Stories
Iraqi Immigrant Finds Refuge in South Bend
In 2003, Dr. Rose Alyousif fled her home in Iraq with her husband and one-year old-daughter and moved to another country in the Middle East. The couple’s mixed Sunni-Shiite marriage made the family targeted, and they feared for their lives. Ten years later, they were resettled in South Bend with… Read More
Mexican Immigrant Builds Business in Indiana
Juan Cervera spent his childhood farming corn, beans, and tomatillos with his father, but he wanted more. So at 15, he and his brothers migrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, to Chicago, Illinois. “I came for the American dream,” he recalls. “And to have economic opportunities.” Over the next 10 years, Juan… Read More
Immigrant from Burundi Proves “Anything is Possible,” Even Amidst Challenges
In 2011, at age 22, Prudent Ndihokubwayo was able to flee violence in Burundi and move to Portland, Maine, which family friends said provided good public assistance. At first, Prudent felt lost. He was unused to the cold and unfamiliar food. Customs like shaking hands with a firm squeeze confounded… Read More
Somalian Immigrant Founds Nonprofit to Help Immigrant Community Understand and Navigate Substance Use
When she was three years old, Amran Osman, who was born in Somalia, came with her mom to Lewiston, Maine. She learned English quickly, but when she entered school, she realized how different she was. “I was the only Somali person wearing a hijab, which kicked off an identity crisis… Read More
Brazilian Immigrant Teaches English to Expand Opportunities for Fellow English-Learners
Bianca Arcencio grew up in Brazil, speaking Portuguese. But many of her favorite musicians performed in English. “I was a huge fan of the Backstreet Boys,” she says. “I would read the lyrics, and it frustrated me that I didn’t know what they meant.” She became determined to find out. Read More
Immigrant from Djibouti Pursuing Nursing Degree to Continue to Care for Community
When Marwo Sougue was 15, her aunt died—meaning that, per custom, in her native Djibouti, she would have to marry the widowed uncle. To save her from this fate, her parents sought asylum in America. The family settled in Westbrook, Maine, in 2017, and from that moment, Marwo took every… Read More
Filipino Immigrant “Pays the Generosity Forward”
Patricia Blasquez was finishing graduate school—among the first of five siblings to do so—when her father, Alberto, shared a story he’d so far kept from his children, one about his own immigrant journey. Alberto and Marietta Blasquez had immigrated to the United States—Patricia was 12 at the time—on a visa… Read More
Tanzanian Immigrant Gives Back to Community, Impacting “One Person at a Time”
Maria Mosomi runs a behavioral health clinic that sees about 200 patients a week—anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and more. As a nurse practitioner, she can prescribe medicine. As the owner of her own clinic, she can take the time to listen. “I wanted… Read More
Mexican Immigrant Leads Advocacy Work to Promote Sensible Immigration Reform, Helping Pave Opportunities for Immigrant Community
Juan Carlos Cerda shares a worry with some 580,000 immigrants in America: Will this be the year he’s kicked out of the country? Will the United States ever create a path to permanent residency that allows him to feel secure in the only home he’s known? Juan Carlos’ parents brought… Read More
Chinese Immigrant Gives Back as Community Leader, Business Owner, and Non-Profit Co-Founder
It was during the Great Recession, with work slow, that a colleague of Ken Tse’s invited him on a mission trip to Cuba, where they provided donations and encouragement to those in need. “Even though the country was in turmoil, full of poverty, and they didn’t have much,” he said. Read More
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