Political Paradox and Prerequisites of the American Dream: Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi

In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks to Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, a biracial scholar and professor at the Iliff School of Theology. They explore the American dream through the lens of personal experiences and the stories of ancestors, especially focusing on the immigrant journey.

Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi shares tales of her grandparents from Italy and Puerto Rico, revealing the challenges they had to overcome to settle in America and the personal experiences tied to these journeys. The conversation touches on aspects such as name Anglicization, language loss, and various legal hurdles in the quest for the coveted American Dream. 

Also discussed is the paradoxical political situation of Puerto Rico as an intricate part of the United States, but lacking in full political representation. Amanda interrogates how religion and differing cultural contexts shaped these immigrant experiences.

00:01 Introduction and Background

01:14 Exploring the History of Puerto Rico

01:41 Guest Introduction: Dr. Kristina Lazardi-Hajbi

02:22 The Prerequisites of the American Dream

04:10 The Story of Puerto Rican Immigration

06:13 The Complexities of Puerto Rican Citizenship

10:23 The Impact of Americanization on Immigrant Families

14:48 The Italian Immigrant Experience

27:31 The Role of Religion in Immigrant Communities

33:14 Reflections on the American Dream

35:52 Conclusion and Future Plans

Want to Learn More?

Puerto Rico: A U.S. Territory in Crisis Article:   https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/puerto-rico-us-territory-crisis

New Partnership in 2024 with Religion News Service. Learn more about RNS here: https://religionnews.com/

Want to Take Action? 

Learn about immigration rights and how to take action in Colorado: https://www.aclu-co.org/en/campaigns/immigrants-rights

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