Leaving Home: Im/migrant Interviews

In this episode, host Evey Reyes interviews her maternal grandmother Maria Rebecca Munoz Rodrigues , an immigrant from Mexico. 

My grandmother was born into a 12 person household, being the second oldest sibling of the pack, she and her older sister rosa helped their parents raise their 10 other siblings and make ends meet in Tijuana. 

When she was 8 years old her mother sent her to live with a friend in America, and help take care of her children and house. My grandmother babysat, cleaned, cooked and slept in a closet for almost 7 years before getting married at 15 and raising her own children in america by 17. She spent the rest of her life here in America raising 6 kids of her own and following her own american dream. 

The conversation dives into the complexities of the immigrant journey, highlighting the courage, challenges, and successes of those who leave their homeland to build a new life.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, hosted by Alyssa, she is joined by her grandmother, Rose, who migrated from the Philippines over 50 years ago.

Rose briefly describes her simple journey to America from the Philippines; with the help of her military husband. She takes a deep dive into the immense sense of pride and love she has for everything in her new home. Rose shares the cultural heritage and traditions she is passing down the generations born in the United States.

The conversation explores the complexities of the immigrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and immigrate to start anew.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, host Freddy interviews Dennis, a recent immigrant from Russia.

Dennis tells his story of coming to America with his family and how it was not that scary and it was an almost seamless switch to the us. He talks about how his dad had a visa and then how they all ended up getting their green cards and how he didn’t know English and how he got help. But there was something that messed up his speech just a tad bit when one of his instructors made him say his R word and now he speaks like that. He says that America is okay, but when he gets older, he wants to go back to Russia and be with his family.

The conversation explores the complexities of the immigrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and immigrate to start anew.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, host Ella interviews Dolly, a migrant from California who moved to Colorado and later returned back to California.

Dolly shares her journey of moving to Colorado for work, along with her husband and young child. While living there they adjusted to a new environment, lifestyle, and social culture. She talks about how she found a sense of home there, despite the challenges of being in a different place. Eventually, she moved back to California and opened up about what it was like to adapt once again.

The conversation explores the complexities of the migrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and immigrate to start anew.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, the host Caleb interviews Jackson, a naturalized American citizen who was born in the Philippines.

As the two friends talk, we learn about how Jackson and his family immigrated to the U.S; his current living situation with his family; and how he connects with his family in the U.S and in the Philippines. 

Alijah interviews his parents Robert and Nicholle. Both individuals were originally from different parts of Mississippi and migrated to California over 20 years ago. Some of the challenges they faced were leaving some of the things they have accumulated over time, which held sentimental value and leaving family behind. They both had successful outcomes after migration, especially in the workforce.

The conversation explores the complexities of the immigrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and immigrate to start anew.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, host Sam interviews Stacie, a migrant from the Midwestern United States.

Stacie recounts the changes that occurred upon severely changing her environment. The largest changes were the cultural differences, with her coming from a much more traditional background than the modern California she found herself in. However, she overcame those differences and was able to adapt and build a life and family in this new environment.

The conversation explores the complexities of the migrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and migrate to start anew.

In this episode, host Joshua Ambrosio interviews his mother, a naturalized immigrant who came to the U.S. chasing love. 

Lorena describes her motive and experience moving from Central Mexico to the States emphasizing how her experience was very different compared to other immigrants due to her motives for migrating. She describes the challenges of leaving her entire family in Mexico, the initial culture conflict, and the hardships she has had due to the language barrier. Lorena also shares moments of gratitude, highlighting the support and benefits she has had within her local immigrant community. 

The conversation he courage required

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

In this episode, host Sega interviews her grandma, Maribeth, an immigrant from the Philippines. 

Maribeth recounts her stories of moving from place to place with her large family due to her father being in the navy. With such a large family, everybody experienced things differently but it affected all of them nonetheless. However she has successfully built her family and career here in the US. She shares her stories and thoughts with a lighthearted and hopeful mindset. 

The conversation explores the complexities of the immigrant experience, reflecting on the bravery, struggles, and triumphs of those who leave home and immigrate to start anew.

[This podcast is a project by 12th-grade students in Mr. Smith’s English class at Mission Vista High School in Vista Unified School District.]

Leaving Home: Im/migrant Interviews podcast shares conversations between 12th-grade students and friends, family, and community members who have migrated across the US or immigrated across borders. In the public discourse surrounding immigration in the US right now, much is being said about our nation’s migrants and immigrants. We wanted to find out for ourselves who has come to California and what their experiences have been. We wanted to hear from them directly. Get ready to be instructed and inspired by the powerful stories of "Leaving Home."