This podcast is a collaboration between Journey 2 Unity interns at Arts Street @YEA and members of the Denver community. All podcasts can also be listened to at The StoryCorps Archive which comprises one of the largest digital collections of human voices, featuring more than 200,000 conversations recorded in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and around the world. The full collection of interviews is housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. We are proud to contribute these previously unheard stories to the conversation regarding immigration in the United States. After listening to these interviews, please complete our J2U Listener Survey (on the right).
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J2U Interview with Huipok Blount
This interview is about the life of Huipok Blount a Korean immigrant who came to America in the 1970’s when she married her soon-to-be ex husband. She talks about good memories like how she is happy to live in Denver because it is not to crowded, but also her worst memories in the United States, how life back home in Korea was, and also her thoughts on immigration happening in the United States. |
J2U Interview with Selena Ramierz
This is the story of Selena Ramierz, a 18 year old who has lived in Denver her whole life. Selena is a multi-generational immigrant. Her great grandmother came from Mexico to the U.S. as a immigrant and started a life here. Selena shares her opinion on immigration and some fears she has had based on the choices the current U.S. President has been making. Even though Selena doesn’t have very much background knowledge on her heritage her family still has cultural and religious traditions.
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J2U Interview with Amina Mohamed
Amina Mohamed is a 14 year old girl who lives in Denver, Colorado and goes to West Early College. Amina Mohamed came to the United States in 2004 when she was 4 months old from Kenya, a country in East Africa. She and her family had been living in a refugee camp in Kenya because of war and violence in Somalia. This young girl gives us her opinion about immigration laws. She also tells us about challenges she has gone through while growing up, and hardships her family went through. She doesn't remember much about how life really is in Kenya but she lets us know about how her life is now in America. Amina Mohamed wants to join law enforcement because she wants to be able to help immigrants and make change in the United States.
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J2U Interview with Mohamad Tamo Keita
Mohamad Tamo Keita is an immigrant from Guinea Conakry in Africa. Mohamad came here when he was 8 years old in 2001 and he is now 25 years old. Mohamad arrived here by plane after his father married a woman and came to America. Mohamed left his mother in Guinea and has not seen her in 17 years. It bothers him that he can’t get much information about her whereabouts and he is unable to travel back to Africa. Because his Visa expired, Mohamed was then able to receive work eligibility through the DACA program. Mohamed remembers few details about his original home besides the food, dancing and school.
Mohamad produces his own podcast called Tha Young Gods. In the podcast episodes he brings people together to talk about real life issues and he enjoys hearing other people's stories. He believes that DACA holders/immigrants/ and refugees should receive legalization papers if they haven't committed any crimes, payed taxes, go to school and are not disturbing the peace. You can listen to his podcast episodes at soundcloud.com/thayounggods. |
J2U Interview with Samuel Taye
Arianna Lopez, an intern at Arts Street, had the opportunity to chat and interview an immigrant from Ethiopia. We bring you this podcast episode to discuss his immigration and life story.
Samuel Taye came from Ethiopia and now resides in Denver, Colorado. Recently celebrating his 83rd birthday, he tells the story of how he came to the U.S in 2001, and has been living in Denver ever since. He is currently retired, with 5 grown children. He had the honor to be the first one to organize the Provisioner Secretariat of the organization of African Unity (AOU). This means a lot to him because it was part of a number of diverse and far-reaching historical currents and political trends both on the African continent and abroad. |
J2U Interview with Umutesi Karinganire
Umutesi Karinganire is a 17 year old living in Denver, Co and going to West Leadership High School. In 2012, at age 11, Umutesi immigrated with her family to Rwanda, which experienced a lot of violence from the Civil War in 1990 to 1993 and the Genocide in 1994. She and her family had been living there since Umutesi was a baby. Then, she and her family began living in refugee camps as they waited to come to the U.S. “My parents moved from Rwanda because of the war and we immigrated here as refugees.” When she emigrated to the U.S she and her family were looking for a better future, seeing America as a great way to start. “I plan to have a good education, and be able to help my family.” She has an interest in art, wants to pursue her career of being an animator or maybe even being a graphic designer.
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J2U Interview with Liberata Ntahundu
Liberata Ntahundu, a native Rwandanize who fled from her country due to a war that started in 1990 in Rwanda. She escaped Rwanda with her two children and her husband to find shelter in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which wasn’t all pretty, she and her family walked in the forest of DRC for about 5 months trying to find shelter. Due to an organization that helps refugees (UNHCR), Liberata was given an opportunity to come to the United States in 2003, where she started a new life with her two children. Liberata appreciates being here and is glad that her two children have good education and jobs. Even though she is here, a part of her is still in DRC because her husband is still there. Liberata was interviewed in her native language (Kinyarwanda) by Umutesi who also translated the story to English.
Liberate nu munyarwandakazi wa rokotse intambara ya genocide, yavuye murwanda agenda muri congo aho yabonye uburenganzira bwo kuza aha muri America, aho yatangiye ubuzima bwe busha. |
J2U Interview with Helen Thorpe
Helen Thorpe, born January 23, 1963, is an Irish-born-American author and journalist. She has written for major American newspapers and magazines, and has authored three books. Her first book, Just Like Us, follows the lives of four Denver girls of Mexican background and deals with aspects of immigration into the United States, was published in 2009. She relates the girls’ stories to her immigration story and talks about how different, yet similar they are. Her current book, The Newcomers, talks about the Newcomer program at South High School and the process those students went through after migrating to the United States.
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J2U Interview with Lora Hernandez
This podcast is about a woman named Lora Hernandez. She was born in Playa Mallorca, Spain. She came to the United States with her parents when she was eight years old. Her dad was a sargent and her mom also worked in the Navy. They went from Spain to Miami Florida to San Diego California. Her mother passed away in the Navy in San Diego CA. Later on her and her dad moved to Aurora Colorado to come live with her uncles. Her dad remarried. Lora had two siblings, one brother and one sister. Her siblings didn’t like living in Aurora CO so they moved to Juarez Mexico, Close to El Paso Texas
She talks about the difference between schools in the United States and Spain. The most cultural shock she experienced was the language. Later on in her life when she was 18 she moved back to Spain and stayed over there for a year. When a girl in Spain turns 19 they celebrate it similar to how Mexican families celebrate Quinceanera, a girl’s passage into womanhood. It is celebrated with lots of food and a big family gathering. She eventually moved back to Aurora and is now a permanent resident. In 1996 she applied for her citizenship and to this day she hasn’t heard anything about it because she moved apartments and they lost contact with her. Lora was married to a man much older than herself. She never had kids and later she divorced him and left him everything, including their house and started over. For more on Lora’s immigration and life story, please listen to this podcast episode |
J2U Interview with Yokabed Ogbai, Gorreti Murguia, and Jose Catarino
Yokabed Ogbai, Goretti Murguia, and Jose Catarino have three unique immigration stories ready to be toldthat they shared with the J2U interns.
Yoki is 19 years old and heading into college. She recently received her citizenship and currently resides in Colorado. She bravely tells the story of how she immigrated to the U.S from a country in East Africa, AretrayaEritrea, and shares the sacrifices she took to get here. Yoki arrived in the U.S when she was 14, with her brother, and not long after her mother followed behind. Shortly after arriving they struggled to make a new life living in the U.S but Yoki shares how the journey was all worth it. Gorreti is 18 years old. She recently graduated from high school and earned valedictorian (Top of her class!). While soaring her way to the top of life she courageously shares her story of how her and her family arrived to the U.S from Mexico and the barriers she had to go through in order to get here. Gorreti arrived in the U.S with her Mother, Father, and younger sister. After attaining their Visa to stay, which only was active for 3 months, Gorreti made a tuffough decision to either continue residing in the U.S or go back to her home country. Gorreti shares the journey of how hershe and her family made a life changing decision. Jose, 21, Is an engineering student at MSU Denver, walks us through the process of how he got his DACA status. He fearlessly speaks for those who have shared a similar experience. He arrived in the U.S when he was 9 years old from Mexico City. He came across the border with his parents, which once they arrived to stay with Jose’s grandparents. While living in the U.S, Jose was able to obtain his work permit and DACA status in 2014. This has given him the opportunity to work and get in-state college tuition! Jose shares the journey he took to obtain his DACA and reside in the U.S. Listen to this podcast to learn how these three individuals faced immigration and how they're not afraid to be heard. |
J2U Interviews Anthony Garcia and Victor Escobedo
Journey2Unity invited Anthony Garcia and Victor Escobedo from Birdseed Collective to be interviewed for their story. They talk about their heritage and ancestry, along with where they, and their families are from. They also discussed how Birdseed Collective started and evolved through time, and the struggles of being an artist and a non-profit.
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J2U Interview Kamilla Karner
In this episode of our Journey 2 Unity podcast, we discussed an unheard life story in America. Yecenia, an intern at Arts Street intern, had the chance to interview an immigrant from Argentina. Kamilla Karner shares her opinion on current immigration laws and our current president. She came to the U.S with her siblings and daughters. She had to deal with her husband leaving her, yet she still persevered on pursuing the American Dream! Kamilla is a local Denver Housing resident, ready to share her story and we are here to give her a platform to express herself in a safe and positive way. According to her, she's living the American Dream which she acknowledges that some are not able to. We hope by the end of the interview you have a better understanding on immigration through her unique story.
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J2U Interviews Epitacia Ruiszaso
Epitacia Ruiszaso talks about her experience coming to the United States with a permit that allowed her and her whole family to immigrate and escape from the crime and delinquency in Chiguagua, Mexico. Immigrating to the United States wasn't hard, what was hard was trying to assimilate to a whole new culture. Learning a new language, traditions, holidays, seasons, etc. It was a long process to be able to find a job and she faced discrimination and other racial comments. Even through all the struggles she faced she was a strong woman that worked in different places like cleaning offices, cooking in a restaurants and more, she was able to reach her goals to give her family a better life.
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J2U Interviews Saboor Rakeen
Saboor Rakeen was originally from Afghanistan which suffered 40 years of war that is still going on today. Saboor and his family fled to Pakistan to join the union so they could move to the United States as refugees. They arrived here in September 2004. However, Saboor says he wasn’t culture shocked because he studied the culture of the United States before he left. When he arrived in the United States he didn’t have any money so he borrowed some and was in debt. He is proud because both of his children went and graduated from college and have good jobs. He says the only problem he has with America is that you must pay to go to college and also the rent is very high.
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J2U Interview with Emily Kiev
In this podcast episode, Emily Kiev talks about her journey and her point of view on the life of an American as she gets interviewed by Iyanah French, an intern from Arts Street’s Journey2Unity project. Emily was born in America but her mother immigrated from Cambodia in Asia. Cambodia suffered a war from 1967-1975. Emily briefly talks of the Cambodian genocide and how she fears for the people in Cambodia. Emily Kiev is married and has two children. Something Emily has kept from her heritage is the traditional food from Cambodia and now her own daughter tries to cook like her. She tells us about her opinions on immigration and how it has affected her in many ways such as having some of her relatives deported. Emily goes into her passions and memories. She tells us more of how she plans to raise her children in reality rather than giving them a fairy tale illusion.Overall Emily tells us that life can get really tough however she is happy living here in the United States.
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J2U Interviews Blaine Johnson
Blaine Johnson is an 18 year old born in Colorado with an interest for art, languages, linguistics and the cultures where people come from. Coming from a multi-generation family with maternal great-grandparents coming from Sweden. Blaine talks about his thoughts on immigration. He also gives information that supports his opinion, giving a different outlook for his reasoning.
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J2U Interviews Asnake Deferse & Sara Gebre
Asnake Deferse and Sara Gebre are a couple from Ethiopia with Asnake coming to America first in 1990. 15 years later, he went back to his country to marry Sara and then the two came to the United States together two years later with their first son Matthew. They first lived in Fort Worth, Texas, then San Diego, California, and then Denver, Colorado, where they reside currently. This is their story about the experience they have gone through to reach this point in their lives.
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J2U Interviews Donavin Nguyen-Nvarez
Donavin Nguyen-Nvarez is a young man with an interesting story to tell. This is his untold American story. We invite you to listen to this remarkable story told through an interview between Arianna and Donavin.
Stories about one’s past is always intriguing to listen to with all of the different things that they struggled with but what if you could hear someone else’s story? Donavin is one of many people in the world with a story to tell about his grandfather’s immigration to the United States from Vietnam. Listen to this interview as he explains his Grandfather's story and how he came into America. |
J2U Interview with Erionna Tovar
This podcast brings to you Erionna, an 18 year old young women who talks about her life in Denver, CO and the change in her community. Erionna explains how she wants to make an impact to those in poverty sometime in the future. Erionna also gives her opinion on immigration, the president and laws here in the U.S.
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J2U Interview with Sarah Morm
Arts Street Intern Angie Wright talks with Sarah Morm, a Denver Housing Authority Residential property manager in the Westwood community. Sarah discusses her family's immigration journey from Cambodia when she was 11. She also shares how she loves working with immigrant families who bring their diverse cultures and traditions, and that there is a lot to benefit and learn from them.
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J2U Interview with Jamie Torres
At a community event in Sun Valley, Arrianna Lopez sits down with Jamie Torres to discuss her heritage, her life and her work with immigrants and refugees. As Deputy Director of Denver's Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships, Jamie shares her thoughts how she would like to help immigrants that have come to the United States to find a better life.
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