PODCAST · society
Many Roads to Here
by The Immigrant Story
Many Roads to Here brings the voices of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to a national conversation about migration and identity.
Episodes
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The Goodbyes We Carry
She has spent much of her life saying goodbye. At seven years old, Vanesa left her village in Oaxaca, Mexico, not knowing that the goodbye to her childhood home would last 25 years. In the United States, she learned a new language, built a family, and dreamed of a life beyond the limits placed on...
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Composing New Musical Traditions
As a teenager, Wu Man was a celebrated instrumentalist in China, whose performances had been broadcast on national television and extensively reported in national press. Her instrument, the pipa, has a storied tradition closely interwoven with other Chinese literary and folk arts. Wu Man’s path…
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The Songkeeper Far From Home
Inna Kovtun carries the folk songs of Ukraine within her: songs that have survived years of suppression and attempted erasure, songs that tell stories, celebrate traditions, and preserve culture. A folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and performing artist of Ukrainian folk music, she sang to crowds of...
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The Immigrant Story Live Podcast IV
Welcome to The Immigrant Story Live, where we feature stories from the stage. In this fourth episode, we’ll hear from three storytellers — Jane Mantiri, Chanpone Sinlapasai, and Saron Khut —who tell stories of unbreakable familial bonds despite war, violence, and unimaginable suffering. Because...
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Too Late for the American Dream
At 23, Jose has spent nearly his entire life in the United States– going to school, making friends, dreaming big. But unlike many of his peers, Jose lives every day with a secret: he’s undocumented. He missed the chance to apply for DACA when he was a kid, not because of anything he did wrong…
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The Immigrant Story Live Podcast III
Many of us have been told who we are, who we should be. Maybe we’ve been judged for the actions of our parents, the color of our skin, the way our eyes look, the accent someone tells us we have, or for not conforming to expectations of how our gender supposedly should act. Often this judgement...
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Breaking Free: Her Path to a New Life
Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to parents who fled conflict in the Congo, Jeanette Muibi grew up walking toward a future she couldn’t yet imagine. In this episode, she shares her journey from survival to self-discovery—a story of resilience, heartbreak, and the courage to rise again. Many Roads...
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Forgiving the Unforgivable
At just 50-years-old, Rukshana Hafez Triem could say she’s lived many lives. From fleeing her home country of Mozambique at just 5-years-old to being a refugee 3-times over…first in Malawi, then Zambia, and finally the United States. She took on the role of caregiver as the eldest of 5 children...
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My Audacious Grandfather
Erica Naito-Campbell, the author of Portland’s Audacious Champion: How Bill Naito Overcame Anti-Japanese Hate and Became an Intrepid Civic Leader in conversation with Eliza Canty Jones– chief program officer at the Oregon Historical Society and editor of the Oregon Historical Quarterly. Erica...
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I learned a lot about how to survive
When Thao Nguyen was born in Vietnam, she was seen as an outsider. The daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an African-American soldier, she was considered an American in her own country. When she immigrated to the United States in the 1990s, it offered a promise of belonging and a fresh start. But...
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What Color is Freedom
TK grew up an exile in his own home country of Rhodesia. Under white minority rule, Black people weren’t allowed in certain schools or movie theaters and it could even be dangerous to be out after dark. When Robert Mugabe came to power with promises of freedom and equality, it was cause for...
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The Courage to Begin Again
Mohsin Jamal is a quick learner. It was an essential survival skill for a young child from Afghanistan’s Hazara minority, a persecuted ethnic group for whom decades of military occupation, war, and political infighting had uniquely high stakes. But thanks to a mind that was quick with numbers and...
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Valley of War with no Peace
Fifteen year-olds can be… a lot. It’s often when a rebellious streak first emerges, when a kid might start sneaking out, breaking curfew or perhaps, skipping school and lying about their age to become an interpreter for the American soldiers occupying your hometown in Afghanistan. Or at least...
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It Takes a Yes from One Person
This episode brings together two remarkable women, both public servants. Sophorn Cheang is the director of Business Oregon, the economic development agency for the state of Oregon. Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie is the director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement for the state. They’ve...
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Life is a Work in Progress
What does a mental health journey look like? How can art, music, and therapy bring us to better self understanding and self love? In this episode, Portland Community College student Jose Perez Salazar interviews Joaquin Lopez, one of the creative laureates of Portland, Oregon. They discuss the...
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The Immigrant Story Live Podcast II
Welcome to The Immigrant Story Live, where we feature stories from the stage. In each episode of this new series we weave together three stories that were originallyperformed at an Immigrant Story Live Event. For episode two of this series, you’ll hear from three storytellers — Ghassan Bin…
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They Will be Free Soon
Veronika Levytska and Ian Levytsky grew up in Ukraine but dreamed of an easier life - away from the shadow of Russia - for themselves and their loved ones. In 2018, after years of waiting, they found freedom and opportunity here in the U.S. on the East Coast shores of a Connecticut town. But…
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Pioneering Pilot Breaks Barriers
As a young woman growing up in a conservative society, Safia Ferozi overcame intense expectations and restrictions placed on women to become Afghanistan’s second female Air Force pilot. Before her country and her life were turned upside down, she was a trailblazing commander, leading an Air Force...
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Music that Lifts the Spirit
When you think of courageous living, playing music is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But Dijana Ihas, a professional musician and refugee of war, learned how to transform her viola skills into a remarkable display of bravery. As bombs rained down over Bosnia and Herzegovina in…
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The Immigrant Story Live Podcast
Introducing, The Immigrant Story Live, our new series that brings you voices from the stage. In 2019, the Immigrant Story began hosting live storytelling events in the Portland, Oregon area, bringing together musicians and storytellers from around the world for evenings of celebration and...
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Caught Between War and Paperwork
Raised in Yemen amidst intense civil turmoil, Ghassan bin Hammam made a life-changing decision to leave for the United States to start a new life with his family. Believing he had left behind the destruction and instability of Yemen, he was unaware that the very conflict he fled would…
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Call Me Dr. Olive Bukuru
When Olive Bukuru was six months old her and her family fled their home country of Burundi in search of a safe life. They ended up in a refugee camp in Tanzania where Olive fell in love with learning and became determined to pursue her education, something that was not encouraged for girls in the...
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I Am An American – Panel Discussion
Panelists explored their experiences as Asian American women, offering personal reflections as well as highlighting current xenophobia and intolerance against Asian Americans in Oregon and across the United States. Each of the speakers is leading community efforts to empower diverse Asian…
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Finally Free to Make Music Again
Ahmad Fanoos spent the first 57 years of his life searching for the freedom to play music. In Afghanistan, where singing and playing music were banned under the Taliban, Ahmad could not safely pursue his passion. Over time, music led him and his family across careers and borders. Between Taliban...
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You Know What, This Is Me, Okay?
Franke Tokem Powell was born in Central Africa, in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Growing up in the 90’s, Franke did not feel that he’d ever be accepted for who he was. At the age of 18, after years of repressing his queer identity and in the face of an unexpected loss, he was ready to leave home…
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Patriotism Despite Incarceration
Janice Okamoto was just a baby, only a few months old, when she was sent to Minidoka with her family. Her father was a musician, and like all the other incarcerees, he was permitted to bring only what he could carry in two suitcases. This meant leaving behind everything in their house, including...
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Something Greater in Life
Vasyl Matsyuk, a Yale Divinity student, grew up in the fully Democratic Ukraine only to see it ravaged by a war with Russia that began a year ago in February. The Russian conflict has long roots. Under the previous Soviet regime before Ukraine became a sovereign nation, Vasyl’s parents and...
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A Different Kind of Inner Calling
Balamurali Balu, who goes by Bala, immigrated to the United States from Southern India. He completed his PhD at Georgia Tech. Landed his dream job at Intel in Portland, Oregon. Married the woman he loved. And had two young daughters. He was what his family called “settled”, living the life his...
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Conversation Series: 200% American
Mitzi Asai Loftus and her son Toby talk frankly about her memories of growing up in Hood River, Oregon; her childhood incarceration in a Japanese-American internment camp; dating and racism; changing and reclaiming names; and what it means to grow up mixed-race. Please note this episode contains...
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Coming Out of the Shadows
Sindy Avila Gutierrez was born in Morelos, Mexico. At the age of two, she was brought to the United States to live with her parents in Oregon. Arriving without formal paperwork, Sindy's family was considered "undocumented." Without any legal protections, they faced hardships and uncertainty.…
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So Many People, So Many Miracles
Twenty-one-year-old Samir Mustafic was in the small orchard behind his home in Bosnia when Serbian bombs rained down upon his family’s property. His mother and sister died in the bombing on June 30, 1993, 14 months into the Bosnian war. Mustafic’s injuries were so severe that few gave him any...
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I Create So It Cannot Be Erased
Portland artist Roberta Wong is the daughter and granddaughter of Chinese immigrants. She grew up partly in Chinatown, itself a product of segregation. She spent her childhood developing close ties to her heritage. As she grew up, she experienced racism firsthand, as well as the decline of...
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Changing the System from Within
Chanpone Sinlapasai was born in Laos during a bloody civil war, and narrowly escaped to the US with her family at just four years old. Her experiences growing up in the United States have now propelled her into a staunch advocate of immigrant rights in her community. Many Roads to Here is a...
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War Doesn’t Stop in Iraq
Ghaith Shahib fled Iraq as the United States prepared to invade his country. Instead of finishing high school, he left home on a harrowing journey across the globe in search of safety and a life away from conflict. It’s been years now since Ghaith has felt the confrontation of war in his daily...
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Here From the Very Beginning
Kambiz GhaneaBassiri is one of the nation’s leading scholars of Islam in the United States. In this conversation, he sat down with writer and educator Flamur Vehapi to talk about the often ignored presence of Muslims in American history, from Revolution-era figures to Beyonce’s children’s names....
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It Is a Genuine Reconciliation
Emmanuel Turaturanye was born and raised in a small town in Rwanda called Ngoma. His whole life he was taught by his parents to love and respect everyone, regardless of their background. At an early age, he learned that wasn’t true for everyone. Out of the 11 people in his household, he was one…
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There is Surviving and There is Living
Saron Khut was only ten years old when he and his family fled the Khmer Rouge-led genocide in Cambodia. His mother’s strength and a key decision one scary night to take a risk for freedom has guided his sense of purpose ever since. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story, a...
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That Little Girl Got a Shock
Originally from Taiwan, Janet Liu's family spent years trying to build a home together in the United States despite restrictive immigration policies at that time. Janet had always wanted an opportunity to build a relationship with her father, who had left to study in the United States when she…
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I was a child of revolution
Sara Houranpay describes herself as a child of the revolution. She grew up during the Iranian Revolution. Her family fled to the United States, hoping for greater freedom. But they instead found themselves again at the center of conflict, when the protests of summer 2020 threatened their family...
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Living In a Gilded Cage
In the early 1900s, Rani Bagai’s grandparents arrived in California ready to start a new life. But citizenship requirements and prejudice against Indian-Americans made settling in more difficult. In this conversation, historian Johanna Ogden speaks with Rani about her grandparents’ fraught...
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Opera Was Never on the Radar
Growing up in the bohemian beach town of Encinitas, near San Diego, California, Priti Gandhi showed early interest in music and performance. But she was a first born child in an Indian immigrant family that placed high value on job security, so a career in the arts was not even a consideration.…
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This Is All of Me, and I Claim It All
Welcome to Many Roads In Conversation, where we look deeply at issues affecting communities within the United States. This inaugural series focuses on the roots of anti-Asian violence. Joining us for the third episode are Dmae Lo Roberts and Patti Duncan, who talk about growing up mixed race in...
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A Resilient Daughter of the Arab Spring
Rama Youssef was 12 years old when she left Syria, escaping violence caused by the beginning of the Syrian Civil War. But life didn’t get easier for Rama when she arrived in the United States. Conflict followed her from a young age and she had to learn how to overcome fear and trauma to create a...
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May Be Awkward, but It Has to Be Said
Belise Nishimwe was 5 years old when she arrived in the U.S. She was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp, the daughter of genocide survivors. In 2007, her family moved to the United States as refugees. Their new home would be Portland, Oregon. In her first moments in the United States, Belise…
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Jewish Children Please Stand Up
Leslie and Eva Aigner’s childhood were marked by horror. Born in different parts of Czechoslovakia as Nazi soldiers took hold, the two took very different paths to survival; both were saved by their families’ strength, shocking kindness by strangers at key moments, and their own inner audacity to...
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A Daughter of Two Countries
Ricki was born in 1993 in Quzhou, China, but was adopted when she was four years old by a White American family living in Seatac, Washington. For the rest of her childhood, Ricki would be raised in SeaTac, Washington, with eight siblings. Her roots would eventually lead her back to China and her...
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My brother came by stork and I came by plane
Liani Reeves spent the first months of her life in an orphanage in Seoul, South Korea, before an American family adopted her. She describes her early years as those of a typical American childhood – she loved cats, building snow forts and playing outside with friends. But Liani was also very…
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We Need a Willed Remembering
Welcome to Many Roads In Conversation, where we look deeply at issues affecting communities within the United States. This inaugural series focuses on the roots of anti-Asian violence. Joining us for the second episode are Peggy Nagae and Chris Ling, who talk about major civil rights cases and...
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A Modern Day Odyssey
Farzad Larki was born in Iran prior to the Revolution. He grew up in a comfortable middle class family, but when the Shah was overthrown, everything changed. Between 1979 and 1996, Farzad, his parents, and his siblings all emigrated to the U.S., though each family member traveled a very different...
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The Hard Way is What Saves You
In middle school, Yamini Rajan dealt with bullying, isolation, and a sick parent. Her mental health suffered, and destructive habits and self-harm nearly ended her life. As she healed, she committed to telling others about her story. Now Yamini helps start conversations about mental health in...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Many Roads to Here have?
Many Roads to Here currently has 61 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Many Roads to Here about?
Many Roads to Here brings the voices of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to a national conversation about migration and identity.
How often does Many Roads to Here release new episodes?
Many Roads to Here has 61 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Many Roads to Here?
You can listen to Many Roads to Here on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Many Roads to Here?
Many Roads to Here is created and hosted by The Immigrant Story.
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