sharing the life stories of immigrants, expatriates, and refugees to the United States
Feel Like You Belong TV is your source for real stories about the real people we call migrants. They may be the seasonal workers who traverse the country picking our daily produce.* They may be the expatriates who come on temporary assignment for their multinational companies. Or they may be the intrepid** souls who have committed to calling these United States their new homeland.
People have been migrating since time immemorial.*** They have moved for safety from earthquakes and drought. From war and disease. From persecution and economic hardship. They have the same characteristics as our immigrant forebears who gave up the familiarity and comfort of home in order to take risks and build a better life.
Join us here every week with these heroic storytellers and learn about what it is that still makes America a destination for entrepreneurs and risk-takers. The people who moved themselves and their families across deserts and oceans. People who add to each new generation’s vibrancy**** and can-do spirit. Welcome to Feel Like You Belong.
When the Mexican peso devalued, Juan Daniel Castro found he owed more money than he earned. So, he did what any optimist would do: summoned his courage, applied for a visa, and moved to the U.S. Twenty years later, he is an American citizen, the leader of a salsa band, and an advocate for healthcare in the Latino community.
Praveen Shanbhag is a smart guy with a PhD in Philosophy. Like most philosophers, he spends time asking good questions. Questions like, "Why can't universities (who employ really smart people) correctly pronounce the names of their students at graduation ceremonies?"
Praveen Shanbhag is a smart guy with a PhD in Philosophy. Like most philosophers, he spends time asking good questions. Questions like, "why can't universities (who employ really smart people) pronounce the names of their students correctly at graduation ceremonies?" Unlike most philosophers, Praveen went beyond asking; this son of Indian immigrants started a company to help us get each other's names right. We have a name for that: Genius!
When fleeing war and destruction, people act decisively and powerfully. Though they break free from the land, their hearts are often left behind. Reliving the emotions of the times, Anh Tran tells of her family’s escape out of Vietnam during the 1975 Fall of Saigon. After the tears come resolution, hard work, and the resilience to make life work in a strange new land...along with the kindness of strangers.
“How do I buck the expectations of my parents and a billion people back home?” Chinese students in the U.S. ask this question this every day. “Do I listen to the counsel of my family, as tradition dictates? Or do I follow the passions of my heart?” Creative business strategist Ning Liu talks about her life journey in the context of this cultural conundrum.
Moving to her third country nets Juane Odendaal a national collegiate championship. Tune in as Alan invites this South African-born soccer defender to talk of sisterhood, cross-border etiquette, and what it takes to balance a passion for sport and people.
Seeking asylum from the Ethiopian civil war, Nardos Osterhart settled in the U.S. with her parents and siblings. If this child of a diplomat learned one thing, it was adaptation. That hard-earned determination got her through college, landed her a job in healthcare, and propelled her onto – of all places – a comedy stage! Stay tuned. After our conversation, Nardos shares some of her home-grown humor with Feel Like You Belong viewers.
Metta Anongdeth knew something was wrong when her grandmother came to bathe and dress her and her young siblings with tears in her eyes. It turned out to be the day her parents would smuggle their family out of Communist Laos, leaving extended family behind--perhaps forever. Don't miss this inspiring story of danger, courage, and embracing a new life in a distant land.
Reouhidi Ndjerareou has an imposing name and a matching vision for leadership across the continent of his native Africa. Join us in the studio where this itinerant son of a preacher man talks of navigating the tricky issues of geography and ethnic identity. Caught between the U.S. and birth country of Chad, Reouhidi shares with viewers his take on colonialism, cross-cultural relationships, and national empowerment. Be ready to be inspired.
What would you do if you were a farmer thrown out of your native land? Listen as Kharka Turung tells of losing both his birth country and his ethnic homeland. With the aid of Bethany Christian Services, Kharka finds friendship through Hope Farms manager Scott Townley and meaningful work as he regains his agrarian past in the midst of a bewildering new language and culture.
In his youth in Mexico, Dante Villarreal began his riding career on the humble donkeys of his grandfather. Decades later, this Michigan business consultant raises and rides "the Cadillac of horses" in the Americas: the elegant Paso Fino. Join us in the studio to hear how opportunity and hard work transformed the life of one migrant farm family from Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Call it serendipity. Call it kismet. Any way you frame it, Attila Mosolygó will tell you there are forces in the universe more powerful than the decisions one makes alone. His career in ballet? Blame it on his six-year-old sister! His residency and ultimate U.S. citizenship? Credit his parents' decision to take a "little vacation" across the Atlantic! Join us as we hear the story of a boy from Hungary who finds life fulfillment an ocean away from home.
Floriza Genautis was a new college graduate and thought she had the world by the tail. Then her mother said, “You’re coming to America.” It was months of adjustment, countless hours of practicing English, and years of hard work in her attempt to belong. Today, she is a soccer mom, business owner, and community volunteer in West Michigan. Does she fit in now? Check out her interview to see!
Jinane Itani and her husband fled civil war in their native Lebanon. Although they lived and worked in a number of countries, they settled their family in the U.S., a place that feels like home. Now a small business owner and community volunteer, she says she is thankful every day to live in her adopted United States.
A timid teenager when he came to the U.S., Raymond Trujillo sought solace in his lifelong refuge of drawing and painting. With the mentoring of a teacher, he honed his skills and grew in confidence. Today, this intrepid immigrant from Mexico works as an artist, floral designer, party planner, clown, graphic designer, dance instructor, and emcee. Don't miss our chat with jack-of-all-trades, Raymond Trujillo.
This week, Alan interviews Vandana Magal on her newly released documentary on modern communication trends of immigrants and refugees to the U.S.
Ethnic clashes. The Black Panthers. Urban renewal. The Daley Machine. Chicago, Illinois was a turbulent town in the 1960s and 70s. Join us as we talk to Puerto Rican-born civil rights activist José “Cha-Cha” Jimenez. He shares with Alan his personal experience with drugs, street gangs, and the social and political forces that shaped a major U.S. city.
Lebanese-born Ray Nadda moved to the U.S. for college, stayed, and became a U.S. citizen. He worked in corporate America for two decades before learning he was better off calling his own shots. The owner of Wash 'n Wags pet grooming salons shares his thoughts about work, culture, and being a transplant.
What would you do if you became ill in a country where you didn't speak the language? Fortunately for thousands of patients in the U.S., this is the very issue that Carlos Pava concerns himself with. As Vice President for Voices for Health, Carlos supplies interpreters to hospitals so that patients can receive care in their first language when it matters the most--in a medical crisis. Join us as we explore the medical side of language and culture!
Joining Alan in the studio is cancer researcher Anthony Chang. Curious since his elementary school days, Anthony tells of his love for learning: from plumbing systems to martial arts. What makes this medical physicist passionate about his life in the U.S.? Creating micron-scale views of cancer tissue and sharing this pursuit of knowledge with his American students.
Three international students tell of their lives, their dreams, and a few stereotypes they'd like to debunk. Join Alan as he talks with Danilo (Cameroon), Paola (Italy), and Nargilya (Turkmenistan), in town for the annual international student conference.
Feel Like You Belong is a sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always “touch-your-heart” real conversation about fitting into the American culture. It introduces guests who have made the immigrant journey to the United States. The stories–of both struggle and success–will help newcomers feel more confident in sharing their opinions and expertise, more likely to want to stay in the U.S., be more productive in their jobs, and fully invest in their communities.
