Pax Assadi Photo: supplied
From the opening scenes of the second series of Raised by Refugees - the comedy sitcom created by award winning comedian Pax Assadi - monocultural views of New Zealand society are challenged with humour.
In episode one we find the sitcom’s Iranian-Pakistani New Zealand family at a Bahá’í service, with the grandfather (Reza Matez) afterwards insisting 14-year-old Pax (Kenus Binu) speak Farsi in the car.
Born in Auckland to an Iranian father and Pakistani mother, Raised by Refugees is based on Assadi’s own upbringing. His father (who he plays in the series) escaped Iran because of persecution of Baha'i at the time of the Islamic Revolution. His parents arrived in Aotearoa from Pakistan a year before Pax was born.
We’ve been seeing plenty of Assadi on screen recently. Earlier in the year he co-hosted TVNZ1’s nature documentary Endangered Species Aotearoa, and he's been on an array of panel shows.
Raised by Refugees Season 2 Episode 3 Photo: supplied
Pax joins Culture 101’s Mark Amery on our regular 'Fast Favourites' segment to give a shout out to some other artists.
Raised By Refugees season two premieres October 18 on Neon.
Raised by Refugees season 2 episode 6 Photo: supplied
