Welcome to episode 98 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Jannese Torres shares her powerful story of growing up as a Puerto Rican in New Jersey and how her identity, upbringing, and ambition led her to become a personal finance educator, content creator, podcaster, and now author of the best-selling book Financially Lit: The Modern Latina’s Guide to ...
Jun 24, 2025•25 min•Ep. 98
Welcome to episode 97 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Mayble shares her immigrant journey from Kerala, India, to the United States—a journey that began at just five years old when her family relocated to North Carolina in 1993. With deep family ties to the nursing profession and a dream for more opportunities, Maybe’s family moved due to the nursi...
Jun 17, 2025•26 min•Ep. 97
Welcome to episode 96 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Summie shares her immigrant journey from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom, a journey that began when she courageously chose to leave home at the age of 15 to attend boarding school in the UK. With her parents’ support and a close friend by her side, she stepped into a completely new environment ...
Jun 10, 2025•31 min•Ep. 96
Welcome to episode 95 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Irma Goosen shares her immigrant journey from South Africa to the United States. She talks about growing up in a country filled with racial tension and violence, and the traumatic attack at her daughter’s daycare that pushed her and her family to leave everything behind and seek safety in Houst...
Jun 03, 2025•50 min•Ep. 95
Welcome to episode 94 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Webley Alfred shares her immigrant journey from Haiti to the United States, achieving a degree from Boston University funded through MIT’s tuition reimbursement program. Webley opens up about the beautiful Haiti of her childhood, the traumatic event that led her to stay in the U.S., and the cha...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 94
Welcome to episode 93 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Polly, an SEO writer and consultant, shares her journey from South Carolina to Vietnam and then to the Virgin Islands, highlighting her experiences teaching abroad and starting her business. Today, she shares about her move to Vietnam, which was driven by burnout and boredom as a teacher. This ...
May 20, 2025•24 min•Ep. 93
Welcome to episode 92 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Chai grew up with Indian immigrant parents, and the conversation starts with Chai explaining the patronymic naming system in southern India, where last names reflect lineage through the father’s first name. This system contrasts with the American first-name, last-name structure and highlights t...
May 13, 2025•42 min•Ep. 92
Welcome to episode 91 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Tom, an American-born writer, shares his experiences living abroad, offering insights into cultural differences and the perception of the American Dream. His journey includes formative experiences in Germany, an extended stay in the Philippines, and current residence in Mexico City. Listen in a...
May 06, 2025•59 min•Ep. 91
Welcome to episode 90 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Carla Santamaria is the host of The First Gen Coach Podcast. A podcast for first-generation professionals who are learning to rethink their limiting cultural beliefs and level up their mindsets. Carla is also a career coach, helping women increase their salaries and improve their mindset. She s...
Apr 29, 2025•40 min•Ep. 90
Welcome to episode 89 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I sit down with Lazou, a dynamic and passionate artist whose journey from her home country to the U.S. is as powerful as her music. Lazou grew up in Mauritius, although she was born in Canada. She moved back to Canada for college and then eventually moved to the US after a job offer she ...
Apr 22, 2025•46 min•Ep. 89
Welcome to episode 88 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Sun Jung of Hungry Hungry Gopher shares her journey from South Korea to the US, her experiences with cultural adaptation, and her mission to empower others through holistic health and Korean culinary wisdom. Sun shares insights on the importance of rest, cultural influences on health, and findi...
Apr 15, 2025•35 min•Ep. 88
Welcome to episode 87 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Stephanie shares her upbringing in Panama City and the cultural shifts she experienced upon moving to the U.S. at age 11. Even before moving, she was introduced to American culture while attending school on the Howard Air Force Base in Panama after her mother remarried. This helped her with som...
Apr 08, 2025•45 min•Ep. 87
Welcome to episode 86 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Sandy Dang shares her story of fleeing war-torn Vietnam and living in refugee camps, building a successful nonprofit, and being appointed by President Obama. Her journey is a testament to resilience and the power of the human spirit. One thing that stood out was how she used her experiences to ...
Apr 01, 2025•39 min•Ep. 86
Welcome to episode 85 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Carlos, the VP of Customer Experience and Digital Strategy for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and author of 'The Immigrant Survival Guide to Silicon Valley,' shares his personal and professional journey from Mexico to Silicon Valley, including the challenges and successes of navigating life as an i...
Mar 25, 2025•44 min•Ep. 85
Welcome to episode 84 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Rée, a second-generation immigrant, shares her experiences growing up in the US with parents from Korea and now living in Korea. She shares about the challenges of not feeling rooted in the US, battling anxiety, and navigating social norms that felt foreign. Lastly, she shares her struggles to ...
Mar 18, 2025•44 min•Ep. 84
Welcome to episode 83 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, host Heidy De La Cruz sits down with guest Rée to discuss the powerful stories shared on The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants podcast. Rée, an avid listener, expresses admiration for the way Heidy blends warmth, insight, and compassion in her storytelling. They explore what inspi...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 83
Welcome to episode 82 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Deb shares her inspiring journey from India, driven by her pursuit of better opportunities in computer science, leading her to study at Carnegie Mellon University. She discusses her career journey, including her internship at Microsoft, employment at PayPal, and her entrepreneurial leap to foun...
Mar 04, 2025•24 min•Ep. 82
Welcome to episode 81 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Tatiana is a vocal sound healer and was born in Ecuador. She shares that growing up in Educador was a positive experience, but her desire to learn English drew her to move to the US with the Au Pair Program. She completed two years of the program because, after the first year, she didn’t feel t...
Feb 25, 2025•22 min•Ep. 81
Welcome to episode 80 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Bibi LeBlanc was born in the American Sector of West Berlin, Germany. She explains in today’s episode people’s reactions when she says that and what that actually means. She owns a marketing agency that creates coloring books for businesses! Bibi shares her experience of homeschooling her three...
Feb 18, 2025•47 min•Ep. 80
Welcome to episode 79 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Dr. John Mesa was born in Colombia. He shares about moving to Venezuela during the oil boom with his family and living there for a few years before returning to Colombia. From a young age, Dr. Mesa knew he wanted to be a plastic surgeon but knew it had to be in the US. This is because in Colomb...
Feb 11, 2025•34 min•Ep. 79
Welcome to episode 78 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Rooya was born in Afghanistan and remembers they had electricity at one point, and then they didn’t. During the time that communism was taking over, she remembers if people were caught fleeing or speaking out against communism, they were executed. She shares their journey, going across the dese...
Feb 04, 2025•36 min•Ep. 78
Welcome to episode 77 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Ranjeet is a coach and mentor who guides professionals into achieving their American Dream by obtaining an EB1A green card (aka Einstein visa) just like he did. He grew up with a journalist mother and a banker father in India. They valued education a great deal, which fueled his passion for lea...
Jan 28, 2025•16 min•Ep. 77
Welcome to episode 76 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I bring you the founder and blogger of This Latina Travel - Bianca Alba! Bianca shares about growing up in the DMV area or DC, Maryland, Virginia - which, before this episode, I had no idea was referred to this way. She shares her experience of obtaining a full-ride scholarship to colleg...
Jan 21, 2025•30 min•Ep. 76
Welcome to episode 75 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I spoke with Kristy, the host of The Master Delegator Podcast and owner of a virtual assistant agency. Kristy is from the Philippines, and she moved to the U.S. after meeting her husband on a Christian dating app. She started her business back home in the Philippines, and she was able to...
Jan 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 75
Welcome to episode 74 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Happy New Year! Today is the first episode of 2025 and the new format, where I’m releasing episodes every Tuesday! I’m excited to bring you content on a weekly basis since the show is growing, and I’m so excited for this growth. Also, the podcast is officially sponsored! This past November, I g...
Jan 07, 2025•30 min•Ep. 74
Welcome to episode 73 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I’m bringing you my conversation with Dr. Griselda Martinez. Dr. Martinez is a business coach for women entrepreneurs and hosts the podcast “ Unexpectedly Successful ,” where she shares guests’ success stories. She shared with me about her childhood in Mexico - recounting her freedom of ...
Dec 24, 2024•37 min•Ep. 73
Welcome to episode 72 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I’m sharing my conversation with author Sindy F., who wrote If I Denounce My Accent . This novel is based on true events, and I finished it on our holiday vacation in the Dominican Republic. There was something different about reading a book about the Dominican culture and experience whi...
Dec 10, 2024•24 min•Ep. 72
Welcome to episode 71 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today, I spoke with Kathy, a transformational coach, about her unique experience as a first-generation child of immigrant parents from two different countries. Kathy shares heartfelt stories about her upbringing, cultural identity, and navigating life as an immigrant child. Kathy’s mother, a Ch...
Nov 26, 2024•28 min•Ep. 71
Welcome to episode 70 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Marta Spirk, a Brazilian immigrant who moved to the U.S. at 23, nine months after having her triplets. Marta has worked as a freelance court interpreter and is now a visibility strategist and recording artist with two published books and a podcast. Her passion for learning Engl...
Nov 12, 2024•37 min•Ep. 70
Welcome to episode 69 of The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Today’s guest is Aimee Portes - who shares her journey of immigrating to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. Amy reflects on her early life in the Dominican Republic, explaining how financial pressures led her family to move to the U.S. to pursue better educational opportunities. She describe...
Oct 29, 2024•16 min•Ep. 69
