Feet In Two Worlds

As a witness to war and brutality in her native Bosnia, and then as a refugee, Mersiha Mesihovic found solace and a means of creative expression in dance. Despite the wounds of separation from home and family, Mersiha had all the skills to be a great dancer. But the way she moved became an obstacle. When she arrived in New York (via Sweden and Los Angeles), Mersiha found a way to harness the emotional power of her memories. Her unique approach to movement has attracted other dancers and led her to form Circuit Debris, a dance company which explores her approach to physical storytelling. Now, Mersiha is confronting the trauma of her past and her struggle for self-liberation in a solo dance piece called BosnianBorn *She is a Refugee Star*.

As a witness to war and brutality in her native Bosnia, and then as a refugee, Mersiha Mesihovic found solace and a means of creative expression in dance. Despite the wounds of separation from home and family, Mersiha had all the skills to be a great dancer. But the way she moved became an obstacle. When she arrived in New York (via Sweden and Los Angeles), Mersiha found a way to harness the emotional power of her memories. Her unique approach to movement has attracted other dancers and led her to form Circuit Debris, a dance company which explores her approach to physical storytelling. Now, Mersiha is confronting the trauma of her past and her struggle for self-liberation in a solo dance piece called BosnianBorn *She is a Refugee Star*.

In the past few years, a growing number of undocumented youth brought to the United States as kids, often called “Dreamers,” have become immigration activists. Feet In Two Worlds reporter Shiva Bayat introduces us to Esther, who in many ways embodies this immigrant experience. For one, she “came out” publicly. But what is typical about Esther’s story stops right there, and instead, she takes us to some unexpected places.

In the past few years, a growing number of undocumented youth brought to the United States as kids, often called “Dreamers,” have become immigration activists. Feet In Two Worlds reporter Shiva Bayat introduces us to Esther, who in many ways embodies this immigrant experience. For one, she “came out” publicly. But what is typical about Esther’s story stops right there, and instead, she takes us to some unexpected places.

For Filipino immigrants, the ritual of packing gift boxes, known in Tagalog as balikbayan, nurtures family relationships tested by time and distance. In this podcast, Rosalind Tordesillias explores the meaning of balikbayan and how it’s changed for Filipino immigrants today.

For Filipino immigrants, the ritual of packing gift boxes, known in Tagalog as balikbayan, nurtures family relationships tested by time and distance. In this podcast, Rosalind Tordesillias explores the meaning of balikbayan and how it’s changed for Filipino immigrants today.

In this podcast, Janie Shen and Shadi Garman delve into the challenges immigrant parents face when raising trilingual children. We'll hear from Professor Xiao-Lei Wang; Micky Wu, a Taiwanese multilingual teacher at My Mini Hands; and Kseniya Schneider, a Belarusian mother who is raising her son to speak Russian, Hebrew and English. 

In this podcast, Janie Shen and Shadi Garman delve into the challenges immigrant parents face when raising trilingual children. We'll hear from Professor Xiao-Lei Wang; Micky Wu, a Taiwanese multilingual teacher at My Mini Hands; and Kseniya Schneider, a Belarusian mother who is raising her son to speak Russian, Hebrew and English. 

Imagine moving to America and starting a new life with your family: nice home, better schools, new friends. But just when you begin to thrive, the secret you’ve been hiding suddenly gets out, and you find yourself thrown out on the streets, alone.

Imagine moving to America and starting a new life with your family: nice home, better schools, new friends. But just when you begin to thrive, the secret you’ve been hiding suddenly gets out, and you find yourself thrown out on the streets, alone.

In this episode, Shiva Bayat introduces us to Belal Fadl, a man many consider one of the important voices of the revolutionary movement in Egypt. Now he’s in New York, another artist striving to make it in the one of the cultural capitals of the world. But Cairo and its preoccupations are never far behind.

In this episode, Shiva Bayat introduces us to Belal Fadl, a man many consider one of the important voices of the revolutionary movement in Egypt. Now he’s in New York, another artist striving to make it in the one of the cultural capitals of the world. But Cairo and its preoccupations are never far behind.

In this episode of our new podcast series, a Filipina domestic worker escapes from harsh conditions and blossoms as an activist and an artist in New York City.

In this episode of our new podcast series, a Filipina domestic worker escapes from harsh conditions and blossoms as an activist and an artist in New York City.

As part of Feet In Two Worlds' online magazine focusing on religion and faith in immigrant communities, we wanted to get a sense of what it’s like to report on religion for immigrant audiences for whom faith is an integral part of who they are and how they see themselves. FI2W Executive Producer John Rudolph speaks with Reem Nasr, one of the hosts of the radio show Muslim State of Mind on WBAI in New York; and Martyna Starosta, a video journalist with the Jewish Daily Forward about how they report on topics around identity and faith to communities who are dealing with these issues in a new country.