Marianna Culella
Immigrated to America in 1960 at the age of 20 from Roccamena, Sicily. Marinna arrived in New York after a 13 day strenuous voyage. She left behind her siblings as she came to America to reunite with her father. She worked and raised money to bring her siblings to America for a better life.
Biagio Giambalvo
Biagio flew into New York from Roccamena, Sicily in 1965 to reunite with his wife, he was 31. Biagio maintains his roots through his extensive garden and daily visits to the bakery to meet up with his Italian friends.
Daisy Torres
As a political refugee from Cuba, Daisy endured a long journey as a child to the United States. Meeting her father in New York, Daisy was separated from her mother for 10 years. Remaining determined and resilient over the years, Daisy has stood as an example of immigrant prosperity and achievement in America.
Maria Alvarez
Maria immigrated to America in search for a life of stability. Expecting a life of glamour and abundance, life in America turned out to be very different. Quickly realizing the need for hard work and determination, Maria put in the effort and achieved her goal of setting up a better life for her and her family.
Charon Hu
Leaving his family in Hong Kong to pursue education, Charon moved to the United States when he was 13 years old. He has learned to embrace western culture while maintaining his cultural roots and has a new perspective on how he views others.
Aleksandra Zatorska
With roots in Poland, Aleksandra has traveled the world with her dance company. In an act of exploration, and inspired by its romanticized and mystified perception in film and novels, Aleksandra has settled in New York. Pursuing her education in America, Aleksandra has experienced the difficulties of being an immigrant in the education system and in the workforce.
Katya Chavez
Challenging the traditional beliefs of her home country, Katya immigrated to Minnesota at 13 years old. Katya has suffered from repressive neighborhoods and bullying. To stay connected to her roots, she tries to visit her home country at least once a year.
Paulo Russo
Paulo immigrated to America to make a better life for his family and future generations. With a strong understanding that you must work hard to get what you want, Paulo made the most of work opportunities in America. He is proud of his American citizenship and remains connected to his Italian roots.
Irma Bonilla
Immigrating into the United States with her family from El Salvador at the age of 15, Irma was in search of the opportunities America had to offer. Irma wishes that more people could see past the stereotypes of her country and see the rich culture and beauty is has to offer.
Chanel Kucharczyk
Leaving Poland at 12 years old to pursue education, Chanel has discovered the realities of school in America. Life in America meant witnessing family members face the stressful American work days that were unheard of in Poland. Chanel has overcome challenges and accepted that everything takes time.
Anca Puspurica
Leaving Romania in 2001, Anca was determined to escape the countries limited rights. Anca has overcome and endured the struggles of learning a new language and the pain of missing family and friends back home to create a better life for her and her family in America.
Maria Pia Renda
Maria moved to New York from Sicily to be with her husband. She has strong roots to her home country and maintains that through language, cooking and Italian traditions.