Podcast: Between Fear and Hope – Young Immigrants in Post-Election America

Peter Jacob makes a point as Agunda Okeyo looks on during the podcast recording at The New School. Photo: Stephanie Rodriguez

Peter Jacob makes a point as Agunda Okeyo looks on during the podcast recording at The New School. Photo: Stephanie Rodriguez

Fear and dread have swept through immigrant communities following Donald Trump’s election as president.  Trump has promised to immediately deport 2 to 3-million undocumented immigrants once he takes office, and since Election Day the nation has seen a dramatic increase in hate crimes aimed at Muslims and immigrants, widely thought to be inspired by Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric

Yes, you are entitled to feel afraid … but at the same time we are feeling empowered.” – Francis Madi, NY Immigration Coalition

In response, a growing number of cities, college campuses and churches have declared themselves to be sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. Some states – including California and New York, home to large immigrant populations – have said that they will resist Trump’s immigration policies.

But no one really knows what will happen when Trump takes office.  Feet in 2 Worlds invited a group of young immigrants to talk about their responses -in both words and deeds – to the incoming administration.

Feet in 2 Worlds Executive Producer John Rudolph speaks with:

Agunda Okeyo, a writer, producer, filmmaker and activist born in Nairobi and raised between New York City and the Kenyan capital.

Francis Madi, NY Immigration Coalition; photo: Stephanie Rodriguez

Peter Jacob, the Democratic candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. A native of Kerala, India, Jacob is a social worker who was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. He was defeated by the Republican incumbent Congressman Leonard Lance.

Zuleima Dominguez works with the Youth Power Project at Make the Road, a New York immigrant advocacy group. Zuleima is from Puebla, Mexico and came to the U.S when she was 7 years old. She is a recipient of DACA, President Obama’s program to provide temporary legal status to young undocumented immigrants.

Francis Madi is also a DACA recipient. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela to a Lebanese father and a Venezuelan mother. She works on Long Island as a Regional Outreach Associate for the New York Immigration Coalition.

Arun Venugopal, a reporter with WNYC, New York Public Radio and a contributor to their podcast The United States of Anxiety. He is a former Feet in 2 Worlds fellow.

fullsizerender

Recording the podcast at The New School with (left to right) John Rudolph, Arun Venugopal, Peter Jacob, Oguna Okeyo, Zuleima Dominguez and Francis Madi (back to camera). Rachael Bongiorno at the contols. Photo: Stephanie Rodriguez

Fi2W is supported by the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation an anonymous donor and readers like you.

AboutJohn Rudolph
John Rudolph, Executive Producer, is a journalist with more than 40 years experience as a public radio program host and producer of documentaries, podcasts and news reports. John produced the award-winning documentary Feet in Two Worlds: Immigrants in a Global City, which was the debut for the Feet in 2 Worlds project.