When I Got Here
Immigrants share inspiring personal stories of why they left their homelands, how they got to the U.S., and the lives they are making here. They meet the challenges of a new land with determination, perseverance, resilience, and creativity.
Listeners will see America through their eyes and renew their appreciation for the land we love.
When I Got Here is narrated, edited and written by Byron Harris. Harris is a longtime Dallas journalist and winner of two Peabody Awards.
Original music by John Wesley Gibson, composer-in-residence for the Dallas Winds.
Learn more about Literacy Achieves: LiteracyAchieves.org
When I Got Here
William (Rwanda): Miracle Man
William Twayigize is a Hutu who miraculously survived horrific experiences as a refugee, a Tutsi prisoner, and a Nairobi street boy to complete an elite education and achieve a distinguished academic career. A transcript of his episode (lightly edited for clarity) is available at https://www.literacyachieves.org/category/immigrant-stories/
English skill is the key to success for immigrants and refugees.
- It gives them a voice to advocate for themselves. It gives them confidence that they will be understood.
- It is freedom and independence.
- It is the single best predictor of their engagement with the labor market and whether they fully use the credentials they earned in their home countries.
Please help Literacy Achieves provide no cost English instruction to immigrants through its’ North Texas Giving Day campaign: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/LiteracyAchieves .