Only in America with Ali Noorani

Americans often wonder: Are immigrants givers or takers to our communities? When you take a deeper dive, it’s clear that immigrants are contributing. They’re starting businesses, creating jobs, paying taxes, and revitalizing entire towns. “Only in America” is taking a closer look at some of these immigrants' stories, whether they’re innovators, entrepreneurs or people who work in areas viewed as lower-skilled. We’ll see that these “givers” are highly representative of the broader immigran

We wrap up our border series, Between a Wall and a Hard Place, by taking a step back and looking at the region as a whole. Ali talks to Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Martha Bárcena Coqui about practical solutions to meet border challenges and what an ideal future for the U.S.-Mexico border would look like. Americans often think we’re stuck between choosing an open-borders or a closed-off approach, but ultimately we’ll see how that’s a false choice.

This time, we look at the chaos migrants face when they arrive in the U.S. New border policies like Migrant Protection Protocols are creating more disorder rather than deterring people from seeking safety here. Ali hears from Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel at the American Immigration Council, and Christian Penichet-Paul, policy and advocacy manager at the National Immigration Forum, about the immediate risks migrants face as a result of the policy and what a more effective system could look like.

We continue our series, Between a Wall and a Hard Place, by hearing about migrant shelters in the border region, how the faith community is helping, and the challenges they face in doing so. Ali talks to Sami DiPasquale, a faith leader in El Paso, Texas, who leads two organizations that help recent immigrants: Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach and Abara.

For the first episode of our new border series, Ali talks to Jason De León, a MacArthur Genius Fellow and author of The Land of Open Graves. Through in-depth anthropological study of crossings through the Sonoran desert, Jason has explored how deterrence has failed to turn away border-crossers for two decades. Jason tells Ali about the journeys of people who unsuccessfully made dozens of attempts to cross the border — and the objects and bodies left behind.

“Only in America” is taking a journey across the U.S.-Mexico border to see what attempting to enter the U.S. is like, what happens when migrants arrive, and how current border policies only create more disorder for migrants and Americans. We’ll hear from guests about the human consequences of disorderly policies, the chaos it’s creating on both sides of the border as asylum-seekers wait in Mexico, and what an ideal future for the U.S.-Mexico border could look like.

Ali talks with Leith Anderson, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an association of 40 evangelical denominations, as well as organizations, schools, churches and individuals. During his tenure, Leith has led efforts to engage American evangelicals around shared values related to poverty relief, prison reform, immigration, and more. Plus, how thousands of evangelical Christians are urging their state governors to accept refugees and welcome them into their communities.

Ali talks to Ami Dar, the CEO and founder of Idealist, one of the most popular nonprofit resources on the web. Idealist helps people build — or begin — a career in the nonprofit world by posting hundreds of thousands of jobs each year. Born in Israel and raised in Peru and Mexico, Ami has always had a passion for social justice, and an ambition to connect people who want to do good together. They spoke about his journey to success, the uniqueness of American opportunity, and why he founded Idealist.

Vivek Venugopal is an improviser, comedian, actor and musician. He’s the director of revenue at Speechless, Inc., which teaches an improv comedy approach to public speaking. Vivek and his business partner Anthony Veneziale, perform an improv show called “American Immigrants.” He and Ali talked about using comedy to help people reflect on their own immigrant heritage, and the importance of effectively telling your story.  

As the executive director of the Austin Baptist Association, Dr. David Smith works with congregations to create communities where all residents feel welcome in the pews. He also helps connect congregants who want to learn more about immigration with mission opportunities across the border in Mexico. He tells Ali about he’s learned how important it is for people to experience the issue firsthand  — and how eager they are to share their stories with people back home.

Joe Troop is a fiddler, singer-songwriter and composer originally from North Carolina who moved to Argentina a decade ago. In Buenos Aires, he founded the Latin bluegrass band Che Apalache with band members from Argentina, Mexico and the U.S. The “Latin-grass” quartet has written songs about social and political issues, like the border wall and Dreamers. He told Ali how they’re using their unique blend of sounds to advocate for immigrants.

As the U.S. continues to become a richer, more diverse society, it’s no surprise that we experience growing pains and identity crises along the way. Ali talks to Cherie Harder, President of the Trinity Forum, about how she works at the intersection of faith and politics to address polarization. They talk about what the idea of America means and how to find unifying forces that bind us together as Americans.

Ali talks to author and former speechwriter for President Obama, Adam Frankel, about the trauma that migrants face, how that can affect future generations, and how to address it. In his new book, “The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing,” Adam describes his family’s journey from the Holocaust to America and the ways intergenerational trauma has shaped his identity in ways he never expected.

Felipe Jacome is a photographer and artist focusing on “issues of human mobility and human rights.” His latest project, “Caminantes,” documents immigrant journeys through portraits of Venezuelan refugees. Felipe immigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador with his family as a teenager and decided to pursue photography after producing a photo essay on a trip to Mexico’s southern border. He and Ali spoke about conditions in Venezuela, migration in Latin America, and what he wants people to take away from

South Tulsa Baptist Church in suburban Tulsa, Oklahoma, is helping immigrants from more than 30 countries thrive and navigate a new life through their international and refugee ministry. Ali talks to Eric Costanzo, the church’s lead pastor, and Cesar Quintero, an active member of the church community and an immigrant from Venezuela. Plus, hear Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford discuss how his faith has led him to urge for a compassionate approach to immigration.