Stories of Our City

Life can be very dangerous for Iraqis who have worked with the United States Army during the Iraq War. Even for those who leave their Iraqi homeland, in many cases, their families and relatives left behind still remain vulnerable. Such is the case of Noor, who has since immigrated to the United States, leaving her family behind in her motherland. Now in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, Noor has come to feel at home in her new country. But one thing is missing: her family. Though Iraq has been removed from Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, which affects residents of six Muslim-majority countries throughout North Africa and the Middle East, the process for Iraqis applying for entry visas into the United States can still be arduous and quite time-consuming. Listen as Noor shares about her journey, her struggle, and the continuing desire to one day be reunited with her family on American soil.

Please note that the subject’s name in this week’s story has been changed to protect her identity.

Life can be very dangerous for Iraqis who have worked with the United States Army during the Iraq War. Even for those who leave their Iraqi homeland, in many cases, their families and relatives left behind still remain vulnerable. Such is the case of Noor, who has since immigrated to the United States, leaving her family behind in her motherland. Now in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, Noor has come to feel at home in her new country. But one thing is missing: her family. Though Iraq has been removed from Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, which affects residents of six Muslim-majority countries throughout North Africa and the Middle East, the process for Iraqis applying for entry visas into the United States can still be arduous and quite time-consuming. Listen as Noor shares about her journey, her struggle, and the continuing desire to one day be reunited with her family on American soil.

Please note that the subject’s name in this week’s story has been changed to protect her identity.

Life can be very dangerous for Iraqis who have worked with the United States Army during the Iraq War. Even for those who leave their Iraqi homeland, in many cases, their families and relatives left behind still remain vulnerable. Such is the case of Noor, who has since immigrated to the United States, leaving her family behind in her motherland. Now in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, Noor has come to feel at home in her new country. But one thing is missing: her family. Though Iraq has been removed from Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, which affects residents of six Muslim-majority countries throughout North Africa and the Middle East, the process for Iraqis applying for entry visas into the United States can still be arduous and quite time-consuming. Listen as Noor shares about her journey, her struggle, and the continuing desire to one day be reunited with her family on American soil.

Please note that the subject’s name in this week’s story has been changed to protect her identity.

For Issa Dababneh of Jolly Man Beef Jerky in Amman, Jordan, making beef jerky is more than a business—it’s a passion. Raised as the son of an owner of a grocery store chain in Chicago, a young Issa was given an ultimatum by his father about his habit of consuming the stores’ stock of beef jerky: Buy it, stop eating it, or make it yourself.

For Issa Dababneh of Jolly Man Beef Jerky in Amman, Jordan, making beef jerky is more than a business—it’s a passion. Raised as the son of an owner of a grocery store chain in Chicago, a young Issa was given an ultimatum by his father about his habit of consuming the stores’ stock of beef jerky: Buy it, stop eating it, or make it yourself.

For Issa Dababneh of Jolly Man Beef Jerky in Amman, Jordan, making beef jerky is more than a business—it’s a passion. Raised as the son of an owner of a grocery store chain in Chicago, a young Issa was given an ultimatum by his father about his habit of consuming the stores’ stock of beef jerky: Buy it, stop eating it, or make it yourself.

When Eddie, a young native of Seville, Spain, got tired of his homeland and caught the travel bug he decided to move to Paris on a whim. Without a job awaiting upon arrival, the obvious question haunted him: ‘Will I find a job before I run out of money?’ 

When Eddie, a young native of Seville, Spain, got tired of his homeland and caught the travel bug he decided to move to Paris on a whim. Without a job awaiting upon arrival, the obvious question haunted him: ‘Will I find a job before I run out of money?’ 

When Eddie, a young native of Seville, Spain, got tired of his homeland and caught the travel bug he decided to move to Paris on a whim. Without a job awaiting upon arrival, the obvious question haunted him: ‘Will I find a job before I run out of money?’ 

Introducing our first video podcast! Last month, we shared the story of Syrian artist Omar Ibrahim. In this week's video podcast we pick up with part two of Omar’s story, in which he expresses the ongoing struggle he faces as a refugee in Paris, seeking to succeed in his life and art for the sake of his family far away.