I met Lena my first year of college. At the time, I was making a documentary interviewing Syrian refugees who were living in my hometown Miami. She understood the Arabic from Syria and offered to be my translator. Lena and her family left their home in Syria when she was 13, just as political tensions began to arise. On this episode, she shares her story. We discuss the pain of leaving home behind, hiding parts of who one is to survive, encountering Islamophobia in institutions, and finding joy and connection through reclaiming language and family reunion.

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