No Country for Moving

Have you ever looked back at your life choices and wondered why you made them? How did you arrive where you are now and how you wished you had made different decision? I feel it’s a familiar feeling that we all have had at some point in our life. 

Sometimes it's comforting to read how one person's journey was made with the best intentions and they still managed to arrive at a point of success. And that is exactly what you will learn from Dung Duong's story. As a Vietnamese migrant who survived a treacherous crossing fleeing his homeland as a child, to arrive in America and overcome poverty to become a investor and optic engineer. Stories like these encourage us to strive and even if we do not reach our goals, at the very least be okay with the fact the choices we have made.

The Migrant Kitchen is more than just a restaurant run by two entrepreneurs but a home to migrant workers. The philosophy is based on feeding those who are left behind. The fusion of Middle Eastern and Latin American food is paying homage to the two founders Daniel Dorado and Nasser Jaber.

Speaking to Nasser, was eye opening. From learning about how Middle Eastern history is not often taught by those from the Middle East but through the white gaze and his experience as a Palestinian living in Palestine and Israel.

It's fair to say that before this interview, Ben and I only knew each other by name so when he graciously agreed to be interviewed, I was impressed by his pose, his poignant cultural comparisons of the USA and Israel and perspective as a member of the LGTBQIA. After learning what brought Ben to the states, it's clear he has lived many lives and has many more to live. Ben is a designer, ex-military and proud citizen of Tel Aviv, a city where the party never stops and gay clubs do not exist but co-exist- figure that!

When I sat down to speak to Otilia in her apartment, I anxiously pondered what we would speak about, as it was one of my earlier interviews and I wasn't quite prepared. To my surprise, the breadth of what she shared about adapting to new cultures while moving I could relate to. From being othered in Sweden to immigration policies that singled out her family members, Otilia's story is incredibly layered and reminds us all, that the unheard voices of emigrants and immigrants come in all colors.

I believe it is safe to say, that there is biased information out there around Russia socially and geopolitically.  One may even presume that the Cold War-era disdain for the nation runs through the very veins of America. With the US elections ending now is the time to listen to the voices of those who hail from nations we don't normally hear from whether they hold our belief system or not. In this episode, Veronika shares with us, her perspective as a Russian immigrant with graduate education in Florida and NYC while she scales the corporate ladder. She shares with us the people she has met that inspired her, and the difficulties she has faced after leaving Moscow around English learning, managing our complicated healthcare system, and finding a home in a difficult NYC even though she misses her family the stern faces of Moscow.

*Important to note this episode was recorded over 10 months ago and Veronika, has a more stable visa and outlook on life.

When Dasha moved to the US from Ukraine it was not a choice she made on her own. Crimea, the region she called home, had been annexed by Russia and it was not a peaceful takeover. In the years following, Dasha lived her life like the daughter of a politician running on an "anti-corruption" campaign. When the campaign took a turn, she was sent to the US and landed in Decatur, Georgia. In the subsequent years, she moved to Boston and then NYC. This interview took place in her room in Manhattan where we meet for the second time, and she shares with me her story. 

Katherine takes us through her family's decision to move from Bogotá to the US through an inciteful reflection on the push and pull factors and sacrifices that her grandmother and mother have made to make her the woman she is today. She is passionate, communicative, and inspiring and reminds me how rich and textured each immigrant's story is and how the fabric of America is deeply embedded with stories like hers. 

Pilisam or Sam for short, is a proud Bronx transplant. His mother, a diplomat, brought his sister and him over and as a green card holder, he braved the overpriced educational system, then proceeded to meet his wife at a soup kitchen he volunteered at - because if you didn't know, immigrants also like to give back. Listening to Pilisam explain being Black in America vs Black in Togo and how he learned the history of enslavement in Africa, will help you understand that the African diaspora is not a monolith and Black history has been taught incorrectly in the US, but that shouldn't be a surprise.

Jay welcomed me to his workplace near Grand Central, with multiple conference rooms, new-age office decor, and lots of snacks. Jay grew up as the eldest of three boys, in Iran, amongst a family who encouraged him to follow his dreams. So it was no surprise that he took an education and work opportunity that landed him in Singapore for five years and soon after he followed another opportunity to pre 9/11 Jersey. Despite his mother's and the common heald belief in Iran, that the West was filled with drug addicts with loose morals, he managed to survive and thrive. These days, not too much has changed for Jay, he still defines the free spirit and his stories will make your draw drop.

There is no doubt after this interview that Sherry is a global citizen of the world. Sherry was born in Mumbai, then moved to the Middle East with her high school sweetie, she graced Kuwait and Jordan with her presence and even decided to move to Delhi for a while. A few years ago, she moved with her husband and son to New Jersey, and she quickly became my day one at our new job. This episode is a glimpse of the types of conversations we had about our families, cultural similarities, and the distinctly North American nuances that are unmistakably hard to miss.

There is nothing more comforting then speaking to someone who shares a culture that you can relate to at an intimate level. Therefore speaking to Gabriel was pure joy, his stories reminded me of some of my own and it was easy to hear what he had to say and how he said it. Understanding why his parents came to the United States, the reasons that propelled them to send him to Ghana, and what his "great return" felt like is as common to me as fufu on a Sunday. As the world open's its eyes to realize how the African diaspora fights to make our way despite the world despising our success by placing racial, economic, and geopolitical obstacles in front of us,  stories like Gabe are incredibly relevant because they prove that each day we wake up, we fight, and we hope for more for our children because our successes will make their future a little easier. 

In this episode, Dali and I get down and dirty into West African educational prowess, Black love,  and first language obstacles faced as an immigrant child in a white America.  We delve deep into the communities around us that we connect with and what our society deems as "Okay" for the status quo of a Black woman in America.