We Are All Americans

In episode eight* of We Are All Americans Christy Roberts Berkowitz and Michele Jaquis discuss the parallels between the US Government’s current anti-immigrant sentiment and the anti-Jewish pogroms in Russia at the turn of the 19th century and the differences between diversity and inclusion.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

* Recorded on August 2, 2018 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA.

In episode five* of We Are All Americans Michele Jaquis’ friend speaks anonymously about her disappointment after the 2016 US Presidential election in realizing that she and her sister have differing opinions about who is really American. They also discuss how travel can foster empathy and an understanding of the plurality of human experiences.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

* Recorded on August 22, 2018 at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA.

In episode six* of We Are All Americans, Michele Jaquis and Hind Abdulmajeed discuss the increased xenophobia and nationalism in the US now that Trump has been elected president, as well as Hind’s experience as an Iraqi refugee who came to the US for college and political asylum and stayed when she was granted her green card.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

*Recorded on July 19, 2018 in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA.

In episode five* of We Are All Americans Michele Jaquis and Joshua Beliso share numerous family stories including Michele’s grandfather’s matzo ball wonton soup, Joshua’s family legend of their brutal Scottish ancestor (who may or may not have been a King), how it is possible to not sacrifice one’s ambitions while raising a family just because one’s parents did, and Joshua’s own love for fusion cuisine inherited from his Portuguese and Spanish grandparents who grew up in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

* Recorded on July 16, 2018 at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA.

In episode four* of We Are All Americans Cinthia Marisol Lozano shares stories of their experience as a first generation American reconnecting to their Pipil and Lenca indigenous ancestry, as well as how the important radical act of simply living as a queer person of color helps them stay grounded and optimistic.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

*Recorded on July 11, 2018 at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA.

In episode three* Daniel Corral shares stories with Michele Jaquis about his Lola and Lolo, who was recruited into the US military after his time as a Filipino guerrilla fighter during WWII.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

*Recorded June 15, 2018 in South Pasadena, CA

In episode two* Lauren Vazquez, Michele Jaquis and Estela Sanchez discuss what they know and don’t know about their family histories.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

Recorded on May 19, 2018 as part of the Veterans & Immigrants Oral History Recording Skill Share Workshop at Side Street Projects in Pasadena, CA.

In episode one* Alicia Randall records her mother Ayesha Randall and Michele Jaquis as they discuss those who came to the the US unwillingly and how and when we teach our children the difficult historical moments that impacted our ancestors.

We Are All Americans is a podcast series Inspired by the fact that my Russian great-grandfather gained his US citizenship after serving in the US Army and my Lithuanian (or Austrian, or Russian, or Latvian - depending on who is telling the story) great-grandmother entered the US on fake passport. Each episode is a different recorded conversations about how family stories are passed down from generation to generation and what it means to be American in the contexts of multiculturalism, immigration, military service, black lives matter, white privilege, and indigeneity.

*Recorded on May 19, 2018 as part of the Veterans & Immigrants Oral History Recording Skill Share Workshop at Side Street Projects in Pasadena, CA.