The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN 💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE 💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn 📱Support our Patr...

      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN 💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE 💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn 📱Support our Patr...

Key Themes Identity & Belonging The tension of "you've arrived here, now who are you?" Many immigrants carry a dual identity: rooted in a homeland + building a future elsewhere. Letting go of perfection: striving to fit in often causes people to lose parts of what made them uniquely strong. Belonging isn't only about external acceptance. It begins internally — how you carry yourself, how you recon...

In this four‑part conversation on The Immigrant Experience in America , host Simone W. Johnson‑Smith sits down with Dr. Reynaldo White , a Panamanian‑born pastor, educator, author, musician, and community advocate whose life journey traverses Panama, Miami, and rural Alabama. Dr. White recounts his upbringing in extreme poverty near the Panama Canal and his family's move to the United States when...

Episode Summary In this extended conversation from The Immigrant Experience in America , host Simone W. Johnson-Smith talks with Dr. Reynaldo White —a Panamanian‑born pastor, educator, author, and former concert pianist now living in Alabama. Over three parts, they explore Dr. White's journey from growing up in poverty near the Panama Canal to serving as a pastor and community leader in the Americ...

In this episode of The Immigrant Experience in America , host Simone W. Johnson-Smith talks with Dr. Reynaldo White —a Panamanian-born pastor, educator and author now living in Alabama. Dr. White recounts his childhood in extreme poverty near the Panama Canal, his family's move to Miami when his father joined the U.S. Army, and the adjustments he faced learning English and finding his identity in...

Part 2 of the interview : I was recently interviewed on the Thriving in Intersectionality Podcast by Lola Adeyemo. Listen to Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast Apple podcast YouTube Music Spotify Amazon Audible If this episode resonates, subscribe, like, and share with others navigating life across borders. Comment below your experiences or questions—we love hearing your story! ________________...

I was recently interviewed on the Thriving in Intersectionality Podcast by Lola Adeyemo. Listen to Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast Apple podcast YouTube Music Spotify Amazon Audible If this episode resonates, subscribe, like, and share with others navigating life across borders. Comment below your experiences or questions—we love hearing your story! __________________________________________...

In the second half of my conversation with Maanarak on The Kreashon Podcast, we go deeper into the work I do today.  I talk about building community for immigrants, the hidden emotional and financial costs of advocacy, and my drive to help high-achieving immigrants decode workplace dynamics and feel a genuine sense of belonging.  This part is all about turning personal challenges into a platform f...

I was honored to join The Kreashon Podcast with the amazing Maanarak to share my journey from Jamaica to the U.S.  This first part dives into my early immigrant experience, the culture shock, the language nuances, and that disorienting feeling of being caught between two worlds.  I open up about what it truly means to navigate a new country while trying to hold on to your roots, and how those expe...

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on The Journey Podcast with David Hackett, where we explored some of the most meaningful threads from my life and work as an immigrant, coach, and podcast host. In this episode, I share how my own journey from Jamaica to the U.S. shaped the way I see the world, and the work I now do to support others navigating similar paths.  We dive into a rich conver...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown on The Carry On Friends Podcast, we go even deeper. I share how navigating the immigrant journey as an immigrant woman has reshaped my understanding of identity, resilience, and power.  We talk about the tension between assimilation and authenticity, and what it really means to create belonging without betraying yourself. This episode is for a...

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown on The Carry On Friends Podcast, where we explored the nuanced reality of what it means to live and lead, as a third culture immigrant. In this conversation, I shared how my journey shaped the way I navigate identity, culture shock, parenting, and boundaries in both personal and professional spaces.  We spoke about the mental an...

In this continuation of our conversation, I sit down once again with the deeply creative and reflective Maanarak of Grey, an artist and podcast host originally from the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean. In Part 2, we explore how art, storytelling, and stillness have helped her process the transitions of immigration, what it means to live between cultures, to grieve a place that still feels like...

In this episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, I sit down with the thoughtful and creative Maanarak of Grey, an artist and podcast host originally from Bonaire in the Caribbean. Maanarak shares her journey as an immigrant, what it's been like leaving behind the comfort of home and adjusting to life in a new environment.  From the warmth of island culture to the challenges of navigating un...

In this episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, I sit down with Erika Warner, a Latina entrepreneur, educator, founder of Inglés Pa' Mi Gente, and mom. Erika's journey began when she immigrated to the U.S. as a child, navigating the emotional and linguistic challenges of learning English in a world that didn't feel like home.  Today, she runs a thriving six-figure business teaching English...

In the final chapter of this unforgettable three-part series, Nick Berg and host Simone Johnson dive deep into the healing journey that followed a life of war, exile, and dual identity. Nick opens up about the process of writing Shadows of Tehran—his fictionalized autobiography—as a form of healing and advocacy, reconnecting with his roots while confronting painful truths. He speaks candidly about...

In Part 2 of this gripping conversation, host Simone Johnson continues her discussion with Nick Berg—author of Shadows of Tehran and U.S. Special Operations veteran—as he reflects on life in the military, what it meant to serve the very country he once viewed from afar, and how those experiences shaped his evolving identity. Nick shares powerful insights into his missions across conflict zones in...

In this powerful and emotional episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, host Simone Johnson sits down with Nick Berg—author, U.S. Army veteran, and self-described "citizen of the earth"—as he shares his remarkable journey from Tehran to America. Born to an Iranian mother and American father, Nick's story spans continents, cultures, revolutions, and wars.  Nick Berg is an American-Iranian au...

Welcome to Part 3 of this podcast episode.  In this episode, Suhein shares her compelling journey of navigating complex cultural identities as an immigrant in America, the challenges of balancing two worlds, and her journey toward reclaiming her Circassian heritage.  From confronting racial assumptions to launching a skincare business rooted in family tradition, Suhein unpacks the layers of assimi...

Welcome to Part 2 of this podcast episode.   In this deeply moving episode, Suhein Beck continues sharing her journey as a Circassian immigrant navigating multiple identities while living through the challenges of exile, trauma, and the quest for belonging.  She reflects on the complexities of her heritage, the emotional toll of being displaced, and how these experiences shaped her family's resili...

In this powerful and soul-stirring episode, host Simone Johnson Smith sits down with the incredible Suhein Beck, known to many as The Culture Cultivator. What unfolds is not just a conversation—it's a masterclass in resilience, identity, and the ongoing search for belonging. Suhein Beck is a dynamic Speaker, Author, and Entrepreneur, a proud Circassian with ancestral roots tracing back to the lege...

Richard Perkins Hsung was born in China in 1966 and was one of the first teens to leave China legally after Mao's Cultural Revolution. He earned a Ph. D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago and became a professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, retiring in 2022. He spent ten years editing and completing Spring Flower  (Earnshaw Books) by...

Richard Perkins Hsung was born in China in 1966 and was one of the first teens to leave China legally after Mao's Cultural Revolution. He earned a Ph. D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago and became a professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, retiring in 2022. He spent ten years editing and completing  Spring Flower (Earnshaw Books) by...

James Wilson is an expat coach and accredited therapist with over 16 years of experience in behavioural change. Having worked in the UK, France and the US, James understands the challenges of adapting to a new culture and redefining one's professional identity abroad. Through his coaching practice, he helps fellow expats navigate transitions, overcome barriers, and  build fulfilling lives in align...