As a youth in West Africa, Benjamin Kofi Amponsah always knew he wanted to study in the United States. What he couldn’t have envisioned was falling in love with and marrying an American, then settling into her hometown, the father of two Ghanaian-American children. Along the way, he earned two college degrees and became an international liaison between his adopted city and the Ga District of his native Ghana. Benjamin talks with Alan of his love for two cultures and the patience needed to straddle both.
Growing up in Mexico, Mónica Robles pestered her father to give her things he said were “only for boys.” Persistence paid off, and she did learn to ride motorcycles and pilot private planes. Today, Mónica takes that same feisty mindset to every endeavor she takes on, from community leadership to international marketing. Don’t miss this personal story of pluck and charm: from Mexico with love!
Kizombo Kalumbula has seen the ravages of war and genocide. His homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo was torn apart by decade-long hostilities that killed over 5 million citizens. Today, Kalumbula is co-founder and pastor at Tabernacle Community Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His doctoral studies in health psychology are aimed at understanding resiliency among traumatized individuals, with applications for people of his native Congo as well as those touched by his daily urban ministry.
When Michele Clark managed an antique store in Brazil, she didn’t imagine that the American customer looking to furnish a restored country mansion would someday become her husband. Today, this transplanted Brazilian keeps one eye on the couple’s South American B&B and the other on their Lake Michigan gift shop. Join the conversation to learn about jeitinho brasileiro (the Brazilian art of wiggle room) and a unique form of grass that glows like gold and lasts for centuries.
Drug violence forced Erick Picardo to leave his successful art studio in the Dominican Republic and seek a better life in a “freedom country,” the United States. Today, this renowned Michigan painter celebrates his Afro-Caribbean heritage on canvas and in his drumming group. Listen as he talks about his special anti-violence, pro-peace marathon mural project.
How does a state like Michigan keep its talented university graduates who are from overseas? How do Michigan-educated international students hook up with employers for internships and eventual employment? Feel Like You Belong welcomes Jeff Towns, Executive Director of Michigan’s Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI) along with Trinidad-born Yasha Nath, a Michigan college grad with the kinds of skills the state is clamoring for. Encouraging news for international students who want to stay in the state after graduation as well as for U.S. employers looking to navigate the unfamiliar waters of hiring foreign-born employees.
From Sweden to the USA, they’ve shaken hands with the mightiest in both lands. They’ve saved energy and published books. And along the way, Anders and Ewa Rydåker have planted roots and learned what it means to belong in a place. Join us for a chat with Alan’s favorite immigrants!
Americans have said it so long, it approaches cliché: “The U.S. is the land of opportunity.” However, this still rings true for thousands of newcomers every year, including Guatemalan-born Natanael Krische. Listen to the story of 18-year-old ‘Nate’ who entered illegally and worked hard to became a citizen, small business owner, and pillar in his West Michigan community.
David Alvarez grew up on the thin slice of rock between earth, sky, and sea called Gibraltar. With a view of the dying vestiges of British colonialism in his own life, he launched on a career of researching and telling about that provocative legacy in other lands. He chats with us about S. Africa, Palestine, and Healing Children of Conflict.
Love of an American made her move to the United States. Love of food from her Brazilian homeland made her enter local cooking contests. And an entrepreneurial spirit made her a baker of the tasty pão de queijo, a staple of her childhood and reason for her growing business. Love and a Brazilian oven in Kalamazoo, Michigan!
When do our cultural perceptions become deceptions? Whenever we let stereotypes and unfounded assumptions take over our thought processes. Interculturalist Joe Lurie talks about five decades of global learning––from observations as well as personal missteps. He shares some of the wisdom from his new book and offers tips for immigrants who want to succeed in the U.S. workplace.
From the mountains of Argentina to the lake shore of Michigan, Jorge Rodriguez knows one profound truth: your body is not fit unless your mind and spirit are also aligned. A lifelong practitioner of health and well-being, Dr. Jorge Rodriquez has trained celebrities like Brad Pitt and everyday citizens of his newfound hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this deeply touching interview, Jorge talks about his own challenges with health and the surprising generosity of others.
How do workers move themselves across borders and oceans? Simple, according to German expats Brigitte and Michael Merk. Stay curious. Don’t compare; accept the differences. Enjoy every moment. Accept that adjustment isn’t immediate. Be open. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone.
Murari Suvedi came to the United States with little money but big dreams. Along with a wife and two small sons, he brought with him the core qualities of immigrants: a desire to learn and the ability to persevere. Fast forward several decades: has the “investment” in this Nepali family “paid off”? You be the judge. Join Alan as you listen to this father and son’s heart-warming story of hard work and success!
Which Michigan school is the first in the state to offer a college major in translation and interpretation? It’s not U of M. It’s not MSU. It’s plucky little Aquinas College! Prof. of French Michel Pichot tells how this is a huge employment opportunity for undergraduates in the liberal arts.
After moving to the U.S. from Nigeria, Nkechy Ezeh battled the relentless snows of her adopted Michigan and the seeming coldness of the American don’t-just-drop-in culture. However, a far greater shock awaited her: learning that despite its wealth of knowledge about early childhood development, Americans weren’t applying it to educate the children of our most marginalized families. Listen as an award-winning educator talks about equity in education and her brainchild, the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative.
Being born in the former Soviet Union of Jewish ancestry did not make life easy for families like the Kabachenkos. Add to that the world’s largest nuclear meltdown, and the situation is ripe for an entire family to flee their native Ukraine to seek asylum in the United States. Growing up between two cultures, young Max wasn’t sure where he belonged. And then in 2001, the Twin Towers came down, and an immigrant teen was clear what he had to do: enlist in the U.S. Army and stand up for his adopted country. Max Kabachenko talks with Alan about culture, belonging, and the price of citizenship.
“Would you do it all over again if you could choose?” an adult son asks his dying father. Jake Beniflah talks of immigration, personal sacrifice, and the stress of acculturating to a place far from home.
What is a Japanese couple to do if their young son urges them to allow him to move to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut? If you’re the mom and dad of Yuki Takahashi, you say, “(Gulp)…yes!” Via Skype across the Pacific, the global astrophysicist discusses saving wildlife, living in Antarctica, and playing tennis on the moon.
Graci Harkema is with us today because of what some people would call a miracle. Born sick and premature in rural Congo, she was left at an orphanage where she was expected to die. A visiting missionary saw the tiny baby in a back room and heard a voice telling her, “This is your daughter.” Join us to hear one young woman’s powerful story of survival, self-identity, and coming full circle.
David Alicea knows firsthand the peaks and valleys of life. Homeless on the streets of New York at age 10, he bounced between several foster families before being taken in by a young couple who gave him his stability. They eventually took him back to their native Puerto Rico, where the hardscrabble kid learned discipline and the love of the church.
Dr. Anan Ameri says she moved to Detroit, Michigan, from the Middle East for a PhD, but it was really for love. Decades later, she can step back and proudly behold the legacy of love that she has given her adopted community. Beyond the founding of two noble institutions (Palestine Aid Society of America and Arab American National Museum), she counts as her proudest accomplishment the mentoring of countless young women who are now leaders in their own right. A native of Syria, Dr. Ameri was recently inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
From the Caribbean to Canada, Elysia James has traversed the expanse of North America. This U.S.-based physician talks with us about the complex issues of place, cultural identity, and the feeling of belonging.
Sarah Wamujje Dieleman has two things nobody else has: 62 siblings and an elementary school in her hometown in Uganda. Our polyglot guest shares with us her personal roots and the notion of grassroots empowerment for children in her native East Africa.
It was not an easy decision for Huynh Tran to put down his architect’s dream in order to remold himself as a healer. The young Vietnamese refugee worked long hours to put himself, first, through architecture training, then, through medical training. Committed to giving back to the community that embraced him, Dr. Tran formed a medical philanthropy that ministers to under-served community and trains overseas physicians to improve their care-giving skills.
A 13-year-old Serbian boy and his mother flee worn-torn Bosnia. Young refugee Mlado Ivanović spends his teen years trying to adapt to Austrian culture and the German language. Beginning his PhD studies in the U.S., he connects his passion and his life’s work: teaching American students about the worldwide refugee crisis and what they can do about it.
Pakistani-born Simin Beg is a mom and wife, a physician, and a practicing Muslim. She offers her insights on straddling cultures, palliative medicine, and everyday faith.
As a boy, young Alfred Lessing was like most other children in his native Netherlands. He played with friends and loved his family. But there was one difference: he was Jewish. So when the Nazis overran his country in 1940, his mother sprang into action. Her one goal: save the family from extermination. In this three-part interview, Dutch immigrant Fred Lessing talks of love, hiding, and what we can learn from human atrocities. Interview: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
The City of Wyoming has partnered with Metro Health-University of Michigan Health to provide Drug Take Back services between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at the main lobby of the Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW, or to the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW.
Wyoming Public Safety officers will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked.
Kentwood/Kent County: Ford airport continues to grow amenity options
The Gerald R. Ford Airport continues to grow its passenger and pubic amenities.
More food and beverage offerings are coming to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, this time in the pre-security area, as “Leinie Lodge” has now opened adjacent to Starbucks in the Airport’s Grand Hall.
Leinie Lodge will predominantly feature Leinenkugel’s wide range of award-winning German-inspired beers, as well as a selection of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and an assortment of snacks.
Kelloggsville: Retiree stays active as school-based community advocate
Jane and Jim Ward meet the KDL elephant, Katie L.
Kent District Library’s Kelloggsville Branch, and community member Jim Ward, are all about getting books into children’s hands. Together they have made it happen inside Kelloggsville High School.
Ward, who is retired, was instrumental in planning the library, which opened this winter inside the high school. A Forest Hills Public Schools media specialist for 38 years, he had a strong interest in the concept of public libraries operating within schools, and worked with administrators, who tapped into his knowledge to make that happen.
WKTV programs: ‘Feel Like You Belong’ looks at mentoring minorities — in golf
Alan Headbloom tapes his show here at WKTV.
This week’s “Feel Like You Belong” program — produced here at WKTV — tackles the subject of how do we change the notion that certain sports are just for white athletes or male participants? By mentoring females and youth of color in those sports. PGA professional Andre Pillow talks about his work with The First Tee of West Michigan and creating access to golf for all young people.
West Michigan: Bennett Prize ($50,000) for women figurative style artists
The Muskegon Museum of Art will host a contest for women painters.
Women who paint in the figurative realist style are invited to apply for the $50,000 Bennett Prize, the largest ever offered solely to women painters. The winner of The Bennett Prize will create her own solo exhibition of figurative realist paintings, which will first be shown at the Muskegon Museum of Art and then travel the country.
The call for entries runs from April 13-Sept. 28, 2018. Details are at www.thebennettprize.org.
How do we change the notion that certain sports are just for white athletes or male participants? By mentoring females and youth of color in those sports. PGA professional Andre Pillow talks about his work with The First Tee of West Michigan and creating access to golf for all young people.
Singer-songwriter Myra Maimoh is as comfortable on stage with a microphone as she is with a warm cup around the coffee table. The Cameroonian-born mother of three laughs easily and genuinely while recounting her youth in Central Africa, singing in church and in girl bands. She takes the stage in our studio to share an original composition from her recent album and shares how this formerly cold city of Grand Rapids is rapidly becoming home. Come for the music; stay for the conversation!
Abe Carrillo is a proud son of Mexican immigrants and proud employee at Herman Miller where he is Director for Diversity & Global Inclusiveness. He joins us to talk about the hard work of immigrants and the inspiring community work that Herman Miller is engaged in.
How do you know if you have what it takes to become a professional ballet dancer? Give it a try, says dancer Yuka Oba. Taking her own advice, this peripatetic ballerina has pursued her dream from Japan to the U.K. to Slovakia, and finally to Grand Rapids, Michigan where she is in her seventh season taking on challenging roles and new ways to embrace the diversity the world’s choreographers have to offer.
Austrian-born Michael Auer merges two careers into a new art form, and the Grand Rapids Ballet is ever the better for it. Join us for a look at the intersection of professional dance and technology.
He was the only boy in the local dance school, and in the Dominican Republic, that can leave you open to teasing. But Ednis Gomez fell in love with the self-expression of movement, practiced hard, and danced himself into a full-time career. After four years in Michigan’s only professional dance company, the American Midwest is starting to feel like home.
