Many Roads to Here

This episode brings together two remarkable women, both public servants. Sophorn Cheang is the director of Business Oregon, the economic development   agency for the state of Oregon. Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie is the director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement for the state. They’ve worked together throughout their careers, and their relationship is one of friendship and mutual respect. They spoke about what it feels like to finally be inside the halls of power, with the opportunity to make a difference. Together they reflected on the promises and struggles of serving in government, got real about how immigration policy has advanced and stalled over time, and wondered how to involve the community in public policy decisions.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced and edited by Caitlin Dwyer Young, with post production by Gregg Palmer. Our Executive producer is the Sankar Raman.

Thank you to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon for letting us use their space to record. And a huge thank you to Toc and Sophorn for the generosity of their time.

This episode is produced as a part of Oregon Rises Against Hate coalition, and made possible by a generous contribution by Anne Naito-Campbell.

For more stories, visit The Immigrant Story website, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.

What does a mental health journey look like? How can art, music, and therapy bring us to better self understanding and self love? In this episode, Portland Community

College student Jose Perez Salazar interviews Joaquin Lopez, one of the creative laureates of Portland, Oregon. They discuss the healing power of art, what it means to listen to your parents’ music, and how Lopez found meaning in staging and singing Latino gay stories. This is our first conversation co-produced by a first-generation student.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. Many thanks to Jose Perez Salazar for co-producing this episode with me. And huge thanks to Joaquin for this conversation, and for his beautiful music. This episode was recorded at Portland Community College and generously funded by the Zidell Family Foundation.

Gregg Palmer did our post production. Music was composed and performed by Joaquin Lopez. Our executive producer is the undeniable Sankar Raman.

For more stories, visit our website, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to The Immigrant Story Live, where we feature stories from the stage. In each episode of this new series we weave together three stories that were originallyperformed at an Immigrant Story Live Event.

For episode two of this series, you’ll hear from three storytellers — Ghassan Bin Hammam, Rama Youssef, and Meghna Damani – who each found themselves trapped in situations they never could have expected. 

A warning to our listening, this episode contains descriptions of violence and suicidal ideation, so please take care while listening. 

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Degen Larkin. Audio editing was done by Gregg Palmer. Music was sourced from Soundstripe. Graphics for this episode were designed by Jacqueline Pagano. Our executive producer is Sankar Raman.

Many thanks to Alton Takiyama-Chung and Nancy Dollahite for coaching our fabulous storytellers. This episode is made possible by a generous contribution by the Zidell Family Foundation.

To view the films Meghna Damani discusses in today’s episode you can visit her website https://www.meghnadamani.com or follow her on instagram @megdamani 

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

Veronika Levytska  and Ian Levytsky  grew up in Ukraine but dreamed of an easier life – away from the shadow of Russia – for themselves and their loved ones. In 2018, after years of waiting, they found freedom and opportunity here in the U.S. on the East Coast shores of a Connecticut town. But their loved ones remain in harms way. How do they hold both in their hands? Their own happiness and their desire for their family members to enjoy the same?

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Fran Silverman. Our audio editing was done by Greg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by Fran Silverman at the New Haven Public Library, which has graciously provided us space.

This episode is made possible by a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation.

For more episodes, https://theimmigrantstory.org/category/episode/ or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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.

As a young woman growing up in a conservative society, Safia Ferozi overcame intense expectations and restrictions placed on women  to become Afghanistan’s second female Air Force pilot. Before her country and her life were turned upside down, she was a trailblazing commander, leading an Air Force squadron of 200. Safia was forced to flee when the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Now she is one of 250 Afghan pilots grounded in the U.S., no longer able to fly.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Elayna Yussen, with audio editing by Gregg Palmer and executive producer Sankar Raman.

This episode was funded through a generous contribution from Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. We’d like to thank Salem for Refugees for connecting us with Safia and letting us use their space to record this interview, which took place in March of 2023.

For more episodes, https://theimmigrantstory.org/category/episode/ or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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.

When you think of courageous living, playing music is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But Dijana Ihas, a professional musician and refugee of war, learned how to transform her viola skills into a remarkable display of bravery. As bombs rained down over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s, Dijana and several other musicians risked their lives to host hundreds of concerts.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Mae Ghylin, with audio editing by Gregg Palmer and executive producer Sankar Raman.

The music used in this podcast episode were recorded live on stage at Alex L. Parks Performing Arts Center, Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Oregon, on Saturday, September 11, 2021 by Kapila Chandramouli of Kapshur Lab. The Immigrant Story Live recreated the music of the Sarajevo String Quartet, with Dijana Ihas playing the viola accompanied by local string players. 

This episode was funded through a generous contribution from Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation.

For more episodes, https://theimmigrantstory.org/category/episode/ or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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.

Introducing, The Immigrant Story Live, our new series that brings you voices from the stage. In 2019, the Immigrant Story began hosting live storytelling events in the Portland, Oregon area, bringing together musicians and storytellers from around the world for evenings of celebration and reflection. Every year, The Immigrant Story produces 2 new live events, and in the four years since its launch, has hosted 10 shows with 26 storytellers from 22 different countries. In our new series, we present selections from these events in themed, 45-minute episodes. 

In our first episode, you’ll hear from three storytellers, Mariamou Abdoulaye, Hussein Al-Baiaty, and Bernal Cruz. Each unearthed surprising versions of themselves when they faced the unexpected. 

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Degen Larkin. Post production was done by Gregg Palmer. Original music was composed by Corey Larkin. Graphics for this episode were designed by Jacqueline Pagano. Our executive producer is Sankar Raman.

Thank you to the Beaverton Library and the St. Andrew Lutheran Church for letting us use your space for our live events. Many thanks to Alton Takiyama-Chung and Erin Briddick for coaching our fabulous storytellers. 

This episode is made possible by a generous contribution by the Zidell Family Foundation and the City of Beaverton.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts. Check out our instagram @theimmigrantstory to learn more about the storytellers and view bonus content for this episode.

Raised in Yemen amidst intense civil turmoil, Ghassan bin Hammam made a life-changing decision to leave for the United States to start a new life with his family. Believing he had left behind the destruction and instability of Yemen, he was unaware that the very conflict he fled would indefinitely separate him from his new home.

This episode is part of the I Am an American series, generously funded by Anne Naito-Campbell. For more episodes in the series, please visit our website. 

This episode was produced by Natalia Lopez and with audio editing and post production by Gregg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by our executive producer, Sankar Raman, in March of 2022. Special thanks to Nancy Dollahite for helping with the episode. 

Many thanks to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon for the use of their space.

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

When Olive Bukuru was six months old her and her family fled their home country of Burundi in search of a safe life. They ended up in a refugee camp in Tanzania where Olive fell in love with learning and became determined to pursue her education, something that was not encouraged for girls in the area.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced by Emily Ker with audio editing and post production done by Gregg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by our executive producer Sankar Raman in March 2023. 

Thank you to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon for the use of their space to record the interview.

This program was funded through a generous contribution from Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. 

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

Panelists explored their experiences as Asian American women, offering personal reflections  as well as highlighting current xenophobia and intolerance against  Asian Americans in Oregon and across the United States. Each of the speakers is leading community efforts to empower diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities statewide. This episode was arranged in conjunction with the exhibition, I Am An American, that was on view at the Oregon Historical Society.

Esteemed panelists include:

Dr. Jane Vogel Mantiri is a retired psychologist who specialized in trauma, actor, and activist. She is the founder of Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE), a Portland-based nonprofit that empowers marginalized genders in the arts leading with race.

Attorney Liani Reeves is President at Bullard Law. She is a former General Counsel for the Governor of Oregon and the former president of the Oregon State Bar, the first Asian American and first woman of color to hold that position. She is a Korean adoptee.

Dr. Jennifer Fang is a historian, researcher, Director of Interpretation & Community Engagement at Pittock Mansion, and an adjunct professor at the University of Portland, where she teaches Modern U.S. History and Asian American History. 

Moderator: Dr. Patti Duncan is an associate professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University, specializing in women of color feminisms and transnational feminisms. She is the editor of the scholarly journal, Feminist Formations, and the author of Tell This Silence: Asian American Women Writers and the Politics of Speech.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. Many thanks to all of these panelists for their time and storytelling. Special thanks to the Oregon Historical Society for organizing and hosting the live event – they continue to be an amazing partner with us here at The Immigrant Story. 

This episode is part of the I Am an American series, generously funded by Anne Naito-Campbell. It was produced as part of the Oregon Rises Above Hate Coalition.

This episode was produced by Caitlin Dwyer. Audio editing was done by Caitlin Dwyer, assisted by Gregg Palmer. Music was composed by Corey Larkin. Our executive producer is Sankar Raman.

For more stories, visit our website, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts