Yaroslava Can't Go Home

Yaroslava Can't Go Home

From Proxy with Yowei Shaw by Y3 Productions

October 21, 2025 · 42 min

About this episode

Yaroslava shares her experience of adjusting to life in the US after fleeing her hometown in Ukraine, grappling with feelings of guilt for not being home.

The case of the teenager who can't go home. Yaroslava was 16 when she woke up in Ukraine to the sound of explosions and had to flee her town in Ukraine. Now Yara is 19, living in New York, studying digital marketing, arranging flowers, and doing better. But her grandma is still back home. Her friends are scattered. And every time Yara starts to enjoy her life here, she feels guilty for not being back home. In this episode, Yowei hosts a proxy conversation between Yaroslava and Sariyah Abuzant, a filmmaker from Palestine who also had to make a life far from the place she loves. Together, they investigate displacement, guilt, long-distance friendship, and the small ways we keep home alive after we leave. From the episode: — Dignity Beyond Borders — learn more about their work: www.dignitybeyondborders.org , Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn : @dignitybeyondborders — Yaroslava — on Instagram: @yasiiaaaa — Sariyah Abuzant — watch her film FordDat: https://vimeo.com/1101397354?fl=pl&fe=sh — Dignity Beyond Borders — learn more about their work: www.dignitybeyondborders.org Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn: @dignitybeyondborders — Yaroslava — on Instagram: @yasiiaaaa — Sariyah…

People in this episode

Host: Yowei Shaw

Guest: Yaroslava

Topics covered

  • immigration
  • guilt
  • resettlement
  • Ukraine
  • personal stories
  • cultural identity

Keywords

  • Ukraine
  • immigration
  • guilt
  • resettlement
  • Dignity Beyond Borders
  • personal stories
  • cultural identity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dignity Beyond Borders

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