Sankar Raman

Woman Without a Country

By the time Eman Abbas and her two sons made it to the United States in 2015, her Iraqi heritage had cost her admission to her dream school, a fair-paying […]

Sankar Raman

I am Here, and I am Not Sorry

“I will never be seen as an American. I don’t even know what being an American looks like. Is it being lighter? Is it having my hair out? Or is […]

Paige Stoyer

Undocumented and Unafraid

When Efrain first sauntered into his AP literature class in high school, something triggered him: He noticed that he was the only student of color in the room.

Katy Weaver

To Portland, from Russia, for Love

Many immigrants move to the United States in search of new opportunities or a better life, but Irina Francis’ motivation was love. She was happy in Russia  

Sankar Raman

Leaving Cuba for a Brighter Future

In 2011 at 16, when Ruben left the bright, sunny and festive Santiago de Cuba for an unfamiliar life in Portland, Oregon it was bittersweet.

Sankar Raman

In Limbo O’Er the Land of the Free

Depressed and undocumented, Jhoana knew she needed to change her life around. Born in Pachuca, Mexico in 1991, Jhoana grew up in a small house that her  

Sankar Raman

Feminist Blooms Under the Headscarf

For Hanin, wearing a hijab and being a feminist go hand-in-hand. The 18-year-old Forest Grove college student, born in Saudi Arabia, has lived in the United States  

Sankar Raman

It is the Only Way to Succeed

Alejandro was barely 10 years old when his father died. He was devastated, his world suddenly turned upside down. Alejandro was born in 1980 in Bryan, Texas.  

Sankar Raman

The Best Of Both Worlds

When her 10-year-old daughter asked her, “What will happen to us? Will we be shipped out?” Sabina neither knew what to say or how to respond to her when she […]

Sankar Raman

The Marathon Continues

For Carlos, getting a kidney transplant at the age of 20 was probably the most difficult time of his life. But his hardships did not start there. His earliest childhood […]

Katy Weaver

Rebuilding Her Life to Reconcile

One of Dijana’s earliest memories is of sleeping in the woods with her family. They weren’t camping for fun though — they were hiding. “We were attacked in Bosnia  

Don Schwartz

Capitalizing on Opportunities

Daadir took his first steps on American soil just three years ago, at the age of fourteen. “A lot of immigrants that come to America suffered hardship,” he reflected. “That […]

Sankar Raman

Painting Her History, Healing Through Art

Kathy’s home is filled with art. Her paintings hang on nearly every wall of her Gresham, Oregon home. Through them, her family, history, and culture are brought to life.

Sankar Raman

Crossing the Line in the Sand

Ivan was eleven years old when his family left Mexico. He had been doing well in his school in Mexico and he was very popular because of his loud voice […]

Sankar Raman

A Mother’s Pain is not in Vain

Migration is nothing new in Professor Malini Johar Schueller’s family. Her father had migrated before she was born and she herself was an immigrant.