An Artist with Many Voices
For Dao Nguyen Strom, identity is no simple concept. Raised in the California countryside, Strom was originally born in Vietnam—a country she escaped as a baby
Category: Refugee
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
Value of Human Belonging
Before she was even born, Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie began her journey far away from her roots in her Lao village. Her mother, Phouvong Sonelouay,
Preserving a Family Legacy
When you walk into the Jeffrey Allen Gallery in downtown Tigard you are greeted by an abundance of greenery and history; tumbling orchids and fruit trees,
Keeping Our People Alive
As a child, Mohsin Jamal was terrified every time the sun set in his neighborhood in western Kabul. The Taliban would roam the streets at night, abducting young boys
Escaping the Taliban Through Art
When Ghu Ali Danish Kamal and his family arrived in Portland from Afghanistan, they were provided with $722 in cash. He headed straight to the art store
Coming Home to America
Living a half block from the beach may sound luxurious, but growing up in the 1970s in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, Thao Nguyen said it was a sign of poverty.
Longing To Return Home
“My family and I thought this would be over soon,” Volodymyr Shyshkin says. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Shyshkin thought that the war would end
When the War Comes
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, everything changed for Natalia Dychko. As a child in Kyiv, she had never imagined that her country, Ukraine, would not always
The Search for a New Home
After 11 years apart, Pyae Sone Aung finally has hopes of reuniting with his wife and son. Originally from a small town in Myanmar, Aung has gone from country
There is No Peace in Kunar Valley
As a boy growing up in a remote valley near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nasirullah was fascinated by the US soldiers who came to fight the Taliban
Songs that Help us Cope with War
Inna Kovtun was lying in her bed in Kyiv at 11 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2022, talking on the phone with the general director of her orchestra. She told him […]
Pioneering Pilot Breaks Barriers
As a young woman growing up in a conservative society, Safia Ferozi overcame intense expectations and restrictions placed on women
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling
The Honorable Chanpone Sinlapasai does not know when she was born. Her Lao tribe did not document any life cycle events. For her American immigration paperwork,
I’m Not Supposed to Be Here
Chanpone Sinlapasai was born in war-torn Laos and came to the US at age four. As a child acting as interpreter for her parents, she soon realized