorting to funny accents and impressions. Serena joins AMP to discuss her diverse career, founding the first casting agency focused on Muslim talent, and the real story of Hollywood. The daughter of Palestinian immigrants with a Mayberry vision of America, her family landed on a Southern horse ranch to run a corner store and gas station—“the only Muslims for hours.” With no mosque around, she would often accompany friends to churches, synagogues, and temples. The only common ground in town was that everyone struggled to get by. While it could be lonely and isolating, she says she also felt empowered, eventually forming dear, accepting friendships. “Just like any child of immigrants,” Serena was supposed to be the doctor. Despite her love of stand-up and performing, her heavy sense of responsibility and keen awareness of her parents’ sacrifices led her to study public health. Asad and her exchange banter about parental expectations of success. She spent many years working for the government while pursuing acting gigs on the side (including House of Cards and Veep) and dabbling in stand-up. After checking all the obligatory boxes, however, she finally left her job to pursue her passion full-time. What she discovered was inexperienced studios portraying BIPOC talent as stereotypes. With no home in the industry, she decided to create one. Enter Muslim American Casting, launched 1/20/21, the day after the Muslim Ban was repealed. Her agency casts Muslim and SWANA talent in the TV, film, and commercial industries and provides consulting services to ensure accurate representation. Despite her parents not quite understanding what she does now, they are supportive. Regardless she still loves doing impressions of them (which she graces us with). She enlightens us on Hollywood’s ignorance about the diversity of the American Muslim population. We become aware of a report on 100 years of Muslim tropes that unearths Muslim stereotypes in the silent-film era and explores the wildly evolving caricatures over time. She provides her take on where Hollywood is headed. Check out MuslimAmericanCasting.com, and help grow the vast database if you are in the biz by submitting your info under the talent tab. See Serena’s latest roles and goings-on here. Follow @muslimcasting on IG and Twitter for casting calls and revolving features of Muslim creatives. American Muslim Project is a production of Rifelion, LLC. Writer and Researcher: Lindsy Gamble Show Edited by Mark Annotto and Asad Butt Music by Simon Hutchinson Hosted by Asad Butt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices