Stories of Migration Gayathri Thivyaa

Witnessing the after effects of the Arab Spring, fleeing Syria at the age of seventeen, learning English that summer and entering to a top medical school a few years later: the incredible story of a Syrian refugee!*** What is it like to leave home as a teenager, and be separated from your mother? What new pressures come after fleeing, such as from having the opportunity at education or the platform to voice one's struggle? How do you integrate at school when your grasp of English is stil...

Changing one’s name to suit the English tongue, using accent slips as comedic resilience against racism, and ditching the immigrant career stereotype: A reflection on the life of a young black woman who migrated from Nigeria in her childhood!*** Have you noticed how many immigrants end up going by British names, or perhaps nicknames that are easier on the European tongue? How does that affect one’s identity, growing up? What is it like to feel pressured to adopt a ‘British’ accent? How d...

Playing amidst bullet wounds on coconut trees and memorialisation through poetry: A reflection on the life of a Tamil refugee who fled to London. ***How does a child make sense of separation from their father, who has fled war? What is it like to leave behind friends and flee to a new country? To start school afresh without knowing the language? How does one deal with culture shock, racism, and the nightmare of dreaming of a deserted homeland but waking up in a cold, foreign country? Th...

From depression to introspection, Thivyaa talks us through why a lack of migrant role models, the craving for connection and the desire to voice her own refugee experiences led to her starting this podcast. If you'd like to get in touch, share your story or give feedback, feel free to do so via email or social media - details below!Email: storiesofmigrationthepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @storiesofmigration_Twitter: @SoMigration#storiesofmigration