This week, we’ll be hearing from Madina Khudaynazar, an Afghan refugee who is now an American citizen. She shares her and her family’s journey to America. She also discusses how other Afghans are currently fleeing the Taliban. We also talk about discrimination and the pressure we felt growing up. All in all, Madina was a wonderful guest who was gracious with her time and knowledge. Enjoy the final episode of the Coming to America Season!

Social media of organizations mentioned:

Sense of Humanity

@senseofhumanity_

https://gofund.me/3045b61a

Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) Boston

@riacboston

https://www.riacboston.org/

Kataluma

https://www.kataluma.org/

This week, we’re all learning about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) (0.00-2:15). I brought on Luana Santos, a DACA recipient onto the podcast. Luana is very candid and upfront about her experience with DACA. She shares her struggles and the benefits from being a DACA recipient (2:15-30:21). Luana is funny, honest, and her willingness to help others really shines in this interview.

Luana’s instagram: @___luanasantos

Sources:

https://www.uscis.gov/DACA

https://www.factcheck.org/2018/01/the-facts-on-daca/

https://www.factcheck.org/2018/01/daca-population-numbers/

This week, we’ll be hearing from Mike Oliver, the director at the St. Marks Community Education Program. He shares why he loves working with immigrants, what St. Marks does, and his awesome vision for the future. Enjoy this behind the scenes look of how programs are helping out immigrants in Boston!

Website mentioned: https://www.stmarksesol.org/

This week, I brought on Liat Shapiro, a Korean-American adoptee. She shares the benefits of being a part of two different cultures and how she incorporates Korean culture into her volunteer work. Liat’s sweet nature and love for others stands out in this interview, you don’t want to miss this!

Social media organizations mentioned:

Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission (KKOOM):

Website: https://kkoom.org/

Instagram: @koreankids_07

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KoreanKids/

Twitter: @koreankids

Mustard Seed Generation (MSG):

Website: https://www.mustardseedgeneration.org/

Instagram: @msgeneration

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MustardSeedGeneration/

I couldn’t imagine a better way to kick off this season than by interviewing my Dad, Vinicius Coutinho, the whole reason why I was given the chance to become an American citizen. In the intro to the season, my dad shares about how he went from being undocumented to a green card holder to a US citizen. I also talk about why things might sound a little different this season. All in all, it’s a quick episode but a really good one!

To wrap up the Women in Power season, we invited Barbara Coelho to talk about her life experiences as a fitness trainer, podcaster, and entrepreneur. We talked about the struggles of being children of immigrants and managing their expectations with our own desires. Barbara is incredibly kind, inspiring, and insightful. Definitely don't want to miss this!

This episode was recorded on March 5th, 2020

This week, Isabella and Belle interview Dr. Becky Miller, a biochem professor at UMass Amherst. She shares her trajectory to becoming a professor and gives very valuable advice that everyone, especially students, need to hear!

This week, Belle and Isabella interviewed Dr. Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, a scientist in comparative genomics. Dr. Lindblad-Toh shared how she got interested in human genetics and what her favorite part of her job is. She is kind, intelligent, and her research is super interesting! Check out the link to her lab and her latest project.

https://lindbladtohlab.org

https://zoonomiaproject.org/the-project/

In this week's episode, Belle and Isabella interview Kat and Nicolle. Two amazing women working hard to make it in the film industry. Both women share how they got involved in producing and directing, their favorite parts about their work and challenges they have faced along the way. And of course, they share advice and their visions for the future.

In this episode, Belle and Isabella interview Birukti Tsige. Birukti talks about growing up in Ethiopia and Malden, MA. She shares her experience with activism and going to school at Harvard during a pandemic. Birukti shares the story of how she ended up on the Boston Globe after visiting the White House. Birukti is captivating, kind and a great story teller. You do not want to miss this episode!