Thank you for joining me on this journey for the past two years! New Exciting projects are coming soon Happy and Healthy 2025! Cheers

Oksana is the youngest of 12 children, and a daughter of Ukrainian refugees. Growing up in Rochester, NY Oksana was immersed into the Ukrainian culture at home but had to follow the American culture outside. Hence she did not feel like she fit into either. In college being surrounded by multicultural students helped her understand herself better and that it was ok to be a blend. As she got older she embraced the Ukrainian side more than her siblings.  In her mid twenties, she had an opportunity to go to Ukraine and spend time working there. Oksana authored the book "Sunflowers Bend But Rarely Break" The book tells the story of her parents' early life as forced laborers in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, when Slavs were also considered sub-human.  You can read Oksana's blog ⁠https://medium.com/@oksanakukurudza⁠ Purchase her book ⁠https://sunflowersrarelybreak.com/⁠ Follow her ⁠https://www.instagram.com/okukurudza2/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksana-kukurudza/⁠   #immigrantstories #ukarine #naziGermany #holocaust #immigrantsquaredpodcast

Collin is a documentary photographer, and a child of immigrants. He is also the author of "Finding American- Stories of Immigration from all 50 States". In this thought-provoking discussion, Colin shares the inspiration behind 'Finding American,' offering a glimpse into the research, personal experiences, and encounters that shaped the book. The 2016 Presidential elections in the US, and the rhetoric that came out about immigrants, concerned Colin. He decided to embark on a journey throughout the US to tell the stories of immigrants.   Our conversation explores the unique perspectives and stories that Colin discovered along the way from identity and belonging to the rich tapestry of cultures that define the American landscape. In South Dakota, one family from Myanmar moved to work in a Turkey plant. This led to four more families moving, and opening a restaurant. In Alaska, Colin met a mountain climber who moved from Mexico for the snowy mountains of Anchorage. Many people Colin met, immigrated for love.   Listen to the episode for a sneak peek to the stories in the book and the journey of writing it.   Connect with Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinboydshafer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingamerican/ His website: https://findingamerican.com/ Buy his book: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-American-Stories-Immigration-States/dp/1773272217   #alisadel #Immigrantsquaredpodcast #immigrantstories #immigrantstoriesbook #findingamericanbook #immigrantsintheUS   Connect with me Website www.alisadel.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/alisadel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alisadel_ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlisAdelFoundation/

נסטיה עלתה לישראל עם אמא שלה ב1993 בהפלגה באודסה שבאוקראינה לנמל חיפה. כחלק מהמאמץ להסתגל, נסטיה שינתה את השם שלה לענת. היום היא לא רק גאה להיות נסטיה, אבל היא גם מדברת עם הילדים שלה ברוסית.  לפני מעל לחצי שנה נסטיה התחילה פרויקט שמתעסק בתרבות פוסט סובייטית בבתים ישראלים. היא מבקרת בבתים של מהגרות מברית המועצות לשעבר ומתעדת דברים שנשארו כמו רהיטים, כלי מטבח וכו׳ אם תרצו להשתתף בפרויקט של נסטיה צרו איתה קשר דרך האינסטגראם @ha.mehageret #המהגרת #משרדהקליטהוהעלייה #דוראחדוחצי #עוליםחדשים #מהגרתבריבוע

Amina came from Pakistan when she was five years old. She struggled to settle down in the US and always felt lost between the two countries. Fellow immigrants Amina met along the way helped her feel comfortable and confident with her identity. At George Washington University, Amina is part of the Pakistani student association to remain in touch with her culture. Amina thinks that sharing her culture, hospitality, and diversity of ethnic groups and languages in Pakistan,  is the best way to combat hatred. #immigrantsfromPakistan #GWUniveristy #GWuniversityImmigrants #immigrantstories #alisadel  #immigrantsquaredpodcast

Rocio came to the US two years ago as a refugee due to political persecution in El Salvador, after already being an asylee in the US many years ago during the civil war in El Salvador. Rocio has been an entrepreneur her entire life, and now she helps female entrepreneurs advance their businesses in El Salvador. As a refugee in the US, Rocio continues to promote her various businesses, such as coffee, shoe, and candy brands.   Follow the entrepreneurs on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yohagosv/ Website https://yohagoelsalvador.com/ Listen to their podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cRaHfzi19CS3ogKbrHeKr?si=84789cd103184099     Connect with me on: My website ⁠www.alisadel.com⁠ LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/alisadel⁠ Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/alisadel_⁠ Facebook ⁠https://www.facebook.com/AlisAdelFoundation/⁠   #immigrantentrepreneurs #refugeeentrepreneurs #immigrantsfromElSalvador #immigrantstories #refugeestories #skyisthelimit #immigrantsquaredpodcast #alisadel

Amina and Ekaterina shared their respective stories of statelessness. The struggles stateless individuals face, recent developments in policy in the US, and a glimpse of hope for the future with the Stateless Protection Act and the USCIS announcement.   Amina was born and raised in the US. She shared how gender discrimination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led him to struggle with being stateless. Ekaterina is part of an ethnic minority in the former Soviet Union and has struggled with statelessness for over 20 years.   To learn more about United Stateless and read about recent developments in the US as well as how climate change affects statelessness:  Website www.unitedstateless.org     Webinar about the Stateless Protection Act :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlNPI3QjADc&t=1s   USCIS announcement:   https://www.unitedstateless.org/post/u-s-stateless-advocates-celebrate-huge-win   The Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration Announces New Approach to Address the Impacts of Climate Change on Migration and Displacement - United States Department of State   Connect with me on: My website www.alisadel.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/alisadel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alisadel_ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlisAdelFoundation/   #beingstateless #unitedstatesless #immigrantstories #immigrantsquaredpodcast #alisadel #climatechange&migration #USCIS #USCongress #StatelessProtectionAct #SenatorBenCardin #RepresentativeJamieRaskin #S.5330/H.R.9671

Maryna was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and immigrated to the US with only 300$ in her pocket. Despite fulfilling her American dream, she still misses her home country, Ukraine. Maryna is the President of United Help Ukraine, a non-profit organization that was founded in March 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and the war began. Over a year after the full-fledged attack on Ukraine started in February 2022, the organization continues to work tirelessly to provide supplies and services to the people of Ukraine. Please checkout their website and consider donating to their cause, or volunteering with them. www.unitedhelpukraine.org  #immigrantstories #alisadel #immigrantsquared #unitedhelpukraine #helpukrainianrefugees

Martine was born in Zambia to parents who came from the Democratic Republic of Congo formerly known as Zaire. Martine came on a visitor's visa when she was four years old, and as a teenager she became undocumented. Martine also learned that she was stateless, and spent seven years in deportation proceedings. Martine wants everyone to be able to connect through immigrants' stories, which is why she wrote her book "Illegal Among Us: A Stateless Woman's Quest for Citizenship"- a personal account of her journey in the US, being stateless, battling for seven years with immigration services, and struggling to discover her identity. Connect with Martine: Website https://martinekalaw.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/martinekalaw LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinekalaw/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/martinekalaw/ Buy Martine's Book https://www.amazon.com/Illegal-Among-Us-Stateless-Citizenship/dp/1620060884   Learn about United Stateless https://www.unitedstateless.org/organization   If you would like to share your story or collaborate with me please email me at [email protected] visit my website www.alisadel.com or contact me on social media LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/alisadel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alisadel_ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlisAdelFoundation/  

Yasmin was born in Egypt to a Libyan father and an Egyptian mother. She was five years old when her family sought asylum in the US. Since she was born in Egypt and spoke Egyptian she always thought that she was Egyptian, but coming to the US helped her discover her Libyan heritage. Yasmin was not welcomed by the Libyan community in the US because she spoke Egyptian and felt that she had to become Libyan quickly in order to be accepted. Yasmin preserves her cultures of origin and teaches her kids through celebrations and cooking the food of her people. Her advice for other refugees and asylum seekers is to give locals the benefit of doubt and teach them about your culture by sharing foods and holidays with them. Helping other refugees helps her to feel grounded. You can find Yasmin on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yasminelhahahady/ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@yasmin_elhady Find out about her upcoming shows on her website https://www.yasminelhady.com/ #SNL #saturdaynightlive #ramadankareem #Libyanrefugees #libyanasyleesinegypt #ImmigrantSquaredPodcast @alisadel_ #immigrantstories #immigrants #unlockyourpotential #alisadel #yasminelhahahady

ולריה עלתה לישראל בגיל 7 מקייב, אוקראינה ב1996 עם כל המשפחה שלה. כשהיא התחילה את בית הספר, ולריה הבינה מהר מאד שכדי לשרוד היא צריכה ללמוד עברית ולהשתלב עם הקבוצה של הצברים. ולריה הייתה טובה בספורט וזה עזר לה מאד להשתלב בחברה. ולריה מרגישה שיש חלק גדול ממנה שהרבה שנים היא הייתה צריכה לקבור ולהחביא. היא הייתה מחולקת המון שנים לכמה זהויות, הזהות האוקראינית דוברת רוסית עם החגים אוכל והמנהגים. מצד שני היא גדלה בבית מחולק כי אבא שלה לא יהודי ורוב המשפחה שלו נשארה באוקראינה. לקח לו הרבה שנים למצוא חיבור לארץ. בצבא בזמן היותה משקי״ת חינוך, ולריה הייתה צריכה ללמד ברוסית חיילים עולים על התרבות הישראלית. החוויה הזאת עזרה לה סוף סוף לשלב הין שתי הזהויות שלה. היום ולריה עובדת כפסיכולוגית המלחמה באוקראינה שהתחילה לפני שנה ולריה הרגישה שהלב שלה באוקראינה והיא נרתמה לעזור מבחינה מקצועית לאלו שנאלצו לברוח מאוקראינה. דיברנו על איך הגירה כפויה וטראומה של מלחמה משפיעה על אנשים ולמה הפסיכולוגיה הציבורית בארץ קורסת. ולריה מאמינה שאפשר להציל את הפסיכולוגיה הציבורית. #מלחמהבאוקראינה #עוליםחדשים #פסיכולוגיהציבורית #עמותהלמעןפסיכולוגיהציבורית #עוליםחדשים #דוראחדוחצי

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing a fellow Immigrant Squared, and the Co-Founder and COO of Immigrant Food, Tea Ivanovic. Tea was born in Belgium to immigrant parents from the former Yugoslavia and came to the US on a tennis scholarship. Tea feels like she is from everywhere but from nowhere at the same time, and calls both Serbia and Belgium home. Speaking both of her native languages, and cooking family recipes are Tea's ways to preserve her cultures of origin. Tea believes that immigrants are natural entrepreneurs, and the transition to entrepreneurship was very smooth for her. This led her to Co-Found Immigrant Food- a social enterprise food startup with a mission to celebrate immigrants. Tea's advice is to connect with locals and fellow immigrants, help others, expand your network, and create long-lasting friendships. Visit Immigrant Food at one of their 3 locations in Washington DC https://immigrantfood.com/ Connect with Tea on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/t%C3%A9a-ivanovic-56684549/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/immigrantfood/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/immigrantfood/ Twitter https://twitter.com/immigrantfooddc #immigrantfood #immigrantsquared #planetword #immigrantsinwashingtondc #immigrantsfrombelgium #immigrantsfromserbia #startupimmigrant #alisadel #unlockyourpotential #immigrantsquaredpodcast #Immigrantentrepreneurs #immigrantstartups #immigrantpodcast #immigrantjourneys #immigrantstories

Daniel was born and raised in Guatemala and comes from a long lineage of immigrants. Some of his ancestors escaped the holocaust and immigrated to Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua. When he turned 23, Daniel decided to immigrate to Israel and serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). After four years in Israel, he immigrated to the US and is pursuing his studies at NYU. Daniel shared the different struggles between immigrating to Israel vs. the US. In Israel, he had to get acclimated to the language and culture. Coming to the US, Daniel encountered other social barriers such as the more individualistic culture. Daniel embraces the fact that he does not feel at home anywhere. His advice to other immigrants is to not compare your journey to others. #immigrantsintheIDF #immigrantfromguatemala #lonesoldierIDF #immigrantsatNYU #immigrantsofNYC #ImmigrantSquaredPodcast #immigrantstories #immigrants #unlockyourpotential #alisadel

Ianeta is the daughter of Samoan immigrants and an immigrant from New Zealand. She grew up to see the beauty of her blended cultures, and at 17 decided to immigrate to the US via a water polo scholarship at Arizona State University. After graduating, Ianeta's drive to create opportunities for herself and keep growing kept her away from her family in New Zealand, and she experienced loneliness. Ianeta's turning point was when she decided to make a home wherever she was living. After spending five years working at Intel managing software products and teams, Ianeta embarked on her entrepreneurship journey. Her company ExplainDev helps developers to understand and apply code. You install it as an extension on your browser and it answers technical questions with your code as the main subject of the answers. Ianeta is on a mission to connect developers and help them upskill. www.explain.dev If you are a founder in the AI space or technology, or if you are a Pacific Islander, reach out to Ianeta, she would love to chat. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianeta/ #samoa #newzealandimmigrants #waterpoloathlete #waterpoloUniversityofarizona #pacifislanderimmigrants #immigrantsinIntal #proudsamoan #startupimmigrant #alisadel #unlockyourpotential #immigrantsquaredpodcast #Immigrantentrepreneurs #immigrantstartups #immigrantpodcast #immigrantjourneys #immigrantstories #ASUWaterPolo

Sharon was born in Paris, and at the age of seven immigrated with her family to Montreal, Canada. She is very thankful to her parents for giving her and her brother a great childhood despite the struggles of immigration. Sharon considers herself a citizen of the world, and has three places she calls home, Paris, Montreal, and now Tel Aviv. During the pandemic, Sharon started her social media agency by helping friends and family to move their stores online. Her business immigrated with her from Montreal to Paris, and now to Tel Aviv. Sharon's advice is to embrace our unique stories as immigrant entrepreneurs and showcase our different perspectives and experiences. When you feel homesick, find a group of people that feel like home. If you are looking for a social media agency to help you with your business's marketing strategy, reach out to Sharon at BMG [email protected] or on Instagram @brandsmediagroup #startupimmigrant #alisadel #unlockyourpotential #immigrantsquaredpodcast #Immigrantentrepreneurs #immigrantstartups #immigrantpodcast #immigrantjourneys #immigrantstories #frenchinisrael #canadiansinisrael #brandsmediagroup #businessimmigration #businessesinTLV

ליה אוקון היא מורה לעברית באולפנים לעולים חדשים ובת למהגרים מרוסיה שהגיעו לארץ בשנות השביעיים. ליה התחילה ללמד עברית את הסבים שלה מגיל 6 היא תמיד הרגישה חצויה בזהות שלה, הרבה פעמים חברים שלה ילידי הארץ לעגו לה שהיא מסתובבת עם עולים חדשים. היום ליה מאד שלמה עם שתי הזהויות שלה. המטרה של ליה היא לעזור לעולים החדשים להשתלב בחברה ולא רק ללמד אותם עברית. ליה עובדת על מיזם כדי להביא ישראלים ילידי הארץ לאולפנים בכדי שיעזרו לעולים החדשים לתרגל עברית. דיברנו על כמה זה חשוב לעזור לעולים להשתלב בחברה אבל גם לשמר על הזהות והתרבות מהבית. ליה גם סיפרה על ההבדל בין העלים החדשים ב 1990, והעולים שברחו עכשיו מאוקראינה, והיא חושבת שהחברה הישראלית צריכה להראות יותר סבלנות, קבלה , והכלה כלפי העולים החדשים.

I had the honor of hosting the President & COO of Welcome.US Anya McMurray on the podcast. Welcome.US was founded in response to the fall of Kabul in September, 2021. In partnership with the US government, Welcome.US has been helping to resettle over 80 thousand Afghans in the US. They also expanded their help to support Ukrainians who are fleeing the war. Anya talked about the value and responsibilities that sponsoring a refugee can bring to your life, and her own sponsorship story. We also discussed how immigrants in the US are giving back to the community by sponsoring and helping those who are going through the same struggles they did. "The more Americans do this work (to welcome newcomers) the less they will care about where people come from". Please visit www.welcome.us to learn how you can help welcome newcomers to the US. #fallofkabul #afghanrefugees #unitingforukraine #ukrainianrefugees #welcome.us #immigrantstories #helpingrefugees #beawelcomer #helpnewcomers #unlockyourpotential #alisadel #Immigrant²podcast Links to previous podcast episodes can be found on my website www.alisadel.com

Today, millions of immigrants have found a home in the United States. But often, such people end up losing their individual cultures, languages, and identities—simply because they aren’t aligned with those of the rest of the crowd. So what is it like to be living in a nation you weren’t born in? What are the stories and experiences of people who find themselves alternating between two linguistic and cultural worlds? In this new episode, Luis Javier Pentón Herrera and Ethan Tính Trịnh, editors of “Critical Storytelling: Multilingual Immigrants in the United States” talk about how their book brings together powerful voices of immigrants living in the United States. The book is a fusion of narratives by individual immigrants—each story offering a fresh perspective on living as a trans-national person in the United States and containing strong messages of acknowledgment, negotiation, and resilience. This episode is a part of a new special series by Brill, which focuses on Brill’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each episode is related to a specific SDG. This episode covers SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

In this episode, I had the honor of chatting with victor who escaped gang violence in El Salvador and came to the US on a bicycle to find a better future, and he sure did. Although the journey from being undocumented to becoming a citizen has not been easy, Victor never lost sight of his dream to become an electrical engineer. Victor discussed the fear and struggles while being undocumented, and how music and learning to play the guitar helped him through difficult times. Victor's advice to immigrants is to be brave, and not let fear dictate their decisions. To non-immigrants, Victor emphasized the importance of listening to immigrant stories, and not judging people's choices. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Anchor.com Links to the podcast are available on my website www.alisadel.com Updates about new projects and episodes are on Instagram @alisadel_ #Immigrant²Podcast #immigrantstories #beingundocumented #gangviolence #Elsalvador #immigrantengineers c #braveimmigrants #alisadel #inspiringimmigrants

St. Clair Detrick-Jules is an Author, Photographer, Videographer, and Documentarian. Born and raised in Washington DC to an immigrant father from St Barths and growing up surrounded by immigrants, St. Clair became interested in immigrant stories. She is currently working on a photojournalism book about immigrants and physical objects they brought with them to the US. She believes that storytelling connects us to humans, and helps us recognize shared humanity. In her book, she is also exploring the idea of home and how it transforms over time. Some of the things St. Clair learned from immigrant stories so far are the desire to maintain the language of their home country, and the importance of building immigrant communities. Check out my Instagram @alisadel_ for a sneak peek into my photoshoot with St. Clair, and the object I brought to the US. Check out her other book "My Beautiful Black Hair" - which started as a labor of love to support her little sister who was being bullied in school for her afro. You can buy her book on her website www.stclairdetrickjules.com If you are an immigrant and would like to share your story on my podcast, I would love to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected], message me on my website www.alisadel.com or message me on Instagram @alisadel_ If you would like to be featured in St. Clair's book, share your story and an object you brought email her at message her on Instagram @stclairdetrickjules, and check out her website www.stclairdetrickjules.com or email her at [email protected]

Today's episode is dedicated to my birthplace Ukraine! To all the brave people who are fighting for their life. I won't go into politics historical analysis or commentary. I want this episode to serve as an encouragement to help Ukraine but also as a reminder, as Albert Einstein once said "The world is a dangerous place to live not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it"  This is the first episode in a series "Immigrant Voices from the War". Let us focus on and respect Ukraine right now. I am planning to highlight other conflicts wars and areas of the world in future episodes and focus on how immigrants and children of immigrants are impacted when their countries of origin are under attack. If you are an immigrant or a child, spouse, relative of an immigrant that has been impacted by a conflict, or war in your or their country of origin and would like to share your story, I would love to host you on my podcast. Please email me at [email protected] or send me a message on Instagram @alisadel_ these stories need to be heard. Today my guest is Leon. Leon is a child of immigrants. His mother is from Odessa Ukraine and his father is from Moscow Russia. Leon and I discuss how this war has impacted us, what we do to cope and help the people in Ukraine while also supporting our parents who are devastated seeing their home countries destroyed and innocent people murdered, and what others who are not impacted can do to help. If you would like to help Ukraine: Global Empowerment Mission- This is a nonprofit located in Doral, Florida. They are on the ground in Lviv, Ukraine providing supplies and food. You can donate on their website, and follow them on Instagram. Website https://www.globalempowermentmission.org/ Instagram @globalempowermentmission Project Dynamo- This is on the ground helping to evacuate people. You can support them by donating on their website. Website https://www.projectdynamo.org/ Instagram @projectdynamo Aerial Recovery Group - Is on the ground providing supplies and helping evacuate orphans to safety. You can donate on their website, and fill out a volunteer form if you are qualified to travel and help there. Follow their amazing work on Instagram. Website https://linktr.ee/aerialrecoverygroup Instagram @aerialrecoverygroup #standwithukraine #Istandwithukraine #stopthewar #immigrantstories #peaceforukraine #security #humanitarian aid #saveukraine

I had the pleasure of interviewing a fellow immigrant and woman in security Sonia Knowles. Sonia immigrated from Peru in pursuit of educational opportunities. She assimilated into the American culture by becoming a military spouse. While adapting to the culture of military life she was not able to identify herself as an immigrant, but she found a community. Years later she started to wonder what it means to be an immigrant. Sonia and I discussed our struggles with our foreign accents, and how we overcame those struggles and found humor in idioms. As women in security, we discussed the advantages of growing up abroad, the awareness and security skills we have as a result, and why multilingual and multicultural analysts are crucial to the success of Security Operation Centers in the private sector. #immigrants #immigrantstories #womeninsecurity #diversity #securityoperationcenter #corporatesecurity #immigrantsinsecurity #GSOC #diversityinsecurity Are you an immigrant? Would you like to share your story? I would love to meet you. Please reach out [email protected] and follow on Instagram @alisadel_ Listen, rate, and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Welcome to my podcast. I invite you to learn my story, what inspired me to start this podcast, and what I hope to accomplish. Do you know any immigrants or kids of immigrants who would like to share their stories? Email me at [email protected]