Immigrant Squared

Thank you for joining me on this journey for the past two years! New Exciting projects are coming soon Happy and Healthy 2025! Cheers

In this inspiring episode of The Immigrant Squared Podcast , I chatted with Dr. Katrina, a refugee from Vietnam who escaped communist Vietnam as a baby with her family. From a harrowing journey across the sea to being sponsored by Catholic Charities and settling in the United States, Dr. Katrina shares her remarkable story of resilience and determination. Now a medical practitioner and bestselling...

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Emily, who shared her family’s remarkable journey as Latvian refugees and their enduring connection to their heritage. Emily’s grandparents were born in Latvia during WWI, as part of the first generation of Latvians under the Russian Empire. They lived through the Soviet and Nazi occupations, with her grandmother actively participating in the L...

In this episode of The Immigrant Squared Podcast , I speak with Kamilla, a leadership coach and speaker who shares her inspiring journey from Uzbekistan to the U.S. Arriving as a 19-year-old student with limited English, Kamilla overcame numerous challenges, including cultural adjustment and navigating visa issues, to build a successful career. A turning point in her journey came during Drexel Uni...

In this episode, I had the honor of hosting my dear friend and an exceptional security professional, Lee Oughton. Lee's journey to Mexico City began in 2016 when he moved to work for a British security company. Lee was amazed by the melting pot in Mexico City. His first reaction upon arriving was, "Are we really in Mexico?". Despite the challenges he faced, Lee embraced the adventure...

In this episode, I sit down with Irma, who fled South Africa with just two suitcases due to violence. She shares her journey from the US to Canada and discusses the emotional and practical challenges of immigration. We dive into her 2023 TEDx talk, where she explored how to survive immigration ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zMHiihyGqI&t=13s ), and talk about the impact immigration has on f...

Oksana is the youngest of 12 children, and a daughter of Ukrainian refugees. Growing up in Rochester, NY Oksana was immersed into the Ukrainian culture at home but had to follow the American culture outside. Hence she did not feel like she fit into either. In college being surrounded by multicultural students helped her understand herself better and that it was ok to be a blend. As she got older s...

Kamini, a child of Indian immigrants, grew up in a predominantly white community in Connecticut, where she struggled to fit in. Her parents worked hard to provide for their family while striving to maintain a balance between their Indian heritage and the American culture their children were growing up in. They supported Kamini and engaged in difficult conversations when she felt different, which g...

During these times when antisemitism is at an all times high worldwide, its important to learn where it all started. In this episode Dr. Vivien Sieber shares her family's struggle during the Holocaust, which led her to write the book, "Kino and Kinder: A Family's Journey in the Shadow of the Holocaust". The book revolves around Paula Ticho's family, who owned a cinema in Vien...

Join me for season 2 of the Immigrant Squared Podcast

Eric is a visionary entrepreneur whose path led him from Vienna, Austria, to Madrid, Spain, and ultimately to the bustling entrepreneurial landscape of Miami, Florida. Eric's story unfolds with his pivotal role in expanding a consulting firm, a journey that saw him establishing a branch in his hometown and later replicating this success in the United States. As an entrepreneur at heart, Eric v...

Collin is a documentary photographer, and a child of immigrants. He is also the author of "Finding American- Stories of Immigration from all 50 States". In this thought-provoking discussion, Colin shares the inspiration behind 'Finding American,' offering a glimpse into the research, personal experiences, and encounters that shaped the book. The 2016 Presidential elections in the...

Marc grew up in Albania and immigrated to the US when he was 17. Marc came as an exchange student and decided to stay and pursue higher education. After graduating, he got married and worked on several businesses. Throughout his immigration journey in the US, Marc was on his own and did not have a safety net. At times, he had to sleep outside, he was hungry, and he struggled to combine work with s...

נסטיה עלתה לישראל עם אמא שלה ב1993 בהפלגה באודסה שבאוקראינה לנמל חיפה. כחלק מהמאמץ להסתגל, נסטיה שינתה את השם שלה לענת. היום היא לא רק גאה להיות נסטיה, אבל היא גם מדברת עם הילדים שלה ברוסית.  לפני מעל לחצי שנה נסטיה התחילה פרויקט שמתעסק בתרבות פוסט סובייטית בבתים ישראלים. היא מבקרת בבתים של מהגרות מברית המועצות לשעבר ומתעדת דברים שנשארו כמו רהיטים, כלי מטבח וכו׳ אם תרצו להשתתף בפרויקט של נסטיה צרו...

David was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam in the midst of the Vietnam War. All of David's family members were able to flee Saigon to the US before it fell to the communists. He was left behind with his mother and brother. David shared the struggles of living under communist rule in Saigon, the journey on canoes to escape, torture on Thai boats, refugee camps in Malaysia, and eventually arri...

Rony immigrated to Israel from Russia when he was seven years old. He insisted I interview him during the current war in Israel because he needed the distraction. You will hear some pauses as Rony had to run to a bomb shelter in the middle of our interview.   Rony mentioned that growing up as an immigrant in Israel, he chose to blend in with local society but kept the traditions of his culture of...

Suzy immigrated to the US from Armenia at the age of two. Up until recently, she never thought of herself as an immigrant. Suzy struggled with her sense of belonging between the American and Armenian communities. At times, she was seen as not being American enough or Armenian enough. Now, Suzy embraces both cultures, and she writes poetry about being a multicultural and multilingual child of immig...

Amina came from Pakistan when she was five years old. She struggled to settle down in the US and always felt lost between the two countries. Fellow immigrants Amina met along the way helped her feel comfortable and confident with her identity. At George Washington University, Amina is part of the Pakistani student association to remain in touch with her culture. Amina thinks that sharing her cultu...

Golara came to the U.S. 12 years ago on a diversity visa from Iran. Her Masters in Organizational Development at American University helped her understand her journey. She feels at home wherever she goes and embraces her tricultural background. Golara also hosts dinner parties and cooks food from her cultures of origin to feel more connected and authentic.   Golara authored a book called Immigrant...

Rocio came to the US two years ago as a refugee due to political persecution in El Salvador, after already being an asylee in the US many years ago during the civil war in El Salvador. Rocio has been an entrepreneur her entire life, and now she helps female entrepreneurs advance their businesses in El Salvador. As a refugee in the US, Rocio continues to promote her various businesses, such as coff...

Anna has covered immigration and refugee stories extensively as a journalist. Throughout her travels, she was struck by the idea of how the papers you hold affect the way that you move through the world. When she moved to Turkey, she fell in love with a Syrian journalist who is now her husband. Together they had to move to Iraq due to immigration issues, and eventually, he was able to get asylum i...

Amina and Ekaterina shared their respective stories of statelessness. The struggles stateless individuals face, recent developments in policy in the US, and a glimpse of hope for the future with the Stateless Protection Act and the USCIS announcement.   Amina was born and raised in the US. She shared how gender discrimination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led him to struggle with being stateless....

Danya is a child of immigrants from Syria and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Danya's parents came to the US to seek a better life, but Danya and her siblings faced bullying. Today, Danya has her own law firm and continues to learn how to own her identity and use it to her advantage. Danya wishes that people were more empathetic toward children of immigrants. #childofimmigrants #immigr...

Mark is a grandchild of Albanian immigrants, and always had a strong connection to his Albanian heritage. He is very proud of his heritage and works to help Albanian both in the US and Albania. Mark founded the Massachusetts Albanian American Society, which provided resources for the Albanian community and holds cultural events. Five years ago Mark started the Global Albanian Foundation to provide...

Maryna was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and immigrated to the US with only 300$ in her pocket. Despite fulfilling her American dream, she still misses her home country, Ukraine. Maryna is the President of United Help Ukraine, a non-profit organization that was founded in March 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and the war began. Over a year after the full-fledged attack on Ukraine started in February 202...