Farzad Larki was born in Iran prior to the Revolution. He grew up in a comfortable middle class family, but when the Shah was overthrown, everything changed.  Between 1979 and 1996, Farzad, his parents, and his siblings all emigrated to the U.S., though each family member traveled a very different path. Farzad’s journey was the longest. From Southern Iran to Portland, Oregon, Farzad’s voyage spanned eleven years and six countries. He traveled by foot, donkey, car, and plane. There were many opportunities to stop along the way, but he had his sights set on the U.S. and the freedom that it represented.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story, in collaboration with Portland Radio Project. This episode was produced by Stephanie Vallance. Our audio editing was superbly done by Rick March, assisted by Gordon Graham. Roger Porter conducted the original interview.  Our executive producer is Sankar Raman.

Many Roads to Here is expanding. We’re looking for radio producers, especially those from immigrant communities and communities of color, to join our team. We’re all-volunteer for now, but we’ve got dreams. Please email [email protected] for more information.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.