Heidy De La Cruz hosts The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants. A 2x award-winning podcast about sharing the stories of immigrants and the immigrant experience, including their first memories of the US, the culture shocks they experienced, and their journey learning to navigate a whole new country. Join me, Heidy De La Cruz, in highlighting these stories that are often overlooked but deserve to be heard. I am on a mission to change the immigration narrative to a more compassionate and empathetic approach, like a Jesus approach.
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The Emotional Cost of the Immigration Experience with Ingrid Perez - Ep. 139
Episode 139
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 • Duration 30:23
Welcome to episode 139 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!
Ingrid Perez, an immigration attorney and founder of IBP Immigration Law in Orlando, Florida, shares her journey from Brazil to the United States and how her immigrant experience shaped her path into law and advocacy.
In this episode, Ingrid reflects on her childhood in Brazil, her family’s move to New York in 1994, and the challenges of adapting to life in a new country. She opens up about the cultural adjustments, the determination it took to pursue higher education, and the lessons she learned while navigating unfamiliar systems as she built her future.
Ingrid takes us through her professional journey—from starting her legal career as a public defender to eventually specializing in immigration law and founding her own firm.
Today, she is dedicated to helping immigrants understand the complexities of the legal system and empowering them to advocate for themselves. Through her work, she continues to guide individuals and families as they navigate immigration processes and build their lives in the United States.
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From Mexico’s Newsroom, to Tech, to Storyteller. Mariana’s journey to the American Dream - Ep. 138
Episode 138
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 • Duration 25:42
Welcome to episode 138 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!
Mariana Tinoco Rivera shares her journey from Mexico to the United States, where she now lives in Boston and works as a product manager in tech. From her early career as a journalist in Mexico City to pursuing graduate studies in publishing and writing, Mariana has built a global career that eventually led her to Google.
In this episode, Mariana reflects on her professional and personal transitions—from journalism to tech, and from life in Mexico to navigating corporate America. She opens up about the cultural adjustments she faced, from adapting to colder weather to understanding new workplace expectations and professional norms. Through each transition, she shares how resilience, curiosity, and adaptability shaped her path.
Mariana takes us through her journey from storyteller and journalist to tech professional and community builder. She shares her passion project, Arrival Pod, where she interviews first-generation immigrant women from around the world. Through these conversations, she highlights the shared themes of identity, belonging, and reinvention that connect immigrant experiences across cultures.
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“The American Dream is Engraved in the Constitution” - Ep. 129
Episode 129
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 • Duration 28:53
Welcome to episode 129 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!
Mohamed Mo Rachadi shares his journey from French Morocco to the United States, arriving in 1970 on a soccer scholarship with limited English and big dreams. Today, Mohammed is a retired academic, author, public speaker, and philanthropist, dedicated to storytelling, education, and community impact.
In this episode, Mohamed reflects on his early life in Morocco, his decision to immigrate, and the challenges he faced adjusting to American culture and language barriers. He opens up about the initial setbacks he encountered as a student, the persistence it took to adapt, and how resilience became the foundation of his success.
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In the Middle of Grief I Moved to the US with Yara
Episode 40
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 • Duration 30:46
Welcome to episode 40 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 Yara Demarque. She is a finance advisor who immigrated from Brazil because her family wanted to fulfill her sister’s wish of living in the United States after she suddenly died from eating a burger! Not only is that tragic – Yara was also engaged when her family decided to move! What grief Yara went through at such a young age.
Yara starts her story by telling us how unstable her life was in the beginning; her family moved a lot, so she barely ever made friends. So, when people ask her if she misses Brazil, she really doesn’t because her family are all here now.
She didn’t even want to move to the United States in the first place, but once she arrived, she said, “I’m here; might as well make the best of it.”
Listen to her tremendous story of how, in the middle of grief, she changed her whole life and moved to a new country with her family.
Yara, you are incredible! Thank you for sharing your journey!
I Didn’t Know What a State Was - I Just Wanted to Get to America
Episode 39
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 • Duration 29:44
Welcome to episode 39 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 Ichko Jackson; she is a life coach who specializes in helping women find quality gentlemen to date. She’s been a certified coach since 2020.
Ichko is from Mongolia, and she moved to the United States in 2013. After her mom got into an accident, Ichko had to work, and she was able to save up enough money within a five-year span to move to the United States.
She came to attend graduate school here, and when the agency asked her what state she wanted to attend school in, she didn’t even know what a state was. All she knew was that she wanted to come to the United States. Ichko settled in Seattle, but it wasn’t anything like she imagined it would be because it rained a lot. Eventually, she moved to California.
I love that Ichko shares she intentionally didn’t hang out with the Mongolian community when she first arrived because she wanted to immerse herself in the American culture and learn English. Her thought was that if she hung out with other Mongolians, they wouldn’t speak English, which she needed to learn.
Lastly, Ichko shares how her journey of self-discovery led her to become a coach!
Welcome to episode 38 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 Daniela Diaz; she is a social media manager. Dani helps small business owners with their presence on social media by creating content and helping them manage their accounts. We met at a networking event, and once she told me she was from Venezuela, I asked her if she would be interested in sharing her story.
Dani shares how she came to the United States as an international student. Her grandparents were born in the United States, so they were already US citizens; however, the process for them to sponsor her and get her residency was ten years. The faster way for her to come was as an international student.
Dani is very raw and honest about her struggles during her first two years living here. And she shares details of things she did to get by. Please listen to this story with an empathic and compassionate heart.
Lastly, we end the episode by talking about how she got into being a social media manager. Her aunt owns a jewelry business, and Dani helped her business achieve an online presence. As a result of that, she started to promote this service for herself, and it became her business!
Thank you for being here!
With Love, Heidy
P.S. The app I reference in the episode where you can share passwords with your team is called LastPass.
Welcome to episode 37 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 Bri Stensrud the director of Women of Welcome. And if you’ve listened to any of my episodes you know how much I mention this organization because of the work they are doing within the immigration space. So, being able to interview and get Bri on the show was such an honor for me!
Bri talks about how Women of Welcome got started and why. She also talks about her passion for this work and the work that Women of Welcome in the Southern Border.
Women of Welcome is a non-partisan Christian organization that is dedicated to sharing the whole truth and scriptures in understanding God’s heart for immigrants and refugees. Their mission states: We believe God calls us to a deep love for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the forgotten. Together we’re on a journey to understand biblical hospitality in an authentic way.
They have videos and bible studies available as resources to help people understand what the Bible says about immigration, how we should approach the issue of immigration as Christ followers, and dive deeper into the word of God.
I’ve completed their Bible Study – What Does the Bible Say About
Immigration? And it was impactful and I feel like it was important for me
to do because of the work I’m doing with this podcast, so I encourage you to go through it too! The first Bible Study that Women of Welcome published was Ruth and Noemi – which is still available on their website.
Bri, thank you so much for your heart and the work you’re doing. Also, thank you so much for taking the time to share your work with my audience! God Bless you and this organization.
Thank you for being here!
With Love,
Heidy
Connect with Bri:
Become an Immigration Specialist with DOJ Accreditation with Joanne McAfee
Episode 36
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 • Duration 44:54
Welcome to episode 36 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 episode is a little different than usual because instead of speaking to an immigrant, I am speaking with someone who is an immigrant ally and works in the immigration space without being an immigration attorney.
Her name is Joanne McAfee and we connected through the Facebook group Women of Welcome! She had posted that she was partially accredited with the DOJ but was working on getting fully accredited, however, this was the first step. Joanne explained that she is able to service migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers while seeking full accreditation. This, of course, piqued my interest because I had never heard of this program before.
In today’s episode, Joanne explains the process of how she got into becoming accredited, what type of work she does, and the program she did with Villanova University.
I hope this episode is insightful if you are looking to serve in the immigration space without becoming an immigration attorney.
Thank you for being here!
With Love, Heidy
P.S. Here is the article that I referenced in this episode about the countries that take in the most refugees.
Connect with Joanne:
TikTok: @jojospeaks7
Joanne's Bio:
Joanne McAfee Maldonado is a native Delawarean residing on the ceded lands of the Nanticoke (Nan-tee-coke) and Leni Lenape (Lenny Len ah pay) tribes. Joanne traveled to the El Paso/Juarez border in 2019 to find out for herself what was going on. She is married to a Mexican national and was perplexed by the news reports of family separation and the dismantling of the legal asylum system. She worked as an Ambassador for over a year with Women of Welcome but wanted to find a practical way to make an impact in immigrant services. With a new and more educated perspective, she sought out additional education with Villanova University's VIISTA program and became an DOJ Accredited Immigration Law Representative. Joanne continues to advocate for our foreign-born brothers and sisters by educating, raising awareness, and staying in touch with her local elected officials. She remains vigilant concerning the border by following several organizations that have boots on the ground.
"I Thought I Was Going for a Few Months and Stayed for Six Years!" with Louie (English)
Episode 35
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 • Duration 33:40
Welcome to episode 35 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 Louie Bischoff from NRT Marketing. She tells us about her experience being overseas in Taiwan – falling in love and bringing her then fiancé over to the United States. Louie went through the whole process of getting her fiancé’s green card or permanent residency status.
The initial plan was to spend a few months with her friend in Taiwan and she ended up spending 6 years! In those six years, she learned the language, adapted to their culture, and lived with her fiancé’s family.
After living in Taiwan for six years, Louie and her partner decided to move to the United States. It was an important conversation and decision they made together weighing the options of where to raise a family and they picked the US.
Louie’s biggest shock while filing paperwork for obtaining permanent residency was the questioning of whether their relationship was legit. Her biggest hurdle was trying to translate the legal documents for her husband and him trying to understand concepts of what the question was trying to ask.
Listen to the rest of her experience!
Thank you for being here!
With Love, Heidy
Connect with Louie:
LinkedIn: Louie Bischoff, MBA
Instagram: @Louie_Bischoff
TikTok: @Louie_Bischoff
Facebook: NRT Marketing
Website: Nrtmarketingsolutions.com
Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.
"Gatito Inmeegrante" The Best Immigration Story Ever written by Alfredo (English) (South America)
Episode 34
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 • Duration 15:35
Welcome to episode 34 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 Alfredo Bravo De Rueda, writer of Gatito Inmeegrante screenplay, which he says is the best immigration story ever! He came to the United
States from South America at almost 40 years of age.
Alfredo starts the show by sharing that his background is in economics but unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to work in his field. This is more common than not with immigrants. For example, I’ve worked at different doctor’s offices, and at least one medical assistant in each office I’ve worked in was either a doctor or a nurse in their home country and hadn’t been able to get licensed or certified in the United States.
His first culture shock was the language. Alfredo explains that he learned English back in his home country and he could read and write it, however, once he arrived in the States, he realized he had a hard time understanding people. Another common theme with my guests.
One thing I like that he mentioned during our talk was the resources that the US has, for example, the library. And I feel that the Latino community or immigrant community does not use the library as we should. I take my daughter all the time to check out books and I take my son to the story time and toddler time that they have available and I barely see Hispanic people there. And while I’m there, I see all the different classes and activities they have available for the community and I wish that more people would use them.
Do you use your local library? You can send me a message on Instagram with your response.
Because a podcaster in 6-weeks or less with The V.O.I.C.E. Method Podcast Launch Course! Learn everything from tech, podcast hosting sites, editing, Podcast SEO, and more! Find out more information here.
And if you refer a client to me and they sign up for the 1:1 Podcast Launch Strategy, you will receive $50!
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Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast.
Start your podcast in 6-weeks or less with The V.O.I.C.E. Method Podcast Launch Course! Learn everything from tech, podcast hosting sites, editing, Podcast SEO, and more! Find out more information here. And if you refer a client to me and they sign up for 1:1 Podcast Launch Coaching, you will receive $50!
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on Instagram.
Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use!
Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.
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If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please email me at Heidy@heidydelacruz.com.
Connect with Heidy
Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on Instagram.
Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use!
Lastly, I volunteer with Bethany Christian Services for their refugee resettlement program. They have a wish list for basic things that families usually need when they arrive in the United States. If you'd like to donate items, the wish list is here.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Do you or someone you know want to share their immigration story? Please message me on Instagram.
Want to start your own podcast? – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Also, as a gift for signing up for the podcast newsletter, I'll send you a checklist to get your podcast started and the list of equipment and tools I use!
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Instagram: @bri.stenz
Instagram: @WomenofWelcome
Facebook Group: Women of Welcome
Facebook Page: Women of Welcome
Website: Womenofwelcome.com
Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.
1. Share this episode with a friend.
2. Subscribe on Spotify or YouTube.
3. Write a review.
4. Sign up for the newsletter.
5. Donate money.
If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com
Connect with Heidy
If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please message me on Instagram.
Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here!
If you want to start a podcast – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Here are a few ways you can support this podcast.
Share this episode with a friend.
Subscribe on Spotify.
Write a review.
Sign up for the newsletter.
Donate money.
If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com
Connect with Heidy
If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please message me on Instagram.
Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here!
If you want to start a podcast – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1. Share this episode with a friend.
2. Subscribe on Spotify.
3. Write a review.
4. Sign up for the newsletter.
5. Donate money.
If you’d like to advertise your business or sponsor an episode, please send me an email at HReynoso213@gmail.com
Connect with Heidy
If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please message me on Instagram.
Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here!
If you want to start a podcast – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
Subscribe to The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants YouTube Channel!
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
If you or someone you know would like to share their immigration story, please message me on Instagram.
Stay up to date with new episode information sent to your email - sign up for the podcast newsletter here!
If you want to start a podcast – I want to be your coach! I can help you with a successful podcast launch in just 6 weeks. More information here.
And subscribe to The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants YouTube Channel - launching September 2023!
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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