The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants

Welcome to episode 55 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Dr. Munira Zahabi, who is an entrepreneur, author, mentor, coach, public speaker, and podcaster. Her podcast is called Munira’s Musings. She is also known as The Niche Navigator.  Dr. Zahabi was born in Kenya but married at the age of sixteen and moved to Tanzania. She explains that although Tanzania is a neighboring country of Kenya and they speak Swahili, the culture is different. She experienced different culture shocks in Tanzania and lived there for 15 years before moving to the US.  Listen to her story and hear the process for her and her family to move from Tanzania to the US under the DV1 progrom or the Diversity Visa! I loved how much detail she shared about the process.  With Love, Heidy Connect with Dr. Munira Zahabi: ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/munira.zahabi/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muniraz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munirazahabi/  Website: https://www.thenichenavigator.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 54 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is immigration attorney Erika Cisneros. Erika grew up with an immigrant Mom, but her dad was a fourth-generation Mexican-American. She knew at a young age that she wanted to be an immigration attorney, but she shares about a pivotal moment when that passion for helping the immigration community grew and was her driving force.  When her father woke her up in the middle of the night because a coworker of his got pulled over but was undocumented, the police officer knew her father and called him to see if he could go pick up his coworker's van because if not, he would be placed in jail and eventually deported.  Erika says that although her job is tough and hard work, when she receives approval for her client, she knows that it’s not just her client that she’s helping; it’s also the client’s family and those around them because the majority of them they are the breadwinner in their home.  Listen to episode 54 to learn about the type of cases that Erika works with and her experience visiting Mexico for the first time in college.  With Love, Heidy Connect with Erika: ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/honestimmi/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HonestImmigration  Website: https://www.honestimmigration.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 53 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!   Today’s guest is photographer Andrea De La Cruz. She grew up traveling between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Some summers, she would stay with her dad in Puerto Rico, but mainly, she was with her grandparents until her grandmother decided to move her to New York to live with her aunt. Andrea was in New York until her dad decided to move her back to Puerto Rico, where she finished her last two years of high school. Talk about some back and forth!  At the age of 18, she decided to move back to New York and go to college, but that was also a challenge. Listen to the rest of her story and how she finally ended up becoming a photographer.  With Love, Heidy P.S. Since the recording of this episode, Andrea has moved to Atlanta, but you can still contact her below!  Connect with Andrea: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/andrealucia_photography/  Website: https://www.andrealuciaphotography.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 52 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!   Today’s guest is Johanna Rojas Vann, the author of An American Immigrant! Johanna's parents moved to the US in the 1980s, and she was born here. They lived in New York City first and then moved to Maryland, where Johanna primarily grew up.  We talked about the cultural norms her parents kept from Colombia and which ones they adapted from living here. We talked about language and how it’s easier to default to speak in English, and then Johanna shared her experience of listening to her mom’s stories, which inspired her debut novel! I mentioned my husband’s experience moving from New York to Michigan, and I actually interviewed him and his siblings together - check it out!  With Love, Heidy Connect with Johanna: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/johannarvann/  Website: https://www.johannavann.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 51 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is immigration attorney Anique Samuel. She grew up on the island of Antigua and Barbuda and moved to the United States at age 17 after graduating from high school. Before moving, she had visited because her mom was living here in the States, so adapting to the US was different for her than for other guests.  Anique shares that she knew she wanted to be an attorney in high school, and when she started law school, she wanted to practice corporate law.  Listen to her story on how she actually got into immigration law!  With Love, Heidy Connect with Anique: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/attorneyanique/  Website: https://www.asamuellaw.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 50 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!   Kevin is the host of the Latin American Educational Opportunities Podcast, where he shares his passion for various topics like business, finance, technology, politics, and mental health - that he believes deserve greater attention within the Latin American community, as his website states.  Today, he shares with us his story of growing up as an undocumented immigrant in the US and then a DACA recipient. His family first moved to California, then Denver, and eventually settled in New Jersey.  Kevin also shares about visiting Guatemala for the first time with Advance Parole, which was offered to Daca recipients. That in itself was a risk because had the fear that he and his sister wouldn’t be allowed back into the US.  Lastly, here is the article I mentioned that I wrote about The American Dream.  With Love, Heidy Connect with Kevin: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/latinamericaneo/  Website: https://latinamericaneo.org/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 49 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Kim Decena from Decena Media, a marketing agency. Kim shares with us her experience growing up in the US with Colombian immigrant parents. She discusses the cultural norms that her parents kept from Colombia and the American norms they adopted. Kim talks about her experience of visiting Colombia for the first time and why she ended up leaving the US eleven years ago!  With Love, Heidy Connect with Kim: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/kimdecenaofficial/  https://www.instagram.com/soykimdecena/  Website: https://decenamedia.com/  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 48 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Christina Rodriguez, the founder of Latina’s with Masters. This is a community to inspire, empower, and educate our community and future generation leaders with equitable pathways, academic advancement, and professional growth, as stated on their Facebook page. In today’s episode, Christina shares her upbringing with immigrant parents from Nicaragua. She is the middle child of three; however, the first one to be born in the United States. Her older brother is seven years older than her, so the responsibilities of translating and helping her parents fell on her, she said; in a sense, she felt like the eldest. Christina also shares why she started Latinas with Masters. According to Pew Research, Latinas have fueled the growing number of Hispanics with graduate degrees between 1990 and 2021! The percentage of Latinos (both male and female) with graduate degrees increased to 8% since 2021. Hispanic Americans have had the fastest growth in advanced degrees of any major racial or ethnic group. With Love, Heidy Connect with Christina: ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/latinaswithmasters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LatinaswithMasters Podcast: Latinas with Masters Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/27lp1veTbAXdc42FWzwsoU?si=b38979ef6fae4173 Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox! 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 47 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Annie Woods - a coach for immigrants and a public speaker. She also hosts the Substack newsletter, “Homecoming,” where she shares life as an immigrant, a mother, and a human.  Annie shares that her love for books and reading began at the age of eleven. It opened a whole new world for her and the possibility of moving to the US. She says that she never felt like she belonged in the Dominican Republic.  Listen to her story of coming to the US, which Annie says was a journey of healing.  With Love, Heidy Connect with Annie: ⁠Instagram⁠: www.instagram.com/anniepwoods  Website: www.anniepwoods.com  Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive each episode right in your inbox!  5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Send me an email :) I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. Want to start your own podcast? – My six-week podcast course has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to part two of episode 46 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, we are finishing Maydelli's story, and in this episode, you'll hear about life after DACA, visiting Mexico, and applying for citizenship! I’d love to hear what part of the episode stood out to you. With Love, Heidy Connect with Maydelli: ⁠Instagram⁠: @healingthruselflove @rawlovebymay Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to part one of episode 46 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Maydelli Mendoza, she is a mental health advocate, speaker, podcaster, and transformational life coach! And in today’s episode, she shares very candidly about her experience living undocumented in the United States. Maydelli grew up in an unstable home in LA, then moved to Utah, where no one looked like her, and even struggled to read. This episode is so special because Maydelli just became a US citizen this past Friday, February 2nd! What perfect timing! Look at God! I’d love to hear what part of the episode stood out to you. Lastly, you can listen to her podcast - Healing Thru Self Love, on Spotify. With Love, Heidy P.S. Part two is coming on Monday, February 12th. Connect with Maydelli: ⁠Instagram⁠: @healingthruselflove @rawlovebymay Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 45 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Kelly Dominguez. Kelly is an injury and immigration attorney. She was born in Mexico and lived there until she was about five because after her parents divorced, her mother wasn’t able to make ends meet and saw the United States as an opportunity to better her life and her children’s lives. Her mom left first to get settled, and then she sent for Kelly and her brother. She was five, and he was seven. She explains how they separated them to cross the border and were reunited in Arizona and then flew to New Jersey to be reunited with their mom. Because Kelly came through the border, she was undocumented. Luckily, she was able to get her legal status, and now she’s an attorney helping others in the immigrant community. Listen to her incredible story of triumph on episode 45 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast! With Love, Heidy P.S. Here is the link for the book I mentioned - The Body Keeps The Score. And the link to more information about the Investor Visa Kelly mentioned.  This post contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 44 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Ilona Phillips. She is an eating disorder specialist. Ilona came from the Czech Republic, and the original plan was to stay for a short while to learn English. Growing up in former Czechoslovakia, Ilona couldn’t learn English until high school, and Western media wasn’t allowed there. Her father used to sneak and listen to the radio from Europe, and her mom would be terrified when he did that.  Ilona came to the United States through the Au Pair program - the nanny visa program. This is also discussed in episode 25 - she stayed with the family in Columbus, Ohio. She first arrived in New York City and said that after a week, she was overwhelmed.  What was supposed to be a year of staying in the United States became studying Psychology in college and eventually Psychotherapy to becoming an eating disorder specialist.  Listen to Ilonia’s journey on episode 44 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. With Love, Heidy P.S. At the end of this episode, Ilonia provides a mental health tip, so make sure to listen all the way through! :) Connect with Ilona: ⁠Instagram⁠: @ilona_phillips YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ilonaphillips Website: https://www.ilonaphillips.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 43 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Laura Fortuna. She is a financial coach for immigrants, and she provides educational information about finances in Spanish on Instagram. Laura was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Switzerland when she was three years old. She and her mom then moved back to DR, and eventually, she moved to the US Virgin Islands when she was 18 years old. After two years of college in the US Virgin Islands, Laura continued her education in Massachusetts. She studied accounting and received her master's of science in taxation. This led her to start her own financial coaching business after realizing she had to re-write her American Dream! Listen to Laura’s story on how she changed her American Dream. With Love, Heidy Connect with Laura: ⁠Instagram⁠: @thefortunecoach https://www.instagram.com/thefortunecoach Schedule a consultation with Laura here - https://calendly.com/thefortunecoach/moneydate Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 42 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Leticia Gonzalez Dos Santos! She runs the podcast-producing company Pod Media Lab. Leticia was born and raised in Brazil she moved to California to learn English and play college tennis. In order for an international student to be accepted into a university in the US, they have to take the TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language, and Leticia didn’t know any English! She started her education in a junior college for three years to learn English, and then she transferred to a 4-year University in Hawai’i. After graduating, she helped the tennis team with their social media presence, and this experience, along with an internship she did with the local NBC news network in Palm Springs, led her to run Pod Media Lab.  Listen to the rest of her story - available now.   With Love, Heidy --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 41 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Gea Gomez. She is a realtor and host of the podcast I Got an Accent So What, in which I had the pleasure of being a guest. You can watch my episode on her show here. And she so kindly returned the favor and shared her story of coming to the United States from Cuba in a raft! Gea and her family escaped Cuba when she was only 10 years old. We start by talking about how her life in Cuba was, as she vividly remembers. Her family decided to leave because life was extremely difficult after the Soviet Union fell, and basic needs in Cuba became difficult to buy. The trip on the raft was supposed to take only one hour and ended up taking about 14 hours! Listen to her whole story. Gea, I cannot wait to read your story in a book! With Love, Heidy P.S. Here is the book Solito I mentioned in this episode. If purchased through this link, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you. Connect with Gea: ⁠Instagram⁠: @GeaGomez Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 40 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Yara Demarque. She is a finance advisor who immigrated from Brazil because her family wanted to fulfill her sister’s wish of living in the United States after she suddenly died from eating a burger! Not only is that tragic – Yara was also engaged when her family decided to move! What grief Yara went through at such a young age. Yara starts her story by telling us how unstable her life was in the beginning; her family moved a lot, so she barely ever made friends. So, when people ask her if she misses Brazil, she really doesn’t because her family are all here now. She didn’t even want to move to the United States in the first place, but once she arrived, she said, “I’m here; might as well make the best of it.” Listen to her tremendous story of how, in the middle of grief, she changed her whole life and moved to a new country with her family. Yara, you are incredible! Thank you for sharing your journey! Thank you for being here. With Love, Heidy Connect with Yara: ⁠Instagram⁠: @yourfinancegirly Website: https://www.newyorklife.com/agent/ldemarqueper Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 39 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Ichko Jackson; she is a life coach who specializes in helping women find quality gentlemen to date. She’s been a certified coach since 2020. Ichko is from Mongolia, and she moved to the United States in 2013. After her mom got into an accident, Ichko had to work, and she was able to save up enough money within a five-year span to move to the United States. She came to attend graduate school here, and when the agency asked her what state she wanted to attend school in, she didn’t even know what a state was. All she knew was that she wanted to come to the United States. Ichko settled in Seattle, but it wasn’t anything like she imagined it would be because it rained a lot. Eventually, she moved to California. I love that Ichko shares she intentionally didn’t hang out with the Mongolian community when she first arrived because she wanted to immerse herself in the American culture and learn English. Her thought was that if she hung out with other Mongolians, they wouldn’t speak English, which she needed to learn. Lastly, Ichko shares how her journey of self-discovery led her to become a coach! Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Ichko: ⁠Instagram⁠: @ichkojackson Twitter (X): @ichko_batmunkh Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information ⁠here⁠. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 38 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Daniela Diaz; she is a social media manager. Dani helps small business owners with their presence on social media by creating content and helping them manage their accounts. We met at a networking event, and once she told me she was from Venezuela, I asked her if she would be interested in sharing her story. Dani shares how she came to the United States as an international student. Her grandparents were born in the United States, so they were already US citizens; however, the process for them to sponsor her and get her residency was ten years. The faster way for her to come was as an international student. Dani is very raw and honest about her struggles during her first two years living here. And she shares details of things she did to get by. Please listen to this story with an empathic and compassionate heart. Lastly, we end the episode by talking about how she got into being a social media manager. Her aunt owns a jewelry business, and Dani helped her business achieve an online presence. As a result of that, she started to promote this service for herself, and it became her business! Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy P.S. The app I reference in the episode where you can share passwords with your team is called LastPass. Connect with Dani: ⁠Instagram⁠: @danicreativemedia - Website: https://portfoliodanicreativem.my.canva.site/orlando-marketing Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here. Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support

Welcome to episode 37 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Bri Stensrud the director of Women of Welcome. And if you’ve listened to any of my episodes you know how much I mention this organization because of the work they are doing within the immigration space. So, being able to interview and get Bri on the show was such an honor for me! Bri talks about how Women of Welcome got started and why. She also talks about her passion for this work and the work that Women of Welcome in the Southern Border. Women of Welcome is a non-partisan Christian organization that is dedicated to sharing the whole truth and scriptures in understanding God’s heart for immigrants and refugees. Their mission states: We believe God calls us to a deep love for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the forgotten. Together we’re on a journey to understand biblical hospitality in an authentic way. They have videos and bible studies available as resources to help people understand what the Bible says about immigration, how we should approach the issue of immigration as Christ followers, and dive deeper into the word of God. I’ve completed their Bible Study – What Does the Bible Say About Immigration? And it was impactful and I feel like it was important for me to do because of the work I’m doing with this podcast, so I encourage you to go through it too! The first Bible Study that Women of Welcome published was Ruth and Noemi – which is still available on their website.  Bri, thank you so much for your heart and the work you’re doing. Also, thank you so much for taking the time to share your work with my audience! God Bless you and this organization. Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Bri: ⁠Instagram⁠: @bri.stenz Instagram: @WomenofWelcome Facebook Group: Women of Welcome Facebook Page: Women of Welcome Website: Womenofwelcome.com Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. 3. Write a review. 4. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 5. Donate money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HReynoso213@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heidy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you want to start a podcast – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/intheeyesofimmigrantstheamericandream/support