Broken Glass to Breakout Senior
In 2013, when a bomb exploded and shattered all the windows of 15-year-old Sara Mohamed’s classroom in Damascus, Syria, she better understood
Category: Portland
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.
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
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.
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 […]
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
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 […]
A Once in a Lifetime Journey
“When I was in a band, I pretended I was straight the whole time,” Franklin says. “Nobody knew I was living a double private life as a rockstar and a […]
Making Her Family Proud
When remembering her childhood in Nepal, Anisha Ginshing reveals that her own mother has not seen her parents in 20 years. When Anisha’s mother fled Bhutan,
Shall we Dance Bollywood?
DJ Prashant may look like a typical Indian immigrant, but if his dance moves are any evidence, his story has a quintessential Bollywood plot written all over it.
In Search for a Safe Haven
18-year-old Yasmin was walking to her bus stop on her way to school on Inauguration Day in January when she heard angry yelling behind her. As she turned to see […]
The Dawn of a New Life
Nawid considers his arrival in the U.S. six months ago as the dawn of his life. He was born and brought up in the war-torn and dangerous Halmand Province in […]
Coursing the Meandering Paths
By the time Abdikarim settled in Kakuma Refugee Camp at age 11, he had already lived in three countries. He was born in 1990 in Somalia, when it was on the […]
To See the World Outside
As a young child, Naw Bi could see the mountains from afar. She often dreamed of escaping the refugee camp where she lived and climbing them up,
A Reunion in a New Land
Holding dreams and taking the steps to realize them has been a theme in Kemle’s family. For many years, her father dreamed of making a life in America. When the […]