#73. Why Going Back Home Never Happens for Immigrant Women—The Myth of Living the Dream in the USA

A conversation on identity, home, and why going back never truly happens for immigrant women.In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. Neisha Terry Young, Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, about what it really means to build a life between geographies. We talk about the emotional weight of being an unconnected immigrant, the freedom she misses from her childhood in Jamaica, and the realities of raising Black boys in America.Neisha shares how a recent health crisis brought the ache of distance sharply into focus — “I wish I were still at home,” she says — and we explore why going back home never truly happens once migration reshapes your identity, your relationships, and your sense of belonging.We also talk about accents, self‑expression, and the challenge of being understood in spaces where your language and culture are not the norm. Neisha reflects on the moment she realized her Jamaican Creole couldn’t be heard in the way she intended, and how that shifted her understanding of voice, confidence, and becoming.This episode is for anyone navigating life across borders — emotionally, culturally, or physically — and for anyone who has ever wondered why “living the dream” doesn’t always feel like the dream at all.A conversation about identity, home, and the truth behind "living the dream".immigrant women; expat women; move abroad; homesickness; loneliness; Jamaican diaspora; belonging; identity; home; migration; American Dream; accents; Black motherhood; diaspora stories