The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants
The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants is an award-winning podcast about sharing the stories of Immigrants, including their first memories of the US, the culture shocks they experienced, and their journey learning to navigate a whole new country. Join me, Heidy De La Cruz, in highlighting these stories that are often overlooked but deserve to be heard. I am on a mission to change the immigration narrative to a more compassionate and empathetic approach, like a Jesus approach.
Tue, April 29, 2025
The First Gen Coach with Carla Santamaria - Ep. 90
Welcome to episode 90 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! Carla Santamaria is the host of The First Gen Coach Podcast. A podcast for first-generation professionals who are learning to rethink their limiting cultural beliefs and level up their mindsets. Carla is also a career coach, helping women increase their salaries and improve their mindset. She shares with us her upbringing in Honduras, the culture shocks she experienced when she first moved to South Florida, and how she doubled her salary in under 10 months! With Love, Heidy P.S. There is exclusive content from Carla’s interview that didn’t air, which you can hear on Substack! Become a paid subscriber to unlock the full interview! :) Connect with Carla: Website Instagram Podcast LinkedIn Podcast Episode about Carla leaving Mormon Religion You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to: ✨ Behind-the-scenes content 🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me 🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group Ir Al Sol Swimwear Capital BPG For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to <a href="mailto:Heidy@heidyd
Tue, April 22, 2025
The Underwater Waterfall from Mauritius to Canada, to the US with Lazou - Ep. 89
Welcome to episode 89 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, I sit down with Lazou, a dynamic and passionate artist whose journey from her home country to the U.S. is as powerful as her music. Lazou grew up in Mauritius, although she was born in Canada. She moved back to Canada for college and then eventually moved to the US after a job offer she couldn’t pass up. And if it wasn’t for that job offer, she had no intention of moving to the US. Lazou shares about starting her podcast, Nuances: Our Asian Stories, her music, and her American Dream. With Love, Heidy _________________________________ Connect with LAZOU: Website Instagram Podcast _________________________________ Come join me at the first networking event for the podcast ! Let’s celebrate all the success of the podcast while networking with other immigrant business owners, past podcast guests, and podcast listeners! Tickets are only $30! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 __________________________________ Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group Ir Al Sol Swimwear Capital BPG For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation <a h
Tue, April 15, 2025
From Seoul, South Korea to California with Sun Chung - Ep. 88
Welcome to episode 88 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! Sun Jung of Hungry Hungry Gopher shares her journey from South Korea to the US, her experiences with cultural adaptation, and her mission to empower others through holistic health and Korean culinary wisdom. Sun shares insights on the importance of rest, cultural influences on health, and finding a sense of belonging. With Love, Heidy Connect with Sun Chung: Website: https://hungrygopher.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HungryGopher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hungrygopher/ Come join me at the first networking event for the podcast ! Let’s celebrate all the success of the podcast while networking with other immigrant business owners, past podcast guests, and podcast listeners! Tickets are only $30! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group and Ir Al Sol Swimwear * For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation here : My 6-week course on starting a podcast is perfect for busy moms whose time is limited but
Tue, April 08, 2025
Panamanian Pride and The American Dream with Stephanie Rubio Ep. 87
Welcome to episode 87 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! Stephanie shares her upbringing in Panama City and the cultural shifts she experienced upon moving to the U.S. at age 11. Even before moving, she was introduced to American culture while attending school on the Howard Air Force Base in Panama after her mother remarried. This helped her with some aspects of American life, but leaving her extended family presented challenges. Stephanie shares about the importance of maintaining family ties for immigrant children and suggests frequent visits to their home country to preserve those relationships. Stephanie talks about her transitions from various roles in real estate to founding a digital marketing agency specializing in email marketing. Driven by a desire for entrepreneurship and work-life balance, Stephanie launched her agency after careful planning. Her agency offers content and email marketing services. With Love, Heidy Connect with Stephanie: Website: https://soverve.com/ Podcast: https://soverve.com/podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanievrubio/ Come join me at the first networking event for the podcast ! Let’s celebrate all the success of the podcast while networking with other immigrant business owners, past podcast guests, and podcast listeners! Tickets are only $30! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by
Tue, April 01, 2025
From Vietnam War Refugee to Storytelling Leadership with Sandy Dang Ep. 86
Welcome to episode 86 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! Sandy Dang shares her story of fleeing war-torn Vietnam and living in refugee camps, building a successful nonprofit, and being appointed by President Obama. Her journey is a testament to resilience and the power of the human spirit. One thing that stood out was how she used her experiences to help other refugees and at-risk youth. She turned her challenges into opportunities to make a difference. She shares about public narrative storytelling, a leadership skill she teaches to help people use their authentic stories to inspire and motivate others. It’s all about connecting with people on a deeper level and creating positive change. With Love, Heidy Connect with Sandy: Website: https://www.inspireleadershipschool.com/ Come join me at the first networking event for the podcast ! Let’s celebrate all the success of the podcast while networking with other immigrant business owners, past podcast guests, and podcast listeners! Tickets are only $30! You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group and Ir Al Sol Swimwear * For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation here : My 6-week course on starting a podcast is perfect for busy moms whose time is limited but who want to launch a podcast. And it’s perfect for booked women entrepreneurs looking fo
Tue, March 25, 2025
The Immigrant Survival Guide to Silicon Valley with Carlos Quezada Ep. 85
Welcome to episode 85 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! Carlos, the VP of Customer Experience and Digital Strategy for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and author of 'The Immigrant Survival Guide to Silicon Valley,' shares his personal and professional journey from Mexico to Silicon Valley, including the challenges and successes of navigating life as an immigrant. He emphasizes the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the role of community and mentorship in achieving success. All concepts he wrote about in his book. Carlos shares the cultural complexities faced by immigrants and their children, and he provides insights on overcoming these challenges. With Love, Heidy Connect with Carlos: LinkedIn Instagram Purchase his book This post contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of the links. Join the waitlist for information on the in-person event I’m hosting for the podcast!! You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation here
Tue, March 18, 2025
Growing Up Korean-American and Moving Back to Korea with Rée Ep. 84
Welcome to episode 84 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! Rée, a second-generation immigrant, shares her experiences growing up in the US with parents from Korea and now living in Korea. She shares about the challenges of not feeling rooted in the US, battling anxiety, and navigating social norms that felt foreign. Lastly, she shares her struggles to communicate how she was struggling growing up. The people around her seemed to understand social norms. However, social norms were challenging for Rée, not just because of her neurodivergence but also because of the way South Korean culture navigates relationships. Make sure to check out her podcast Homeroomed. It’s a podcast to rethink how we educate and prepare the next generation. Education systems around the world have been adapted from the Prussian system after their revolution. The link is below! With Love, Heidy Here is the article I mentioned in the episode. Connect with Rée: Instagram Podcast Join the waitlist for information on the in-person event I’m hosting for the podcast!! You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * For sponsorship opportunities send an email to Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2C3JDALUGTS6E" target="_blank" rel="noopener n
Tue, March 11, 2025
The Power of Storytelling: How Immigrant Voices Shape Perspectives Ep. 83
Welcome to episode 83 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, host Heidy De La Cruz sits down with guest Rée to discuss the powerful stories shared on The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. Rée, an avid listener, expresses admiration for the way Heidy blends warmth, insight, and compassion in her storytelling. They explore what inspired Heidy to create a platform that highlights immigrant journeys and the deeper impact of these narratives on fostering understanding and empathy. As the conversation unfolds, Heidy shares her connection to the immigrant experience and why she is passionate about amplifying these voices. She reflects on the challenges immigrants face, their resilience, and the importance of telling stories that often go unheard. Rée asks insightful questions, leading to a heartfelt discussion about the power of representation and the responsibility of storytellers in shaping public perception. The episode also touches on the growth of the podcast and Heidy’s vision for its future. She opens up about the lessons she has learned from her guests and the broader impact these stories have had on listeners worldwide. Whether you're an immigrant yourself, a supporter of immigrant rights, or simply someone who values authentic storytelling, this episode offers inspiration, perspective, and a reminder of the strength found in shared experiences. With Love, Heidy Connect with Heidy: Website Instagram Join the waitlist for information on the in-person event I’m hosting for the podcast!! You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This p
Tue, March 04, 2025
Navigating Immigration & Innovation: Criya’s Founder Story Ep. 82
Welcome to episode 82 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! Deb shares her inspiring journey from India, driven by her pursuit of better opportunities in computer science, leading her to study at Carnegie Mellon University. She discusses her career journey, including her internship at Microsoft, employment at PayPal, and her entrepreneurial leap to founding a tech startup, Criya, specializing in AI-driven visual content creation. Lastly, the episode sheds light on Deb’s struggles with H1B and student visas, emphasizing the common challenges immigrants face in securing green cards and the impact on personal and professional aspirations. She also shares that the average weight time for people from India to get a green card is 25 years, but she shares how she obtained hers in 14 days. With Love, Heidy Connect with Deboshree Dutta: Website: https://www.criya.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debduttaofficial/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/criya.co/?hl=en You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to advertise your business & sponsor the podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here : Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my <a href="https://stan.store/heidydelacruz " target="_blank" rel="noopener
Tue, February 25, 2025
Vocal Sound Healing with Tatiana Moreno Ep. 81
Welcome to episode 81 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! Tatiana is a vocal sound healer and was born in Ecuador. She shares that growing up in Educador was a positive experience, but her desire to learn English drew her to move to the US with the Au Pair Program. She completed two years of the program because, after the first year, she didn’t feel that her English was good enough. She currently resides in North Carolina and works as a vocal sound healer, where she focuses on emotional release and helps her clients find their authentic voice. Her practice involves guiding clients to express emotions through sound, revealing hidden traumas and blockages. Tatiana emphasizes the significance of voice in expressing and navigating emotions, sharing her own journey of overcoming discomfort with her voice to positively impact others by sharing immigrant stories. With Love, Heidy Connect with Tatiana: Website Facebook You can now become an official supporter of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast for just $10 a month! Your support helps cover production costs, ensuring we continue bringing powerful immigrant stories to life. And as a thank you , you'll get exclusive access to:✨ Behind-the-scenes content🎙️ Special Q&A sessions with me🔓 Bonus insights you won’t hear anywhere else! If this podcast has inspired you, moved you, or made you feel seen, this is your chance to be part of its growth. Your support truly makes a difference! Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack !!! 💛 *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to advertise your business & sponsor the podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or make a one-time donation here : Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, February 18, 2025
Experiencing the Fall of the Berlin Wall With Bibi Ep. 80
Welcome to episode 80 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! Bibi LeBlanc was born in the American Sector of West Berlin, Germany. She explains in today’s episode people’s reactions when she says that and what that actually means. She owns a marketing agency that creates coloring books for businesses! Bibi shares her experience of homeschooling her three boys and taking them to Costa Rica so they would learn Spanish. But also a question she was always asked that threw her off guard because she was a homeschooled mom. And lastly, Bibi was still in Germany when the Berlin Wall was torn down. She shares her powerful testimony of experiencing this magnificent event in world history. With Love, Heidy Connect with Bibi: Website Instagram Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, February 11, 2025
Challenges of Becoming a Plastic Surgeon as an Immigrant with Dr. Mesa Ep. 79
Welcome to episode 79 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! Dr. John Mesa was born in Colombia. He shares about moving to Venezuela during the oil boom with his family and living there for a few years before returning to Colombia. From a young age, Dr. Mesa knew he wanted to be a plastic surgeon but knew it had to be in the US. This is because in Colombia, in order to become a doctor, one has to attend a private university, but Dr. Mesa knew his parents couldn’t afford it. He shares his journey of becoming a board-certified plastic surgeon - a process that should take about 13 years, took him 18 years to complete because of all the hurdles and barriers placed in front of him. But overall, he persevered and didn’t give up! With Love, Heidy Connect with Dr. John Mesa: Website Instagram TikTok Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, February 04, 2025
The Heart Coach with Rooya - Coming from Afghan Thinking This is Temporary Ep. 78
Welcome to episode 78 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! Rooya was born in Afghanistan and remembers they had electricity at one point, and then they didn’t. During the time that communism was taking over, she remembers if people were caught fleeing or speaking out against communism, they were executed. She shares their journey, going across the desert for three days and four nights to get to Pakistan at age six. Rooya and her family lived in Pakistan for three years before making it to the US. Once in the US, she had to learn to write, read, and speak English. This was a challenge for her because she was proud of being a good student, but then, at nine, she had to start all over again. Listen in as Rooya shares her incredible journey of coming to the US - thinking that they would be here for a few years and once things settled back home, they would return. With Love, Heidy Connect with Rooya Ayubi: Website Instagram Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, January 28, 2025
How to Obtain EB1A Green Card AKA Einstein Visa with Ranjeet Ep. 77
Welcome to episode 77 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! Ranjeet is a coach and mentor who guides professionals into achieving their American Dream by obtaining an EB1A green card (aka Einstein visa) just like he did. He grew up with a journalist mother and a banker father in India. They valued education a great deal, which fueled his passion for learning. Ranjeet came to the US to complete his second master's degree, so he has one master's degree in India and another here. Listen in as he talks about adapting to living in the US after moving in his 40s and how he helps professionals navigate the EB1A green card process. With Love, Heidy Connect with Ranjeet Mudholkar: Website Instagram Forbes Profile Check out this podcast community on Substack !! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, January 21, 2025
This Latina Travels with Bianca Alba Ep. 76
Welcome to episode 76 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, I bring you the founder and blogger of This Latina Travel - Bianca Alba! Bianca shares about growing up in the DMV area or DC, Maryland, Virginia - which, before this episode, I had no idea was referred to this way. She shares her experience of obtaining a full-ride scholarship to college and thinking as a first-gen Latina, she had to become a doctor but then changed majors and received her master's degree in public health. Bianca shares about visiting Bolivia for the first time 11 years after moving to the US. She didn’t know Bolivia since she and her mom moved when Bianca was six months old. And lastly, we talked about how her job granted her the opportunity to move to Puerto Rico, where she currently lives. With Love, Heidy Connect with Bianca Alba: Website Instagram Podcast Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, January 14, 2025
The Master Delegator with Kirsty Yoder Ep. 75
Welcome to episode 75 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, I spoke with Kristy, the host of The Master Delegator Podcast and owner of a virtual assistant agency. Kristy is from the Philippines, and she moved to the U.S. after meeting her husband on a Christian dating app. She started her business back home in the Philippines, and she was able to continue her agency after moving. Kristy helps entrepreneurs find virtual assistants to help them within their companies. She shares her experience of coming to the US on a K1 Visa, aka the fiance visa. With Love, Heidy Connect with Kristy Yoder: Website Instagram Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store !
Tue, January 07, 2025
Amigas Collective Founder - Diana Rubi (Mexico) Ep. 74
Welcome to episode 74 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! Happy New Year! Today is the first episode of 2025 and the new format, where I’m releasing episodes every Tuesday! I’m excited to bring you content on a weekly basis since the show is growing, and I’m so excited for this growth. Also, the podcast is officially sponsored! This past November, I gained the show's first sponsor; their information is below. Alright, let’s get into the episode. Today’s story is from Diana Rubi. Diana is a creator born in Mexico but raised here in the US. She shares her story of her family’s decision to come to the US and how her dad’s employer sponsored him and the family for residency. Lastly, we talk about her creative endeavors. With Love, Heidy Connect with Diana Rubi: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amigascollective/ Check out this podcast community on Substack !! *This podcast is sponsored by SoVerve Marketing Group * Want to sponsor this podcast? Send me an email at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com Or you can make a one-time donation here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2C3JDALUGTS6E 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 . Start your podcast with my six-week podcast course! It has EVERYTHING you need to launch your podcast the simple way - more information at my Stan Store! https://stan.store/heidydelacruz
Tue, December 24, 2024
From Exchange Student to Business Coaching With Dr. Griselda Martinez Ep. 73
Welcome to episode 73 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, I’m bringing you my conversation with Dr. Griselda Martinez. Dr. Martinez is a business coach for women entrepreneurs and hosts the podcast “ Unexpectedly Successful ,” where she shares guests’ success stories. She shared with me about her childhood in Mexico - recounting her freedom of playing outside with her siblings from sunrise to sunset. Dr. Martinez ended up moving to the US as an exchange student following the death of her mother. She goes into detail about the positive relationship she had with her adoptive family in Louisiana. Indeed, a unique experience. Lastly, after pursuing her doctoral degree in New Mexico, she became a permanent resident after navigating various visas in the US. I truly think you’ll enjoy Dr. Martinez’s heartfelt story. With Love, Heidy Connect with Dr. Griselda Martinez: Website: https://www.drgriselda.com/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/66x3kimKtCA4dSHE51IOEj?si=83c13781e7354a27 Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 . Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the show. Send me an email, and I will send you the advertisement packages. Thank you. Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, December 10, 2024
“If I Denounce My Accent” with Sindy F. Ep. 72
Welcome to episode 72 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, I’m sharing my conversation with author Sindy F., who wrote If I Denounce My Accent . This novel is based on true events, and I finished it on our holiday vacation in the Dominican Republic. There was something different about reading a book about the Dominican culture and experience while being in the Dominican Republic. Sindy talks about moving from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey at the age of 14 without knowing how to speak English. She shares about her first culture shock and the writing process of her novel. Sindy says the writing process for her was like a love letter to herself. She shares topics that are usually taboo to talk about in the Dominican culture. I’m so excited to share her story with you today. With Love, Heidy Connect with Sindy: Website: https://sindyf.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sindyfe_/ Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 . Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the show. Send me an email, and I will send you the advertisement packages. Thank you. Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, November 26, 2024
Navigating Different Worlds: Chinese, Vietnamese, Taiwan, and American with Kathy Ep. 71
Welcome to episode 71 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, I spoke with Kathy, a transformational coach, about her unique experience as a first-generation child of immigrant parents from two different countries. Kathy shares heartfelt stories about her upbringing, cultural identity, and navigating life as an immigrant child. Kathy’s mother, a Chinese refugee from Vietnam, and her father, originally from Taiwan, met in Connecticut before moving to Morgan Hill, California, to open an American fast-food restaurant. Kathy opens up about growing up as one of the few Asian families in a predominantly white small town and on the struggle of belonging, both in the U.S. and when visiting her parents’ home countries. She shares anecdotes about her trips to Taiwan, emphasizing the safety, hospitality, and cultural richness she experienced and the challenges of being labeled as "different." This seems to be a common theme among us who are children of immigrants. With Love, Heidy Connect with Kathy: Website: https://www.kathymou.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Kathy.mou/ Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 . Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the show. Send me an email, and I will send you the advertisement packages. Thank you. Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, November 12, 2024
The Empowered Woman’s Path: Marta’s Journey from Brazil to the US. Ep. 70
Welcome to episode 70 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 Marta Spirk, a Brazilian immigrant who moved to the U.S. at 23, nine months after having her triplets. Marta has worked as a freelance court interpreter and is now a visibility strategist and recording artist with two published books and a podcast. Her passion for learning English was fueled by her exposure to music during childhood, which led to various achievements, including singing the national anthem at a Nuggets game. Upon moving to the U.S., Marta faced cultural differences, particularly around domestic responsibilities, which were different from those in Brazil. Adjusting to these changes proved challenging, highlighting contrasts between American and Brazilian customs. A return visit to Brazil brought mixed emotions as she navigated family dynamics and committed to overcoming challenges in America. With Love, Heidy Connect with Martha: Website: https://www.martaspirk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martaspirk/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16cEQiwSFsB5kTprwCDtRK Book Review: https://heidydelacruz.com/the-empowered-woman/ Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 advertise your business or sponsor an episode? Please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, October 29, 2024
Education as a Gateway to Opportunity with Aimee Portes Ep. 69
Welcome to episode 69 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 Aimee Portes - who shares her journey of immigrating to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. Amy reflects on her early life in the Dominican Republic, explaining how financial pressures led her family to move to the U.S. to pursue better educational opportunities. She describes initial culture shocks upon moving, including adjusting to public transportation in winter and adapting to U.S. conveniences. Amy also shares her unique perspective on the “American Dream,” which initially meant financial independence and stability. For her, buying her first car within months of working marked a major accomplishment because in the Dominican Republic, she would make $300 a month. Today, her dream has evolved into building a successful entrepreneurship career in the holistic anti-aging industry, helping women regain confidence in their appearance and health. With Love, Heidy Connect with Aimee: Website: https://aimeeportes.com/freebie/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Aimee_Portes Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 advertise your business or sponsor an episode? Please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, October 22, 2024
“We Have All Been the Others” with Pat Marino Ep. 68
Welcome to episode 68 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 Pat Marino, the author of “ We Have All Been the Others": Reflections of a First Generation's Daughter on Belonging, Democracy, and a New American Dream. ” Pat is a historian and was a high school ESL teacher. In her book, she shares about her grandparents' experiences living in a segregated Chicago. So, for this episode, we talk about her work as an ESL teacher, what she’s learned as a historian, especially in the immigration space, and her research on writing her book. This episode is full of history, and it’s enriched by Pat’s work and life experiences. With Love, Heidy P.S. This post contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. Connect with Pat: Website: https://patriciamarino.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marino2137/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patriciajmarino/ Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 advertise your business or sponsor an episode? Please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, October 15, 2024
Building Inclusive Teams: The Journey from an Immigrant to HR Consultant Ep. 67
Welcome to episode 67 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 Solveiga Jaskunas, an HR consultant and career coach who shares her journey as an immigrant from Lithuania to the United States. We discuss her childhood under Soviet rule, the challenges she faced adjusting to life in America, and her passion for helping other immigrants professionally. Solveiga shares how growing up in Soviet-controlled Lithuania shaped her resilience. Despite the hardships, her journey taught her to embrace hope and adaptability, which ultimately helped her succeed in both her personal and professional life in the U.S. She also stresses the significance of building a support system and not being afraid to seek help. Solveiga highlights how leveraging her network allowed her to overcome the challenges she faced as an immigrant, particularly in finding her first professional job. As a career coach and HR consultant, Solveiga advocates for diversity in organizations. She believes that immigrants bring unique strengths and perspectives and encourages companies to create more inclusive environments that embrace diverse talents rather than focusing solely on traditional qualifications. With Love, Heidy Connect with Solveiga: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solveigajaskunaskazlauskaite/ Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 advertise your business or sponsor an episode? Please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, October 08, 2024
Bridging Borders: A Journey Through Culture, Identity, and Resilience with Soraya Ep. 66
Welcome to episode 66 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 Soraya Senosier, the host of the Diaspora in Development Podcast. She shares her journey as a Haitian-Canadian growing up in Canada and the cultural impact of the U.S. We talked about societal differences between Canada and the U.S., although as neighboring countries, there are many similarities but more differences. For example, Canada’s cultural mosaic versus the American melting pot highlights the preservation of individual cultural identities. We also discuss recent negative sentiments toward the Haitian community and reflections on racism and colorism within Caribbean cultures. Lastly, Soraya’s initiative to launch the “Diaspora and Development” podcast addresses the complexities of international development for people of color. It highlights achievements and ongoing challenges like burnout and racism while emphasizing gratitude for the struggles that have enabled a life without fear or persecution in the U.S. Listen in on this insightful conversation. With Love, Heidy Connect with Soraya: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3VwsfuB626mYx25WIIxORH?si=1cf612e9e7174daf Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes, interact with other listeners of the show, and receive new episodes right in your inbox! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 advertise your business or sponsor an episode? Please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. 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
Tue, October 01, 2024
My American Dream is Belonging with Prasanta Verma Ep. 65
Welcome to episode 65 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 Prasanta Verma, the author of Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging . In this episode, we talk about her family’s decision to move to the US. Prasanta shares that the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 allowed her father to come, but his original plan wasn’t to stay in the US. He was a physician who wanted to work in the US and bring back equipment to India to help their healthcare system better. Prasanta also shares about growing up as the only Indian immigrant family in a small rural town in Alabama, visiting India for the first time after moving to the US, and the process of writing her first book! With Love, Heidy Connect with Prasanta: Website: https://prasantaverma.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prasantaverma/ Substack: https://prasantaverma.substack.com/embed Oct 1 is the last day to vote! VOTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE EYES OF IMMIGRANTS PODCAST TO WIN THE WOMEN IN PODCASTING AWARDS Click on this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/vote Enter your name and email Click on vote for your favorite podcast Add your name and email again for verification. (this is to verify you're actually a human not a bot 😉 LOL ) Scroll down to find my category, Society and Culture My podcast should be the third one from the top down, "The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast" Click on it and submit your vote! That simple 👌🏽 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Tell your friends and family! 🫶🏽🙌🏽 If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 Uni
Tue, September 17, 2024
From Bankrupt to Millionaire with Immigration Attorney Hector Quiroga Ep. 64
Welcome to episode 64 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 Hector Quiroga. Hector came to the US from Colombia to study English and eventually stayed. He initially was interested in NASA and studied in Texas, but then he moved to Washington and became an attorney. Hector comes from a family of attorneys from back in Colombia so it seems like that was his destiny, but immigration law wasn’t even his first choice. Hector is also the author of Prove Them Wrong: One Immigrant’s 10-Year Journey from Bankrupt to Millionaire - where he shares his early struggles of becoming a lawyer, going bankrupt, meeting his wife, and overcoming his trauma of sexual abuse. Listen in to hear his incredible journey! With Love, Heidy Connect with Hector: Website: https://www.abogadoquiroga.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abogadoquiroga/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbogadoQuiroga YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AbogadoQuiroga LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hectorquiroga/ VOTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE EYES OF IMMIGRANTS PODCAST TO WIN THE WOMEN IN PODCASTING AWARDS Click on this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/vote Enter your name and email Click on vote for your favorite podcast Add your name and email again for verification. (this is to verify you're actually a human not a bot 😉 LOL ) Scroll down to find my category, Society and Culture My podcast should be the third one from the top down, "The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast" Click on it and submit your vote! That simple 👌🏽 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Tell your friends and family! If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/
Tue, September 03, 2024
I Never Identified as a Child of Immigrant Parents with Evelin Andrade Ep. 63
Welcome to episode 63 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 Evelin Andrade, founder of Ir Al Sol Swimwear. She shares her story of growing up in Queens, New York, with immigrant Colombian parents. Starting at the age of eight, she and her sisters would spend the summers in Colombia. Evelin shares the first culture shocks she experienced during the summers in Colombia and the great memories of playing soccer in the rain. In this episode, Evelin shares how she started her Swimwear Ir Al Sol and what inspired her to make these Colombian customwear swimsuits! Listen in! With Love, Heidy P.S. Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States, LOL. Thank God for Google! ;) Connect with Evelin: Website: https://iralsol.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iralsolswimwear/ VOTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE EYES OF IMMIGRANTS PODCAST TO WIN THE WOMEN IN PODCASTING AWARDS Click on this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/vote Enter your name and email Click on vote for your favorite podcast Add your name and address again for verification. (this is to verify you're actually a human not a bot 😉 LOL ) Scroll down to find my category, Society and Culture My podcast should be the third one from the top down, "The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast" Click on it and submit your vote! That simple 👌🏽 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Tell your friends and family! 🫶🏽🙌🏽 Connect with Heidy Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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 Stor
Tue, August 20, 2024
“The Honduran Government Wouldn’t Release My Passport” with Marlen Ep. 62
Welcome to episode 62 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 Marlen Lane, a singer/songwriter, blogger, and podcaster. Marlen also sings on her church’s worship team and volunteers with the youth. She shares about growing up in Honduras with a close-knit Christian family and growing up as a PK or Pastors’ Kid. Marlen met her husband in Honduras while he was on a mission trip. His church visited her church, and he was interested in her first, but she wasn’t at the time. Eventually, they started dating and were in a long-distance relationship for two and a half years. Once they realized they had to start making the next step in their relationship, they thought about getting married and where to live. Listen in as Marlen shares about her journey to the US and how a congressman even had to get involved in her immigration process! With Love, Heidy P.S. You can listen to my episode on Marlen’s podcast, The Love Well Podcast, here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ijuHUULx5MACiJPR0jjvk?si=c2641d32b8e841ef Connect with Marlen: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/marlen_sarai VOTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE EYES OF IMMIGRANTS PODCAST TO WIN THE WOMEN IN PODCASTING AWARDS Click on this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/vote Enter your name and email Click on vote for your favorite podcast Add your name and address again for verification. (this is to verify you're actually a human not a bot 😉 LOL ) Scroll down to find my category, Society and Culture My podcast should be the third one from the top down, "The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast" Click on it and submit your vote! That simple 👌🏽 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Tell your friends and family! 🫶🏽🙌🏽 Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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
Tue, August 06, 2024
I Was in a Diverse Bubble With Idrees - Trinidad and Tobago Ep. 61
Welcome to episode 61 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 Idrees Khan - his parents immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago, and he was born and raised in South Florida. If you know anything about South Florida, you know how culturally diverse it is. Idrees shares the mixture of friends and people he grew up with and thought that the rest of the US was just as diverse. It wasn’t until he got to college that he realized it wasn’t. Listen in as Idrees shares some history of Trinidad and Tobago and why the Caribbean is so diverse as well and he shares a lot of his parent’s family history. Honestly, I learned a few things about the slavery trade I didn’t know before. Hope you learn something new as well :) With Love, Heidy P.S. - Here is the link to the Trini restaurant Idress mentioned in the episode - https://g.co/kgs/EVq6vj2 Connect with Idrees: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drees_03 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatncultures TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatncultures VOTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE EYES OF IMMIGRANTS PODCAST TO WIN THE WOMEN IN PODCASTING AWARDS! Here is how to vote: Click on this link https://www.womenpodcasters.com/vote Enter your name and email Click on vote for your favorite podcast Add your name and address again for verification. (this is to verify you're actually a human not a bot LOL ) Scroll down to find my category Society and Culture My podcast should be the third one from top down, "The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast" Click on it and submit your vote! That simple THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Tell your friends and family! If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com. Connect with Heidy Check out this podcast community on Substack !! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! 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<a href="https://www.
Tue, July 23, 2024
From Being Told, “You’re not a good writer,” to Publishing Two Books! With Prisca Mojica Rodriguez Ep. 60
Welcome to episode 60 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 author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez. She was born in Nicaragua and moved to the United States with her family in elementary school. She is the founder of Latina Rebels . She studied at Vanderbilt University, earning her Master of Divinity. She’s published two books For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Color and Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us . Listen in as Prisca shares the opportunity her dad received in the US, which is why they moved, growing up in Miami and eventually moving to Nashville for graduate school. And her writing process! Can you believe she was told she wasn’t a good writer, and now she has published TWO BOOKS!? It goes to show that you can’t let ANYONE tell you - you can’t do something! With Love, Heidy Connect with Prisca: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priscadorcas/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinarebels/ Website: https://www.priscadorcas.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 Check out this podcast community on Substack!! There, you can comment on the episodes and interact with other listeners of the show! https://substack.com/@theamericandreampodcast 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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3
Tue, July 16, 2024
Don't Give Up Your Home Country's Health Insurance with Maritza Ep. 59
Welcome to episode 59 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 Maritza Perez from MP Virtual Assistant. She runs a VA company, but before she started her business, she worked at Disney for about ten years. Maritza was born and raised in Colombia, and she came to the US when her dad’s business partner made a business proposal for him. Her older sister was already living in the US. Shortly after moving to the US, they discovered that her father had stomach cancer. Listen to Martiza’s story as she tells us about growing up in a strict Catholic family, moving to Alabama as an adult, and how she started her business! With Love, Heidy Connect with Maritza: Website: https://mp-virtualassist.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritza-perez-982b01205/ Email: MP-VIRTUALASSIST@OUTLOOK.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
Tue, July 02, 2024
Ciao Bambino with Dr. Elizabeth Turner Ep. 58
Welcome to episode 58 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. Elizabeth Turner, the writer and director of the musical and book Ciao Bambino—a musical about the Italian immigrant experience based in New York City in the 1940s. Dr. Turner grew up in New Hampshire to a large Italian family, and she talks about how keeping culture and tradition was extremely important for her family. In this episode, Dr. Turner shares about going to Italy and having the opportunity to work over there with Disney, working on a cruise ship, returning to Italy, and working with Nickelodeon! Lastly, she shares about the musical! With Love, Heidy Connect with Dr. Turner: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaobambinomusical/ Website: https://www.ciaobambinothemusical.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ciaobambinomusical Book: Ciao Bambino https://a.co/d/0bdeKQGP 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
Tue, June 25, 2024
From New York to Paris with Lory Martinez Ep. 57
Welcome to episode 57 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 Lory Martinez, the founder of Ochenta Studios, a podcast production studio. Lory grew up in New York to Colombian immigrant parents. She wanted to be an international journalist, and that dream led her to create her podcast production company. She hosts the Mija Podcast , which started as a fictional audio novela narrated by a young girl who shares her family’s stories. She also interviews other mijas or daughters, and I had the opportunity to be a guest on her show . Listen in as Lory shares about growing up in a multicultural New York neighborhood and experiencing cultural shocks as a minority in the US when she was in college, going to Colombia in the summer, and how she started her podcast production company. With Love, Heidy Connect with Lory: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijapodcast/ Website: https://www.ochentastudio.com/en/home 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
Tue, June 11, 2024
From Jamaica to New York with Stacey Ep. 56
Welcome to episode 56 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 Stacey from Batch Pantry. Stacey was born in Jamacia and moved to the US at the age of five. She was raised in New York City but would visit Jamacia frequently in the summer growing up. Listen in as Stacey talks about starting kindergarten in the US knowing how to do multiplication already, how she stays rooted in her Jamaican culture, why she started her business, Batch Pantry, and what products she sells! With Love, Heidy Connect with Stacey: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batchpantry/ Website: https://www.batchpantry.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
Tue, May 28, 2024
From Kenya to Tanzania to US with Dr. Munira Zahabi Ep. 55
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
Tue, May 14, 2024
Honest Immigration with Attorney Erika Cisneros Ep. 54
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?
Tue, April 30, 2024
From DR to PR to NY and Repeat with Andrea De La Cruz Ep. 53
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
Tue, April 16, 2024
An American Immigrant with Johanna Rojas Vann
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! http
Tue, April 02, 2024
From Antigua and Barbuda to New York to Miami with Attorney Anique Samuel
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
Tue, March 26, 2024
"What If We Can't Get Back In?" Traveling with Advance Parole for DACA with Kevin
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 informatio
Tue, March 19, 2024
Going Digital Before Going Digital Was Popular With Kim
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
Tue, March 05, 2024
Latinas with Master’s with Christina Rodriguez - (Nicaragua)
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
Tue, February 20, 2024
"From the Age of 11 I Knew I Belonged in the US" with Annie P. Woods (DR)
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
Mon, February 12, 2024
Part Two - From Undocumented to US Citizen with Maydelli
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 .
Tue, February 06, 2024
Part One - From Undocumented to US Citizen with Maydelli
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 resettlemen
Tue, January 23, 2024
From Undocumented to Immigration Attorney with Kelly Dominguez
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
Tue, January 09, 2024
What Was Supposed to be 1 Year to Learn English Became 20+ with Ilona (Czech Republic)
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/
Tue, December 26, 2023
Re-Writing My Own American Dream With Laura
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 t
Tue, December 12, 2023
From Brazil to Cali to Play Tennis with Leticia
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
Tue, November 28, 2023
We Escaped Cuba on a Raft! with Gea Gomez
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'
Tue, November 14, 2023
In the Middle of Grief I Moved to the US with Yara
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'
Tue, October 31, 2023
I Didn’t Know What a State Was - I Just Wanted to Get to America
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 <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1be9zYUisUh2hHjN117Uk2hqlk33PuAur9aCHoPwBDy0
Tue, October 17, 2023
Coming as an International Student Was Faster
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 <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1
Wed, October 04, 2023
Women of Welcome Director Bri Stensrud
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
Tue, September 19, 2023
Become an Immigration Specialist with DOJ Accreditation with Joanne McAfee
Welcome to episode 36 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 episode is a little different than usual because instead of speaking to an immigrant, I am speaking with someone who is an immigrant ally and works in the immigration space without being an immigration attorney. Her name is Joanne McAfee and we connected through the Facebook group Women of Welcome! She had posted that she was partially accredited with the DOJ but was working on getting fully accredited, however, this was the first step. Joanne explained that she is able to service migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers while seeking full accreditation. This, of course, piqued my interest because I had never heard of this program before. In today’s episode, Joanne explains the process of how she got into becoming accredited, what type of work she does, and the program she did with Villanova University. I hope this episode is insightful if you are looking to serve in the immigration space without becoming an immigration attorney. Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy P.S. Here is the article that I referenced in this episode about the countries that take in the most refugees. Connect with Joanne: TikTok: @jojospeaks7 Joanne's Bio: Joanne McAfee Maldonado is a native Delawarean residing on the ceded lands of the Nanticoke (Nan-tee-coke) and Leni Lenape (Lenny Len ah pay) tribes. Joanne traveled to the El Paso/Juarez border in 2019 to find out for herself what was going on. She is married to a Mexican national and was perplexed by the news reports of family separation and the dismantling of the legal asylum system. She worked as an Ambassador for over a year with Women of Welcome but wanted to find a practical way to make an impact in immigrant services. With a new and more educated perspective, she sought out additional education with Villanova University's VIISTA program and became an DOJ Accredited Immigration Law Representative. Joanne continues to advocate for our foreign-born brothers and sisters by educating, raising awareness, and staying in touch with her local elected officials. She remains vigilant concerning the border by following several organizations that have boots on the ground. Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify. 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 co
Tue, September 05, 2023
"I Thought I Was Going for a Few Months and Stayed for Six Years!" with Louie (English)
Welcome to episode 35 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 Louie Bischoff from NRT Marketing . She tells us about her experience being overseas in Taiwan – falling in love and bringing her then fiancé over to the United States. Louie went through the whole process of getting her fiancé’s green card or permanent residency status. The initial plan was to spend a few months with her friend in Taiwan and she ended up spending 6 years! In those six years, she learned the language, adapted to their culture, and lived with her fiancé’s family. After living in Taiwan for six years, Louie and her partner decided to move to the United States. It was an important conversation and decision they made together weighing the options of where to raise a family and they picked the US. Louie’s biggest shock while filing paperwork for obtaining permanent residency was the questioning of whether their relationship was legit. Her biggest hurdle was trying to translate the legal documents for her husband and him trying to understand concepts of what the question was trying to ask. Listen to the rest of her experience! Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Louie: LinkedIn: Louie Bischoff, MBA Instagram: @Louie_Bischoff TikTok: @Louie_Bischoff Facebook: NRT Marketing Website: Nrtmarketingsolutions.com Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify. 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. Subscribe to The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants YouTube Channel !
Tue, August 22, 2023
"Gatito Inmeegrante" The Best Immigration Story Ever written by Alfredo (English) (South America)
Welcome to episode 34 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 Alfredo Bravo De Rueda, writer of Gatito Inmeegrante screenplay, which he says is the best immigration story ever! He came to the United States from South America at almost 40 years of age. Alfredo starts the show by sharing that his background is in economics but unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to work in his field. This is more common than not with immigrants. For example, I’ve worked at different doctor’s offices, and at least one medical assistant in each office I’ve worked in was either a doctor or a nurse in their home country and hadn’t been able to get licensed or certified in the United States. His first culture shock was the language. Alfredo explains that he learned English back in his home country and he could read and write it, however, once he arrived in the States, he realized he had a hard time understanding people. Another common theme with my guests. One thing I like that he mentioned during our talk was the resources that the US has, for example, the library. And I feel that the Latino community or immigrant community does not use the library as we should. I take my daughter all the time to check out books and I take my son to the story time and toddler time that they have available and I barely see Hispanic people there. And while I’m there, I see all the different classes and activities they have available for the community and I wish that more people would use them. Do you use your local library? You can send me a message on Instagram with your response. Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Alfredo: Twitter: @GatitoInmeegran Alfredo’s Story Gatito Inmeegrante Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify . 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 <a href="https:
Tue, August 08, 2023
From Transylvania to Helping People Achieve Their American Dream with Edit (English)
Welcome to episode 33 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 Edit Perez, a Real Estate Agent in Central Florida. She tells us today about her journey coming from Romania. Edit shares that her parents didn’t tell her they were moving when they went on “vacation” to Hungary when she was 15. It wasn’t until they arrived in Austria that they broke the news to her. They had to spend a year in Austria before continuing their journey to the United States. Once they arrived in Missouri, it was a whole new world. She didn’t speak much because she didn’t know English, so she didn’t make friends; she kept to herself. It wasn’t until she moved to California that she opened up and met her now husband. Listen to her incredible journey of coming to the United States and how she eventually became a real estate agent. Now, she is helping people achieve their American Dream of homeownership! Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Edit: Instagram: @lifestyle_realtor_editperez TikTok: @editperezlifestyle Facebook Website: Realtoredit.com Phone: 407-986-0868 Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify . 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 . Have you signed up for the podcast's YouTube channel? It's launching September 2023! Sig
Tue, July 25, 2023
Be Femme Strong with DACA recipient Diana - (Mexico) (English)
Welcome to episode 32 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 Diana, founder of Be Femme Strong . A women’s merch and apparel company that helps women feel bold and confident. And she is also a photographer. Diana shares her story of growing up undocumented in the United States. She is one of the 643,560 DACA recipients living in the United States. If you’re unfamiliar with DACA – I’ll explain briefly. It is a temporary protection for deportation for undocumented young immigrants. It provides work permit, social security number, and driver’s license for those who qualify, but no path to legal status or citizenship. In order to qualify, recipients had to be younger than 31 on June 15th, 2012, came to the US when they were younger than 16 and lived in the US since 2007. This temporary protection was issued via executive order by President Obama in 2012 after Congress did not pass the DREAM Act , which would provide legal status to undocumented children. Since 2012 there has been no path forward for these recipients to gain legal status and recipients must renew their application every two years and pay a fee of $495. Diana grew up not knowing she was undocumented; she believes it was her parent’s way of trying to protect her. It wasn’t until she was 15 when all her friends were getting their permits and starting to drive that her parents told her why she wouldn’t be able to get her permit as well. She quickly learned that going to college would be a challenge too but that didn’t stop her from studying hard, taking AP classes, and joining the dual-enrollment program in her high school to obtain college credits. Although, she didn’t finish college, she did open up her own business. Listen to how her husband’s death motivated her to start her own business. Thank you for being here! With Love, Heidy Connect with Diana: Instagram: @diana.samantha + @befemmestrong TikTok: @diana.samantha + @befemmestrong Website: Befemmestrong.com Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on <a href="https://open.spotify.co
Tue, July 11, 2023
"Our Wealth Matters" with Maribel (Mexico) (Spanglish)
Welcome to episode 31 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 Maribel from Our Wealth Matters. She has been featured in The New York Times and Next Advisor con Time . Maribel is an immigrant money coach! We connected on Instagram and she educates and coaches immigrants on finances and building wealth! Maribel shares her story of growing up with immigrant parents – well really an undocumented mom since her dad was deported shortly after she was born. Her and her mom struggled after that to the point that they slept in their car and at friend’s houses from time to time. Her mom eventually went back to work as a seamstress and her then boyfriend asked if that was what she was going to do all her life. That lit a fire in her to get her income tax preparer license at H&R Block and eventually start her own business. We talked about her experience visiting Mexico for the first time and all the memories she made during that trip. Maribel brings up a situation that happens quite frequently, especially to undocumented workers, is that some employers take advantage of their status by either paying them less than minimum wage or not paying them at all. Please know that if you are undocumented or know someone who is undocumented and are in this situation, they still have rights. On episode 8 – I talk an immigration attorney and he mention this as well. Please seek out, an immigration attorney if you or someone you know is in this situation. The episode ends talking about personal finance and how Maribel’s upbringing was what motivated her to become financially literate and now she educates the immigration community on personal finance and how to build wealth. And she provides 3 financial tips!!! So, make sure to listen until the end! I hope you enjoy this episode and that you learn a tip or two or three ;) ! With Love, Heidy Connect with Maribel: Instagram : @OurWealthMatters TikTok: @OurWealthMatters Website: Ourwealthmatters.com Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. </p
Tue, June 27, 2023
Does the American Dream differs? with Vera (Nigeria) (English)
Welcome to episode 30 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 Vera from Redeemed Christian Lifestyle. She is a Christian life coach who focuses on helping Christian professionals with their spiritual needs, and she runs a Christian teaching ministry for women. We talked about her experience as a child of immigrants and some of the challenges she saw her parents face living in a different country. Her parents came from Nigeria, and one of their frustrations when they first arrived was seeing the commercials on TV of how Africa was being portrayed. Vera gives some facts about Nigeria – like there are over 250 languages spoken in Nigeria alone! People wear Western fashion clothing, except for special occasions; they will wear their traditional Nigerian clothing. And Nigerians have two types of weddings – a traditional wedding and a white wedding. One common theme with children of immigrants that I’ve noticed is that we battle with the sense of belonging and the conflict of having two different cultures. There is your parent’s culture (from their home country), but then there is the American culture (where we live)—trying to navigate through both causes friction between parents and their kids. However, as we (the children of immigrants) get older and have our own children, we understand our parents and their choices more. Vera was the first guest I asked how she thinks the American differs between immigrants and native-born Americans, and I would love to know how do you think it differs, if at all? You can respond in the poll at the bottom or send me your answer on Instagram, and I’ll include it in the next episode! :) With Love, Heidy Connect with Vera: Phone: 713-396-0954 Instagram Redeemedchrisitanlifestyle.org YouTube Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Share this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 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 heidy@heidydelacruz.com Connected with <a href=
Tue, June 13, 2023
A Just Mission with Mekdes Haddis - (Ethiopia) (English)
Welcome to episode 29 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 Mekdes Haddis. She is a speaker, author, business consultant, and coach. Mekdes came from Ethiopia to attend college in the United States. Her parents felt that receiving higher education in the West was the best thing for her. She attended her first year of college in Ethiopia. However, she felt called to ministry and attended a Christian college here. We talked a bit about her life in Ethiopia when she first arrived in the US – how the roads felt so empty and how she enjoys the freedom of being who she wants to be here. Which is something people don’t get in certain countries. And I want to highlight this because those who have never been outside the US or haven’t talked to someone from a different culture may not understand. Mekdes explains how the government in Ethiopia assigns careers for the people depending on the 12th-grade assessment results. For example, if your exam shows that you’re strong in math or science, they may assign you to the engineering or the medical field, and if you’re good at history or writing, they might assign you to teaching or business management. We finish the episode by discussing Mekdes’s book – A Just Mission – Laying Down Power & Embracing Mutuality . You can read my review of the book here . I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who has gone on mission trips or wants to attend a mission trip to learn more about what we can do right on these mission trips. As promised in the episode, here are all the links to where you can purchase her book. AMAZON , CHRISTIAN BOOK , BARNES AND NOBLE , IVPRESS.COM With Love, Heidy Connect with Mekdes: Instagram MekdesHaddis.com Twitter Facebook Here are a f
Tue, May 30, 2023
Finding Your Purpose With Burcu (Turkey) (English)
Welcome to episode 28 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz where I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time. Today's guest is Burcu Onaranel. She is the owner of Joy, LLC, international speaker, and host of The Coffee O’Clock Podcast . In her podcast she shares joy and inspiration with guest from all over the world who have inspirational stories to tell. Burcu came to the United States from Turkey looking purpose. She had, what people called, "the perfect life" - she had a good career, made good money, had a car, had a degree, yet she wasn't happy. She took a huge risk, quit her job, moved to the United States without knowing English, only searching for her purpose. Once the pandemic hit, she moved back to Turkey to be with her family during those uncertain times. Her experience is different from other episodes I've had but I appreciate her experience because she came to the U.S. to find purpose. She wasn't running away from anything, she wasn't struggling in her home country, however, she was brave to move to a whole new country - the country of opportunities, to find her life's true purpose. And in the four years she was here, she founded her company! She now helps other entrepreneurs reach personal and business goals. In the episode we talk about me being a guest on her podcast and you can listen to it here . With Love, Heidy Connect with Burcu: Instagram Email: burcu@joyyburcu.com The Coffee O’Clock Podcast Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the newsletter . 5. Donating money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram . Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter <a href="https://mailchi.mp/464164158eef/heidy
Tue, May 16, 2023
Be Open to Learning with Andrea (Ecuador) (English)
Welcome to episode 27 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast! I am your host Heidy De La Cruz, and today’s guest is Andrea Rotondo from Liquid Cents Bookkeeping . Andrea was 16 when her parents decided to move from Ecuador to the United States. Her dad got a great opportunity to take over a business in the US, and her mom always wanted to live here, so it was the perfect time for them; however, Andrea wanted to finish high school with her lifelong friends. We talked about her experience in adapting to school here in the United States and how the diversity of South Florida was her biggest culture shock because there weren’t people from Ecuador in her community. Andrea also shares how she became undocumented during the process of her sister petitioning her family (her parents and her). To this day, there is no explanation of what happened, but during this period when she was undocumented, she felt like she needed to be invisible so she wouldn’t get deported. Luckily, per paperwork was able to get fixed, but it affected various aspects of her life, like attending college, not being able to drive, etc. We finish the episode talking about her business, Liquid Cents Bookkeeping, what she does, who she helps, and how you can connect with her. Thank you so much for your support; I hope you enjoy this episode and learned something new. With Love, Heidy Connect with Andrea https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrearotondo1/ Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the newsletter . 5. Donating money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram . Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, May 02, 2023
Chinedu from The Immigrant Investor Show! (Nigeria) (English)
Welcome to episode 26 of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz and today’s guest is Chinedu Akunne from The Immigrant Investor Show . His podcast is about highlighting the immigrant hustle, like pains, wins, and lessons, to help motivate those stuck along the way. It’s a monthly podcast that has been heard in over 45 countries. Chinedu and I connected on Instagram after one of my followers shared that she was on his podcast, so I asked him to be on mine! Chinedu is from Nigeria and came to the United States when he was 17 for college. He’s a licensed pharmacist, real estate investor, short-termrental operator, and podcast host. Right off the bat, we started talking about names and their meaning, so he gave us the meaning of this name, and he looked up the meaning of mine. So, I want to know, does your name have a specific meaning, and if you know why your parents decided on that name? Chinedu talks about his experience with boarding school back home in Nigeria, which helped him transition to attending college in the United States because he was already used to not seeing his family often. We talk about the culture shock he experienced was, how sensitive people are in the United States because growing up in Nigeria, people are more direct, and how the fashion back in 2005 was so different compared to back home going to a British boarding school. I had such a great time talking to Chinedu and learning about his culture. Let me know if anything stood out to you in this episode or if you learned something new. With Love, Heidy P.S. Towards the end of the episode, Chinedu mentions that he writes five things he is grateful for daily; you, too, can practice gratitude with my gratitude journal, available on Amazon . And they are running a sale right now; you can purchase it for $6.02!! Here is the episode mentioned on The Immigrant Investor Show about investing. Connect with Chinedu Instagram - Immigrantinvestorshow Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the newsletter . 5. Donating money.
Tue, April 18, 2023
From Brazil to the United States with the Au Pair Program with Rosana (English)
Welcome to episode 25 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host Heidy De La Cruz, and we are celebrating one year of this podcast this week!!!! The official anniversary is April 19!!!! So, to celebrate, I am doing a $50 gift card giveaway on my Instagram starting tomorrow (April 19 until Friday, April 21, 8 pm EST). Follow me on Instagram for the official rules to enter the giveaway!!!! Thank you so much for all your support this past year, and I cannot wait to see how far this podcast gets!!! All for God’s glory, Amen! Alright, let’s get into the episode. Today I talk with Rosana Acklin – who is from São Paulo, Brazil. And she came to the United States through the Au Pair Program . I’ll be honest, prior to this episode, I had not heard of this program, so I learned a lot with Rosana. With this program, participants become nannies for the host families; however, there are requirements for both sides and here are a few: Au Pairs requirements: 1. Must be able to speak English. 2. Between the ages of 18 to 26 years of age. 3. Successfully pass a background check. 4. Training/experience with kids 5. Must have a secondary school degree. Host family requirement: 1. Provide an appropriate private room. 2. Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident fluent in English. 3. Pay a weekly minimum stipend based on the program selected. 4. Include the au pair in family meals, outings, and holidays whenever possible. 5. Limit childcare to no more than 10 hours and a maximum of 45 hours per week. If you would like the complete list of requirements or are interested in the Au Pair Program, please contact an immigration attorney. We talked about her struggle at the beginning of being away from her family and not having other Brazilians around where she lived. Now, there are more people from Brazil, but when she first moved to Michigan, she didn’t know any. We also talked about her experience going back home the first time after moving and how she did not miss the business of living in a big city. I truly enjoyed talking with Rosana about her unique experience of coming to the United States. I learned about the Au Pair Program and am excited to share this knowledge with you all. Thank you so much for your continuous support, and I hope you enjoy this episode! With Love, Heidy Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the <a href="https://mailchi.mp/464164158eef/heidys-ne
Tue, April 04, 2023
"Life with Francy" - From Puerto Rico to Maryland with Francy Devarie
Welcome to episode 24 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. Today’s guest is Francy Devarie – the podcast host of “ Life With Francy Podcast .” She came to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was 15 after she was married at 14! Yes, this is definitely a story to listen to! Francy’s story is a story of hardship to triumph and is such an impactful story. It was moving to hear all the things she went through and see how much she’s thriving now. I was on Francy’s podcast sharing about my poetry book and what events led me to write those poems. You can listen to that episode here . And you can purchase the book here – just in time for National Poetry Month! Thank you for your continuous support! Don’t forget to leave a review on apple podcast or Spotify. Connect with Francy Instagram Life With Francy Podcast Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the newsletter . 5. Donating money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com With Love, Heidy Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram . Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, March 21, 2023
"Coming to the US From Bosnia to Be a Doctor and Realizing I Had to Repeat Classes" with Marija Dobratic (English)
Welcome to episode 23 of the American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast! I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s guest is Marija Dobratic. She is a life coach and the host of Legacy Stories LIVE Podcast – another podcast elevating immigrant stories, which I had the honor and pleasure of being a guest on. In today’s episode, we talk about Marija coming to the United States from Bosnia and her wanting to be a doctor, but she quickly found out how different the school system is here and that she had to be pre-med first before going to medical school. We talked about how different the transportation system is in the US compared to Bosnia, where you can walk everywhere. And her experience going back home to visit Bosnia with her family. If you’d like to connect with Marija, you can follow her on Instagram and TikTok . Make sure to check out her podcast ! Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode! Here are a few ways you can support this podcast. 1. Sharing this episode with a friend. 2. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcast. 3. Writing a review. 4. Signing up for the newsletter . 5. Donating money. If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor the show, please send me an email at heidy@heidydelacruz.com With Love, Heidy Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram . Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, March 07, 2023
"Through the Eyes of My Grandmother" with Betsy Sloan
Welcome to episode 22 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. If this is your first time here, welcome; if not, welcome back. Today’s episode is a little different – this story is about a grandmother, Martha Sherman, who came to the United States before World War I, and it’s told by her granddaughter Betsy! Martha came from what used to be Russia but is now Ukraine. She fled because she was told to leave her home because she was Jewish. Listen to her incredible journey and all she endured while fleeing to the United States. Toward the end of the episode, Betsy and I get into a good discussion about immigration and current policies. We both agree that there needs to be a better system in place, and we know that the current system is broken. However, there are things we can do in the meantime while reform happens. The simplest thing is to be kind. We don’t know what people have endured getting here, but now that they are here, let’s be kind. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) Be kind and compassionate to one another… I had the pleasure of meeting Betsy because I was a guest on her show - Chatting with Betsy Connect with Betsy: LinkedIn Facebook Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, February 21, 2023
The Ace Candles Founder - Thalia! From PR to US - English
Welcome to Episode 21 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast; I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s guest is the founder and creator of Ace Candles, Thalia. Thalia is from Puerto Rico, the youngest of three, and she was nine when her parents decided to move to the United States. Although she knew English before they moved, she was still placed in the ESOL program (English for Speakers of Other Languages), and it took some time for her to adapt to schooling in the US. We speak about the struggle of being bilingual and bilingual parents. It’s a struggle because sometimes we forget words in one language or we have to translate in our mind what we want to say from Spanish to English and also try to speak to our children in our native language so we don’t lose our culture, but we are more comfortable speaking Spanish. If you are bilingual – I want to hear if this is something you relate to and how you overcome this. Thalia gives us an insight into how they lived in the United States for the first two years, all five of them (her, her parents, and two brothers) in her grandparents’ garage, which was turned into a studio. I loved that she says she loved that time with her family because I’m sure others (me) would have resented having to live like that for two years. We end the episode with Thalia talking about her candle company. Her candles are non-toxic, chemical-free, and smell AMAZING! Check out Thalia's candle etsy shop here: The Ace Candles Follow on Instagram Connected with Heidy If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, February 07, 2023
Learning to Unlearn Culture Norms in a New Country with Mariana - Brazil (English)
Welcome to episode 20 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. If this is your first time listening, welcome, and if not, welcome back. I'm so glad you're here today. In today's episode, I speak with Mariana, who came from São Paulo, Brazil as an adult. She received the opportunity to come to the United States through her employer, which was a dream come true! Even though it was a dream, there was still an adjustment period with learning how to do things in the United States. Even grocery shopping was different for Mariana. She talked about when she visited Brazil for the first time after moving to the U.S. – it didn't feel like home anymore. She also talks about her biggest struggle in adapting to the culture here is being less affectionate, especially in the workplace. In the Latino culture, it's common to greet others with a hug and a kiss, even at work, but that's not a norm here, so it takes some time to adapt. My favorite takeaway from this episode is when she mentions that her boyfriend hadn't realized all the opportunities this country has compared to other countries until he started dating her. We are very blessed in this country, spoiled even, but we won't realize it until we talk to others outside our community/culture or visit other countries. The United States has a lot to offer us, and sometimes we take it for granted. After listening to the episode, let me know your takeaway. P.S. Shout out to @immigrant.finance for educating immigrants about finances and helping them build their businesses. I mentioned them at the end of the episode because I took their business course! Chem them out! Connect with Mariana on Instagram ! Connected with Heidy: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, January 24, 2023
Orlando Center for Justice Founder Gisselle Martinez - (Colombia) (English)
Welcome to episode 19 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s episode is with immigration attorney Gisselle Martinez. She and her family moved to the US from Colombia when she was twelve years old. They first moved to South Florida and then to Iowa, which was a complete culture shock. The struggles she and her family went through when they first arrived in the US inspired her to become an immigration attorney. Gisselle is one of the founders of the non-profit organization Orlando Center for Justice for immigration. OCJ serves and represents those who cannot afford private immigration attorneys in Central Florida. They also serve three immigration detention centers in Orlando for kids. These are children who enter the US without a guardian and are placed in these detention centers. If you want to donate to Orlando Center for Justice, you can do so here . Connected with Heidy: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, January 10, 2023
Be Limitless with Sandra & Noemi - Mexico (English)
Welcome to episode 18 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. This episode is another sibling episode, but this time it’s two sisters, Sandra and Noemi. Their parents came from Mexico and talked about their experience growing up as children of immigrant parents. They talk about having to help their parents out in the fields picking oranges in the summertime and then helping at their mom’s store on the weekends. It wasn’t until recently that they stopped helping their mom – when she closed her business. We talked about the challenge of translating for our parents – with customers, important documents, or having to return items LOL. Another challenge they had growing up as immigrant kids was their parents having to miss sporting events, awards ceremonies, etc. because they were always working. Just an FYI, this episode was recorded outside at a coffee shop which is why you hear outside noise. Sandra and Noemi own an online boutique called Limitless Wardrobe Co . Check out the clothes and accessories. The clothes are super cute! Are you a child of immigrants? If so, what could you relate to – send me a message and let me know. Connect with Sandra & Noemi: Instagram Facebook TikTok Connected with Heidy: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, December 27, 2022
"Different people; Different memories" with Jonathan & siblings - from DR, to New York, to Michigan (English)
Welcome to episode 17 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast, I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. This episode is very special because this episode is with my husband and his older siblings. They share their memories of living in the Dominican Republic and then moving to the USA. You will listen of their very humble beginnings and they struggle they endured adapting to living in a new country. One thing I like about having this podcast and sharing these stories is that people can listen and understand that when immigrants come to the US things are not “handled” to them, like some think. Immigrants must work to get basic needs while learning how to navigate a new country and without knowing the language. I wanted to record this episode with all three of them together because it’s interesting to hear how each of their memories differ even though they came together. Alex was 14, Leiky was 10, and Jonathan (my husband) was 9. Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, December 20, 2022
From Cuba to Russia, back to Cuba, then the USA with Dr. Gala - Part II (Spanglish)
Welcome to part two of episode 16 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host Heidy De La Cruz and today we continue with my conversation with Dr. Angela Gala. In this episode Dr. Gala talks about the opportunity, she had to come to the United States with the Public Health International Leaders in DC. She also had the opportunity to travel to various countries because of her job. Finish listening to her incredible story. Connect with Dr. Gala - https://www.facebook.com/angela.galagonzalez Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, December 13, 2022
From Cuba to Russia, back to Cuba, then to the USA with Dr. Gala - Part I (Spanglish)
Welcome to part one of episode 16 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s guest is Dr. Angela Gala, Nutrigenomic Coach and she is from Cuba. We start the conversation talking about her life in Cuba. She gave the background of her parents, how they met, where they live etc. She provided some Cuban history about the revolution. She had the opportunity to study in Russia for college, but first she had to do one year of college classes in Cuba but all the classes were in Russian, so she could learn the language. She shares about her time in Russia. Connect with Dr. Gala - https://www.facebook.com/angela.galagonzalez Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, November 29, 2022
"We Are Going To Disney World" with Melissa Alves - Peru (English)
Welcome to episode 15 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast; I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s guest is Melissa Alves – she came to the US at age five from Peru. We talked about her first memories of the US – when she first arrived, she remembers waiting a long time in a station wagon at a gas station for her uncle to pick them up. And she remembers crying every day because she didn’t want to go to school because she didn’t understand the language. We also talked about her visit to Peru after moving to the US – years later. Toward the end of our talk, I asked Melissa to provide one piece of advice to someone who may be thinking of moving to the US, and I mentioned the podcast had been listened to in 14 different countries; that number has increased to over 70 countries! So, I want to take the time right now to thank YOU for making this happen, all the listeners and for sharing the podcast, and for supporting it. This wouldn’t have happened without YOU!! THANK YOU!!! If you are interested in joining one of Melissa’s social mixers, please connect with her on Facebook. Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/Melis.M.Alves Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, November 15, 2022
"I Saw In His Eyes, He Wasn't Coming Back" with Noor (Pakistan) (English)
Welcome to episode 14 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. In today’s episode I speak with Noor Pinna, she moved to the United States from Pakistan at the age of 5 because her father left his family. And she speaks about the journey coming here and honestly, it’s such an impactful story. The connection wasn’t the greatest when we were recording and Noor explains why but overall, her story is still impactful. She has the funniest first memory of the US, which I thought was the cutest, and I feel like this story could be turned into a movie, after you listen let me know if you agree or disagree. Noor talks a lot about her culture and I learned so much just from listening to her, I would love to know what is one thing you learned about Pakistan from this episode? Send me a message on Instagram letting me know! Noor’s Bio Noor Pinna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) & shame resilient coach within her private practice for the past six years. She believes in providing a trauma-informed, holistic, spiritual, creative, and science-based approach. She helps women break free from the barriers of shame, become empowered to advocate and gain self-confidence, create resiliency, establish self-care rituals, implement healthy boundaries, and become a leader in their universe. Noor also works with Muslim men. Noor has done international mental health work, explicitly helping Afghan women. In 2019 Noor delivered her first Tedxtalk on Shame Resilience. She is in the process of publishing her first book, The Sun Still Rises which discusses themes of spirituality, faith, inner child wounds, compassion, self-love, and resilience. Connect with Noor Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Mental-Health-Service/Noor-Pinna-Therapy-Coaching-105949581290905/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noor_pinna/?hl=en Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/703349070089786/ Tedxtalk: https://youtu.be/2Kg7BIjA3p0 Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you.
Tue, November 01, 2022
The true definition of The American Dream with Little Dreamers Publishing founders (English)
Welcome to episode 13th of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast; I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. We have our first video episode with the founders of Little Dreamers Publishing , Nayeli, Nidia, and Nadia. Three sisters started this company to provide bilingual books to Spanish-speaking families. We spoke about their journey of being undocumented in the US and then getting legal status through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). This act made hiring people without a work permit illegal and provided legal status to most undocumented migrants who arrived in the US before January 1, 1982. We spoke about the importance of education and financial literacy, which is why they publish bilingual books about financial literacy, STEM, art, and culture. And we spoke about their experience visiting Mexico for the first time since they moved to the US. Although they are all sisters, they all have different experiences and memories, and it was beautiful to listen to and learn more about their journey. I admire their strength and their drive. They didn’t let the hardship and challenges they experienced hold them back. If anything, they are using it to provide education to the next generation so they can do better. In this episode, I mention the episode with immigration attorney Chris Acklin. This episode was recorded before it was published, but you can listen to it here . Chris provides information about the immigration process and how policy changes affect his job and migrant’s lives. Connect & Support Little Dreamers Publishing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littledreamerspublishing/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4dJzOCrjAgUlg9o7QSwTw Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, October 18, 2022
Refugee work in Egypt & Ecuador with Adina from Immigrant Finance
Welcome to episode 12 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast; I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. Today’s guest is Adina Appelbaum, an immigration attorney, and financial/business coach. She and her husband run Immigrant Finance, where they help immigrants with their finances – like getting into investing and starting their businesses. Adina tells us about her time in Egypt doing immigration refugee work and refugee work in Ecuador too. Connect with Adina: https://www.instagram.com/immigrant.finance/ Listen to her podcast – Immigrant Finance Podcast Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, October 04, 2022
From the Philippines to the US with Karen (English)
Welcome to episode 11 of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants podcast – I am your host Heidy De La Cruz. In today’s episode, I speak with the owner of Trinket Traces Jewelry , Karen. She was born in the Philippines and shared her experience of living in the Philippines with nannies and having people help around the house but not having any of that here in the United States. We also talked about food in the Philippines, staying connected via Wi-Fi, and her jewelry business. Although she moved when she was five, she remembers the Philippines. Karen also talks about the cultural differences and similarities between the Philippines and the US. Connect with Karen: Website - https://trinkettraces.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/trinkettracesjewelry/ Connect with Heidy - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please send me a message on Instagram. Please leave a review of the show - this will help the show reach more listeners. Thank you. Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, September 20, 2022
Far From Home with Mabel Ninan - (India) (English)
Welcome back to another episode of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants – I am your host Heidy De La Cruz. In today’s episode, I speak with Mabel Ninan; she is the author of Far From Home Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth. Her book talks about her immigration journey and how, during the journey, God helped her remember that Earth is not our forever home. This episode is filled with fascinating facts about India and Mabel’s immigration story of coming to the US. Connect with Mabel at - https://www.instagram.com/mabel_ninan/ Purchase her book on her website at - https://mabelninan.com/ If you want to be a guest on this podcast, please send me a message on Instagram, or if you know someone willing to share their immigration story, please let me know - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, September 06, 2022
From Mexico to the US to Pack Tomatoes with Rosalba (English)
Welcome back to another episode of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast; I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz. For today’s episode, I spoke with Rosalba Fontanez. She talks about coming to the US when she was 17 with plans to work packing tomatoes and send money back to her family. This was her way to help raise her younger siblings because her father had passed recently. To her surprise, she met her husband the very next day and didn’t go back to Mexico. Listen to her story and connect with her if you want to visit Peru. She ends the episode by telling us how she got into taking groups of people on trips to Peru. Connect with Rosalba at - https://www.instagram.com/rosalba_fontanez/ Website - https://www.rosalbafontanez.com/ If you want to be a guest on this podcast, send me a message on Instagram, or if you know someone who would be willing to share their immigration journey, please send them my information. If you haven’t yet, please leave a review on whatever platform you’re using to listen so other people can learn about this podcast and share it with a friend. Thank you so much for your support. Connect with me at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, August 23, 2022
Immigration Questions & Process With Attorney Chris Acklin (English)
Welcome back to another episode of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants. Today’s episode, I talk to immigration attorney Chris Acklin. He gives his background on how he got into immigration law, he answers immigration questions my followers were interested in knowing and provides insightful information about the immigration process. A little disclaimer: technology was not on my side the day of the recording, so there are glitches. Nevertheless, the episode is impactful! I hope this episode answers questions you may have had about immigration and that you learn at least one new fact about the immigration process in the United States. Thank you so much for listening and for your support. If you need an immigration attorney or have questions, you can contact Chris at Herbert Machnik Law Firm at 269-459-1432. If you know someone who would be interested in being a guest contact me on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, August 09, 2022
From Nicaragua to the US with Dali - Part II (Spanglish)
Welcome to part two of episode 7 with Dali from Nicaragua. In this episode Dali shares her experience in the immigration detention center when her and her family first arrived. She shares about visiting Nicaragua after 30 years! And we ended the episode by talking about food. I truly hope you enjoy listening to today’s episode and learn a few things because Dali gives us a few fun facts! Please share this podcast with a friend to spread awareness. Also, please leave a review on whatever platform you’re listening from – this helps other people know this podcast is available. Thank you so much for listening. Connect with Dali Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalitalks/ Website: https://www.dalitalks.com/ If you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, July 26, 2022
From Nicaragua to the US with Dali - Part I (Spanglish)
Welcome to part one of episode 7 of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast, today’s guest is Dali from Nicaragua. Dali is an Anti-Bullying Educator from Nicaragua, in this episode she tells us why and how she started this company. She tells us about her life in Nicaragua and the tough experiences she endured when she first moved to the US – the racism, language barrier etc. I truly hope these stories help people see the true encounters immigrants have when moving here, it’s not easy trying to navigate a new country, especially when people aren’t so welcoming. Please share this podcast with a friend to spread awareness. Also, please leave a review on whatever platform you’re listening on – this helps other people know this podcast is available. Thank you so much for listening. Connect with Dali Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalitalks/ Website: https://www.dalitalks.com/ If you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ Thank you so much for listening – part two with Dali will be available in two weeks! Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, July 12, 2022
From Colombia To US With Ana T. (English)
Hello everyone & welcome back to another episode of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrations – today I am bringing you my talk with Ana T. Ana is from Colombia who came to the US at the age of 11 and she speaks about her expectations coming from movies she had seen before moving to the US, culture shocks, and what she misses the most from Colombia. She also talks about her business Spots on the Fox. https://hype.spotsonthefox.com/junior/ **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, June 28, 2022
From Jamaica to US, to Guam with Charmaine - Part II (English)
Hello and welcome back to the American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast with me, Heidy De La Cruz. Today I am bringing you part two of my talk with Charmaine. So if you haven’t listened to part one – listen to part one first and then this one. Here we talk about life in Guam, the culture in Guam, and life in Michigan. **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, June 14, 2022
From Jamaica to US, to Guam with Charmaine - Part I (English)
Hello and welcome back to the American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast with me, Heidy De La Cruz. Today I am bringing you part one of my talk with Charmaine. She moved from Jamaica to New York and then lived in Michigan for a while and now lives in Guam. In this episode Charmaine talks about visiting the US before her family decided to move from Jamaica, her new school route once she got to the US, and we chat about common misconceptions that immigrants get for seeking out a better opportunity for their families. Enjoy part one! **If you could kindly, please leave a review of this podcast to help others learn about it & if you're looking to be a guest on the podcast send me a message on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, May 31, 2022
Lo Que Pensé Que Iba Ser y No Fue. Con Mayda (Spanish)
Bienvenidos al podcast El Sueño Americano en Los Ojos de Inmigrantes mi nombre es Heidy De La Cruz y gracias por compartir este momento conmigo. En este episodio hablo con una persona super especial para mi, ella es mi madrastra, Mayda – pero no la considero mi madrastra ella es mi mama. En este episodio hablamos de su experiencia cuando ella por fin se decidió mudar para los estados unidos y la diferencia en culturas de República Dominicana y aquí. Bueno aquí va el episodio que disfruten :) **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, May 17, 2022
Living in Puerto Rico vs Living in The US with Vivi (Spanglish)
Welcome back to the 3rd episode of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. I am your host Heidy De La Cruz and I’m so glad you’re here! In this episode I talk to my friend Vivi about the differences between living in Puerto Rico and the US – although Puerto Rico is part of the US there are some cultural differences. This episode is in Spanglish (English & Spanish) and I had so much fun recording it from my car! I hope this episode leaves you as inspired as I felt after talking to Vivi about all the opportunities this country has to offer. Enjoy! Connect with Vivi at her business Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sweet_crumblebyvivi/ **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, May 03, 2022
Llegando de Venezuela con Tania (Spanish)
En este episodio hablo con mi vecina Tania que vino de Venezuela. Hablamos sobre su vida en Venezuela, cómo se adaptaron a vivir en los Estados Unidos y también comparamos palabras Venezolanas y Dominicanas. Gracias por estar aquí y compartir este momento conmigo. Espero que disfrute mi conversación con Tania :) **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Tue, April 19, 2022
Differences in school systems between Dominican Republic & US with Carla Soto (English)
Hi Friends! Welcome to the first episode of The American Dream In The Eyes of Immigrants! My first guest is Carla Soto and she shares her experience with living in the DR and US. She shares a lot of comparisons of the school systems and living in both countries. Thank you so much for listening and your support. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend, this helps get the word out of this new podcast! I'm so exciting for all stories I will share and bring you guys and thank you for sharing this journey with me. You can connect with Carla at - https://www.instagram.com/carlapsmorales **If you could kindly, please give this podcast a review to help others know about it and if you'd like to be a guest on the show or know of someone who would, send me a message on Instagram at - https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/ THANK YOU! :) Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here !
Trailer · Fri, March 18, 2022
Intro to The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants
Welcome to The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host Heidy De La Cruz and this podcast is all about sharing the stories of immigrants. We explore their first memory of the US, the culture shocks they experienced, and their journey learning the American culture as they transform into their lives. Come along on this journey as we listen to the stories of what makes this nation so great, the diversity and melting pot of all the people. Thank you for listening and supporting.
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