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Elton Skendaj grew up under communist rule in Albania, where there was limited freedom of speech, resources, and access to information. Despite growing up under repressive authoritarian rule, Elton's curiosity about the world never diminished. His interests led him to becoming a professor of Peace Studies at Manchester University in Northeast Indiana. He now serves an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Associate Director of the Democracy and Governance Program at Georgetown University. In his conversation with Ahmed, he talks about growing up in Albania, his journey to the United States, and the challenges and perks of being bicultural. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kidane Amare Sarko is a Fort Wayne resident who immigrated from Ethiopia in pursuit of education. In his conversation with Ahmed he talks about how he ended up here, homesickness, switching career paths, and why he's so passionate about public health education. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ifedapo, AKA Mike, lives in Michigan with his wife and four children. Originally from Nigeria, Ifedapo made his way to the United States by way of England, where he had been pursuing his education. Nigeria is very diverse, with over 370 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages. Ifadepo spoke with Ahmed about what it means to him to be Nigerian. His wife, who hails from Wisconsin, also joined in on the conversation to talk about their relationship, what it means to "blend in", and raising biracial children during a time of racial and social justice reckonings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you ask Bedrija where she's from, she might chuckle and tell you "it's complicated." Bedrija was born in Bosnia, but war and conflict drove her and her family to Croatia where she spent her formative years. Ultimately she moved to the United States, settling in Chicago. Bedrija spoke with Ahmed about the circumstances that led to her family's departure from their homeland, diaspora, and why she still considers Bosnia home after all these years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ismail and Brittany are a married couple who reside in Oregon. Both are from Somalia and Maine respectively and have found a mutual love for building community wherever they go. In this episode of The I In Immigrant, Ahmed talks with the pair about their history, acceptance, how two parents with two very different cultural backgrounds are choosing to raise their children, and their perspectives on racial injustice issues in the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbara Bell is a lot of things. She’s an immigrant. Latina. Brazilian. Black. A newlywed. And VERY tenacious. Barbara is finding her place in Fort Wayne, IN and talked with Ahmed about her journey to where she is today. In this episode we hear about her college experiences, learning English, and her thoughts on the black experience in America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When YeWin Latt and Minn Myint Nan Tin came to Indiana roughly 30 years ago they were refugees fleeing Burma’s authoritarian government. Flash forward to present-day Fort Wayne, which now has one of the most concentrated Burmese populations in the country. YeWin and Minn have also become pillars in the refugee community, seeking to build meaningful connections and educate others about the history and current state of their home country. In this interview, YeWin and Minn give listeners a primer on the ongoing conflicts in Burma, how they ended up in northeast Indiana, and the values that they hope to instill in their children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Divorce and a cancer diagnosis are two of the most life-altering events any person can go through. Now, imagine going through both within a short time frame, in a new country away from your family and friends, all while trying to navigate the American healthcare system. Those were the cards that we dealt to Joey Kowailw (Ko-wall-ee-oh) when he moved from Leicester, England all the way to Northeast Indiana 14 years ago. To kick off the second season of The I In Immigrant Joey talks with Ahmed about finding his way in the United States, finding solace in logic, and where he can get a decent cup of tea. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your support makes WBOI podcasts like The I In Immigrant. Please consider becoming a member today to keep these important conversations going. Thank you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your support makes podcasts like The I In Immigrant possible. Become a member today to keep these conversations going. Thank you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abdel was raised in Chad by his grandmother until the age of 15, then he moved to the United States along with his three brothers, to live with his uncle. He knew little to no English, but started attending Carroll Middle School a few weeks after moving. Abdel talks about navigating through being unable to communicate with his classmates at first, and using sports to find common ground and make friends. Now he’s 23 and recently graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a degree in physics. Abdel is exploring whether he should stay in the United States or move back to Chad, but either way he wants to find a job that’s not just about the paycheck. He, much like his grandmother, is always looking for a way to give back. Abdel and host, Ahmed Abelmageed, talk about how college changed the way he studied his Muslim faith, the importance of keeping an open mind when talking about immigrants and race and the impact his grandmother had on his life and his personality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Francisco Townsend met his wife after the YMCA in Valparaiso, Chile, where he worked, made connections with the YMCA in Valparaiso, Indiana. Students from Indiana would come to Chile on a student exchange program, which is how they met. She lived in Chile with him for a while, but Francisco felt it was only fair for him to try living in the United States, where she could be closer to her family. When he moved to the United States, Francisco didn’t speak English, but that didn’t stop him from working and attending college. After graduating in 2011, he went to work for the YMCA again. Francisco has done many jobs for the YMCA in Fort Wayne and continues to serve through his work there. Francisco explores what it's like to raise Chilian-American children in the United States and he explains why he tells them speaking Spanish is a superpower. Francisco and host, Ahmed Abelmageed, talk about the relief of gaining citizenship, the difficulties of learning a new language, and the importance of remaining positive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The I In Immigrant is a production of WBOI Studios in Fort Wayne and was created by Ahmed Abdelmageed. Follow us on Facebook and learn more about the show and its guests at http://theiinimmigrant.com/. Today's episode was produced by Katy Anderson and edited by Monica Blankenship. Transcription and summaries provided by Brittany Smith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The I In Immigrant is a production of WBOI Studios in Fort Wayne and was created by Ahmed Abdelmageed. Follow us on Facebook and learn more about the show and its guests at http://theiinimmigrant.com/. Today's episode was produced by Katy Anderson and edited by John Dawkins. Transcription and summaries provided by Brittany Smith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irene was born just outside of Venice, Italy where she lived a good portion of her life. She was born with dual citizenship. Her mother was American, and her father was Italian. She moved to the United State for college at Indiana University in Bloomington. It was there that she found her passion for international studies and travel. This and her ability to speak multiple languages allowed her to see and experience the differences and struggles that immigrants face all over the world. She found that in America, no matter how long you’ve lived here, you would feel like an outsider, because of your accent or how you looked. Even with other Italians who would move to America Irene found that she didn’t relate with a lot of people except her family. Irene also speaks with Ahmed about her work with AMANI Family Services to try and help other immigrants adapt to American life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oleg is from Kyiv in Ukraine. With the countless hours of work that his parents put in, Oleg was able to go to school where he learned some basic English in a schooling system that did not promote the language at the time. He was able to move to America as a student-athlete playing basketball. He speaks about overcoming the challenge of speaking with an accent, by becoming a motivational speaker. In order to face the challenges in his life Oleg talks about what was the motivation that kept him going. He wanted to eliminate the struggles in his life, and in the lives of his family members, and this was all going to be possible by making money and being a successful part of society. Oleg talks about what immigrants face when they come to America and how people who are “different” from others may face struggles. These struggles can come from physical attributes or language. Oleg tells Ahmed that every person who faces these challenges needs to find a motivation to push them forward. They need to focus on the now and who they are in that moment in order to succeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Najla immigrated to the US from Syria nearly sixty years ago. Najla talks with Ahmed about her journey, acclimating to Fort Wayne, making connections, and what it was like being in the "Indiana Tech Wives Club." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmed is a Palestinian who spent his childhood in Qatar before immigrating to the US shortly before the September 11th attacks. Ahmed talks about his journey, the concept of identity, and why these kinds of conversations are necessary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.