Feet In 2 Worlds

Fear and dread have swept through immigrant communities following Donald Trump’s election as president.  Trump has promised to immediately deport 2 to 3-million undocumented immigrants once he takes office, and since Election Day the nation has seen a dramatic increase in hate crimes aimed at Muslims and immigrants, widely thought to be inspired by Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

In response, a growing number of cities, college campuses and religious institutions have declared themselves to be sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. Some states – notably California and New York – have said that they will resist Trump’s immigration policies.

But no one really knows what will happen when Trump takes office.  Feet in 2 Worlds invited a group of young immigrants to talk about their fears and their hopes as the new administration takes shape.

As a witness to war and brutality in her native Bosnia, and then as a refugee, Mersiha Mesihovic found solace and a means of creative expression in dance. Despite the wounds of separation from home and family, Mersiha had all the skills to be a great dancer. But the way she moved became an obstacle. When she arrived in New York (via Sweden and Los Angeles), Mersiha found a way to harness the emotional power of her memories. Her unique approach to movement has attracted other dancers and led her to form Circuit Debris, a dance company which explores her approach to physical storytelling. Now, Mersiha is confronting the trauma of her past and her struggle for self-liberation in a solo dance piece called BosnianBorn *She is a Refugee Star*.

In the past few years, a growing number of undocumented youth brought to the United States as kids, often called “Dreamers,” have become immigration activists. Feet In Two Worlds reporter Shiva Bayat introduces us to Esther, who in many ways embodies this immigrant experience. For one, she “came out” publicly. But what is typical about Esther’s story stops right there, and instead, she takes us to some unexpected places.

In the past few years, a growing number of undocumented youth brought to the United States as kids, often called “Dreamers,” have become immigration activists. Feet In Two Worlds reporter Shiva Bayat introduces us to Esther, who in many ways embodies this immigrant experience. For one, she “came out” publicly. But what is typical about Esther’s story stops right there, and instead, she takes us to some unexpected places.

For Filipino immigrants, the ritual of packing gift boxes, known in Tagalog as balikbayan, nurtures family relationships tested by time and distance. In this podcast, Rosalind Tordesillias explores the meaning of balikbayan and how it’s changed for Filipino immigrants today.

Imagine moving to America and starting a new life with your family: nice home, better schools, new friends. But just when you begin to thrive, the secret you’ve been hiding suddenly gets out, and you find yourself thrown out on the streets, alone.

Imagine moving to America and starting a new life with your family: nice home, better schools, new friends. But just when you begin to thrive, the secret you’ve been hiding suddenly gets out, and you find yourself thrown out on the streets, alone.

In this episode, Shiva Bayat introduces us to Belal Fadl, a man many consider one of the important voices of the revolutionary movement in Egypt. Now he’s in New York, another artist striving to make it in the one of the cultural capitals of the world. But Cairo and its preoccupations are never far behind.

In this episode, Shiva Bayat introduces us to Belal Fadl, a man many consider one of the important voices of the revolutionary movement in Egypt. Now he’s in New York, another artist striving to make it in the one of the cultural capitals of the world. But Cairo and its preoccupations are never far behind.