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 India…

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. Hi…

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 de…

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 …

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…

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…

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 move…

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.By Ahmed Abdelmageed

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.By Ahmed Abdelmageed

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, …

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 …

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 omnystud…

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…

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 wi…

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 a…

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.By Ahmed Abdelmageed

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.By Ahmed Abdelmageed