When I Got Here Literacy Achieves

Kay and Venna Juperatum made a plan to come to the U.S. so they could support their parents in the Philippines. They left family and Kay’s career as a television and radio personality behind. They would rely on Venna's medical training. They had to adapt to different family roles as well as small town and big city life in America. They are building a life and raising a family in America together, according to plan.Support the Show.

This is a story about how music brought three immigrants together: a Romanian viola player, a South Korean bass player, and a Mexican drummer. They are part of the Grammy-nominated Dallas String Quartet, DSQ. They structure their concerts to connect with audiences throughout America. They have concerns as foreigners in America and about America in the world. Still, they value living here. Learn more about them and sample more of their music at https://www.d...

After the 1975 Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia, Thear Suzuki’s family started from zero. Thear was three years old. Her story of survival, persistence, and self-discovery led her to high level leadership in consulting firms and the community. Her story inspired President George W. Bush to paint her portrait for his book, Out of Many One.Support the Show.

William Twayigize is a Hutu who miraculously survived horrific experiences as a refugee, a Tutsi prisoner, and a Nairobi street boy to complete an elite education and achieve a distinguished academic career. A transcript of his episode (lightly edited for clarity) is available at https://www.literacyachieves.org/category/immigrant-stories/English skill is the key to success for immigrants and refugees. It gives them a voice to advocate for themselves. It gives them con...

Jose Hernandez's ambition to become a doctor in Cuba was thwarted. Hear how he came to the US and planted seeds that revived his grandfather's business. Jose has grown it into a firm with international reach. Support the Show.

Arang Cistulli came to the US from South Korea as a very young child with her family. She grew up in a small Ohio town where her father was a medical doctor. Her story is bookended by prejudice she experienced as a child and by recent hate directed at Asian-Americans. Don’t miss her lessons about dealing with hate and prejudice.The story of Arang's parents, "Physician and Family," is in Immigrant Stories from the When I Got Here Podcast and Literacy Achieves.Support the Show.