Many Roads to Here

Inna Kovtun carries the folk songs of Ukraine within her: songs that have survived years of suppression and attempted erasure, songs that tell stories, celebrate traditions, and preserve culture. A folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and performing artist of Ukrainian folk music, she sang to crowds of thousands back in Europe. When the war started, she fled to Portland to protect her young daughter. To...

Welcome to The Immigrant Story Live, where we feature stories from the stage. In this fourth episode, we’ll hear from three storytellers — Jane Mantiri,  Chanpone Sinlapasai, and Saron Khut —who tell stories of unbreakable familial bonds despite war, violence, and unimaginable suffering. Because these bonds are ones of love. The Immigrant Story Live is a production of The Immigrant Story.  This ep...

At 23, Jose has spent nearly his entire life in the United States-- going to school, making friends, dreaming big. But unlike many of his peers, Jose lives every day with a secret: he’s undocumented. He missed the chance to apply for DACA when he was a kid, not because of anything he did wrong, but because of a missed deadline…a mistake his mother made years ago. Now, he’s caught in a legal limbo...

Many of us have been told who we are, who we should be. Maybe we’ve been judged for the actions of our parents, the color of our skin, the way our eyes look,  the accent someone tells us we have, or for not conforming to expectations of how our gender supposedly should act. Often this judgement comes from our families, our classmates, our colleagues. Sometimes from the towns we live in, our cities...

Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to parents who fled conflict in the Congo, Jeanette Muibi grew up walking toward a future she couldn’t yet imagine. In this episode, she shares her journey from survival to self-discovery—a story of resilience, heartbreak, and the courage to rise again. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Naomi Bone, with audio ed...

At just 50-years-old, Rukshana Hafez Triem could say she’s lived many lives. From fleeing her home country of Mozambique at just 5-years-old to being a refugee  3-times over…first in Malawi, then Zambia, and finally the United States. She took on the role of caregiver as the eldest of 5 children while enduring the trauma of sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Despite the 16 years of pain, she...

Erica Naito-Campbell, the author of Portland’s Audacious Champion: How Bill Naito Overcame Anti-Japanese Hate and Became an Intrepid Civic Leader in  conversation with  Eliza Canty Jones– chief program officer at the Oregon Historical Society and editor of the Oregon Historical Quarterly. Erica speaks about her grandfather’s influence and legacy in Portland, yes, but also about his lesser known st...

When Thao Nguyen was born in Vietnam, she was seen as an outsider. The daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an African-American soldier, she was considered  an American in her own country. When she immigrated to the United States in the 1990s, it offered a promise of belonging and a fresh start. But on a summer day in Oregon, her life took a turn she could have never imagined. This episode of Many R...

TK grew up an exile in his own home country of Rhodesia. Under white minority rule, Black people weren’t allowed in certain schools or movie theaters  and it could even be dangerous to be out after dark. When Robert Mugabe came to power with promises of freedom and equality, it was cause for celebration nation-wide. But the peace and freedom he promised turned into a dangerous and corrupt system....

Mohsin Jamal is a quick learner. It was an essential survival skill for a young child from Afghanistan’s Hazara minority, a persecuted ethnic group  for whom decades of military occupation, war, and political infighting had uniquely high stakes. But thanks to a mind that was quick with numbers and hands gifted at weaving, Mohsin fled and survived war more than once, journeying through Afghanistan...

Fifteen year-olds can be… a lot. It’s often when a rebellious streak first emerges, when a kid might start sneaking out, breaking curfew or perhaps,  skipping school and lying about their age to become an interpreter for the American soldiers occupying your hometown in Afghanistan. Or at least that’s what being a teenager was like for Nasirullah Safi, who grew up in the Kunar Valley between Afghan...

This episode brings together two remarkable women, both public servants. Sophorn Cheang is the director of Business Oregon, the economic development   agency for the state of Oregon. Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie is the director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement for the state. They’ve worked together throughout their careers, and their relationship is one of friendship and mutual respec...

What does a mental health journey look like? How can art, music, and therapy bring us to better self understanding and self love? In this episode, Portland Community College student Jose Perez Salazar interviews Joaquin Lopez, one of the creative laureates of Portland, Oregon. They discuss the healing power of art, what it means to listen to your parents’ music, and how Lopez found meaning in stag...

Welcome to The Immigrant Story Live, where we feature stories from the stage. In each episode of this new series we weave together three stories that were originallyperformed at an Immigrant Story Live Event. For episode two of this series, you’ll hear from three storytellers — Ghassan Bin Hammam, Rama Youssef, and Meghna Damani – who each found themselves trapped in situations they never could ha...

Veronika Levytska  and Ian Levytsky  grew up in Ukraine but dreamed of an easier life - away from the shadow of Russia - for themselves and their loved ones. In 2018, after years of waiting, they found freedom and opportunity here in the U.S. on the East Coast shores of a Connecticut town. But their loved ones remain in harms way. How do they hold both in their hands? Their own happiness and their...

As a young woman growing up in a conservative society, Safia Ferozi overcame intense expectations and restrictions placed on women  to become Afghanistan’s second female Air Force pilot. Before her country and her life were turned upside down, she was a trailblazing commander, leading an Air Force squadron of 200. Safia was forced to flee when the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Now she is one...

When you think of courageous living, playing music is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But Dijana Ihas, a professional musician and refugee of war, learned how to transform her viola skills into a remarkable display of bravery. As bombs rained down over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s, Dijana and several other musicians risked their lives to host hundreds of concerts. Man...

Introducing, The Immigrant Story Live, our new series that brings you voices from the stage. In 2019, the Immigrant Story began hosting live storytelling events in the Portland, Oregon area, bringing together musicians and storytellers from around the world for evenings of celebration and reflection. Every year, The Immigrant Story produces 2 new live events, and in the four years since its launch...

Raised in Yemen amidst intense civil turmoil, Ghassan bin Hammam made a life-changing decision to leave for the United States to start a new life with his family. Believing he had left behind the destruction and instability of Yemen, he was unaware that the very conflict he fled would indefinitely separate him from his new home. This episode is part of the I Am an American series, generously funde...

When Olive Bukuru was six months old her and her family fled their home country of Burundi in search of a safe life. They ended up in a refugee camp in Tanzania where Olive fell in love with learning and became determined to pursue her education, something that was not encouraged for girls in the area. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. This episode was produced by Emily Ke...

Panelists explored their experiences as Asian American women, offering personal reflections  as well as highlighting current xenophobia and intolerance against  Asian Americans in Oregon and across the United States. Each of the speakers is leading community efforts to empower diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities statewide. This episode was arranged in conjunction with th...

Ahmad Fanoos spent the first 57 years of his life searching for the freedom to play music.  In Afghanistan, where singing and playing music were banned under the Taliban, Ahmad could not safely pursue his passion. Over time, music led him and his family across careers and borders.  Between Taliban regimes, Ahmad became a guest star and judge for one of Afghanistan’s most popular TV music shows. He...

Franke Tokem Powell was born in Central Africa, in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Growing up in the 90’s, Franke did not feel that he’d ever be  accepted for who he was. At the age of 18, after years of repressing his queer identity and in the face of an unexpected loss, he was ready to leave home in search of community and acceptance. This episode was produced by Natalia Lopez and with audio editi...

Janice Okamoto was just a baby, only a few months old, when she was sent to Minidoka with her family. Her father was a musician, and like all the other incarcerees, he was permitted to bring only what he could carry in two suitcases. This meant leaving behind everything in their house, including his beloved musical instruments. Janice’s father could not bear the thought of living without music, so...

Vasyl Matsyuk, a Yale Divinity student, grew up in the fully Democratic Ukraine only to see it ravaged by a war with Russia that began a year ago in February.  The Russian conflict has long roots. Under the previous Soviet regime before Ukraine became a sovereign nation, Vasyl’s parents and grandparents had endured years of religious discrimination and hardship as Protestants. Now, Vasyl is grappl...