She has spent much of her life saying goodbye.

At seven years old, Vanesa left her village in Oaxaca, Mexico, not knowing that the goodbye to her childhood home would last 25 years. In the United States, she learned a new language, built a family, and dreamed of a life beyond the limits placed on her by her undocumented status. She learned to say goodbye to opportunities—to travel, to college, to the freedom to simply leave and come home.

Then, in 2024, came the goodbye she never got to make: her father died in Mexico before she could reach him.

Today, Vanesa tells us what it means to build a life while never knowing what tomorrow might take away—and how, through it all, she has found the courage to keep showing up, keep speaking out, and remain true to where she comes from.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced by Ashwini Chandrakanth, with audio editing by Jack McDonald and post-production by Gregg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by Sankar Raman in March 2026.

Thank you to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton for the use of their space to record the interview.

This episode was made possible through a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation. It is part of The Immigrant Story’s DREAMs Deferred collection, which explores the experiences of immigrant families living with uncertainty, separation, and the fear of what may come next.

To learn more about DREAMs Deferred, visit theimmigrantstory.org/dreams-deferred-3/.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at PRP.fm, or stream Many Roads to Here wherever you get your podcasts.

As a teenager, Wu Man was a celebrated instrumentalist in China, whose performances had been broadcast on national television and extensively reported in national press. Her instrument, the pipa, has a storied tradition closely interwoven with other Chinese literary and folk arts. Wu Man’s path was laid out in front of her as China’s next pipa master. Instead, she forged her own way, moving to America and working to redefine the landscape of traditional music around the world.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced and edited by Jonah Buchanan with post production by Gregg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by Sankar Raman and Elizabeth Mehren in the Fall of 2025.

Thank you to Oregon Historical Society in Portland for the use of their space to record the interview.

Thank you to Wu Man, for providing selections from her album, “Music from the Dunhuang Caves,” for this episode.

This episode is a part of a series exploring the stories and experiences of Asian Americans. It is produced as part of the Oregon Rises Above Hate coalition and made possible by a generous contribution by Anne Naito-Campbell.

To learn more about the Oregon Rises Above Hate Coalition, please visit https://oregonrisesabovehate.com.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.

Inna Kovtun carries the folk songs of Ukraine within her: songs that have survived years of suppression and attempted erasure, songs that tell stories, celebrate traditions, and preserve culture. A folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and performing artist of Ukrainian folk music, she sang to crowds of thousands back in Europe. When the war started, she fled to Portland to protect her young daughter. Today, she struggles to do what she loves while making a living, all the while facing uncertainty about what the future holds.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

All of the music you heard in this episode is from Inna’s latest solo album, released in March 2026. The title of this album translates in English to “Princess” and it’s a collection of Ukrainian traditional songs along with a few original compositions inspired by folk traditions. You can find it on all major streaming platforms or buy it on the Magnetic West Music Bandcamp page. To hear more of Inna’s music, go to https://www.magneticwestmusic.com/innakovtun.html

This episode was hosted, produced, and edited by Selene Ross. Storyboard was edited by Meg Ritter with audio post production by Gregg Palmer. Our Executive Producer is Sankar Raman.

This episode was made possible through a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at prp.fm, or stream us wherever you get your podcasts.