Coming To America (Ed Halla)

Welcome to Episode 15 of Coming to America: Austrian in the USA. In this episode, we sit down with Birgit Hayden, whose journey from Salzburg, Austria, to the heart of Northeast Portland, tells a story of courage, adaptation, and cultural fusion.

Birgit arrived in the United States in January 2001, spending her first six months in Seattle before moving to Portland in September 2001 with her American husband. Over the years, she has built a vibrant life in her new home and has raised three wonderful children, now aged 21, 19, and 16.

Professionally, Birgit is making her mark in the commercial insurance industry. Adding to her impressive resume, since December 23 she has also served as the Austrian Honorary Consul for Oregon—a role that perfectly blends her deep roots with her commitment to her new community.

Beyond her professional and consular responsibilities, Birgit embraces a colorful array of hobbies. Whether she's sewing intricate designs, gracefully gliding on the dance floor during ballroom sessions, or enjoying a cold beer with friends after an exhilarating day of skiing or hiking, she embodies the spirit of living life fully.

Join us as we explore Birgit’s unique journey, discussing the challenges and triumphs of merging two worlds, and celebrating the beautiful blend of traditions and modern life. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that our stories of migration and adaptation are what truly connect us, no matter where we call home.

Tune in now for an insightful conversation that celebrates heritage, resilience, and the art of embracing life’s diverse experiences.

Leandro, originally from Brasília, Brazil, moved to the USA in 1999 and has been residing in Portland since 2009 with his wife Valerie and their Maltese dog, Jobin. He is a structural engineer and the owner of LSP Structural.

https://lspstructural.com

Gene's architectural company: https://www.zgf.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gene-sandoval-6606a0b0/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alina-mckinley/

https://www.nike.com/

and the football club from Donetsk plays in Lviv: https://shakhtar.com/en/

Oonagh Morgan grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a period of sectarian conflict that ended with the Good Friday agreement in 1998.

She is a graduate of Brunel University, London and the Irish Academy of Public Relations, Dublin. She began her career in Dublin at a global PR agency where she worked with a variety of clients from scrappy startups to international tech giants.

Like many Irish immigrants, her ambitions led her to develop her career in the U.S. - a journey that brought her from her native Co. Down in Ireland to the west coast of America where she has been a resident since 2002. Her international career includes roles in Dublin, San Francisco, Portland, and L.A.

In addition to now running her own Portland-based PR agency, Morgan Communications, Oonagh is a board member with Irish Network Portland, an organization that promotes business, social, and cultural links between Oregon and Ireland.

She maintains close ties with Ireland and travels back every summer with her son, Lochlan.

Oonagh's agency link: https://morgancomms.agency/

Irish American community in Oregon: https://irishnetworkportland.org/

OPB's special about cold dipping featuring Ivana: https://www.opb.org/video/2022/12/15/cold-dipping/

Ivana's Facebook group of cold dippers in Pacific Northwest: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350073745756565

Elisandra, the Director of Engagement and Project Designer at El Dorado, combines rich experience in design justice, rooted in her personal journey, activism, and education. Born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, México, she's a first-generation Mexican immigrant and a proud LGBTQIA2S+ member, which fuels her social justice passion, enriched by her border town upbringing. Elisandra received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Texas Tech University and a Master of Architecture with Honors from Washington University in St. Louis. Elisandra holds the Design for Spatial Justice Fellowship from the University of Oregon (2021-2023) and leads the Urban Violence Laboratory in Portland. Her commitment to advancing architecture and social justice led her to join El Dorado's Portland office in Portland, where she spearheads Engagement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) metrics. 

In her own words: "My upbringing in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, has profoundly shaped my understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges in marginalized communities. Growing up in a resilient community facing inequality, institutional corruption, and displacement, I developed a keen awareness of socio-economic disadvantage and privilege. This personal journey motivates my active engagement with these issues in my academic and professional career."

https://eldo.us/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisandra-garcia-a36b975b/

https://www.uoregon.edu/

Episode 13. introduces Ricardo Aranda, a marketing consultant with experience in marketing and global brand strategy, comes from Venezuela. Ricardo moved to the U.S. in 2004 to complete his MBA at Cornell University and has built his life here ever since. As a strategy consultant, he helps businesses grow by applying large company skills and tools; he is particularly passionate about the multicultural and Latino space.

Outside of his professional work, Ricardo is also an author, capturing his experiences and passion for language and culture in his first book Growing Up Bilingüe. His second book, due out on December 18th, is a Spanish children’s book that tells his story as a Venezuelan emigrant father, and his fond memories as told through his children's imagination. You can learn more about his books below link  and buy them on Amazon. Ricardo’s journey from Venezuela to the U.S. has shaped not only his career but also his life and family.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/growingup.bilingue/

Buy Ricardo's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC5GRMX4/

Ricardo’s LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-aranda/

Our guest is Ivan Hernandez, he came from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Ivan came to the USA 25 years ago this September. Came directly to Portland to study at the college and now I work as a Senior SW Engineer at Intel. He is  married to Paola Gagliardo and they have two wonderful boys, Jose Ignacio 24 y/o and Daniel (Danny) 14y/o.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-hernandez-4753162/

Wade and his wife's start up:  https://www.wearepanga.com

Sam's Coffee shop in Portland: https://www.jubileehallpdx.org

Sam's chai company: https://www.cafediaspora.com

Sam's websites of North American Manipur Tribal Association: https://namta.us/

In this episode of Coming to America, we sit down with Elisabeth Tschalaer, who moved from Switzerland to the U.S. at just 17 to study in California. Now, after 32 years in Portland, she’s built a life as an artist, journeyman painter, and business owner of Painting Blue Skies.

But this episode isn’t just about immigration—it’s a ride through topics like impulsive politics of democracy, influence of geography, WWII, dark matter, Calvinism, famine, California, colonialism, and civil rights movement. 

Did you know Switzerland has no official capital city and was one of the last countries in the world to grant women ...? listen to find out.

Buckle up—this is one episode you don’t want to miss! 🎧

#ComingToAmerica #Podcast #SwissInAmerica #ImmigrantStories #ArtAndCulture #WomenInBusiness #HistoryMatters

https://paintingblueskies.com/

I this episode of our  Immigrant podcast, I am interviewing Sonia Collier who immigrated to the US from Stockholm, Sweden in 1987.

She started her advertising career at the Shalek Agency in Los Angeles and was recruited to Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, OR 1991.

1999 she joined Adidas and finished a 22-year career with them end of 2020. She lives with her partner Joe in Portland, Oregon.