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 […]
Tag: Immigrant Story
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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.
Brown is Beautiful, but is also Painful
Looking around the primarily white city of Dallas, Oregon, Cindy was five years old when she asked her mother in hushed Spanish, “Are we not supposed to be here?”
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 […]