Bala

Composing a New Life

A few years into his engineering career at Intel, Balamurali Balu, who goes by Bala, wondered, “Is this really what I want to be doing for the next 30 years […]

Sankar Raman

He Came by Stork, I Came by Plane

The first time Liani Reeves realized that other people saw her as Asian was in the fifth grade.  “Everybody decided that Michael Lee and I should  

Karen Weliky

I Am My Mother’s Daughter

To this day, Bandana Shrestha feels a sense of gratitude for the example her mother, Indira, set for her as she grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Ricki Mudd

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. 

Opening Minds With Education

After she earned her master’s degree, Rajika Bhandari was left with a grand, existential question. Where did she fit in, she wondered: Was it in the United States,

Sankar Raman

From the Old, Comes Something New

Some of Yumi Torimaru’s earliest memories are of flying through the streets of Nara, Japan, on her bicycle, focused more on how fast she could go than

Sankar Raman

Even the Angels Could Be Capricious

Shahryar Houranpay’s name translates to “the angels are with you.” “Shay,” the American moniker of this Iranian restaurateur, has needed all the angelic

Karen Weliky

Seffarine: Blending Cultures into Music

Lamiae Naki first remembers singing for someone when she was six years old. It was Friday, the holy day of Islam, with shops closed and families home together

Sankar Raman

Searching for Her Birth Family

A tiny slip of paper stating the place and date of her birth — Shaoyang, Feb. 24, 1995 — was the only thing identifying Olivia Wolf when she was found […]

Karen Weliky

Forging Resilience and Community

Rima Ghandour’s earliest memory is of being wrapped in her mother’s arms with her siblings around them, crying. The building shook as bombs exploded  

Nyibol Bior

Living the World in Color

In February, 2021, Nyibol Bior published a children’s book called “My Beautiful Colors.” She chose the title because, “Colors are metaphors  

Karen Weliky

Coming Full Circle At Last

“You are an Indonesian mama,” the local tour guide told Jane Mantiri as she wound up her recent visit to Indonesia. “At first I thought you were American, but now […]

Karen Weliky

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Is Baked-In

Imene Barkat remembers her first event at Portland Night Market as a resounding success. “I sold out everything within the first few hours,” Barkat said of her first foray

Karen Weliky

More Than One Way to Fly

When her calligraphy teacher, Sekko Daigo, gave Rie O’Doherty the artistic name Sora, meaning universe or sky, it reminded her of her childhood