Exploring Heritage Through Music
From her childhood, Keiko Araki knew what Taiko drums were. But it wasn’t until she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2004 and became involved with Portland Taiko that
Category: Story
Pushing Boundaries Through Music
Raúl Gómez Rojas spent his youth learning the violin. Almost every day, he practiced the instrument in his hometown in Costa Rica. Then, at age 24, he found himself
Embracing and exploring identity
When Qasim Syed arrived in the United States in 2001, he didn’t realize that a simple decision to reorder his name would one day define his immigrant experience.
Becoming and Never Looking Back
“I always knew I was a hands-on person. I liked taking things apart and putting them back together,” says Fiaindratovo Manavihare, explaining how he approaches
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 […]
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
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.
Surviving A Minefield Of Terrors
Too often the stories of refugees from ravaged lands force us to confront unimaginable suffering, terror, and trauma. Binh (Ben) Thach harbored such a tale in
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,
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
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
Building a Future With Forgiveness
When Romy Ahounou was just a little boy in the Republic of the Congo, war broke out. “My parents put me and my brother in a suitcase and put us […]
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
Nothing Prepares a Child Like Stories
“What I really want to do is make people feel good about themselves, and help them change their perspective.” explains Baba Wague Diakite,
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 […]