Welcome to episode 58 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Dr. Elizabeth Turner, the writer and director of the musical and book Ciao Bambino—a musical about the Italian immigrant experience based in New York City in the 1940s. Dr. Turner grew up in New Hampshire to a large Italian family, and she talks about how keeping culture and tradition was extremely important for her family. 

In this episode, Dr. Turner shares about going to Italy and having the opportunity to work over there with Disney, working on a cruise ship, returning to Italy, and working with Nickelodeon! Lastly, she shares about the musical! 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Dr. Turner:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaobambinomusical/ 

Website: https://www.ciaobambinothemusical.com/ 

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

Book: Ciao Bambino https://a.co/d/0bdeKQGP  

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 57 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Lory Martinez, the founder of Ochenta Studios, a podcast production studio. Lory grew up in New York to Colombian immigrant parents. She wanted to be an international journalist, and that dream led her to create her podcast production company. 

She hosts the Mija Podcast, which started as a fictional audio novela narrated by a young girl who shares her family’s stories. She also interviews other mijas or daughters, and I had the opportunity to be a guest on her show. 

Listen in as Lory shares about growing up in a multicultural New York neighborhood and experiencing cultural shocks as a minority in the US when she was in college, going to Colombia in the summer, and how she started her podcast production company. 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Lory:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijapodcast/ 

Website: https://www.ochentastudio.com/en/home

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 56 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Stacey from Batch Pantry. Stacey was born in Jamacia and moved to the US at the age of five. She was raised in New York City but would visit Jamacia frequently in the summer growing up. 

Listen in as Stacey talks about starting kindergarten in the US knowing how to do multiplication already, how she stays rooted in her Jamaican culture, why she started her business, Batch Pantry, and what products she sells! 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Stacey:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batchpantry/ 

Website: https://www.batchpantry.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 55 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Dr. Munira Zahabi, who is an entrepreneur, author, mentor, coach, public speaker, and podcaster. Her podcast is called Munira’s Musings. She is also known as The Niche Navigator. 

Dr. Zahabi was born in Kenya but married at the age of sixteen and moved to Tanzania. She explains that although Tanzania is a neighboring country of Kenya and they speak Swahili, the culture is different. She experienced different culture shocks in Tanzania and lived there for 15 years before moving to the US. 

Listen to her story and hear the process for her and her family to move from Tanzania to the US under the DV1 progrom or the Diversity Visa! I loved how much detail she shared about the process. 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Dr. Munira Zahabi:

⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/munira.zahabi/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muniraz/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munirazahabi/ 

Website: https://www.thenichenavigator.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 54 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is immigration attorney Erika Cisneros. Erika grew up with an immigrant Mom, but her dad was a fourth-generation Mexican-American. She knew at a young age that she wanted to be an immigration attorney, but she shares about a pivotal moment when that passion for helping the immigration community grew and was her driving force. 

When her father woke her up in the middle of the night because a coworker of his got pulled over but was undocumented, the police officer knew her father and called him to see if he could go pick up his coworker's van because if not, he would be placed in jail and eventually deported. 

Erika says that although her job is tough and hard work, when she receives approval for her client, she knows that it’s not just her client that she’s helping; it’s also the client’s family and those around them because the majority of them they are the breadwinner in their home. 

Listen to episode 54 to learn about the type of cases that Erika works with and her experience visiting Mexico for the first time in college. 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Erika:

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestImmigration 

Website: https://www.honestimmigration.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 53 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is photographer Andrea De La Cruz. She grew up traveling between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Some summers, she would stay with her dad in Puerto Rico, but mainly, she was with her grandparents until her grandmother decided to move her to New York to live with her aunt. Andrea was in New York until her dad decided to move her back to Puerto Rico, where she finished her last two years of high school. Talk about some back and forth! 

At the age of 18, she decided to move back to New York and go to college, but that was also a challenge. Listen to the rest of her story and how she finally ended up becoming a photographer. 

With Love, Heidy

P.S. Since the recording of this episode, Andrea has moved to Atlanta, but you can still contact her below! 

Connect with Andrea:

⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/andrealucia_photography/ 

Website: https://www.andrealuciaphotography.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 52 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Johanna Rojas Vann, the author of An American Immigrant! Johanna's parents moved to the US in the 1980s, and she was born here. They lived in New York City first and then moved to Maryland, where Johanna primarily grew up. 

We talked about the cultural norms her parents kept from Colombia and which ones they adapted from living here. We talked about language and how it’s easier to default to speak in English, and then Johanna shared her experience of listening to her mom’s stories, which inspired her debut novel!

I mentioned my husband’s experience moving from New York to Michigan, and I actually interviewed him and his siblings together - check it out! 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Johanna:

⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/johannarvann/ 

Website: https://www.johannavann.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz 

Welcome to episode 51 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is immigration attorney Anique Samuel. She grew up on the island of Antigua and Barbuda and moved to the United States at age 17 after graduating from high school. Before moving, she had visited because her mom was living here in the States, so adapting to the US was different for her than for other guests. 

Anique shares that she knew she wanted to be an attorney in high school, and when she started law school, she wanted to practice corporate law. 

Listen to her story on how she actually got into immigration law! 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Anique:

⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/attorneyanique/ 

Website: https://www.asamuellaw.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz 

Welcome to episode 50 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Kevin is the host of the Latin American Educational Opportunities Podcast, where he shares his passion for various topics like business, finance, technology, politics, and mental health - that he believes deserve greater attention within the Latin American community, as his website states. 

Today, he shares with us his story of growing up as an undocumented immigrant in the US and then a DACA recipient. His family first moved to California, then Denver, and eventually settled in New Jersey. 

Kevin also shares about visiting Guatemala for the first time with Advance Parole, which was offered to Daca recipients. That in itself was a risk because had the fear that he and his sister wouldn’t be allowed back into the US. 

Lastly, here is the article I mentioned that I wrote about The American Dream. 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Kevin:

⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/latinamericaneo/ 

Website: https://latinamericaneo.org/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz

Welcome to episode 49 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

Today’s guest is Kim Decena from Decena Media, a marketing agency. Kim shares with us her experience growing up in the US with Colombian immigrant parents. She discusses the cultural norms that her parents kept from Colombia and the American norms they adopted. Kim talks about her experience of visiting Colombia for the first time and why she ended up leaving the US eleven years ago! 

With Love, Heidy

Connect with Kim:

⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/kimdecenaofficial/ 

https://www.instagram.com/soykimdecena/ 

Website: https://decenamedia.com/ 

Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.

1. Share this episode with a friend.

2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.

3. Write a review.

4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 

5. Donate money.

If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected].⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :)

I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.

Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz