American Refugee — Ep. 18 — “Dreamers”

They came here as young children, brought illegally into the country by their parents. They might soon all be deported. LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple Podcasts

American Refugee on Spotify

 


They came here as young children, brought illegally into the country.

They’ve since grown up here, been educated here, work here, the children of undocumented immigrants who are still considered illegal.

They are the Dreamers, an estimated 750,000 of them, protected by deferred action stopping ICE from deporting them.

But that deferral might come to an end. Soon.

You’re about to hear what’s at stake for children of undocumented immigrants who’ve been dreaming for so long to finally be called American.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Carlos Reyes Roja, Dreamer
Eleazar VillaGomez, Dreamer
Veena Iyer, Executive Director, ILCM
Mackenzie Heinrichs, Equal Justice fellow, ILCM
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, United We Dream
Juli Graber, lawyer, sister, sage
León Rodríguez, former Director, USCIS
Gwyn Moss, Community Program Manager, Ruckus Entrepreneurs

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Rare Medium, New Sound Underground, Purple Funk Metropolis
Recorded: Northfield, MN; Minneapolis, MN.
Original Release: November 2021


Listen to more episodes.

They came here as young children, brought illegally into the country by their parents. They might soon all be deported. LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple PodcastsAmerican Refugee on Spotify


They came here as young children, brought illegally into the country.

They’ve since grown up here, been educated here, work here, the children of undocumented immigrants who are still considered illegal.

They are the Dreamers, an estimated 750,000 of them, protected by deferred action stopping ICE from deporting them.

But that deferral might come to an end. Soon.

You’re about to hear what’s at stake for children of undocumented immigrants who’ve been dreaming for so long to finally be called American.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Carlos Reyes Roja, Dreamer
Eleazar VillaGomez, Dreamer
Veena Iyer, Executive Director, ILCM
Mackenzie Heinrichs, Equal Justice fellow, ILCM
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, United We Dream
Juli Graber, lawyer, sister, sage
León Rodríguez, former Director, USCIS
Gwyn Moss, Community Program Manager, Ruckus Entrepreneurs

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Rare Medium, New Sound Underground, Purple Funk Metropolis
Recorded: Northfield, MN; Minneapolis, MN.
Original Release: November 2021


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American Refugee — Ep. 17 — “Northside, Pit Bull”

A black man walks his pit bull through a white neighborhood. What could go wrong? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple Podcasts

American Refugee on Spotify

 


He’s a black man with a pit bull.

You’re about to join Sam Reeves, a black man from Northside Minneapolis, walking his pit bull in Southside Minneapolis, where the white community lives.

What could go wrong?

Since the murder of George Floyd, a country of 330M has turned its collective eye to Minneapolis, specifically Northside Minneapolis, where the black community lives.

And where they walk their dogs. If they can.

You’re about to take a walk down the boulevard of racism, holding the leash of America.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Sam Reeves, music director, Liberty Community Church

Annie Olson, director of customer service, Minneapolis Parks & Rec

Juli Graber, lawyer, pit bull owner, sage

Reverend Doctor Alika Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church

Rachel Mairose, Executive Director, Secondhand Hounds

James Evans, Chief Executive Officer, CARE

Shannon Glenn, Executive Director, My Pit Bull Is Family

 

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber

Music: Sam Reeves, Rare Medium, New Sound Underground, Purple Funk Metropolis

Recorded: Minneapolis, MN

Original Release: September 2021


Listen to more episodes.

A black man walks his pit bull through a white neighborhood. What could go wrong? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple PodcastsAmerican Refugee on Spotify


He’s a black man with a pit bull.

You’re about to join Sam Reeves, a black man from Northside Minneapolis, walking his pit bull in Southside Minneapolis, where the white community lives.

What could go wrong?

Since the murder of George Floyd, a country of 330M has turned its collective eye to Minneapolis, specifically Northside Minneapolis, where the black community lives.

And where they walk their dogs. If they can.

You’re about to take a walk down the boulevard of racism, holding the leash of America.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Sam Reeves, music director, Liberty Community Church

Annie Olson, director of customer service, Minneapolis Parks & Rec

Juli Graber, lawyer, pit bull owner, sage

Reverend Doctor Alika Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church

Rachel Mairose, Executive Director, Secondhand Hounds

James Evans, Chief Executive Officer, CARE

Shannon Glenn, Executive Director, My Pit Bull Is Family

 

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber

Music: Sam Reeves, Rare Medium, New Sound Underground, Purple Funk Metropolis

Recorded: Minneapolis, MN

Original Release: September 2021


Listen to more episodes.


American Refugee — Ep. 16 — “The Secret War”

The Laotian Hmong are coopted by the CIA to fight communism. Then the real war begins. Do you want to hear a secret? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple Podcasts

American Refugee on Spotify

 


During the Vietnam War, The CIA coopt the Hmong in Laos to fight communism. The American people aren’t told. An estimated 300,000 Hmong die during the Secret War.

The Hmong who survive escape genocide and become refugees, awaiting to come to America, to the country they fought for.

As our country today struggles with being the world’s shining knight of democracy, how do we weigh the human cost of toppling communist regimes with secret wars?

You’re about to hear from the highest-ranking Hmong military official still alive who worked directly for the CIA.

You’re about to hear the Hmong ultimately resettle in the America they fought for, the discrimination and rejection they face here.

From the mountains of northern Laos to the refugee camps in Thailand, from the streets of Minneapolis to the White House in Washington, D.C., you’re not only about to go there, you’re about to hear a secret.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:
Wendy Vang-Roberts & Andrew Vang-Roberts
Yia Vang
See Her Vang
President Mee Vang, United Hmong Family
The Colonel
U.S. Senator (former) Al Franken

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Recorded: Minneapolis, MN; Washington, D.C.
Original Release: August 2021


Listen to more episodes.

The Laotian Hmong are coopted by the CIA to fight communism. Then the real war begins. Do you want to hear a secret? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple PodcastsAmerican Refugee on Spotify


During the Vietnam War, The CIA coopt the Hmong in Laos to fight communism. The American people aren’t told. An estimated 300,000 Hmong die during the Secret War.

The Hmong who survive escape genocide and become refugees, awaiting to come to America, to the country they fought for.

As our country today struggles with being the world’s shining knight of democracy, how do we weigh the human cost of toppling communist regimes with secret wars?

You’re about to hear from the highest-ranking Hmong military official still alive who worked directly for the CIA.

You’re about to hear the Hmong ultimately resettle in the America they fought for, the discrimination and rejection they face here.

From the mountains of northern Laos to the refugee camps in Thailand, from the streets of Minneapolis to the White House in Washington, D.C., you’re not only about to go there, you’re about to hear a secret.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Wendy Vang-Roberts & Andrew Vang-Roberts
Yia Vang
See Her Vang
President Mee Vang, United Hmong Family
The Colonel
U.S. Senator (former) Al Franken

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Recorded: Minneapolis, MN; Washington, D.C.
Original Release: August 2021


Listen to more episodes.


American Refugee — Ep. 15 — “Invasive Species!”

Into the Florida Everglades to hunt invasive species, displaced and trying to survive. Or is it just evolution? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple Podcasts

American Refugee on Spotify

 


Because invasive species are, right now, endangering our habitat, water and food systems on which we Americans depend to survive.

To ‘Stop The Spread’ our incredible scientists have asked the general public to be on the lookout for such foreign invaders as the Asian Carp and Mexican Evil Weevil.

But how does conditioning the public to find and remove foreign-named species imperil a national immigration attitude which already tends to reject the outsider?

And invasive…native…who decides what that even means?

You’re about to wade into the moral habitat of history, biological imperative and the language of survival.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:
Dr. Katherine Clements, PhD, Ecology and Natural Resources Educator, University of Florida
Rhett, Florida wildlife tracker, Everglades Day Safari
Kristen Syrett, PhD, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director of Linguistics, and Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Jessica Rett, PhD, Professor of Linguistics and Vice Chair – Director of Graduate Studies, UCLA
Zach Schumm, MS, Arthropod Diagnostician and Urban IPM Associate, Utah State University
Louise Haven, Director of Education, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, Utah
Tony Brough, Aquatic invasive species prevention, Hennepin County

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Purple Funk Metropolis, Rare Medium
Recorded: South Florida; Utah; Minneapolis, MN
Original Release: June 2021


Listen to more episodes.

Into the Florida Everglades to hunt invasive species, displaced and trying to survive. Or is it just evolution? LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple PodcastsAmerican Refugee on Spotify


Because invasive species are, right now, endangering our habitat, water and food systems on which we Americans depend to survive.

To ‘Stop The Spread’ our incredible scientists have asked the general public to be on the lookout for such foreign invaders as the Asian Carp and Mexican Evil Weevil.

But how does conditioning the public to find and remove foreign-named species imperil a national immigration attitude which already tends to reject the outsider?

And invasive…native…who decides what that even means?

You’re about to wade into the moral habitat of history, biological imperative and the language of survival.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Dr. Katherine Clements, PhD, Ecology and Natural Resources Educator, University of Florida
Rhett, Florida wildlife tracker, Everglades Day Safari
Kristen Syrett, PhD, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director of Linguistics, and Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Jessica Rett, PhD, Professor of Linguistics and Vice Chair – Director of Graduate Studies, UCLA
Zach Schumm, MS, Arthropod Diagnostician and Urban IPM Associate, Utah State University
Louise Haven, Director of Education, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, Utah
Tony Brough, Aquatic invasive species prevention, Hennepin County

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Purple Funk Metropolis, Rare Medium
Recorded: South Florida; Utah; Minneapolis, MN
Original Release: June 2021


Listen to more episodes.


American Refugee — Ep. 14 — “Northside, Pastor Galloway”

Journey into the desperate struggle of today’s black community in North Minneapolis. LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple Podcasts

American Refugee on Spotify

 


Minneapolis has become America.

The murder of George Floyd. The killing of Daunte Wright. A country of 330M turns its collective eye to Minneapolis.

This city has become the tinderbox of long hot summer streets exploding into a final reckoning with the dark winter nights of American racism.

You’re about to go on a journey through the injustice which has plagued Minneapolis for far too long.

Pastor Galloway of Liberty Community Church takes you to the frontlines of the desperate struggle the black community faces each day in North Minneapolis.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:
Reverend Doctor Alika Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church
Reverend Doctor Ralph Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church
Reverend Cyreta Oduniyi, program director, Northside Healing Space

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Sam Reeves
Photography: Mike Madison – @bumpopera, www.instagram.com/bumpopera
Recorded: Minneapolis, MN
Original Release: May 2021


Listen to more episodes.

Journey into the desperate struggle of today’s black community in North Minneapolis. LISTEN.

Or listen on your favorite podcast apps:

American Refugee on Apple PodcastsAmerican Refugee on Spotify


Minneapolis has become America.

The murder of George Floyd. The killing of Daunte Wright. A country of 330M turns its collective eye to Minneapolis.

This city has become the tinderbox of long hot summer streets exploding into a final reckoning with the dark winter nights of American racism.

You’re about to go on a journey through the injustice which has plagued Minneapolis for far too long.

Pastor Galloway of Liberty Community Church takes you to the frontlines of the desperate struggle the black community faces each day in North Minneapolis.

This is American Refugee.

FEATURING:

Reverend Doctor Alika Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church
Reverend Doctor Ralph Galloway, co-pastor, Liberty Community Church
Reverend Cyreta Oduniyi, program director, Northside Healing Space

Written, Engineered & Produced: Sam Graber
Music: Sam Reeves
Photography: Mike Madison – @bumpopera, www.instagram.com/bumpopera
Recorded: Minneapolis, MN
Original Release: May 2021


Listen to more episodes.