Banking on Discrimination

[F]law School

[F]law School
Banking on Discrimination
Apr 05, 2025
The [F]law & The Systemic Justice Project

Summary: 

In this episode of [F]law School, hosts Giovana de Oliveira and Thy Luong speak with third-year law student Talish Babaian about how, in 2023, Citibank quietly denied credit and closed accounts for Armenian Americans in Glendale, California—and how that pattern fits into a long history of discrimination, corporate power, and legal systems that protect institutions over people.

Editors:

Special thanks to Nandini Kalani for audio editing assistance, Giovana de Oliveira  and Nelson Reed for production assistance.

Guest Bio:

Talish Babaian is a third-year law student at Harvard Law School. She is also a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to attending law school, she worked in local politics in the city of Glendale, California, where she was born and raised.

Music:

Our theme music is "I Been Waiting" by Crystal Squad, and you'll also hear segments of "Palms Down" by Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more about this episode in the shownotes on the episode homepage

Episode Artwork Banking on Discrimination 33:24 Episode Artwork The Migrant Trap 53:04 Episode Artwork The Body (S)camera 45:23 Episode Artwork The Midnight Shift: Today's Child Labor Crisis 49:43 Episode Artwork Mass Incarceration, Inc. 32:16 Episode Artwork Profits Over Patients 44:46 Episode Artwork Selling Harvard Law Students 54:00 Episode Artwork Profit Over People: The Housing Crisis 56:51 Episode Artwork Corporatization of Drag - Part 2 31:57 Episode Artwork Corporatization of Drag - Part 1 51:50 Episode Artwork The Business of Boredom 30:58 Episode Artwork Harvard Law School’s Public Interest Propaganda 36:21 Episode Artwork Not Just a Game 28:49 Episode Artwork Representation = Taxation 45:28 Episode Artwork Suppression by Surveillance 29:47 Episode Artwork Trailer: Welcome to [F]law School! 3:39