My mother’s life started with little memory of her hometown of Amstelveen, Netherlands. While Nienke did not remember much of her hometown and where she was born, she remembers key parts of her immigration into America at the age of two years old. One thing unique to my mom though, is she has immigrated twice to the U.S., both being ... Read More »
My cousin arrived with news I no longer wanted to hear about. He told me my visa was approved and that I would be going to Hawaii. I told him I no longer can accept. The house I lived in was built by my Teti (dad). My teti was a sheriff and was very protective over our family. The island ... Read More »
My name is Saundra Stamps. My parents were both born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA), and I was born in San Mateo, California, but spent most summers in New Orleans. I was fortunate to grow up in a two-parent household. My father was an entrepreneur and the first African American owner of an upholstery and interior design business ... Read More »
I came from nothing, running from cops handcuffing. I had to make it out so my family could stop suffering. This was the moment I knew I had to search for a better life, a better future, and I found that in America. My name is Siaosi (George) Kuli Vanisi and I grew up on an island in the south ... Read More »
Having a big dream is hard for anyone especially when you are living in a poor hopeless place and where you would have to end up leaving your family and the place you were born. Living in Haiti was hard. It was scary. It was very dangerous. Anyone can die or get robbed or get hurt by the environment in ... Read More »
“I cannot live like this anymore, we cannot live like this anymore, we have to do something about this,” I said to myself as I look at my struggling family. This marked the start of our pursuit of happiness in America. My name is Doris Perez, and I was born and raised in the Philippines. I met my husband here ... Read More »
I was darker than most, as were my kids, and had often gone through numerous racial encounters. I had been called ‘nigger’ or ‘bum’ by people who didn’t want to hire me or even by people on the street as I walked by with my children. I was born in Niuatoputapu, Tonga. It’s a small island and one of the ... Read More »
I never wanted to leave Fiji, but my dad’s words got to me, and I knew I had to do this. There I was at the age of 45, ready to become a father for the first time. Ready to welcome my firstborn into the world, only to lose her before she was even born. All my hopes of ever ... Read More »
. My name is Jorga Toshinyo (name changed). In 1959, I am 9 years old and living in I live with my mom, dad and my sister. The area I live in is really bad because every day, we are at war with some gangs that live around us, and we can’t afford to eat. We can’t even have a good ... Read More »
In the year 2017, I am able to have the opportunities I have today because of my ancestors. They worked hard to get to a place where I, a third generation child, can go and be whatever I desire to be. I was lucky enough to get to interview my Lola Maxima about her experiences. (Lola means grandmother in Tagalog.) ... Read More »