Crossings|the Refugee Experience in America
by Vincent Hostak
Refugee resettlement and the journey toward it is an experience largely misunderstood in the US. With this podcast we seek to improve our listeners' cultural competence through the personal stories from refugees and the innovative organizations and programs serving them.
Episodes
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Episode 14_Tiyya Foundation & Flavors From Afar
Tiyya was founded by refuges and women of color, creates communities of support and organizes access to economic opportunities and critical resources for immigrants, refugees, and displaced indigenous communities. We visit with the organization’s Director of Operations Shukry Cattan and explore…
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Wade in the Water_A Visit with Dr. Arthur C. Jones
In this episode, with guest interviewer Pauletta Jackson, we visit with Dr. Arthur C. Jones, founder of the Spirituals Project and author of Wade in the Water: the Wisdom of the Spirituals. Dr. Jones introduces us to the importance of these songs, part of the cultural heritage of enslaved…
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Episode 12 Keep Going-Harriet Tubman on her 200th Birthday
In this March 2022 episode we celebrate the life of Harriet Tubman during the month of her 200th birthday. Tubman was, of course, one of the most prominent “conductors” on the Underground Railroad and a woman who self-emancipated from the bondage of slavery. But she was also the first American...
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Episode 11_International Underground Railroad Month
In 2019 the National Park Service created a recognition of the timeless significance of the Underground Railroad. It coincides with the month of September when notable abolitionists self-emancipation. We’re proud to be associated with a campaign to add Colorado to the now 12 US states with an...
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Episode 10_Exploring Juneteenth with Isaac Points
In this episode we visit with Isaac Points who was intrinsic to the long running Five Points Juneteenth Celebration in Denver. One of the largest in the country, this celebration was previously centered in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. The area is rich in African American cultural history…
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Episode 9_Songs of Migration in Belgium
In late December 2020 we interviewed Marieke Slovin Lewis and Sarah Reader Harris who spoke about their project lifting the stories of refugees and asylees into songs. Leveraging Sarah’s experience as a poet/author, Marieke’s musical training and foundations in participative storytelling, they…
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Episode 8-Harvesting Hope in Aurora Colorado
Project Worthmore is a refugee service organization with a unique collective approach to feeding newcomers, providing educational services, community navigation, and employment on an urban farm and within a dental wellness operation. We visited with Co-Founder and Executive Director Frank Anello...
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Episode 7_RefuSHE: Lives and Fashion Reimagined
We are excited add our seventh episode featuring Kenya/Chicago based organization RefuSHE. We look at their mission to provide a supportive community for extremely vulnerable girls and women in Africa through holistic programs to help these women learn, grow and become leaders. We recorded our...
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Episode 6_Refugees and COVID-19
This is an informational episode which looks at the impact the global pandemic is having on refugee populations. An overview of responses from organizations including the World Health Organization, the UN High Commission on Refugees, the International Rescue Committee, and OXFAM International....
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Episode Five_A Two Room Schoolhouse on the North Shore
Madonna Mission's Founder and CEO calls their small office and classroom space near Loyola Park, Chicago a "two room schoolhouse." Growing from a few clients to serving sixty refugee women and their families, Madonna Mission provides tutoring during the school year and Summer programming for…
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Refugee Mental Health, Trauma and Recovery
This is the story of how hard work, experience and loving hearts help refugee populations achieve greater mental wellness and stability as they find new homes in Chicago. Refugees carry pre and post migration stress and experience traumas both before and after their arrivals. Fortunately talented...
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Episode 3 Finding My America at the American Writers Museum
We continue our tour of the refugee experience in Sweet Home Chicago. We visit with museum president Carey Cranston, and listen in on museum recordings from personal interviews featuring contemporary writers Ngozi Ukazu, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Dina Nayeri. We also read from written vignettes...
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Resettlement 101 from Chicago_Heartland Alliance
On a Friday evening rideshare in Chicago our host learns firsthand the cutural importance of refugees to our American community. By coincidence, this refugee's American story is tied to the Heartland Alliance, the subject of our episode and interview. Learn how refugees and asylees become a part…
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We Made This
For our pilot episode we take our listeners to the training workshop and boutique supporting We Made This. We Made This is a refugee women's sewing training program designed to support women who have limited access to community development and integration. It provides them the opportunity to...
About this show
Refugee resettlement and the journey toward it is an experience largely misunderstood in the US. With this podcast we seek to improve our listeners' cultural competence through the personal stories from refugees and the innovative organizations and programs serving them.
Hosted by
Vincent Hostak