S E16: Learning to Belong: Immigrant Childhoods, Family Sacrifice, and Self-Discovery

S E16: Learning to Belong: Immigrant Childhoods, Family Sacrifice, and Self-Discovery

From Stories from a Stranger by Higher Ground

August 24, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 16

About this episode

The episode explores the immigrant experiences of Peter and Jade, highlighting their struggles with belonging, family support, and personal growth.

- Peter immigrated from Korea as a child. As the only person of color in his school, he felt alienated and othered. He dealt with bullying because of the food he brought to school, called “Kim Jong-un” and told to go back to his own country. These experiences caused emotional pain, a desire to return to Korea, and resentment toward his parents, which he later reframed as gratitude for the opportunities they sought for him and his brother. Peter’s story takes an unexpected turn when he describes doctor’s finding a tennis ball-sized tumor in his head. His family—father, mother, and brother—dropped everything to spend a month with him in the U.S. during and after surgery, which he describes as the most beautiful thing they’ve done for him and a profound expression of support.  - Jade moved to the US from Ecuador with her family seeking better opportunities as conditions worsened back home; she was 17 and left behind the life and community her mother had built. She felt rejected and isolated at school in her U.S. senior year, struggling to make friends because classmates already had established groups, facing bullying and mockery over her English, leading her to isolate…

People in this episode

Guests: Peter, Jade

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Korea, Ecuador

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