The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA) Podcast By Simone W. Johnson Smith cover art

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

By: Simone W. Johnson Smith
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The Immigrant Experience In America Podcast amplifies and humanizes the experiences of immigrants living in The United States of America and around the world. We are building a human library of immigrant stories. Connect with us at thebridgeconcepts.org to add yours to our library. Are you an immigrant, expat, international professional, international student new to the United States (or another country) and struggling to make sense of your new environment? Culture shock and adjustment challenges impact many of approximately 218 million migrants moving across the globe (UN, 2024). Are you feeling misunderstood and out of touch because you are struggling to understand the unstated rules of the new culture? That's what we do each week on The Immigrant Experience in America. Every episode is an in-depth look at adjustment challenges, navigating the pitfalls of immigrant life, and becoming a third culture person. I was inspired to start this podcast by my own experience as an immigrant American who legally migrated to the United States but yet has frequent experiences of a love-hate relationship of America with its immigrant population and as a result of a larger vacuum surrounding the positive contributions of immigrants to American Life. We will sit down with successful immigrant Americans to discuss how they navigated the complexity of being an immigrant-American to achieve their American Dream. This is a spot for us to get real - peel back the layers, if you will, of what it means to be an immigrant living away from their birth country. Our intention is to serve as a bridge from your culture to the American (or other country) culture – giving you a roadmap of tools and language to understand the unstated rules of the new country/culture, wherever you find yourself in the world. Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of the U.S. government or USCIS.2021 Simone W. Johnson Smith Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Mental Health of Immigrants | Neither Here Nor There (Episode 218) - Part 3
    Mar 25 2026

    In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone W. Johnson sits down with Dr. Leide Porcu, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and author of Neither Here Nor There: A Guide for Immigrants and the Therapists Who Walk With Them.

    Drawing from her own lived experience as an immigrant and decades of clinical practice, Dr. Porcu unpacks the emotional and psychological realities many immigrants carry but rarely name, identity fragmentation, suppressed distress, and multilayered grief. This conversation explores why immigrants often feel unseen in their mourning, how cultural dissonance and acculturation stress show up in mental health, and what culturally responsive care actually looks like in practice.

    Dr. Porcu also shares practical tools for managing daily stressors such as visa uncertainty, financial pressure, and caregiving burden, without pathologizing survival. This episode is for immigrants, first-generation families, third-culture people, therapists, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the inner world of migration.

    "Neither Here Nor There" : A Guide for Immigrants and Those Who Walk With Them by Leide Porcu was published by Routledge in February 2026. The book draws on more than seven years of focused writing and clinical work with immigrants and multilingual families. It addresses a wide range of immigrant experiences — from trauma and hardship to the disorientation, identity conflict, loneliness, and pressure to succeed that can affect even privileged newcomers. It also speaks to the second generation. The book offers practical therapeutic tools, case vignettes, culturally adaptive exercises, and guidance for therapists and allies supporting those living between cultures.

    Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-Immigrants/dp/1041091184 Routledge https://www.routledge.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-A-Guide-for-Immigrants-and-the-Therapists-Who-Walk-with-Them/Porcu/p/book/9781041091189

    #immigrantmentalhealth neither here nor there immigration psychology culture shock mental health immigrant grief identity fragmentation acculturation stress imposter syndrome immigrants therapy for immigrants mental health and migration third culture identity The Immigrant Experience in America Decoding America #immigrantexperience

    The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our

    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience

    Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN

    💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE

    💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn

    📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz

    📱Connect with Simone!

    💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org

    📱 Follow us on Social Media:

    💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼 Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast

    💼 TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience 📱 Share your story with us: 💼 simone.8.johnson@gmail.com

    Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of the U.S. government or USCIS.

    Please note: I do not provide immigration legal services or case-specific guidance. My work focuses on cultural adjustment, financial empowerment, and personal growth.

    Show more Show less
    31 mins
  • Mental Health of Immigrants | Neither Here Nor There (Episode 217) - Part 2
    Mar 18 2026

    In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone W. Johnson sits down with Dr. Leide Porcu, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and author of Neither Here Nor There: A Guide for Immigrants and the Therapists Who Walk With Them.

    Drawing from her own lived experience as an immigrant and decades of clinical practice, Dr. Porcu unpacks the emotional and psychological realities many immigrants carry but rarely name, identity fragmentation, suppressed distress, and multilayered grief. This conversation explores why immigrants often feel unseen in their mourning, how cultural dissonance and acculturation stress show up in mental health, and what culturally responsive care actually looks like in practice.

    Dr. Porcu also shares practical tools for managing daily stressors such as visa uncertainty, financial pressure, and caregiving burden, without pathologizing survival. This episode is for immigrants, first-generation families, third-culture people, therapists, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the inner world of migration.

    "Neither Here Nor There" : A Guide for Immigrants and Those Who Walk With Them by Leide Porcu was published by Routledge in February 2026. The book draws on more than seven years of focused writing and clinical work with immigrants and multilingual families. It addresses a wide range of immigrant experiences — from trauma and hardship to the disorientation, identity conflict, loneliness, and pressure to succeed that can affect even privileged newcomers. It also speaks to the second generation. The book offers practical therapeutic tools, case vignettes, culturally adaptive exercises, and guidance for therapists and allies supporting those living between cultures.

    Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-Immigrants/dp/1041091184 Routledge https://www.routledge.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-A-Guide-for-Immigrants-and-the-Therapists-Who-Walk-with-Them/Porcu/p/book/9781041091189

    #immigrantmentalhealth neither here nor there immigration psychology culture shock mental health immigrant grief identity fragmentation acculturation stress imposter syndrome immigrants therapy for immigrants mental health and migration third culture identity The Immigrant Experience in America Decoding America #immigrantexperience

    The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our

    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience

    Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN

    💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE

    💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn

    📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz

    📱Connect with Simone!

    💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org

    📱 Follow us on Social Media:

    💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼 Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast

    💼 TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience 📱 Share your story with us: 💼 simone.8.johnson@gmail.com

    Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of the U.S. government or USCIS.

    Please note: I do not provide immigration legal services or case-specific guidance. My work focuses on cultural adjustment, financial empowerment, and personal growth.

    Show more Show less
    32 mins
  • Mental Health of Immigrants | Neither Here Nor There (Episode 216) - Part 1
    Mar 11 2026

    In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone W. Johnson sits down with Dr. Leide Porcu, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and author of Neither Here Nor There: A Guide for Immigrants and the Therapists Who Walk With Them.

    Drawing from her own lived experience as an immigrant and decades of clinical practice, Dr. Porcu unpacks the emotional and psychological realities many immigrants carry but rarely name, identity fragmentation, suppressed distress, and multilayered grief. This conversation explores why immigrants often feel unseen in their mourning, how cultural dissonance and acculturation stress show up in mental health, and what culturally responsive care actually looks like in practice.

    Dr. Porcu also shares practical tools for managing daily stressors such as visa uncertainty, financial pressure, and caregiving burden, without pathologizing survival. This episode is for immigrants, first-generation families, third-culture people, therapists, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the inner world of migration.

    "Neither Here Nor There" : A Guide for Immigrants and Those Who Walk With Them by Leide Porcu was published by Routledge in February 2026. The book draws on more than seven years of focused writing and clinical work with immigrants and multilingual families. It addresses a wide range of immigrant experiences — from trauma and hardship to the disorientation, identity conflict, loneliness, and pressure to succeed that can affect even privileged newcomers. It also speaks to the second generation. The book offers practical therapeutic tools, case vignettes, culturally adaptive exercises, and guidance for therapists and allies supporting those living between cultures.

    Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-Immigrants/dp/1041091184 Routledge https://www.routledge.com/Neither-Here-Nor-There-A-Guide-for-Immigrants-and-the-Therapists-Who-Walk-with-Them/Porcu/p/book/9781041091189

    #immigrantmentalhealth neither here nor there immigration psychology culture shock mental health immigrant grief identity fragmentation acculturation stress imposter syndrome immigrants therapy for immigrants mental health and migration third culture identity The Immigrant Experience in America Decoding America #immigrantexperience

    The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our

    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience

    Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN

    💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE

    💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn

    📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz

    📱Connect with Simone!

    💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org

    📱 Follow us on Social Media:

    💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼 Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast

    💼 TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience 📱 Share your story with us: 💼 simone.8.johnson@gmail.com

    Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of the U.S. government or USCIS.

    Please note: I do not provide immigration legal services or case-specific guidance. My work focuses on cultural adjustment, financial empowerment, and personal growth.

    Show more Show less
    31 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Loved it! Absolutely fascinating discussion. a real eye opener. Very engaging discussion that explains the subtleties of the prevailing American culture and misunderstandings sndcissues that may arise when engaging other cultures with different value systems. Can't wait to listen to Part 2.

Absolutely fascinating!

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