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 also inspired his own children to pursue music professionally — including his son Elham, who recently completed his master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.  ..read more

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 editing and post production by Todd Baize. The original interview was conducted by our executive producer, Sankar Raman, in March of 2022. Many thanks to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Orego ..read more

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 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 he brought a harmonica in his pocket. After three years, the Okamoto family was released from the camp in northern Idaho. They were given a train ticket to Portland, and $20. Back in what had been their home city, the ..read more

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 grappling with how his religious studies inform the harsh realities facing relatives and friends are facing as they defend themselves against bombs and missiles in a country he only knew as peaceful an ..read more

Balamurali Balu, who goes by Bala, immigrated to the United States from Southern India. He completed his PhD at Georgia Tech.  Landed his dream job at Intel in Portland, Oregon. Married the woman he loved. And had two young daughters. He was what his family called “settled”, living the life his parents had always wanted for him. But six years into his career, he was burnt out and he missed doing the thing he loved most in this world. So, he quit.   Today, Bala pursues music full-time where he scores large Tamil film industry projects and presents his new work at The Immigrant St ..read more

Mitzi Asai Loftus and her son Toby talk frankly about her memories of growing up in Hood River, Oregon; her childhood incarceration  in a Japanese-American internment camp; dating and racism; changing and reclaiming names; and what it means to grow up mixed-race. Please note this episode contains mentions of suicide as well as racial slurs against Asian-Americans. Mitzi was born in Hood River, Oregon. Her parents, immigrants from Japan, owned orchards there. But when Mitzi was ten, she was forced from her home and taken to an internment camp in California and then in Wyoming, as part of t ..read more

Sindy Avila Gutierrez was born in Morelos, Mexico. At the age of two, she was brought to the United States to live with her parents in Oregon. Arriving without formal paperwork,  Sindy’s family was considered “undocumented.” Without any legal protections, they faced hardships and uncertainty. These experiences fueled a fire in Sindy, who became an advocacy leader in the growing movement for DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, to give undocumented immigrants like her greater legal protections and opportunities in the United States. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Imm ..read more

Twenty-one-year-old Samir Mustafic was in the small orchard behind his home in Bosnia when Serbian bombs rained down upon his family’s property. His mother and sister died in the bombing on June 30, 1993, 14 months into the Bosnian war. Mustafic’s injuries were so severe that few gave him any chance of survival. But a series of unlikely events—miracles or coincidences, depending on one’s perspective—sent him to the United States for treatment. Doctors in Roseburg, Ore., worried at first that there was little they could do to assure him a productive life. But today Mustafic is a software a ..read more

Portland artist Roberta Wong is the daughter and granddaughter of Chinese immigrants. She grew up partly in Chinatown, itself a product of segregation. She spent her childhood developing close ties to her heritage. As she grew up, she experienced racism firsthand, as well as the decline of Chinatown and the cultural history that is maintained there. Through art and volunteerism, Roberta now seeks to combat the stereotypes and erasure that continue to harm the Asian-American community. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story. Many thanks to the Japanese American Museum of Oreg ..read more

Chanpone Siniapasai was born in Laos during a bloody civil war, and narrowly escaped to the US with her family at just four years old. Her experiences growing up in the United States have now propelled her into a staunch advocate of immigrant rights in her community.  Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story, in collaboration with Portland Radio Project. This episode was produced by Natalia Lopez Audio editing was done by Gregg Palmer. Our executive producer is Sankar Raman. For more episodes, https://theimmigrantstory.org/category/episode/ or subscribe wherever you get y ..read more