Calling All Immigrants (and Children of Immigrants)

Want to be featured on this Substack? I want to tell your story. Email me at pdandreu@gmail.com.

Licensed via Adobe Stock Photo

Are you an immigrant or a child of immigrants? I want to hear from you! I want to tell your story—your joys, successes, and struggles—on this Substack. If you’re interested, leave a comment below or email me at pdandreu@gmail.com.

PLEASE NOTE: You can remain anonymous. If you want to tell your story but don’t want to be identified by name or likeness, that is 100% OK with me.

Why me?

I understand the immigrant experience. I may not be an immigrant, but my parents are immigrants, my wife is an immigrant, and most of my friends growing up were immigrants or children of immigrants. Your story is safe with me.

I’m also an experienced writer, with bylines in major publications, like The New York Times and Slate. I’ll tell your story right.

Why you?

Your story is unique. The media tends to lump immigrants together, reducing them to statistics and trends. When an immigrant experience doesn’t fit an abiding political or media narrative, they’re dismissed as the exception to the rule. In telling your stories, I aim to show that the exception is the rule.

There’s a million different ways to be an immigrant—different paths, different cultures, different languages, different families, different experiences. I want to showcase that infinite diversity because it’s in the revelation of detail that people are humanized.

How does it work?

We’ll have a conversation—preferably by phone, but we can do it by email if you prefer—after which I’ll write a draft of the story. At this point, I may send follow-up questions by email or text to clarify certain parts of your story to ensure accuracy. The initial conversation takes about an hour.

Story examples

These are few stories I’ve written based on the life stories and perspectives of friends and family.

• “Fear and Loneliness in Hell’s Kitchen”—my mom’s story

• “My Wife’s 30-Year Road to Citizenship”—my wife’s story

• “Gloria Choi: ‘Money’s Like the Ring’”—my friend Gloria’s story

Interested? Now what?

Leave a comment below or send me an email: pdandreu@gmail.com. Tell me why you want to tell your story and give me a brief overview of your immigrant experience.

Send to a friend.

Maybe you don’t have a story to tell but have a friend who might. Feel free to send to them. They don’t need to be a subscriber. Looking forward to hearing your stories!

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