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Shared Ground: Understanding Immigration as a Human Story
In this episode of The CulturHug Podcast, we explore immigration through a human and cultural lens—moving beyond headlines and politics to focus on lived experience.
What does it truly feel like to leave one home and build another? How does identity shift when culture, language, and belonging are constantly negotiated? We listen to the emotional realities of immigration while also acknowledging the real concerns and complexities faced by host communities.
This episode thoughtfully examines both the pros and cons of immigration, creating space for honest reflection without blame or division. Most importantly, this conversation is about respect. Even when opinions differ, how do we remain humane, curious, and culturally aware?
Whether you welcome immigration or struggle with it, this episode invites listeners to practice empathy, understand cultural impact, and engage with others in ways that honor dignity and shared humanity.
Sources:
Abu Nasab, H. (2023, December). Psychological effects of immigration: A comprehensive review exploring social identity, acculturation and the effects of cultural attitudes and systemic factors on the well-being of immigrants. UNL Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu
Bahar, D., Brough, R. J., & Peri, G. (2024, March). Forced migration and refugees: Policies for successful economic and social integration. National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org
Camarota, S. A. (2024, September 25). The consequences of illegal immigration for housing affordability, government budgets, and American workers (Prepared testimony). U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
https://oversight.house.gov
Capote, A., & Kallick, D. D. (2023, May). Immigrants in the U.S. economy: Overcoming hurdles, yet still facing barriers. Immigration Research Initiative.
https://immresearch.org
Colombo, M., Cherubini, P., Montali, L., & Marando, L. (2012). There’s foreigner and foreigner: Xenophobic reasoning and anti-immigrant discourse. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 3(4).
https://www.gjcpp.org
Council of Europe. (2005, September). Twenty guidelines on forced return.
https://www.coe.int
Di Martino, D. (2024, September). The lifetime fiscal impact of immigrants. Manhattan Institute.
https://www.manhattan-institute.org
Elkhateeb, Y., Turati, R., & Valette, J. (2025, November). Immigration, identity choices, and cultural diversity. RFBerlin.
https://www.rfberlin.com
European Migration Network. (2022, September). Bilateral readmission agreements: EMN inform. European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs
Ho, L., Rodrigo, C., Mair, L., Singal, K., McGarrol, S., Cannings, H., Mackie, P., Murchie, M., Paranjothy, S., & Brazzelli, M. (2025, August 5). Health and social care needs of adult asylum seekers in high-income countries and their experiences of accessing care services: An overview of systematic reviews. Journal of Migration and Health, 12, 100346.
https://www.sciencedirect.com
Horner, M., & Woolford, C. (2023). The influence of legal status on mental health outcomes for immigrants. Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law and Politics, 2(4), 11–17. Kuo, C. W., Chu, K., AlDahoul, N., Ibrahim, H., Rahwan, T., & Zaki, Y. (2024). Neutralizing the narrative: AI-powered debiasing of online news articles. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Luz, A., Neves, P. C., Afonso, O., & Sochirca, E. (2025, July 24). Meta-analysis: The impact of immigration on the economic performance of the host country. Economies, 13(8), 213.
https://www.mdpi.com
Mendelsohn, J., & Budak, C. (2024). When people are floods: Analyzing dehumanizing metaphors in immigration discourse with large language models. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Menzinger, C. (2025, November 15). Barriers to mental health access among immigrant populations in the U.S. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu
Michaillat, P. (2024, December). Why are immigrants always accused of stealing people's jobs? Modeling migration-induced unemployment. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
National Immigration Forum. (2024, October 17). Explainer: Immigrants and housing.
https://immigrationforum.org
National Immigration Forum. (2025, February 27). Why businesses should support immigration reform.
https://immigrationforum.org
Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2025, March). Annual threat assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
https://www.dni.gov
Park, S. (2022, May 6). Xenophobia, majority insecurity, and prejudice: Exploring the motivations behind anti-immigration sentiments. Chapman University Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu
Peri, G. (2014). Do immigrant workers depress the wages of native workers? IZA World of Labor.
https://wol.iza.org
Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025). National detention standards.
https://www.ice.gov
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2019, February). Handbook on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status and guidelines on international protection.
https://www.unhcr.org
Vargas, E. D., Sanchez, G. R., & Juárez, M. (2017, June). Fear by association: Perceptions of anti-immigrant policy and health outcomes. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(3), 459–483.
https://read.dukeupress.edu
Vigdor, J. L. (2013, September). Immigration and the revival of American cities: From preserving manufacturing jobs to strengthening the housing market. Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
https://www.as-coa.org
Weber, A. (2024, April 26). Dispelling 10 common myths about immigrants and refugees. International Institute of New England.
https://iine.org
This episode includes AI-generated content.
What does it truly feel like to leave one home and build another? How does identity shift when culture, language, and belonging are constantly negotiated? We listen to the emotional realities of immigration while also acknowledging the real concerns and complexities faced by host communities.
This episode thoughtfully examines both the pros and cons of immigration, creating space for honest reflection without blame or division. Most importantly, this conversation is about respect. Even when opinions differ, how do we remain humane, curious, and culturally aware?
Whether you welcome immigration or struggle with it, this episode invites listeners to practice empathy, understand cultural impact, and engage with others in ways that honor dignity and shared humanity.
Sources:
Abu Nasab, H. (2023, December). Psychological effects of immigration: A comprehensive review exploring social identity, acculturation and the effects of cultural attitudes and systemic factors on the well-being of immigrants. UNL Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu
Bahar, D., Brough, R. J., & Peri, G. (2024, March). Forced migration and refugees: Policies for successful economic and social integration. National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org
Camarota, S. A. (2024, September 25). The consequences of illegal immigration for housing affordability, government budgets, and American workers (Prepared testimony). U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
https://oversight.house.gov
Capote, A., & Kallick, D. D. (2023, May). Immigrants in the U.S. economy: Overcoming hurdles, yet still facing barriers. Immigration Research Initiative.
https://immresearch.org
Colombo, M., Cherubini, P., Montali, L., & Marando, L. (2012). There’s foreigner and foreigner: Xenophobic reasoning and anti-immigrant discourse. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 3(4).
https://www.gjcpp.org
Council of Europe. (2005, September). Twenty guidelines on forced return.
https://www.coe.int
Di Martino, D. (2024, September). The lifetime fiscal impact of immigrants. Manhattan Institute.
https://www.manhattan-institute.org
Elkhateeb, Y., Turati, R., & Valette, J. (2025, November). Immigration, identity choices, and cultural diversity. RFBerlin.
https://www.rfberlin.com
European Migration Network. (2022, September). Bilateral readmission agreements: EMN inform. European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs
Ho, L., Rodrigo, C., Mair, L., Singal, K., McGarrol, S., Cannings, H., Mackie, P., Murchie, M., Paranjothy, S., & Brazzelli, M. (2025, August 5). Health and social care needs of adult asylum seekers in high-income countries and their experiences of accessing care services: An overview of systematic reviews. Journal of Migration and Health, 12, 100346.
https://www.sciencedirect.com
Horner, M., & Woolford, C. (2023). The influence of legal status on mental health outcomes for immigrants. Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law and Politics, 2(4), 11–17. Kuo, C. W., Chu, K., AlDahoul, N., Ibrahim, H., Rahwan, T., & Zaki, Y. (2024). Neutralizing the narrative: AI-powered debiasing of online news articles. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Luz, A., Neves, P. C., Afonso, O., & Sochirca, E. (2025, July 24). Meta-analysis: The impact of immigration on the economic performance of the host country. Economies, 13(8), 213.
https://www.mdpi.com
Mendelsohn, J., & Budak, C. (2024). When people are floods: Analyzing dehumanizing metaphors in immigration discourse with large language models. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Menzinger, C. (2025, November 15). Barriers to mental health access among immigrant populations in the U.S. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu
Michaillat, P. (2024, December). Why are immigrants always accused of stealing people's jobs? Modeling migration-induced unemployment. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
National Immigration Forum. (2024, October 17). Explainer: Immigrants and housing.
https://immigrationforum.org
National Immigration Forum. (2025, February 27). Why businesses should support immigration reform.
https://immigrationforum.org
Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2025, March). Annual threat assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
https://www.dni.gov
Park, S. (2022, May 6). Xenophobia, majority insecurity, and prejudice: Exploring the motivations behind anti-immigration sentiments. Chapman University Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu
Peri, G. (2014). Do immigrant workers depress the wages of native workers? IZA World of Labor.
https://wol.iza.org
Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025). National detention standards.
https://www.ice.gov
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2019, February). Handbook on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status and guidelines on international protection.
https://www.unhcr.org
Vargas, E. D., Sanchez, G. R., & Juárez, M. (2017, June). Fear by association: Perceptions of anti-immigrant policy and health outcomes. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(3), 459–483.
https://read.dukeupress.edu
Vigdor, J. L. (2013, September). Immigration and the revival of American cities: From preserving manufacturing jobs to strengthening the housing market. Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
https://www.as-coa.org
Weber, A. (2024, April 26). Dispelling 10 common myths about immigrants and refugees. International Institute of New England.
https://iine.org
This episode includes AI-generated content.
View all episodes
By Culture HugIn this episode of The CulturHug Podcast, we explore immigration through a human and cultural lens—moving beyond headlines and politics to focus on lived experience.
What does it truly feel like to leave one home and build another? How does identity shift when culture, language, and belonging are constantly negotiated? We listen to the emotional realities of immigration while also acknowledging the real concerns and complexities faced by host communities.
This episode thoughtfully examines both the pros and cons of immigration, creating space for honest reflection without blame or division. Most importantly, this conversation is about respect. Even when opinions differ, how do we remain humane, curious, and culturally aware?
Whether you welcome immigration or struggle with it, this episode invites listeners to practice empathy, understand cultural impact, and engage with others in ways that honor dignity and shared humanity.
Sources:
Abu Nasab, H. (2023, December). Psychological effects of immigration: A comprehensive review exploring social identity, acculturation and the effects of cultural attitudes and systemic factors on the well-being of immigrants. UNL Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu
Bahar, D., Brough, R. J., & Peri, G. (2024, March). Forced migration and refugees: Policies for successful economic and social integration. National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org
Camarota, S. A. (2024, September 25). The consequences of illegal immigration for housing affordability, government budgets, and American workers (Prepared testimony). U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
https://oversight.house.gov
Capote, A., & Kallick, D. D. (2023, May). Immigrants in the U.S. economy: Overcoming hurdles, yet still facing barriers. Immigration Research Initiative.
https://immresearch.org
Colombo, M., Cherubini, P., Montali, L., & Marando, L. (2012). There’s foreigner and foreigner: Xenophobic reasoning and anti-immigrant discourse. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 3(4).
https://www.gjcpp.org
Council of Europe. (2005, September). Twenty guidelines on forced return.
https://www.coe.int
Di Martino, D. (2024, September). The lifetime fiscal impact of immigrants. Manhattan Institute.
https://www.manhattan-institute.org
Elkhateeb, Y., Turati, R., & Valette, J. (2025, November). Immigration, identity choices, and cultural diversity. RFBerlin.
https://www.rfberlin.com
European Migration Network. (2022, September). Bilateral readmission agreements: EMN inform. European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs
Ho, L., Rodrigo, C., Mair, L., Singal, K., McGarrol, S., Cannings, H., Mackie, P., Murchie, M., Paranjothy, S., & Brazzelli, M. (2025, August 5). Health and social care needs of adult asylum seekers in high-income countries and their experiences of accessing care services: An overview of systematic reviews. Journal of Migration and Health, 12, 100346.
https://www.sciencedirect.com
Horner, M., & Woolford, C. (2023). The influence of legal status on mental health outcomes for immigrants. Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law and Politics, 2(4), 11–17. Kuo, C. W., Chu, K., AlDahoul, N., Ibrahim, H., Rahwan, T., & Zaki, Y. (2024). Neutralizing the narrative: AI-powered debiasing of online news articles. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Luz, A., Neves, P. C., Afonso, O., & Sochirca, E. (2025, July 24). Meta-analysis: The impact of immigration on the economic performance of the host country. Economies, 13(8), 213.
https://www.mdpi.com
Mendelsohn, J., & Budak, C. (2024). When people are floods: Analyzing dehumanizing metaphors in immigration discourse with large language models. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Menzinger, C. (2025, November 15). Barriers to mental health access among immigrant populations in the U.S. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu
Michaillat, P. (2024, December). Why are immigrants always accused of stealing people's jobs? Modeling migration-induced unemployment. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
National Immigration Forum. (2024, October 17). Explainer: Immigrants and housing.
https://immigrationforum.org
National Immigration Forum. (2025, February 27). Why businesses should support immigration reform.
https://immigrationforum.org
Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2025, March). Annual threat assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
https://www.dni.gov
Park, S. (2022, May 6). Xenophobia, majority insecurity, and prejudice: Exploring the motivations behind anti-immigration sentiments. Chapman University Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu
Peri, G. (2014). Do immigrant workers depress the wages of native workers? IZA World of Labor.
https://wol.iza.org
Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025). National detention standards.
https://www.ice.gov
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2019, February). Handbook on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status and guidelines on international protection.
https://www.unhcr.org
Vargas, E. D., Sanchez, G. R., & Juárez, M. (2017, June). Fear by association: Perceptions of anti-immigrant policy and health outcomes. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(3), 459–483.
https://read.dukeupress.edu
Vigdor, J. L. (2013, September). Immigration and the revival of American cities: From preserving manufacturing jobs to strengthening the housing market. Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
https://www.as-coa.org
Weber, A. (2024, April 26). Dispelling 10 common myths about immigrants and refugees. International Institute of New England.
https://iine.org
This episode includes AI-generated content.
What does it truly feel like to leave one home and build another? How does identity shift when culture, language, and belonging are constantly negotiated? We listen to the emotional realities of immigration while also acknowledging the real concerns and complexities faced by host communities.
This episode thoughtfully examines both the pros and cons of immigration, creating space for honest reflection without blame or division. Most importantly, this conversation is about respect. Even when opinions differ, how do we remain humane, curious, and culturally aware?
Whether you welcome immigration or struggle with it, this episode invites listeners to practice empathy, understand cultural impact, and engage with others in ways that honor dignity and shared humanity.
Sources:
Abu Nasab, H. (2023, December). Psychological effects of immigration: A comprehensive review exploring social identity, acculturation and the effects of cultural attitudes and systemic factors on the well-being of immigrants. UNL Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu
Bahar, D., Brough, R. J., & Peri, G. (2024, March). Forced migration and refugees: Policies for successful economic and social integration. National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org
Camarota, S. A. (2024, September 25). The consequences of illegal immigration for housing affordability, government budgets, and American workers (Prepared testimony). U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
https://oversight.house.gov
Capote, A., & Kallick, D. D. (2023, May). Immigrants in the U.S. economy: Overcoming hurdles, yet still facing barriers. Immigration Research Initiative.
https://immresearch.org
Colombo, M., Cherubini, P., Montali, L., & Marando, L. (2012). There’s foreigner and foreigner: Xenophobic reasoning and anti-immigrant discourse. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 3(4).
https://www.gjcpp.org
Council of Europe. (2005, September). Twenty guidelines on forced return.
https://www.coe.int
Di Martino, D. (2024, September). The lifetime fiscal impact of immigrants. Manhattan Institute.
https://www.manhattan-institute.org
Elkhateeb, Y., Turati, R., & Valette, J. (2025, November). Immigration, identity choices, and cultural diversity. RFBerlin.
https://www.rfberlin.com
European Migration Network. (2022, September). Bilateral readmission agreements: EMN inform. European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs
Ho, L., Rodrigo, C., Mair, L., Singal, K., McGarrol, S., Cannings, H., Mackie, P., Murchie, M., Paranjothy, S., & Brazzelli, M. (2025, August 5). Health and social care needs of adult asylum seekers in high-income countries and their experiences of accessing care services: An overview of systematic reviews. Journal of Migration and Health, 12, 100346.
https://www.sciencedirect.com
Horner, M., & Woolford, C. (2023). The influence of legal status on mental health outcomes for immigrants. Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law and Politics, 2(4), 11–17. Kuo, C. W., Chu, K., AlDahoul, N., Ibrahim, H., Rahwan, T., & Zaki, Y. (2024). Neutralizing the narrative: AI-powered debiasing of online news articles. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Luz, A., Neves, P. C., Afonso, O., & Sochirca, E. (2025, July 24). Meta-analysis: The impact of immigration on the economic performance of the host country. Economies, 13(8), 213.
https://www.mdpi.com
Mendelsohn, J., & Budak, C. (2024). When people are floods: Analyzing dehumanizing metaphors in immigration discourse with large language models. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
Menzinger, C. (2025, November 15). Barriers to mental health access among immigrant populations in the U.S. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu
Michaillat, P. (2024, December). Why are immigrants always accused of stealing people's jobs? Modeling migration-induced unemployment. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org
National Immigration Forum. (2024, October 17). Explainer: Immigrants and housing.
https://immigrationforum.org
National Immigration Forum. (2025, February 27). Why businesses should support immigration reform.
https://immigrationforum.org
Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2025, March). Annual threat assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
https://www.dni.gov
Park, S. (2022, May 6). Xenophobia, majority insecurity, and prejudice: Exploring the motivations behind anti-immigration sentiments. Chapman University Digital Commons.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu
Peri, G. (2014). Do immigrant workers depress the wages of native workers? IZA World of Labor.
https://wol.iza.org
Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025). National detention standards.
https://www.ice.gov
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2019, February). Handbook on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status and guidelines on international protection.
https://www.unhcr.org
Vargas, E. D., Sanchez, G. R., & Juárez, M. (2017, June). Fear by association: Perceptions of anti-immigrant policy and health outcomes. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(3), 459–483.
https://read.dukeupress.edu
Vigdor, J. L. (2013, September). Immigration and the revival of American cities: From preserving manufacturing jobs to strengthening the housing market. Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
https://www.as-coa.org
Weber, A. (2024, April 26). Dispelling 10 common myths about immigrants and refugees. International Institute of New England.
https://iine.org
This episode includes AI-generated content.