Susan Im Show 2: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
1:39	preceded	went before
1:44	J-1 visa	a non-immigrant visa to the United States for visitors in programs promoting cultural exchange or providing professional training.
2:35	rings true	Something still sounds correct or appropriate.
2:44	Foreign Medical Graduate	a physician from another country practicing medicine in the United States—now called International Medical Graduate (IMG)
3:30	self-involved	not paying attention to others, only to oneself
3:57	siblings	brothers and sisters
4:19	strong accent	speaking another language with heavy influence from one’s first language, sometimes hard to understand
4:40	Chinks go back to China!	“Chink” is considered a racial slur against people from China.  A slur is a negative, insulting word to identify a person by his or her race.  The word “chink” means a narrow opening, a reference to typical almond-shaped eyes of people from East Asia.  Susan was doubly insulted because the Anglos meant to sound rude, but they used the wrong word since her family was from Korea, not China.
5:25	[palm of right hand ]	Alan pointed to the palm of his right hand and said, “Traverse City.” Because the state of Michigan is shaped like a mitten, Michiganders use their open hands as a map to point to locations within the state’s lower peninsula.  I find it easier to use my left index finger to point to the palm of my right hand, but you can use your right pointer index finger to point to the back of your left hand.
5:32	cosmopolitan	having worldwide views, being globally sophisticated
6:03	adoptees from Korea	For many years, abandoned children in Korea were sent abroad for adoption, peaking at 8,000 per year in the 1980s.  They were largely adopted in Europe and the United States.
6:07	befriended	took as a friend
6:20	to be candid	to be very honest
6:39	assimilate	There is a change in philosophy today in how immigrants fit into their new homeland.  The word “assimilation” means to change oneself and blend in without being noticed, to become one of the group.  A preferred concept is to allow immigrants the chance to “acculturate.”  This means they learn the ways of the new culture, but they only take on the beliefs and behaviors they truly value.  This allows them to fit into the culture in practical ways without giving up their core beliefs.  A good way for Americans to think about this would be to imagine losing their U.S. home and citizenship (due to war or economics) and then imagine if they’d want to convert to the religion and culture of their new homeland.
6:54	coming out of the woodwork	seeming to appear from everywhere (somewhat surprisingly and mysteriously)
7:44	the Diag	The main open space on the central campus of the University of Michigan, often the site of large public gatherings.  Originally called the Diagonal Green because of the crisscrossing of many diagonal sidewalks through the space
8:00	Vincent Chin	Vincent Chin was a Chinese American who was beaten to death by two white Americans who mistook him for Japanese.
8:12	What on earth…?	An expression of strong surprise, similar to “What possibly could be happening?”
8:21	model minority	In the U.S., East Asians are stereotyped as being hard working and polite, a good role model for other racial minorities to copy.  Of course, this is unfair to Asians for restricting them to studious and quiet behavior and unfair to other people of color for implying they are lazy and rude.
8:43	strip club called Fancy Pants	Susan said Vincent Chin was at a strip club called Fancy Pants for a bachelor’s party.
8:46	bachelor’s celebration	Young American men are sometimes taken by their friends to strip clubs the night before they get married.  This kind of evening may be seen as a type of male bonding and may symbolize the young man’s “last chance” to be out in public watching strip-tease dancers.
8:50	verbal altercation	argument, fighting with words
8:53	Caucasian	white, Euro-American
9:00	racial slur	As mentioned earlier, a slur is an insulting word to identify a person by his or her race.
9:06	kicked out	forced to leave (the strip club)
9:15	companion	friend who came along
9:32	bludgeoned to death	beaten to death with a heavy weapon
9:38	off-duty police officers	police officers who were not officially working but who have the power to take action if they see a crime happening
9:46	criminal prosecution	court trial for breaking a law against the government
10:00	eye witness	person who actually saw a crime take place
10:09	civil rights actions	actions to protect an individual’s rights against unnecessary and harmful acts by the government or an organization
10:17	defendant	a person who defends him/herself against charges in court
11:10	you Japs	Susan said the two men thought American autoworkers were out of jobs “because of you Japs.”  The word “Jap” is a racial slur against the Japanese.  Anytime the word “you” is added to a label, this group of people feels negatively singled out, usually because it is done by a member of dominant groups (either able-bodied people, whites, males, straights, the wealthy, or Christians).
11:12	out of jobs	unemployed
11:24	standing up for	supporting, speaking on behalf of, offering help or protection when another person is attacked
11:27	in our corner	Someone who is in your corner is on your side, is advocating for you, and wants you to win.  The expression comes from the sport of boxing, where the one person a boxer can trust is the trainer in his/her corner of the boxing ring.
11:34	transpired	happened
11:54	advocating for them	standing up for, speaking on behalf of them
11:56	horrific	causing fear or horror
11:58	hate crime laws	Susan said Vincent Chin was killed at a time when there were no laws against hate crimes.  Today, a person can be tried and punished if he or she commits a crime against someone specifically because of that person’s race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.  These charges are often difficult to prove because they go beyond the doing of crime to the reason or motivation for the crime.
12:05	horrendous tragedy	terrible, frightful, awful, regrettable event
12:19	self-same	identical, exactly the same
12:22	defining moment	a time when one’s purpose becomes clearly identified or shown
12:29	pre-med	pre-medical studies (4 years) at an American university before one can enroll in medical school

Richard Blanco Show (Part 2): Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
24:40:00	rekindled spirit	a feeling whose fire is lit again
24:47:00	tight-knit	emotionally close
25:46:00	can’t put a finger on	don’t exactly understand, can’t describe
26:36:00	transpired	happened
26:38:00	hoopla	big celebration, much activity, grand attention
26:41:00	outpouring	generous giving
27:22:00	subconscious	without thinking about it
27:58:00	underpinnings	fundamentals, basis
28:39:00	ski runs	slopes of a ski area
28:42:00	green trails	easiest trails to ski down
28:50:00	not accomplished	not expert, not skilled
28:59:00	blue, black, green trails	medium, difficult, easy ski trails
29:29:00	Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)	disease that makes people depressed in winter due to lack of sun (and vitamin D)
29:32:00	never much of	not very good as
29:43:00	irony	when two surprising things come together that you would never predict (for example, Richard has a ski run named after his poem, but he’s not a good skier)
30:52:00	campfire to gather around	place for everyone to share some personal time enjoying each other’s company
31:40:00	commemorate	create a special moment of remembering
32:38:00	abridged version	shortened form
32:59:00	verbatim	exactly the same words
33:30:00	Little Ricky	when Richard was a young boy
33:49:00	coming-of-age story	story about growing up and transitioning to adulthood
34:53:00	Ricardo de Jesus Blanco Valdez Sanchez Morena	all of Richard’s six names (most Americans have only 3)
35:10:00	folkloric	traditional stories and customs
35:46:00	peg the right name	give the proper name
36:31:00	pinching myself	can’t believe it’s real, testing to see that I’m not really dreaming
37:08:00	circularity	going back to the beginning, coming around again

Richard Blanco Show (Part 1): Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
0:50	obscurity	being not well known
1:02	inauguration	formal ceremony marking the start of a public official’s term in office
1:15	exiles	people forced to leave their home and go live in another country
2:05	vocation	strong feeling about one’s life work
2:13	nine to five	9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, regular working day
2:41	today’s day and age	now, at this time
2:57	your cover	something that hides what you’re really doing
3:17	legacy	something that we leave for future generations
3:39	livelihood	a way to make a living, a job
3:43	out there	out in the world
3:55	hit the road	go traveling
4:20	converts	people who have had their mind changed to a new belief
4:46	organically	naturally, not artificially
4:51	coerced	forced
4:56	behind my back	secretly, without my knowledge
5:11	lightbulbs go off	suddenly having new ideas (having your brain be less dark)
5:21	Bethel, ME	small village in eastern Maine
6:04	branch out	expand, diversify, or extend one’s reach; try new things
6:35	destined	supposed to be in the future; decided ahead of time
6:42	glossy	shiny
6:46	anchored	tied down, held safely in the same place
6:51	clutched	holding tightly
7:00	wedding veil	decorative thin cloth hanging from the head of a bride
7:14	sorrowful drone	sad, ongoing noise
7:21	glimpse	brief look at
7:44	Once upon a time…	the traditional words which begin a fairy tale
7:52	sounding out	saying a new word letter by letter to figure out the pronunciation
8:02	chorizo	spicy Latin sausage
8:08	countered	did or said something in response
8:09	pork pernil, garlic yucca	typical Cuban foods
8:28	quinciñera dresses	fancy dresses made to celebrate a girl’s 15th birthday in Latin culture
8:45	Florida theme parks	Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens
9:06	madman scribbling	crazy person writing down something very quickly or carelessly
9:34	hobbling	walking slowly or unevenly due to age or injury, limping
9:56	mijo	[Spanish] my son
10:27	moved, grasped, shaken	deeply touched
10:38	turmoil	chaos, violence, craziness
12:11	hold to higher standard/bar	evaluate very strictly or precisely
12:21	inching towards	moving slowly in that direction (inch by inch)
12:38	stuck with me	remained in my head, couldn’t forget
13:34	danced around	played with but not directly addressed
13:45	podium	elevated platform for public speaking
14:10	home all along	where someone belonged from the start
14:12	place at the table	belonging there (with everyone else)
14:37	peripatetic	traveling, moving, roving about
14:54	whirlwind tour	quick trip with much activity
15:15	quintessential	basic, fundamental
15:32	with the eye of	keeping open the possibility of
15:49	hidden agenda	secret plan
15:52	finding utopia	looking for the perfect place
16:12	dawn of civilization	earliest beginning of people living in society
16:34	sensibilities	sensitivity, taste, or appreciation for art and emotion
16:49	at large	in general
17:05	filled in blanks	provided missing information
17:15	brag about	speak proudly of
17:39	on top of that	in addition to that
17:47	back in a time machine	return to a previous moment in history
18:03	other half of the hyphen	the “American” part of Cuban-American
18:22	check back in	touch base with later
18:26	full circle	come around to the beginning again
18:56	enmeshed	completely caught up in, totally involved in
19:42	one eye looking back	partially considering the past, not fully in the present
19:56	“Brady Bunch”	early 1970s TV series with a typical white, middle class American family (with a mom, dad, 3 boys, and 3 girls)
20:02	“Leave It to Beaver”	1950s-60s TV series with a white, middle class American family (with a mom, dad, two sons)
20:07	contextualized	framing a situation in its physical and historical place
20:13	re-runs	old TV shows that are rebroadcast after their original programming has ceased
20:19	purgatory	a religious waiting place for people who aren’t yet admitted into heaven; an undecided or in-between status
20:47	undiverse	having only one type (of people, here: Cuban)
21:02	victimized by prejudice	being treated unfairly by unearned negative feelings about you
21:09	propped me up	supported me
21:21	flip side	on the other hand
21:28	The Other	someone who is different or strange
21:40	intermingling	mixing with other kinds of people
21:46	Latinized	made into a completely Latin culture
21:48	get by	survive, live okay but not great
22:02	puts a ceiling on	creates a limit for success

Maria Erazo Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
1:10	Michoacán, Mexico	in southwestern Mexico, the state between Mexico City and the Pacific Ocean
1:30	a good little trek	A trek is a long, difficult journey, usually done on foot.  Speakers of English often use understatement to make a point.  In fact, a driving trip of 40 hours is not “little” at all.  This comment was Alan’s equivalent of saying, “Wow, that’s a long way to go.”
1:55	Your father drank.	Alan said that Maria’s father drank and also physically abused her mother. The question, “Do you drink?” does not refer to all liquids; it means “Do you drink alcohol?”  To say that someone drinks is sometimes a polite way of saying this person drinks too much alcohol.
3:50	the “adult” world around us	Alan raised two fingers on each hand and moved them up and down twice on the word “adult.”
		These “air quotes” are a visual way of putting a spoken word into quotation marks to show this word has a special meaning.  In writing, the quotation marks can be translated as “so-called,” meaning that the word may not have the real meaning they are supposed to.
5:13	make it or die	to succeed or die
5:20	wasn’t an option	There was only one choice.
6:27	deport	to send out of the country
6:40	be on the look-out	Maria said her family had to be on the look-out for U.S. immigration police.  This is another way of saying “to look out for.”  It means to remain watchful, always looking around to see if you can detect I.C.E. agents who will deport you.
6:55	a white Suburban	Maria said I.C.E. agents wear green uniforms and drive white Suburbans.  The largest sport utility vehicle (SUV) built by Chevrolet is a model called the Suburban.  It has the size and frame of a large pick-up truck but is designed like a multi-passenger station wagon.
8:58	fast-forward	to jump ahead in the story
9:46	I got mine.	I have everything that I need. I’m satisfied.
10:15	mentoring young women	Maria said she mentors female students in the local high schools in her free time.  In the U.S., the culture of volunteerism is very strong.  The belief is that people have an obligation to help others in the community and make it a better place to live.  Because of its Christian heritage, Americans are often reminded of the line from the Bible that says, "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." (Luke 12:48)
11:00	invest in me	contribute teaching and resources for my improvement
11:17	youth groups	organizations for young people’s activities, support, and learning
12:05	persistent	not giving up
12:20	strong self-identity	have a strong sense of your values and qualities
13:56	acculturated	trained in the rules of the culture
13:58	dominate women	have power over women without letting them decide
14:01	affirmation	giving positive messages about a person’s value
14:06	high accolades	praising very strongly in public
15:43	take it for granted	own and use something without fully appreciating it
16:20	“In Search of My Father”	http://www.mariaerazo.com/#!books/cnec

Antoine Dubeauclard Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
1:25	London, Ontario	city of 350,000 (http://www.london.ca)
1:33	a good chunk of	(informal) a good bit of, a good piece of (usually) a hard block of material, e.g., a chunk of wood, a chunk of chocolate…or in this case, a chunk of his time
1:47	yep	(informal) yes
2:07	cockpit	front of an airplane where the pilot controls the flight
2:47	formative	having a strong and lasting influence on someone’s development
3:17	by-product	something that comes as a result of something else, but happens without planning or intention.  Antoine said that a by-product of living in a different culture is learning to see and think differently afterwards.  He wasn’t intending to change, but change naturally came about from his life overseas.
3:42	spork	a utensil that is half-fork, half-spoon
3:44	beyond me	impossible to understand or process
3:52	let alone	not to mention; and here is an even stronger example
4:47	savored	tasted slowly, with enjoyment
4:55	slamming their Big Mac	eating their large hamburger quickly
5:25	ritual	a practiced ceremony or routine of activities (sometimes religious)
5:30	produce	fruit and vegetables
5:34	aggregate	put together, form a group
5:45	convening	gathering, coming together
6:06	mystique	mysterious quality, appeal, or charm
6:11	X-bazillion	many; more than a million (usually said as an exaggeration)
7:12	Muammar Gaddafi	military dictator of Libya (from 1969-2011)
7:25	dissented	disagreed on an official policy or decision
7:33	François Hollande	elected President of France in 2012
7:54	shades of pink	variations of left-wing political belief
7:56	Trotskyites, Leninists	people who followed the political beliefs of Marxist Leon Trotsky or communist Vladimir Lenin
8:26	clashes	conflicts, collisions, disagreements
8:39	raise our voice	get loud, speak emotionally
8:47	right up there	very popular, ranked (up) near the top of the list
9:13	embedded	inserted, implanted, set inside
9:18	Wild West	cowboy culture of the western United States of the second half of the 19th century
9:27	bandes dessinées	French/Belgian comic books (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Belgian_comics)
9:51	idolization	strong admiration, great love, or worship
9:54	cynicism	belief in the selfishness, not in the goodness, of people
9:58	divergences	differences, places of distinctiveness
10:17	get ired at	get annoyed with, become angry at
10:40	burgeoning	growing quickly, flourish
11:01	pigeonhole	to limit people by placing them in a narrow role or category
11:04	nerd	someone who is studious or intellectually advanced but socially unskilled
11:13	fly-tying	creating one’s own “flies” used as bait in fly-fishing
11:40	continuum	an unbroken sequence or scale going between two extreme positions
11:46	Renaissance	European cultural movement from the 14th to 17th century which saw the flourishing of art, literature, architecture, political science, and intellect
11:52	enlightenment	knowledge, wisdom, learning, awareness
13:14	characterization	describing the features or qualities
13:38	Council of Gauls	Celtic people living 2000 years ago in what is now France
13:50	downside	disadvantage
14:21	First Peoples	native tribes of North America (before the Europeans arrived)
14:27	combat history	fight with past traditions
14:49	long legacy	tradition or achievement from the distant past which continues today
15:03	counterparts	person performing a corresponding job in another place
15:34	IPAs	India pale ales; beer type with strong flavor of hops

Veronica Ramirez Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
0:50	mission	official statement of purpose(s) of an organization
0:55	bridge any gaps	provide a connection for anyone who has needs
1:15	Anglos	English speakers (usually of N. European heritage)
1:35	IRS rules (and regulations)	Internal Revenue Service is the taxing arm of the U.S. government
1:45	entrepreneurs	people who start up a new business
1:55	come to find out	learn something a little surprising or unexpected
2:00	temptation	strong desire to do something that may be inappropriate
3:00	with that being said	even so; despite this
3:00	a head for business	be good at business, have a business mindset
3:00	keep on hand	have something ready to use
3:50	came across individuals	met or discovered people
4:50	tip the difference	shift the balance enough to make a big change
5:30	non-profit world	organizations with a goal of improving the life of the community (not goal of making money)
6:50	vendors	salespeople (often sellers to other businesses)
7:00	merchant	business (usually selling things to the public)
7:20	not in place	not ready to go or ready to use
8:30	get to the point	be direct, conduct business right away
9:00	navigating	planning the best direction to travel or best action to take
9:03	all the more invaluable	even more beneficial, useful
9:30	how to go about	how to approach or get organized (to look for scholarships)
10:05	reached out	offered (to help)
10:15	pulled in my parents	got my parents involved
10:30	If it wasn’t for…	If this situation didn’t exist, (something else would have happened).
11:10	become somebody	become successful, become well known
11:20	aspire to be	have the dream (or goal) to become
11:40	leading the charge	being the first one toward the goal
11:50	new horizons	new goals to shoot for
12:00	DREAMers	students who were born outside the U.S. but grew up as cultural Americans wanting to study at American colleges (The DREAM Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act.)
13:15	big fans of	strongly in favor of

Sook Wilkinson Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
1:00	clinical psychologist	someone who assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental disorders
1:10	Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission	http://1.usa.gov/1hyGki6
1:35	way back then	in that very distant time, many years ago.  Sook, who is recently retired, was referring to her earliest days in the U.S. as a college student.
2:26	siblings	brothers and sisters
3:02	a couple bucks	a few dollars
3:06	FaceTime	a communication application on Apple iPhones that allow callers to hear and see each other
3:21	family reunion	when many family members gather in one location to be together
3:36	back and forth	go there and then return (many times)
3:46	special education	educating students who have special needs, including learning challenges, physical disabilities, emotional disorders, behavioral challenges, and developmental disorders
3:50	doctorate	a post-graduate research degree, for example, Ph.D., Ed.D., or Th.D.
4:02	devote your attention	place most of your focus
4:24	excruciating	severe, painful, intense, violent, or acute
4:36	aha moment	is a moment when you suddenly realize something new or surprising and say, “Aha!”
4:54	puzzling	unknown, hard to answer
5:11	Korean heritage	Korean family background
5:53	phenomenological research	studying experience that people have lived (not theoretical)
5:57	qualitative methodology	investigating the “how” and “why” of behavior
6:03	play therapy	treatment that engages the patients in play activity as part of their healing
6:40	distressed	upset, anxious, sad, troubled
7:17	anxiety	worried, nervous
7:30	Caucasian	white people, racial-ethnic tribes from Europe
7:36	clinical experience	work done in treatment clinics
8:39	crib at an orphanage	infant bed in a home for parentless children
8:54	caregiver	someone who takes care of someone very young, very old, or very weak.
8:56	forge a relationship	build a strong relationship
9:27	adoptees	children who are given a new home by non-birth families
9:33	cyclical	happening over and over again (in an ongoing cycle)
10:10	profound philosophical answer	very deeply thoughtful answer
10:15	resurface	to come up again
10:47	inopportune times	at times which are not convenient
11:21	advocacy	working and speaking to influence economic, political, or educational policy and resources
11:33	ethnic group	socially defined group based on common ancestry or culture
11:53	exponentially	increasing rapidly
13:19	give voice to	speak about, empower, not be silent
13:33	eligible to	having the right or the approval to do something
13:59	get yourself around	be mobile, take yourself where you need to go

Reyna Grande Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
0:55	memoirist	person who writes a memoir
1:32	make things up	(informal) invent stories, tell things that aren’t factual
2:18	lived through	experienced
2:47	autobiographical	writing about oneself
3:29	El Otro Lado (Spanish)	the other side (of the border) = the U.S.
3:45	indignities	events that attack our human worth, soul, self-respect
4:51	memoir	a book about someone’s life (memories)
6:58	yearn for	long for; have a strong desire or need for
7:29	has colored	has influenced
8:08	roles were reversed	jobs were opposite
8:41	at the mercy of	controlled by, under the influence of, subject to
8:50	take a stand	take responsibility for, announce one’s position
9:42	glimpses	short views
9:56	spunk	courage, strength, determination, spirit
10:14	true poverty	being really and totally poor
11:15	cycle of poverty	repetition of being poor from one generation to the next
11:50	hand to mouth	earning only enough money to buy the day’s meal, not saving, not getting ahead
12:09	get ahead	making progress, going forward, finding success
12:40	running water	accessible water via plumbing
13:19	dire	serious, difficult, urgent, terrible
14:27	siblings	brothers and sisters
14:50	cheated out of	had something taken away unfairly
16:03	above and beyond	farther than what is expected or normal
16:14	opening the doors to	welcoming, sheltering
16:40	community college	post-high school education resulting in a 2-year degree
17:33	strive for	work hard for
18:40	undocumented	not having official paperwork or visas
20:20	drives me	motivates me, pushes me
21:12	common ground	areas or opinions which are shared
21:22	out of my element	in an uncomfortable situation, in an unfamiliar place

Lillie Wolff Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time	Expression	Explanation
1:05	Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC)	a  non-for-profit organization founded in 2009
1:45	Sterling Heights, Hamtramck, Chadsey-Condon	Southeast Michigan communities with Welcoming Michigan programs
2:05	seasonal farm workers	workers who come to work a specific growing or harvesting season
2:43	hate crimes	crimes committed against someone because of basic characteristics (race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, ability, etc.)
3:00	scarcity mentality	the thinking that there isn’t enough for everyone
3:15	demographic shifts	population changes (in race, religion, ethnicity, etc.)
3:40	acknowledge	admit, agree that something is true
3:44	ancestors	great-grandparents (and other relatives who came before you)
4:00	re-humanized	giving back to someone their human qualities
4:48	Yemenis	immigrants from Yemen
4:58	Polish and Ukrainian	immigrants from Poland and Ukraine
5:35	descendants	children, people who came after the earliest relatives
5:45	synergy	the energy and effectiveness created between many people working together
5:53	existing platforms	programs or models already in place
5:56	collaborative	working together, cooperating
6:23	faith community…stepping up	religious groups…coming forward to help
6:33	walking the walk	actually doing the work
6:43	ESL students	students learning English as a second language
6:53	intuitive connections	logical connections, partnerships that make sense
7:15	strategizing	planning for maximum effectiveness
7:23	leverage resources	use all your tools and connections strategically
7:30	leadership development	train leaders in the community
7:31	public engagement	get local citizens involved
7:32	strategic communications	get out the best message possible to the public
7:53	shifting target	a focus that is always changing
8:05	non-immigrants	people who always live somewhere (not newcomers)
8:40	South Haven, MI	community on the west coast of Michigan
8:45	birthed 15 children	had 15 children, gave birth to 15 children
9:45	literally opened up their home	actually let people come into their house to sleep/eat
9:55	Hartford, MI	farming community in southwest Michigan
10:05	walking the talk	actually doing what you said
10:20	Ecuador	country in northwestern South America
10:35	grooming	preparing for a big presentation
10:36	forces aligning	getting all groups coordinated
11:38	be on the fence	be uncertain, could go one way or the other
11:45	meet them where they are	work with people at whatever stage or mindset they have
11:50	on behalf of (someone)	for the benefit of (someone)
11:55	get to know	learn about someone, become better acquainted
12:05	heart and soul	with deep feeling and commitment
12:15	transformative	creating great change
12:24	advocacy	working for someone’s benefit
13:25	www.welcomingmichigan.org	Welcoming Michigan online
13:40	seen some struggles	had some difficulties
13:52	bottom line	final analysis, results in the end
14:00	cohesive…vibrant community	community that stays united…that is lively, energetic
14:20	STEM fields	high-tech fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), also high-paying fields
15:15	thrives	lives fully, grows, flourishes, has energy
15:25	What’s in it for them?	What is their reason? What will they gain?
16:05	compassion	feeling of sympathy, warmth, caring, desire to help

Jenny Yang Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Appr. time	Expression	Explanation
0:50	strident	harsh, loud, unpleasant
1:08	advocacy	promoting, working to help
1:15	National Association of Evangelicals	an coalition of 40 American church denominations (http://www.nae.net)
1:30	on the road	traveling
1:46	World Relief	http://worldrelief.org
1:57	fleeing persecution	running away from mistreatment or the threat of death
2:09	without authorization	having no official permission
2:42	misperceptions	the wrong understanding
2:50	common myths	misunderstandings or things that people think are true but simply aren’t.  Because they’re frequently spoken about, people believe them more strongly the longer they hear them.  This is why Jenny’s job is so difficult: she’s trying to teach people what they’ve previously learned is not accurate.
2:56	compelling	strongly persuasive or influential
3:00	Myth #1. My ancestors came the legal way.	Before 1924, there was no national system of immigration in the U.S.  Entering the country was easy.
3:04	comparing apples and oranges	It’s not appropriate to compare two things which are not similar.  You might think that apples and oranges are both kinds of fruit, so why not compare them?  However, they have so many different characteristics that it is better to talk about them in separate conversations.  In this case, it would be more appropriate to compare McIntosh apples with Gala apples or navel oranges with tangelos.
3:35	viable	workable, possible, feasible
4:03	Myth #2. They take away jobs, take services without paying back.	Immigrants often do jobs that American natives don’t want to do or can’t do.  They also pay billions of dollars in taxes.
4:15	Social Security tax	money that is withdrawn from workers’ pay and saved in a U.S. government account to pay for the workers’ retirement
4:33	insolvent	out of money, broke, bankrupt
4:49	Myth #3. They don’t share our values, don’t learn English.	Immigrants believe in hard work and supporting their families.  Millions of them are studying English to improve their skills.
4:57	E.S.L. (English as a second language)	a special method of learning English when it is not your mother tongue
5:32	G-92	a movement to view immigrants as described in the Bible, with love and charity (http://g92.org)
5:42	in conjunction with Cedarville University	together with http://www.cedarville.edu
5:48	“ger” (Hebrew)	Hebrew word for “alien” or “stranger”
5:56	Old Testament	the first half of the Christian Bible, taken from the Hebrew (or Jewish) Bible
6:06	people of faith	religious people
6:37	Samford University, Concordia University	https://www.samford.edu, http://www.cuaa.edu
6:46	through the lens of	with the perspective of, seen in this way
6:48	gear up	preparing to increase in speed or power
7:06	Southern Baptists, Sojourners	http://www.sbc.net, http://sojo.net
7:14	coalition	association, group joining together for common purpose
7:19	echo chamber	a place for focusing and amplifying a message
7:27	Evangelical Immigration Table	Christian coalition advocating for immigration reform consistent with biblical values (http://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com)
7:44	“I Was a Stranger” Challenge	a 40-day challenge to read and pray about immigration issues (http://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/iwasastranger/)
7:49	Scripture	words of the Bible, literally means “writings”
8:12	members of Congress	U.S. Senators and Representatives
8:30	willy-nilly	careless, spontaneous, without planning
8:51	denominations	types of church organizations within Christianity, with varying beliefs and practices (for example, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist)
9:11	theologians	people who study and write about religious topics
9:21	vulnerable: widow, orphan, alien	people who are at risk: women who have lost their husbands, children who have lost their parents, foreigners (people who have “lost” their country)
9:34	Romans 13: “Submit to the governing authorities.”	The book of Romans is from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Chapter 13 talks about separating religious rules from government rules.
9:52	rule of law	obeying what the government says
9:59	compassionate response	answering with love and generosity
10:09	augment	increase, boost, expand
10:27	not a Biblical scholar	not a person with deep knowledge of the Bible
10:33	laws vs. love	Parts of the Bible talk about do’s and don’ts and punishments, and parts of it talk about loving other humans generously.  Some Christians see these as conflicting messages.
10:44	enslave	to keep people against their will, to own them like property
10:48	deny suffrage	to disallow people the right to vote
11:06	Sanctuary Movement	a U.S. religious and political movement in the 1980s to provide safety for Central American refugees who were fleeing civil wars and death squads
11:51	the common good	the benefit of everyone
12:02	overhauled	thoroughly taken apart, repaired, and changed
12:54	comprehensive reform	thorough and complete change
13:27	detrimental	harmful, unhealthy, damaging
13:33	own self-interest	personal benefit (without thinking of others)
13:38	discount my voice	minimize or disregard what I say and think
14:14	Korean War	1950-1953 war between North Korea (supported by Chinese soldiers) and South Korea (supported by the U.S. and allies). Jenny mistakenly mentioned the Japanese, who had invaded Korea in 1910, but Japan’s occupation of Korea came to an end in 1945.
14:23	media personnel	people who work in news organizations (print, radio, TV, etc.)
14:46	no hope whatsoever	zero chance for success
15:18	little to no chance	very small possibility of success
15:24	aspirations	hopes, dreams, visions, goals
15:28	make it	succeed
16:10	the thing is	what is important to know is
16:21	I.N.S. back then	in those days it was called the Immigration and Naturalization Service
17:06	context	the surrounding circumstances
17:17	realize the American Dream	have it be real that one becomes successful in the U.S.
17:36	over the goal line	finally reach the target (from American football: to score a touchdown)
17:42	the House (of Representatives)	the half of the American Congress with 435 members
17:46	marked up	reviewed and considered
17:51	bring to the floor	allow it to be discussed in front of the entire membership of the Congress with a plan to vote on acceptance or rejection
18:02	constituents	members of the voting district
18:17	www.WorldRelief.org/advocate	how Jenny recommends Christians become involved in improving U.S. immigration law
18:32	opportune time	a time with a good chance for achievement, a favorable time

Maciek Biezunski Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
auditions	1:38	where performers (singers, musicians, actors, etc.) perform in front of talent judges who will select them or send them home
Showville USA	2:12	http://www.amctv.com/showville/videos/maciejs-performance-from-episode-101-showville
forced on us	3:48	We had to do this even though we didn’t want to.
under ground	4:20	hidden from view, secret
nursing home	5:15	This is a residential center for people who need living assistance, either due to old age or perhaps to injury or stroke
got your start	5:19	began, took your first step, was introduced
take for granted	6:40	relax, don’t work hard, and assume everything will be easy
a tough crowd	6:56	a difficult group to perform in front of, skeptical people
It’s not about…	7:38	The essence or the main point is not…
blown away	8:02	means shocked, amazed, totally impressed (related to an explosion—which blows a building away)
uneasy	9:40	uncomfortable, uncertain, a little afraid
put her at ease	11:08	make her feel comfortable
by all means	11:30	absolutely, without a doubt, most surely
lifeline	12:31	main connection, vital support
grounded to	12:34	well connected to, tied together
behind the Iron Curtain	14:18	the national boundaries that the Soviet Union enforced to keep Eastern Europe (Warsaw Pact countries) separate from Western Europe (NATO countries) from 1945-1991
deejay (D.J.)	14:50	someone who plays recorded music for an audience (originally a “disc jockey”—someone who spun vinyl discs on a record player)
Holland Street Performers Series	16:02	http://www.cityofholland.com/downtownservices/street-performer-series-1
were wowed by this	17:16	were impressed by this, became excited enough to say “wow!”

Richard Yidana Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
(start)	6:40
political prisoner	7:50	someone who is put in prison for being against another political leader and not against the law
swept up	8:00	to be taken against one’s will by a large, powerful force.  In this case, Richard’s father was swept up and sent to prison when the government of the country changed suddenly.
C.I.D.	8:15	Criminal Investigation Department
Amnesty International	8:26	a non-governmental organization which speaks up against human rights abuses across the globe.  In the case of Richard’s father, Amnesty International worked behind the scenes to free him a dozen years after he was imprisoned. http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work
moral and social ideals	9:23	the high principles that govern your thinking of human and social behavior
Chimamanda (Ngozi) Adichie	10:00	Nigerian author: http://nyti.ms/12cHGW9
indignant	10:36	upset, insulted
Sub-Saharan Africa	11:18	geographically: the part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert; culturally: the part of Africa that is not predominantly Arab (North Africa)
taken aback	11:39	surprised, shocked, startled
framed by race	11:46	group identity defined by skin color
ethnicity	11:49	group defined by cultural or tribal identity
of late	12:10	very recently
glaring	12:16	strongly obvious, impossible to miss
albeit	12:24	although
Euro-centric	12:30	based on European standards
conflate	12:48	confuse, mix together
anathema	13:33	very negative thing, something terrible to reject
taboo	13:34	something that is forbidden
phenotype	13:51	the total traits or characteristics of an organism (including its shape, development, chemistry, and behavior)
paradox	14:06	a contradiction, something that exists even though parts of it conflict or do not match
technological metaphors	14:15	making comparisons by using examples of technology
contradictions	15:10	things that conflict or do not match each other
per se	15:29	by itself, alone
Mohammad Mosaddeq	15:46	The democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran from 1951-1953. His government was overthrown by a coup d'état organized by British and American secret operations.
masterminded	15:49	created the plan
play out	16:10	happen, show up, be exhibited
narrative	16:38	story
and the like	16:43	and similar things
outside the box	16:49	beyond traditional thinking, past the usual way of doing things
contentious process	17:00	a way of doing things that has conflict and disagreement
Ghanaian	17:54	from Ghana
biological entity	18:12	life form
ethics, morality	18:18	rules of behavior based on definitions of right and wrong
assimilated	19:02	becoming part of the group, losing original identity
new diaspora	19:22	scattering or dispersing of people from one original area to new areas
poignant story	20:11	moving or heart-warming story
hit it off	20:53	got along, felt connected
the onset	20:57	the beginning
elemental	21:28	core, basic, at the very beginning of one’s elements
(end)	21:52

Orlando Bonifacio Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
Dominican Republic	1:32	Caribbean country occupying the east end of the island Hispaniola, which also contains Haiti http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic
remarkable circumstance	1:42	extraordinary or amazing situation
specialized surgery	2:25	difficult medical operation
Lansing, MI	2:38	capital city located in south-central part of state
Holy cow!	2:43	Wow!  I’m surprised!
volunteer work	3:10	doing the work without charging money
brand-new	3:41	fresh, very new
legal guardian	3:57	adult with legal responsibility of a parent
bilingual	4:01	speaking two languages
recuperating	4:41	recovering after surgery, regaining health after illness
monolingual	4:43	speaking one language
as a matter of fact	4:54	This may surprise you, but it’s true.
Ann Arbor, MI	5:01	city in southeastern part of state, home to the University of Michigan
prolonged	5:14	extended, took a longer time
down there	5:37	in that southern location (down = south on the map, up = north)
pretty forward request	5:57	direct or strong request; pretty = a little bit, but here it is a polite ways of saying “very”)
Nope!	6:25	informal way of saying “no”
depict it as	6:41	tell or show it this way
dirt floor	6:47	built directly on the ground, without wood, cement, or carpeting
outhouse	6:52	small building away from the house with a pit toilet and no running water
once	7:29	after this has happened
biological parents	8:00	birth parents, original parents, related by blood
Montessori school	8:19	type of school which focuses on independence and a child’s individual development
one-to-one attention	8;22	direct attention (between teacher and student)
work me through	8:38	coach me along the way
family of origin	9:07	birth family, blood family
straddling two cultures	9:12	with one foot in each of two cultures
reverse culture shock	9:48	experiencing difficulty with difference going the other way
re-acclimated to	9:52	used to, accustomed to
That’s the norm.	10:07	That’s the usual.
down to the D.R.	10:15	south to the Dominican Republic
navigate	10:20	steer, find the way to go
double whammy	10:28	two difficult circumstances at the same time
profoundly	10:36	deeply
prevalent	10:47	very commonly found
take a step back	11:06	wait, don’t go forward right away
Where do I fall…?	11:53	On which side do I find myself?  Where am I?
formative years	12:18	years of growing, learning, developing sense of self
F-1 visa	12:25	student visa for studying in the U.S.
H-1B visa	12:30	worker visa for being employed in the U.S.
house with a white picket fence	12:49	American middle class dream: home with a decorative wooden fence around the yard
see what is out there	13:24	see (what is out) in the world
tour them around	13:58	take them to see many things
circle of friends	14:25	friends who surround you
aren’t very pro-immigrant	14:50	polite way of saying they don’t like immigrants
think outside the box	15:10	think beyond what is normal
plateauing	15:42	not growing, staying level or stagnant
hit the nail on the head	16:16	precisely; you are exactly right
surround yourself	17:21	put yourself in a position where they are all around you
stop by someone’s	17:44	make an informal visit (to someone’s house)
go out	17:49	leave your house for an activity at a bar, restaurant, concert, sports event, movie, or other event
Grand Valley State University	18:36	university in Allendale, MI www.gvsu.edu
West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce	18:45	www.hccwm.org

Susan Im Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
preceded	1:29	went before
J-1 visa	1:34	a non-immigrant visa to the United States for visitors in programs promoting cultural exchange or providing professional training.
rings true	2:25	Something still sounds correct or appropriate.
Foreign Medical Graduate	2:34	a physician from another country practicing medicine in the United States—now called International Medical Graduate (IMG)
self-involved	3:20	not paying attention to others, only to oneself
siblings	3:47	brothers and sisters
strong accent	4:09	speaking another language with heavy influence from one’s first language, sometimes hard to understand
Chinks go back to China!	4:30	“Chink” is considered a racial slur against people from China.  A slur is a negative, insulting word to identify a person by his or her race.  The word “chink” means a narrow opening, a reference to typical almond-shaped eyes of people from East Asia.  Susan was doubly insulted because the Anglos meant to sound rude, but they used the wrong word since her family was from Korea, not China.
[palm of right hand ]	5:15	Alan pointed to the palm of his right hand and said, “Traverse City.” Because the state of Michigan is shaped like a mitten, Michiganders use their open hands as a map to point to locations within the state’s lower peninsula.  I find it easier to use my left index finger to point to the palm of my right hand, but you can use your right pointer index finger to point to the back of your left hand.
cosmopolitan	5:22	having worldwide views, being globally sophisticated
adoptees from Korea	5:53	For many years, abandoned children in Korea were sent abroad for adoption, peaking at 8,000 per year in the 1980s.  They were largely adopted in Europe and the United States.
befriended	5:57	took as a friend
to be candid	6:10	to be very honest
assimilate	6:29	There is a change in philosophy today in how immigrants fit into their new homeland.  The word “assimilation” means to change oneself and blend in without being noticed, to become one of the group.  A preferred concept is to allow immigrants the chance to “acculturate.”  This means they learn the ways of the new culture, but they only take on the beliefs and behaviors they truly value.  This allows them to fit into the culture in practical ways without giving up their core beliefs.  A good way for Americans to think about this would be to imagine losing their U.S. home and citizenship (due to war or economics) and then imagine if they’d want to convert to the religion and culture of their new homeland.
coming out of the woodwork	6:44	seeming to appear from everywhere (somewhat surprisingly and mysteriously)
the Diag	7:34	The main open space on the central campus of the University of Michigan, often the site of large public gatherings.  Originally called the Diagonal Green because of the crisscrossing of many diagonal sidewalks through the space
Vincent Chin	7:50	Vincent Chin was a Chinese American who was beaten to death by two white Americans who mistook him for Japanese.
What on earth…?	8:02	An expression of strong surprise, similar to “What possibly could be happening?”
model minority	8:11	In the U.S., East Asians are stereotyped as being hard working and polite, a good role model for other racial minorities to copy.  Of course, this is unfair to Asians for restricting them to studious and quiet behavior and unfair to other people of color for implying they are lazy and rude.
strip club called Fancy Pants	8:33	Susan said Vincent Chin was at a strip club called Fancy Pants for a bachelor’s party.
bachelor’s celebration	8:36	Young American men are sometimes taken by their friends to strip clubs the night before they get married.  This kind of evening may be seen as a type of male bonding and may symbolize the young man’s “last chance” to be out in public watching strip-tease dancers.
verbal altercation	8:40	argument, fighting with words
Caucasian	8:43	white, Euro-American
racial slur	8:50	As mentioned earlier, a slur is an insulting word to identify a person by his or her race.
kicked out	8:56	forced to leave (the strip club)
companion	9:05	friend who came along
bludgeoned to death	9:22	beaten to death with a heavy weapon
off-duty police officers	9:28	police officers who were not officially working but who have the power to take action if they see a crime happening
criminal prosecution	9:36	court trial for breaking a law against the government
eye witness	9:50	person who actually saw a crime take place
civil rights actions	9:59	actions to protect an individual’s rights against unnecessary and harmful acts by the government or an organization
defendant	10:07	a person who defends him/herself against charges in court
you Japs	11:00	Susan said the two men thought American autoworkers were out of jobs “because of you Japs.”  The word “Jap” is a racial slur against the Japanese.  Anytime the word “you” is added to a label, this group of people feels negatively singled out, usually because it is done by a member of dominant groups (either able-bodied people, whites, males, straights, the wealthy, or Christians).
out of jobs	11:02	unemployed
standing up for	11:14	supporting, speaking on behalf of, offering help or protection when another person is attacked
in our corner	11:17	Someone who is in your corner is on your side, is advocating for you, and wants you to win.  The expression comes from the sport of boxing, where the one person a boxer can trust is the trainer in his/her corner of the boxing ring.
transpired	11:24	happened
advocating for them	11:44	standing up for, speaking on behalf of them
horrific	11:46	causing fear or horror
hate crime laws	11:48	Susan said Vincent Chin was killed at a time when there were no laws against hate crimes.  Today, a person can be tried and punished if he or she commits a crime against someone specifically because of that person’s race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.  These charges are often difficult to prove because they go beyond the doing of crime to the reason or motivation for the crime.
horrendous tragedy	11:55	terrible, frightful, awful, regrettable event
self-same	12:09	identical, exactly the same
defining moment	12:12	a time when one’s purpose becomes clearly identified or shown
pre-med	12:19	pre-medical studies (4 years) at an American university before one can enroll in medical school

Kemal Hamulic Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
compliance management	1:00	making sure a company sticks to all the regulations
Bosnia-Herzegovina	1:20	southern European country of 4 million people
Croatia	1:35	country of 4 million people to the north of Bosnia
Adriatic Sea	1:47	body of water separating Italy and Bosnia
1992-95 Bosnian War	2:20	conflict between Bosnian Muslims and Serbo-Croatian Christians for control of regions of Bosnia-Herzegovina (after the breakup of ethnically diverse Yugoslavia)
dire circumstances	2:35	terribly difficult situations
ended up	2:41	resulted in
go through the motions	2:50	participating without focus or intent
flee	3:25	to run away from danger (past tense is “fled”)
surreal	3:27	a kind of fantasy, an experience that does not seem real
besieged	3:49	surrounded by an enemy and cut off from access to supplies
massacre	4:30	large-scale murder of many people
concentration camps	4:39	prison camps containing many people of one religious or ethnic group
mass graves	4:40	places where many bodies were buried without marking who was there
immediate family	4:58	parents and children
extended family	5:04	The basic family unit of parents and children, also called the “nuclear” family.  The next circle of family extends out to aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  Only Kemal’s nuclear family fled to Switzerland for safety.
evacuated	5:30	removed to safety in an emergency situation
The City That Never Sleeps	6:06	nickname for New York City
International Organization for Migration (have logo)	6:22	http://www.iom.int
plopped down	7:35	To plop something down is to throw or drop it somewhat carelessly.  In Kemal’s case, his family didn’t have the luxury of time to pick the perfect country to live in.  As with many refugees, a move can happen quite suddenly because of the urgency of the situation.
Wonderbread	8:22	kind of soft American white bread baked in long rectangles
“If you build it, they will come.”	8:56	Alan said, “If you bring the customers, they will build the store.” Kemal grinned, “If you build it, they will come.” Here he showed that he understood a reference to the 1989 American movie, Field of Dreams.  In the movie, an Iowan farmer has a dream where he is told to build a baseball field in his corn farm.  The voice in his dream says people will pay to come to the middle of nowhere to watch America’s favorite pastime, the sport of baseball.
20 years hence	9:07	20 years afterwards
culture broker	9:55	someone who negotiates cultural conflicts
role reversal	9:58	where two groups take the opposite roles from usual
left on the side of the road	10:24	stranded, abandoned, not taken along on the trip
adult foster homes	10:22	living center for adults who cannot take care of themselves
Community Relations Commission	11:07	In Grand Rapids, the former Civil Rights Commission has responsibility to watch out for issues of discrimination.
quasi-judicial	11:12	having some decision-making power but no legal power
alleged discrimination	11:18	stories that discrimination happened
allegation of racial profiling	11:22	Kemal said the black and Latino communities complained to the city government that the local police were engaged in racial profiling. Racial profiling is where law enforcement officers stop to question or arrest members of certain racial or ethnic groups based on their race or ethnicity rather than on actual evidence they have committed a crime.  In many cities, people of color are arrested at much higher rates than white people, which gives the appearance of racial discrimination.
stakeholders	11:30	various people who have a stake in the results, people who are involved in the project or business
ethnic minorities	11:43	groups of racial, national, or ethnic people whose numbers do not dominate the local population (usually also connected to an inequality of power)
town hall meetings	12:09	A way for a government to stay responsive to the concerns of the citizens is to hold meetings in the local government buildings (town halls) where they can ask questions of the local officials.
focus groups	12:11	A focus group has a similar purpose to town hall meetings, but the format is different.  It includes a small group of citizens (about one dozen) who are chosen because they represent a specific community demographic; they are brought into a small meeting room and asked their opinions on topics of concern.
ride-along	12:20	Many communities have programs where citizens ride in the police patrol cars along with officers who are on duty.  This gives the community members a way to understand the job the police are doing.  In the case of this Grand Rapids program, the Commission members were monitoring police behavior for signs of racial profiling.
very secular	13:47	not very religious; relating to the world
tenets	13:50	major rules or principals of a religion or other philosophy
not adhere to strict hard line	13:59	easy, flexible, not conservative
abstain during Ramadan	14:15	Kemal said that Bosnian Muslims will abstain from drinking alcohol during Ramadan.  Strict Muslims do not drink alcohol.  Moderate Muslims occasionally drink in social situations.  During the annual month of prayer and fasting, even moderate Muslims will give up drinking alcohol.
mixed marriage	14:45	marriage with partners from two different groups
congregation	15:05	local group of people united for religious practice and identity
brutally honest	16:57	strongly truthful, even if the message is harsh

Brayan Peña Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
Atlanta Braves	1:08	MLB team in Atlanta, GA
Kansas City Royals	1:10	MLB team in Kansas City, MO
on the roster	1:12	official list of team members
drafted me	1:25	chose me (through the selection process for new professional players) to play with their team
the Big League	1:32	Major League Baseball (MLB)
still have goosebumps	1:54	excitement when the hairs on your skin stand up
take nothing for granted	1:56	don’t relax or assume everything will be easy
defected (from Cuba)	2:18	to escape a country without government permission
Everything else is history.	2:56	The rest of the story is well known.
slipped away	4:12	left secretly, without anyone noticing
Hugo Chavez	4:34	President of Venezuela from 1999-2013
Fidel Castro	4:45	Communist leader of Cuba from 1959-2008
pay back	5:57	return good deeds when you have received good deeds
take things for granted	7:30	relax, don’t work hard, and assume everything will be easy
get to know	7:40	take time and begin to learn about someone (or something)
traitor	8:13	someone who is disloyal to his/her country
turn their back on me	8:42	ignore me, forget I exist, disown me
opened their arms	8:46	welcomed warmly
vice-versa	9:40	the other way around (Americans understanding Cuban jokes)
clubhouse	9:56	building for the team’s players to dress, eat, meet, and relax
make fun of each other	10:01	teasing, joking with each other
50% Latino	10:29	half of 40-man team roster is Spanish speaking
Venezuela, Dominican (Republic), Cuba, Curaçao	11:20	Caribbean countries with MLB players
at the end of the day	11:29	in the final analysis, the bottom line
off the field	11:36	in public, away from the stadium, in real life
career in jeopardy	11:38	risk hurting or losing your career
Cubano	12:25	Spanish for “Cuban person”
open yourself to	B-2:16	be ready to accept (new things)
can make it	B-2:40	can succeed

Birgit Klohs Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
economic development	1:05	promoting (existing and new) businesses in the area
serendipity	1:53	lucky result, happening without intention
ended up	2:02	resulted without plan or guidance
happenstance	2:05	coincidence, something occurring by chance
psyche	2:40	a person’s total mindset, soul, and personality
Kauffman Foundation	2:55	http://www.kauffman.org
a calling	3:00	a job that one is meant to do, a natural fit
took me under his wings	3:10	mentored me, guided me with care
The rest is history.	3:15	After this, we all know how the story developed.
come into its own	3:50	fully develop its own identity and strengths
a good fit	4:00	a good match, paired well together
stay on the sidelines	4:13	not be involved, just watching the action from the side
municipal leadership	4:30	leaders of cities, towns, and counties
real estate brokers	5:00	specially licensed agents to buy and sell property
charged with doing	5:04	have the responsibility of doing
cheerleading and matchmaking	5:15	saying loud, encouraging things and promoting relationships
some exotic locale	6:00	an interesting faraway place
au contraire	6:01	just the opposite
the other way around	6:02	the opposite way, vice versa
symbiotic	6:13	living and working well together
take me for granted	6:49	assume I will be available and happy (without receiving any attention)
our worst nightmare	6:54	our worst fear, imagining something terribly wrong
resonance	6:58	something that sounds right
track record	7:05	proven history of performance
trade mission	7:15	governmental trip to encourage new business between the visiting and hosting representatives
hoopla	7:25	grand public attention and ceremony
roll up the sleeves	7:30	get ready to work hard
junkets	7:45	paid (but financially unjustified) trips to nice destinations
logistical location	8:30	practical, functional location
getting to know you	8:50	becoming better acquainted, learning about you
treating us	8:57	paying for our [meal, ticket, beverage, etc.]
by the same token	8:59	on the other hand; but we should also consider [this]
nurturing	9:35	carefully assisting, helping to grow
in-thing to do	10:15	popular (or trendy) thing to do
a handful	10:24	a few (only as many as can fit in one hand)
over the long haul	10:38	long term (related to long-distance freight)
You know what?	12:15	I am about to tell you something surprising or important.
gone so far as	12:30	have even done something like [this]
Let’s step back.	13:00	Let’s stop and return to an earlier point in the story.
credit history	13:25	showing a record of having paid one’s debts
legit	13:40	short for “legitimate” (true, official, trustworthy)
vouch for them	13:43	speak on their behalf, guarantee their worthiness
behind the scenes	14:30	unseen activity, done away from view (like the backstage preparation behind a theater performance)
key selling point	15:50	important point of attraction, making people want to commit
is all about	16:20	concerns, pertains to, relates to
Native American	16:30	people from the tribal cultures of North America before the Europeans arrived
big-C culture	17:00	obvious aspects of culture: literature, art, architecture, music
little-c culture	17:01	unseen aspects of culture: beliefs, values, attitudes
Art Prize	17:25	http://www.artprize.org
flip a switch	17:45	suddenly turn something on (or off)
not a stroll	18:50	not a long, slow walk

Lupe Ramos-Montigny Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Click on an expression in the table below to be taken to the part of the show that it is used. 

Expression	Explanation
grassroots organizer	person who organizes everyday people to take action in their community (the roots of the grass implies from the ground up, not from the top down)
siblings	brothers and sisters
ethnic make-up	composition of people’s racial backgrounds
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico	border city in northeast Mexico: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuevo_Laredo
Anglo kids	English-speaking children
K-6	Kindergarten through 6th grade (elementary school)
monolingual	speaking just one language
had declared itself	had announced what it would be
literally crossed the railroad tracks	cities are sometimes divided by a railroad track, with poor people on one side and rich people on the other (this has become an idiom in English, so Lupe wanted us to know that there was really an actual railroad track dividing the Latinos and the Anglos in her hometown)
kept to ourselves	didn’t go with other groups, stayed with Mexican Americans
co-mingle	mixing, being together (with people from different cultures and backgrounds)
Go to the office!	Leave the classroom (to be punished in the school office).
blares out	comes out loudly, forcefully
sure enough	certainly, as predicted, that’s what happened
spokesperson	person who is chosen to represent the group by speaking for them
upper Midwest	U.S. states which include North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan
picking produce	harvesting fruit and vegetables
belongings	possessions, things you own
Caseville, MI (in the Thumb)	city on the tip of Michigan’s peninsula that looks like the thumb of a mitten: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caseville,_Michigan
beets	a root vegetable
Old Mission Peninsula	region of northwest Michigan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Mission_Peninsula_AVA
Cesar Chavez, legacy of	(lasting history of) the Mexican American who organized migrant farm workers and pressed farmers and legislators for better working conditions
discriminated against	received unfair treatment
peer out	look out (onto uncertain scene)
We were nine.	There were nine of us.
filling station	gas station (where people fill their tanks)
body work	fixing the bodies of cars
cohesive family	family that is very close, that sticks together
Mex-Tex food	cooking style from the Texas-Mexico border region
big deal	very important, significant
the drive-in	type of restaurant where you are served in your car
lugs of cherries	a lug is a container holding freshly picked produce
spearheading	leading (the head of a spear goes through the air first)
migrant worker	worker who travels from one work site to another
adamant	insisting, having a strong opinion
That’s how come…	That’s why…
fabric of our country	basic nature, foundation of our country
inhumane	unkind, cruel, uncaring, mean
La Raza / the Micah Center	largest Hispanic rights group in the U.S. (http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us)/ Christian group for social justice (http://www.themicahcenter.org)
ridiculed	mocked, made fun of, laughed at
poll tax	a tax created by some states to discourage poor people from voting
people of color	non-white citizens
the Creator	Lupe refers to God (who in her religion created the earth and all its people)
Committee to Honor César E. Chávez	https://www.facebook.com/CommitteeToHonorCEC
parent-teacher conferences	scheduled meetings where parents go to the school to meet teachers and talk about the progress of their children
reticent	cautious, shy, reluctant to join in
tackle that	deal with that, handle it
State Board of Education	group that makes educational policy for the state of Michigan (http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-5373---,00.html)
circle of friends	group of people who surround you with friendship

Bing Goei Show: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Expression	Approx. time	Explanation
President Sukarno	1:15	President of Indonesia after independence from the Netherlands
Suriname	1:55	Dutch colony on northeast coast of South America
ethnically Chinese	2:25	Chinese by race (and maybe upbringing) but not by birthplace
resilient	2:50	able to recover from setbacks or problems
dispossession	3:00	having something taken away from you
Dutch colony	4:00	territory under the political control of the Netherlands (as opposed to local control)
immigration quotas	4:25	set limits on immigration numbers
stipulation	4:27	condition or requirement set for an agreement
Lo and behold!	4:45	“Lo and behold, you ended up in West Michigan!”  This is an old-fashioned expression.  It means something surprising or amazing happened.  It was surprising that this Chinese family having lived in Indonesia and the Netherlands had suddenly come to non-diverse West Michigan.
deacons	5:10	In Bing’s church, these are congregation members who are elected to make spiritual leadership decisions.  In some Christian denominations, they may be called elders.  Depending on the denomination, they might be appointed from the congregation or may have spiritual training and official status (below a priest).
poignant story	6:24	moving, sad, or touching story
(CRC) synod	6;36	As a denomination, the CRC has 300,000 members across the U.S. and Canada.  A synod is an umbrella advisory council within a denomination.
stoic	7:04	trying to hide your emotion, not to show everyone that you are suffering
janitor	7:20	employee responsible for maintenance and cleaning of a building
jumped through all the hoops	7:44	Bing’s dad jumped through all the hoops.  He thought all his retraining was a normal part of the U.S. educational system. In the circus, animals are trained to perform tricks, including jumping through hoops, sometimes ones that are lit on fire.  The tricks are not logical, but the animals have to do what the circus master tells them to do.
Don’t create waves.	8:25	not making a fuss, problems, unwanted attention   (Allusion to sailing: Don’t rock the boat.)
clichés	8:29	tired, old sayings that are said reactively, without thinking
Rep. Gerald Ford	8:36	Gerald Ford represented West Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949-1973.  He was named Vice President and later President of the U.S. when scandals forced the resignations of Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon.
commensurate with	8:58	equal or corresponding to
humiliation	9:52	making someone feel low, embarrassed, unimportant
speaks for itself	10:15	is obvious or clear, without need for explanation
Institutes for Healing Racism	10:19	http://www.grandrapids.org/institute-for-healing-racism
West Michigan Asian American Association	10:22	http://www.wm-aaa.org
Partners for Racism-Free Community	10:25	http://prfc-gr.org
CRC Commission on Race Relations	10:28	http://www.crcna.org/race
incubation	11:00	support services and space for small start-up businesses
recruit and retain	11:29	When looking to hire new people into jobs, HR officers have to attract workers to come live in the area (recruitment).  If the new workers do not feel welcome, they will move away.  It is equally important for leaders of companies and communities to make the new workers and their families feel like they belong (retention).
International Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence	11:39	ICEE: www.thegoeicenter/icee
unveiling (not highlighted here)	12:00	publicly showing, uncovering, or revealing for the first time
International Pavilion	12:38	building which houses social and business support systems for international students, workers, and visitors
think tank	13:20	organization providing research and advocacy work for policy and strategy around issues as education, culture, politics, business, military, or technology
flat world	13:24	the view that the world is a level playing surface for global commerce (cf. The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman)
1. higher learning	13:29	must have great universities
2. entrepreneurship	13:33	must welcome creative business solutions
3. welcoming community	13:37	must include everyone, not allow discrimination or segregation of any groups
(unveiling)	13:58	((publicly showing, uncovering, or revealing for the first time))