Episode 156: An Immigrant's Tale

I adapted pretty quickly...this is my new circumstance and I have to figure out how to go forward from here. Obviously I look back, but I can’t be tied to that because it’s going to weigh me down.
— Fernanda Santos
Fernanda at work, covering a march for climate change in  phoenix

Fernanda at work, covering a march for climate change in phoenix

Fernanda Santos moved to the U.S. from Brazil to go to graduate school, but ended up staying and forging a career in journalism. Her work is a thread throughout this episode (she was an early believer in the mantra ‘never work for free’), but this story is also about life and its unexpected twists, and how Fernanda’s immigrant experience -and journalist training - helped when she was forced to confront a future she never expected.

Fernanda, Mike and Flora in June 2017

Fernanda, Mike and Flora in June 2017

You can also read a transcript of the show.

Fernanda, Flora and Clint in December 2019

Fernanda, Flora and Clint in December 2019

Fernanda’s articles: Check out her website to read all about her work, but I loved these three pieces about her life since 2017.

Who Will Wear My Dead Husband’s Clothes?

I Felt Safe in America. Until El Paso.

What Do You Say When Someone Loses Their Job?