After a month hiatus, we are now back to recording sessions! Next week, I am excited to release my podcast session with Onion Ha, who is a DACA recipient and an active community member at @hamkaecenter.
Meanwhile, check out his freestyle rap titled Squid Game 🦑🔥
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I’m a proud dreamer but I’m feelin the pressure
If i count up all my stress i could give you a lecture
Got all eyes on me, but i’m just a victim of twisted history
When am i getting my papers? That sh*t’s always a mystery
My days feel numbered, i feel guilt when i slumber
Cause a wasted day isn’t what i want to remember
Receiving daca is a privilege, a blessing and a curse
I pray for my homies that are in situations way worse
We need a final solution, no more confusion,
All of us know this dream act is an act of illusion
Tired of just retweets and shares whats the conclusion?
We at year 10 for a temporary solution, aka exclusion
I don’t want to settle when they throw me the bone
But i can’t afford to say no, i gotta pay for my home
-i ain’t gotta do this alone,
Matter of fact it’s impossible, so call your rep on the phone
I’m tired of survival mode, the balls in their court they want me to fold
I’m fighting for kids futures cause mine was robbed and now i’m too old
I’m not even sad no more my anger just be makin me bold
For 10 long years i’ve seen people’s hearts callous up from the cold
Got me fighting over paper i feel like i’m playin squid game
I ain’t tryna compete with one another i’m goin insane
I’m on my best behavior but my best is for who
They just want us to behave to suppress me and you
Who can cross the line before they make rules and start shooting
Thought ya’ll welcome the tired and poor, we still human
Who and what is a good or bad immigrant?
Quite evident by our patience we’re all heavensent
Red yellow green, thats been the status between
While we try to adapt and survive in this chaos it seems
Wanted a piece of the pie but they
Next week, we have Nicole Solis-Sison as our guest! We covered a wide range of topics, from her work as an artist to love and relationship while being undocumented.
Here’s a sneak peek of Nicole sharing her story when she decided to publicly come out as an undocumented.
“I was definitely still grappling around my identity. I didn't publicize that I was undocumented, formerly undocumented or documented. I was always scared to share that.
And I was talking to Juan Escalante about if I share [my status] to people that I'm undocumented, publicly on a public platform, or advocate for DACA publicly on a public platform, do I put myself at risk? And Juan blatantly said, yes, there's always a risk.
And then I made the decision that I saw artists like Julio Salgado, I saw artists like tam Tran, I saw artists just in general take that leap and take that risk and be brave and say that they were undocumented or documented. And I decided to take that leap and take that risk myself.
And the moment I came out undocumented publicly, to my friends, to my colleagues, to people in several industries, I became freer and freer, like the pain in my chest went away. And I felt like I stepped into who I really was, rather than someone that was always scared. Now I'm not scared anymore. Like I don't have panic attacks like I used to, just because I was able to share really what my story was.” - Nicole Solis-Sison
Depression and mental health issues are not often talked about. Here’s another snippet of Steve talking about the time he went through depression and give more compassion to himself.
“In 2018, I was going through a deep depression. And it wasn't until I sought help, that I was able to really find the tools to come out of that depression and really figure out ways to go back to school which was always my goal and also repair relationship with my mom. I think for a long time we didn't talk there was a lot of guilt. In terms of being undocumented in the US there was a lot of guilt from her for being separated from for myself from her children. And learning to forgive, forgive ourselves. I think she had to forgive herself and I had to forgive myself as well and be more compassionate to myself.”
Next week, we have Steve Li as our guest! With Mother’s Day approaching, Steve dedicated this episode to his mom where they have been separated 12 years.
Here’s a snippet of Steve sharing the important value he learned from his mother.
“She passed down values that I take with myself now. She was selfless and the value that she instilled in me was always to help other people. It doesn't matter how much you're making, it doesn't matter about the money, but it's about how you connect with other people and how you help others. And my mother is very religious right now she is a missionary in Peru, helping an orphanage there. And I feel like one of the reasons why I'm dedicating this episode to my mom is because I feel like now that I'm going to grad school at Yale, I want to be an extension of her helping others and be able to make an impact because of the values that she instilled in me.”
As we celebrating Eid Mubarak, I want to thank my dear friend Saba who joined the podcast as my very first guest! Thank you for allowing me to practice and make tons of mistakes without getting any judgement. Thanks for helping me to step into courage and dive into the podcast world!
Here’s a snippet of Saba sharing her story how she found out about her dad’s deportation proceeding.
Next week, we have Ainee Athar as our guest! In this episode, we talked about her immigration journey, activism spaces from nonprofit to philanthropy world, accepted into Yale Business school, and much more!
Here’s a sneak peek of Ainee sharing her thoughts on storytelling in nonprofit spaces.
Here are some quotes by Ainee:
“Sharing your personal story in the broader context of nonprofit work and political work, it starts off as being very therapeutic for all of us, because it's like the first time that we get to publicly own our experiences instead of being ashamed. But then I think very quickly can get turned into a situation where people are basically like funders or nonprofits, or even politicians are pushing you out there to relive your trauma.”
Next week, we have Serafina as our guest!
Here’s a sneak peek of Serafina breaking down how immigrant trauma, pains and suffering make it difficult to find our identity and know who we are.
Here are some power quotes from Serafina:
“The pain of migration and the pain of feeling disconnected to our parents dreams and Homeland and the feeling of disconnectedness, and perpetually feeling like foreigners in our own nation, all this light gets mixed in to the pain of not knowing who we are, and finding it so difficult to know who we are, that getting involved with immigration just gets lost in all that.”
Check out our new podcast website! We have amazing features like sending a voicemail review to releasing up-to-date episode! We also have an immigration related emergency hotline support to blogs on immigration. Check out the website link in bio and spread the word!
Next week, we have Hyo-Jung as our guest! Here’s a glimpse of Hyo-Jung feeling upset about DACA legal battles while suppressing her own emotions to allies and friends to avoid revealing her and her family immigration status.
Next week, we have Bo Thai as our guest! Here’s a glimpse of Bo sharing how his immigration trauma shows up in relationships, personal, and professional life.
#undocumented #thai #immigrasians
Next week, we have Wei Li as our guest! Here’s a glimpse of Wei sharing his experience back at home in Brazil and reason behind moving to the United States.
#DACA #Undocumented #API #podcast
Next week, we have Amrit Laur who co-founded a production company called @browngirljoy with her siblings, Jazz Kaur and Amani Kaur.
Here’s a sneak peek of Amrit sharing finding joy/happiness in the midst of heavy lifting storytelling in the immigrant rights movement.
Next week, we have Yves Gomes as our guest! Here’s a sneak peek of Yves sharing his story on family separations and pains he had to endure.
Next week, we have Marian (Yani) as our guest! Here’s a sneak peek of when she first found out about her immigration status. 🗣
Next Week, we have Eric Yang as our guest. Check out a sneak peek of Eric sharing the importance of sharing the story 🗣
Next week, we have Tej Patagundi! Here’s a glimpse of his story reuniting with his dad after separation of more than 14 years.
Next week, we have Huyen “Kiki” Vo who is a DACAmentee, burn survivor, social worker, and started mental wellness coaching business called @thrivewithkiki
Here’s a sneak peek 👀
#DACA #undocumented #API #podcast #immigrasians
Next week, we have Hye Young Choi who recently graduated from Harvard School of Public Health, and currently works for BRAVE study (or also kwon as Building Community Raising All Voices for Health Equity)! Here’s a sneak peek 👀
#undocumented #Asian #podcast #DACA
Next week, we have Glo Choi who is an undocumented immigrant rights activist and a community organizer at @hanacenterchicago, Chicago, IL. You do not want to miss our conversation! Here’s a sneak peek 👀
