From one country to another, this Nigerian discovers truths that are as evident as her own hair

by amirah | Jun 2, 2021 | Culture Shock, Identity, Work, Jobs and Money

By Amirah Ford, Medill, Immigrant Connect        June 2021                                                                                  It’s the last day of school, the final closeout to the year. Amid the hugs goodbye and anticipation for break, a school head...

How did COVID-19 affect Ramadan celebrations in the Arab American community around Dearborn, Michigan?

by Jack Doppelt | Jun 12, 2020 | Culture Shock, Family, Good Question

By Bailey Pekar, Medill, Immigrant Connect For Manar Kodamah, celebrating Ramadan in quarantine “doesn’t have the same spirit” that she’s used to feeling. Usually, celebrating Ramadan is marked as a time of togetherness when Kodamah’s extended family and friends...

My mother and I break a Chinese taboo and emerge with unconditional love

by Jack Doppelt | Jun 8, 2020 | Culture Shock, Family, Our Staff

By Connie Deng, Medill, Immigrant Connect My mother jumped out of a crashing truck when she was 17. She tells me the story for the first time when I’m home, taking a break from college. I’m on the living room carpet, looking up at where my mother sits on the couch....

New generation of Syrian immigrants find their place in the U.S.

by sophiekobylinski | Dec 6, 2019 | Culture Shock, Work, Jobs and Money

By Sophie Kobylinski, Medill, Immigrant Connect After a long week of work at the Kraft Heinz Company in Chicago, 25-year-old Marcelle Hana looks forward to her monthly visit to Ambrosia Cafe, a hookah bar in Lincoln Park. She meets her friends to unwind and catch up...

As a refugee, what does it mean to be free?

by ashleyhackett | Dec 12, 2018 | Culture Shock, Good Question

By Ashley Hackett, Medill, Immigrant Connect When Imran Mohammad left Myanmar to escape the persecution of Rohingyan people, he never thought he would land in America, a country where everything was so different. If it were up to him, he’d have been able to live a...

My friend Abdi can do anything; as a Somali refugee, he’s had to

by rebeccadernbach | Dec 11, 2018 | Culture Shock, Our Staff

By Becky Dernbach, Medill, Immigrant Connect It’s hot for May, more than 90 degrees, and so windy I struggle to hold my skirt in place. Abdi* is waiting for me inside the Coldstone Creamery. We embrace under the fluorescent lights, place our orders and find a bench by...