Only in America with Ali Noorani

Oscar Cásares is the author of Brownsville, Amigoland and the new novel Where We Come From. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the border town of Brownsville, Texas, Oscar grew up surrounded by stories of life on the border. He and Ali spoke about what led him to become a writer, how he came to identify as a Mexican American, and the power of storytelling.

Ali talks to author and comedian Maeve Higgins, who is host of the podcast “Maeve in America: Immigration IRL.” Maeve brings listeners “funny, beautiful and sometimes maddening immigration stories, told by the people who’ve lived them.” An Irish immigrant herself, Maeve hopes to show native-born Americans how similar immigrants’ hopes, fears and dreams are to their own.

Ali chats with Mike Masserman, Head of Global Policy and Social Impact at Lyft, about the ways the ride-sharing company supports their immigrant drivers by helping them improve their English skills. Plus, Ali hears from Fatimo Akinlade, a Lyft driver who moved to Chicago after facing hardship in Nigeria. She talks about why she’s eager to participate in the classes and better her English. And hear how language learning is a key part of how immigrants integrate into communities across the U.S.

Ali speaks with Valdeta Mehanja, a MAVNI program recruit & Army Black Hawk pilot-in-training. Originally from Kosovo, Val spent time in German refugee camps before working as a military contractor for the U.S. She and Ali spoke about her journey to the U.S., and what it was like for her to become a citizen. Ali also speaks to Laura Bingham of the Open Society Justice Initiative about their new report, Unmaking Americans: Insecure Citizenship in the United States.

Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is dedicated to building trust with all residents of the incredibly large and diverse county. His position as an elected official gives him a unique platform to understand the narrative around public safety and law enforcement in America. He and Ali discuss the local effects of federal immigration policies and the importance of public service. Plus, how law enforcement show they’re committed to serving everyone regardless of immigration status.

Matthew McCarthy is the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, where he leads a company known for its commitment to advocating for immigrants and refugees, along with a plethora of other important social issues. Matthew and Ali talked about what it’s like to lead Ben & Jerry’s,  and the role that social and political activism plays in the past, present and future of the company.

Ali talks to Ado Mustafic, a refugee from Bosnia who lives in Twin Falls, Idaho. Fleeing the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims, his family embarked on a two-year journey crossing borders as refugees. Ado talks about growing up amidst the war in Bosnia that tore his family apart and coming to the U.S. just two days before 9/11. He tells Ali about what it’s like living in Twin Falls, how he feels unsafe worshipping at local mosques in the U.S., and about the Americans in his community who have welcomed hi

Ali talks to Jason DeParle, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and veteran New York Times reporter. He is the author of a new book called A Good Provider is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century, which tells the story of migration through a multigenerational saga of one Filipino family. Jason talks about the sacrifices they made to escape poverty, how they found home in the U.S., and how their story gives insight into what migration looks like in this new age of global migration.

This week, Ali chats with Karen Gonzalez, an immigrant from Guatemala who now advocates for refugees as the Director of Human Resources at World Relief. She is the author of the new book, The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. As an immigrant, an advocate and a Christian, she discusses her perspective on our nation’s immigration debate. She and Ali talked about her work, her book and what she hopes people of faith will take away from reading it.

Continuing our focus on immigration in Ohio, Ali talks to Eileen Wilson, the director of Refugee & Immigrant Ministries at Building Hope in the City Cleveland. She oversees an incredible range of programs that help new residents transform a foreign place into their new home. They talk about Eileen’s immigrant story, love for her hometown, and the importance of tough love in her work.

Adrian Bota is an entrepreneur based in Cleveland, Ohio, and the founder of A2 Milk. Adrian sat down with Ali at an immigration convening in Columbus, Ohio, to share how his immigrant journey molded him into the entrepreneur he is today, and how his family went from escaping religious and political persecution in Romania to thriving in Cleveland.

This week Ali talks with Karen Narasaki, a civil rights leader and human rights activist who is an expert on the census. She spent two decades as president and executive director of the premier civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under President Obama. Karen tells Ali about her efforts to organize the financial and political resources necessary for a full and clean 2020 Census.

Ali talks to Sonia Nazario, award-winning journalist and the author of Enrique’s Journey, a story about a 17-year-old boy from Honduras who travels a dangerous road to the U.S. looking for his mother. She has received multiple awards for her recent humanitarian efforts to get lawyers for unaccompanied migrant children. Sonia talks to Ali about hardships that Hondurans who are fleeing violence face and the factors pushing them to make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of safety.

Rose Previte is an award-winning restaurateur based in Washington, D.C., and the owner of Compass Rose and Maydan. Ali joined her in Compass Rose’s Bedouin tent to discuss family, travel and using food to make cultural connections.

Ali talks to Steve Kuhn, who spent his career in finance and worked as a hedge fund manager, retired, and then focused on philanthropy and immigration. He founded IDEAL Immigration, an organization that advocates for the economic and social benefits of immigration to the U.S. And Ali takes a look at the role of immigration in the 2020 election cycle, including policy proposals in the Democratic presidential debates and how Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will be a driving issue.