Our Moving Stories: Voices of Resilience

In this Moving Story conversation with Peter, we hear about how unsupported migration can lead to an experience of crippling social anxiety and a sense of being a “bundle of trauma and dysfunction.”

Keun-woo talks about her experience as a second-generation Korean-American growing up in El Paso, a city with a majority Latine population. As a Teach for America teacher she utilizes food and immigrant stories to bond with her mostly brown and Black Pre-K students.

Alan was born and raised in the U.S. by Chinese-born parents. Alan’s story is a classic story of assimilation. He speaks about how accepting his identity as a member of a visible minority in the United States is a complex process.

Salvadorian by birth and upbringing,  Brayan reunited with his parents in Washington, D.C. at age 10. He manages culture shock as he waits for the lengthy asylum process.

Marcela talks about living as a formerly undocumented immigrant from Nicaragua to California. 

Estela shares with us, her complex and “unique” identity as the daughter of Japanese origin second- generation immigrants growing up in Brazil.

Born and raised in Chicago, Sheila, a professional violinist turned educator, speaks to the importance of community resilience and being “surrounded by people like you.”

Daishi discusses how difficult it was for him to fit in as a mixed-race child in Japan before moving to the US in search of permanent legal status. He discusses struggling in the country he loves and actively working to update the immigration system that continues to oppress immigrants like him. 

Stephanie shares their story of navigating intersectional identities while looking for ways to help and advocate for people in their community. 

Michelle speaks about moving to Florida from Mexico to live with her brother and her budding career as a mental health worker for immigrant children. 

Vian speaks about her experience as a second-generation immigrant growing up in Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese neighborhood in the United States outside of Vietnam.

Ari discusses her struggles in middle school when she first moved to the US from Mexico at the age of 13. She wants to draw attention to the unique challenges faced by undocumented students pursuing higher education without DACA.

Bruno speaks about coming to the US at age 6 from Peru. He traces his journey from a struggling English student to his Harvard acceptance

Nancy talks about spending 20 years as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico to the US. She expands on her experience living abroad for eleven years, and now coming back to the United States for graduate school.

A new podcast series created by the team at the Immigration Initiative at Harvard. At its core, it features a space where members of the Harvard community and beyond come together to reflect on the ways migration has impacted young people's lives.