Sankar Raman

Sketching a Life in Secret

Nothing about the financial world interested Sarah Rikaz. The only tie she could find between her passion and the career her parents wanted for her was

Sankar Raman

For the Love of Mozart

It’s the late 1980s in Taipei, Taiwan.  Every week, four-year-old Ruby Chen ventures with her mother from their storefront apartment to the local Yamaha Piano store

Sankar Raman

Why Her Accent Became a Mask

When Onyeka Azike journeyed from Nigeria to America to attend Portland’s Reed College, she believed she would fulfill a childhood dream.

Paul Fardig

Upsetting the Status Quo

Contrary to the unobtrusive lifestyles of most immigrants, blending in has never been a priority for Victor Maldonado. Behind his signature blue mask,

Sankar Raman

Let Nothing Hold You Back

Beneath the star-studded sky of Makamba, Burundi, 6-month-old Olive Bukuru clung to her father’s hip as they fled on foot for roughly 100 miles to Tanzania.

Sankar Raman

The Gift of New Opportunities

Growing up, Zsusana Vamos always loved stories of Marie Curie, so when she got her first job doing cancer research in Budapest, she was excited

Sankar Raman

The Strength within Yourself

Instead of a novel, Brianda Alcazar would sneak her geometry book into her room at night and wait till her parents were in bed so she could turn on the […]

Sankar Raman

Laughing through the Years

Janet Liu is no stranger to a life shaped by history. Or rather, a history shaped by her life. But her rolling laughter and raw honesty reveal that she remains […]

Jim Lommasson

The Quran, Baghdad, Iraq

Zahra AlKaabi: When I left my country Iraq in 2000, I left everything behind, my photos, my personal stuff, my memories because I just wanted to forget everything about my […]

Sankar Raman

An All-American Korean Gives Back

Lori Stegmann thinks her birthday is on January 24, but she will never be sure if that’s true. Her story begins in 1960 at City Hall in Seoul, South Korea, […]

Sankar Raman

What Would You Take with You

A portrait of an Iraqi refugee’s family propelled award-winning photographer Jim Lommasson on a mission: to ensure that Americans hear the stories of Iraqi and

Sankar Raman

We Are an Asset to Our Society

It’s a long way from Mexico City to the Revolución Coffee House in Portland, Oregon. But Maria Garcia — business owner, mother, activist, advocate —

Photo: Sankar Raman

Miracles, Memories and a Message

Life’s hardest lessons can come at a steep cost. Tragedy, trauma and misfortune often breed bitterness, anger and hatred. Les and Eva Aigner, octogenarian Nazi

Kim Oanh Nguyen

When A Dream is Born

Walking down the halls of his middle school, Wilson Nitunga was eating an apple. The bell rang, and students around him rushed to class. A teacher approached