Fi2W on the radio: Immigrants Embrace Mysterious Sport — Ice Hockey

“Hockey in New Jersey” an after school program where kids play ice hockey for free; photo: Hockey in New Jersey

Ask most people to name a sport that’s popular with immigrants and they’ll probably say soccer or baseball. But for Shagana Ehamparam who grew up in a Sri Lankan family in Toronto, it was a different story.

She remembers sitting in front of the TV with her brothers almost every NHL game night. “No one was allowed to change the channel or leave the room while the puck was in play – it was a sacred ritual.”

Shagana, who now lives in New York, told her story on NPR and WBUR’s Here and Now. She found that, as in Canada, ice hockey is becoming increasingly popular with immigrant audiences in the U.S. 

Listen to Shagana’s original Fi2W podcast – Goalllll! The Changing Face of Ice Hockey

This podcast was produced as part of the Telling Immigrant Stories course at The New School.

Fi2W is supported by the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation an anonymous donor and readers like you.

AboutShagana Ehamparam

Shagana is interested in telling stories of the South Asian community which she feels is often underrepresented in the mainstream media. She is currently the Communications Manager at Apathy is Boring, a national youth-led organization based in Montreal, Canada that supports young people in taking charge of the conditions they live in, together. She is also a contributor to TamilCulture, an online media platform that inspires, empowers and connects the global Tamil community through storytelling. Shagana holds a Master’s degree in Public and Urban Policy from The New School in New York City.