Join us this Sunday, January 4th at 4pm for Many Roads to Here, a production of The Immigrant Story, capturing the immigrant experience in the U.S. through monthly profiles. Voices from across the globe offer intimate accounts of immigration, war, genocide, and success. Listen live at 99.1 FM in the heart of Portland – or online anywhere at PRP.fm.

At 23, Jose has spent nearly his entire life in the United States– going to school, making friends, dreaming big. But unlike many of his peers, Jose lives every day with a secret: he’s undocumented. He missed the chance to apply for DACA when he was a kid, not because of anything he did wrong, but because of a missed deadline…a mistake his mother made years ago. Now, he’s caught in a legal limbo with no clear path forward. In this episode, we follow Jose’s story, from the moment he realized he didn’t have papers, to the quiet sacrifices he makes every day just to stay under the radar. What does it mean to grow up in a country that feels like home, but doesn’t recognize you? And what happens when your future depends on a window that closed before you were old enough to open it?

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced, edited, and hosted by Amal Elhelw. Special thanks to Jenna Woodring for editorial support and to Gregg Palmer for post-production support. This interview was conducted by Amal Elhelw and our executive producer, Sankar Raman.

Thank you to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon, for letting us use their space to record this interview. This episode is made possible by the generous support by the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation.

To find more stories, visit The Immigrant Story website, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.

Original post written by Amal Elhelw.

Jenna Deml
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